Any disadvantages with AEAs

Hi

Ive put down the fact on my UCAS that Im taking an AEA in French this year....is this a disadvantage in anyway?

It could be made into part of your offer, which it obvioulsy wouldn't have been if you weren't doing one (Duur! matt). So you'll have to do well in it rather than just drop out of not work for it I guess.

Reply 2

Mata

I think only cambridge are making AEA's part of offers at this time. Or at least, that was the situation last year. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, someone.

I went to the Exeter and Bristol open days and I seem to remember that Exeter said that they couldn't include them in offers as not everyone gets the opportunity to take them. The guy at Bristol had to refer to his colleague to find out what they were (!).

Disadvantages... its a three hour exam which is almost impossible to revise for? But if you enjoy French and are good at it, you may as well.

Reply 3

Che!

Yeah, this was the thing i was worrying about...whether i'll get a lower offer, but get asked for a distinction in the AEA, which is probably quite hard to get - i dont know how they mark it! Anyone know what you have to get percentage wise to get a merit/distinction?

Reply 4

Godmaster

Mata

Some of the Cambridge colleges MAY make offers yes. My one didn't and I had 2 AEA's down on the UCAS form.

Basically it makes you stand out. You are not supposed to revise for these things..I didnt do any revision for eg; They assess your depth of understanding, not extra knowledge :smile:

Regarding the Exeter Bristol thing..yes they cant demand people enter AEA'z..I think that was the point..however every university is free to make any offer they wish..so theoretically, Thames Valley could offer EE + AEA :p:

If you enjoy the subject..take the AEA..AND DONT HIDE YOU ARE DOING IT!! It makes your application better not worse!!

Regards

Reply 5

leannemarie

I've put mine down and I'm also applying to Cambridge. I think they would offer you AAA or AAB + Distinction. If they offered me AAA + Distinction I'd probably cry! But I'm doing 4 A Levels (1 is Critical Thinking but they seem to r.like that) so they would be more likely to make me an offer of AAAA I think.

Reply 6

Godmaster

leannemann

Realy depends where you apply..it can be as bad as AAAA+Dist lol :smile:

But I wouldnt get too worried..it could equally be AAB (which apparently is given by some colleges like Girton) or EE (Christ) :P

Reply 7

leannemarie

Godmaster

Realy depends where you apply..it can be as bad as AAAA+Dist lol :smile:

But I wouldnt get too worried..it could equally be AAB (which apparently is given by some colleges like Girton) or EE (Christ) :P

Oooh I wanna go to Girton!! I did ok in a practise paper for French so I should be ok, I didn't know the grade boundaries though!

Reply 8

Godmaster

leannemann

Oooh I wanna go to Girton!! I did ok in a practise paper for French so I should be ok, I didn't know the grade boundaries though!

I really wouldnt worry.. I never dreamed of two distinctions..just follow your A-level course and sit the AEA..give it your best shot..you can do nothing more :smile:

Gluk with ur app :smile:

Reply 9

leannemarie

Godmaster

I really wouldnt worry.. I never dreamed of two distinctions..just follow your A-level course and sit the AEA..give it your best shot..you can do nothing more :smile:

Gluk with ur app :smile:

I complained that my French lessons were crap so they gave me an AEA paper to do! I agree with you, A Levels are far more important and AEAs are just something extra if you do well in them and if you don't it's not all too important. Thanks for the good luck and well done on your distinctions!!

Reply 10

Che!

Yeah im going for it!
Thank u all so much!
TSR Rocks!

Reply 11

leannemarie

che_guevara

Yeah im going for it!
Thank u all so much!
TSR Rocks!

May as well, you never know you might get loads of distinctions!

Reply 12

kellywood_5

I've put my AEA in French down because it will make me look better and the only university that might include it in an offer is Cambridge, who I'm not expecting to get an offer from anyway :p:

Even if they did include it, it could be AAA or AAB+ Distinction, which is actually better than just AAA because it gives you another way to meet your offer.

Reply 13

Mata

kellywood_5

I've put my AEA in French down because it will make me look better and the only university that might include it in an offer is Cambridge, who I'm not expecting to get an offer from anyway :p:

Even if they did include it, it could be AAA or AAB+ Distinction, which is actually better than just AAA because it gives you another way to meet your offer.

That's basically the same reason I put my AEA's down... not expecting an offer from Cambridge anyway so might as well be hung for a sheep than a lamb. Plus it'll look good to everyone else.

Still... its a bit worrying. Nobody seems to have any markschemes or anything. Maybe that's the point - part of the reason I found A levels easier to pass was because I had a markscheme for every single module. The AEA takes that away from you.

Reply 14

Richy Rich$$

If you're that worried about about whether they will include an AEA in the offer, just don't put it down. AEA are more a thing of self satisfication rather than anything else. You really don't have much to gain by putting it on the form. Lots of people do them, but get nothing, it doesn't show much. And given the increasingly high numbers of Oxbridge applicants with straight As, I wouldn't be surprised if they did use start using them.

Reply 15

leannemarie

Mata

There's a markscheme for the French one, because the specimen paper I did was marked. I just meant that I didn't know what grade my mark would transfer into.

Reply 16

Richy Rich$$

leannemann

There's a markscheme for the French one, because the specimen paper I did was marked. I just meant that I didn't know what grade my mark would transfer into.

I think it varies alot with national performance. I know I didnt even get near a respectable percentage when I did mine, but still got a distinction. The best place to pick up the marks is the essay at the end. They're usually quite topically and have scope for lots of sophiscated vocab. The only way you can improve on the other exercises is learning more vocab. I don't know about the specimen you did, but on my one it had all sorts of colloquial expressions, like les bicots and le fric.

Reply 17

Gaz031

Lots of people do them, but get nothing, it doesn't show much.

Surely if more people fail them then it shows more? Well, more than A-Levels do anyway.

Reply 18

Richy Rich$$

Gaz031

Surely if more people fail them then it shows more? Well, more than A-Levels do anyway.

Yes it does, only if you get one though. Just putting it on your UCAS however doesn't mean you will succeed in getting an AEA.

Reply 19

dancingqueen

I did the chemistry one and failed it, and I do it at Oxford...often wondered if they know I failed it....I presume they do since they know my A level results :-)