medicine- new a*s

To all 2011 medicine reapplicants!!
Now that we've had our results from Thursday,
some of us will have had one or more A* in our A levels.
So apart from oxford and cambridge, will other universities give credits
for A*s??
I know most unis are saying we count A* same as an A grade, but can we actually be sure of that??

Reply 1

loveisjustasong

I don't think you can be sure of it really....

Reply 2

dearyme

paul1020

I know some people who got A* offers from UCL but not for economics rather than medicine but that sort of suggests the uni gives them more credit.

Reply 3

Markh1000

dearyme

I know some people who got A* offers from UCL but not for economics rather than medicine but that sort of suggests the uni gives them more credit.

But that's a departmental choice...

It's not like Cambridge where every offer includes a least one A*.

Reply 4

dearyme

Markh1000

But that's a departmental choice...

It's not like Cambridge where every offer includes a least one A*.

Ok I just wondered if it meant that the uni was starting to consider the A* more if they were giving out offers with it but as you said it might just be subject specific.

Reply 5

Markh1000

dearyme

Ok I just wondered if it meant that the uni was starting to consider the A* more if they were giving out offers with it but as you said it might just be subject specific.

Well some courses do ask for the A* (maths at UCL does too, for example), and other unis are using it increasingly too.

However, I would personally be very surprised if the A* became a requirement in a significant number of medical schools in the near future - I may soon be eating my words of course.

Reply 6

paul1020

hmm..i meant more than just requirements..rather in selection procedure.
like some unis ask for like one or two a*in GCSE as a requirement, but really they want a chains of a*s.

Reply 7

Markh1000

paul1020

hmm..i meant more than just requirements..rather in selection procedure.
like some unis ask for like one or two a*in GCSE as a requirement, but really they want a chains of a*s.

Well I highly doubt they would have a secret A* at Alevel requirement - but it would certainly strengthen an application (as long as everything else about it is good).

Reply 8

It could be lupus

I think if you were applying after completing your a levels and were taking a gap year then having an A* or two would look good for your application. It shows a higher capability than an A so it makes sense that if two people applying on a gap year, one with one or more A*s and the other with none/less, academically you are going to look better. However academics isn't everything in medicine

Reply 9

crazylemon

I wonder how long till they use them in offers tbh. They will want it as another lazy filter. however, if they say they don't care, they don't.
Not going to make a blind bit of different when compared to the personal statement, reference, UKCAT, BMAT etc.

Reply 10

Nucleolus

I was discussing this with someone the other day, and we came to the conclusion that although most universities will still have the AAA prediction requirement, if you are predicted an A* or two, maybe it would advantage you in the selection procedure...