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One poor grade?

Hi, I'm just starting my A2s, which are Biology, English Lit, History and Maths.

However, I am most likely going to drop Biology after my AS results come out, as I don't think I've done well.

Say I were to get fairly decent A2 grades from the other three subjects (ie AAB/ABB), and on the off chance that I get something like an E or a U in my Biology AS, will this affect my chances when I apply for Uni?

Any answers are appreciated, thanks :smile:

Reply 1

therealOG

Depends on what you want to do and where. My friend got an E/U in AS Chem, and just put his three A-levels on the UCAS form, leaving out his 4th AS. He got offers from Exeter and Southampton for Economics, so not bad going. However if you only have 3 AS-levels, they may ask for higher grades.

Reply 2

mr tim

Most Unis may not take AS level into consideration, some might. If Bio is something they really want, they'll probs ask for it and depending on what grade they want, they may accept/reject you. But if your course has nothing to do with Bio, then it doesn't matter.

Reply 3

username451311

Not if you drop it, no and you could still use the ucas points.. win win :smile:

Reply 4

Nibz93

Ah yeah of course I forgot to mention, Biology is not related to the course I want to do.

Reply 5

Kim-x

If you get a U at AS, you don't have to declare it, as you don't have that qualification. If that happens, you shouldn't be at any disadvantage providing the unis don't prefer 4 A Levels or an additional AS.

In terms of one poor grade, some unis will be fine as they only require an additional AS pass if they want more than 3 A Levels. I see your concerns with regard to how it makes your overall academic profile look; I applied with aaac and was worried about it; ask for a statement from your Biology to be incorporated into your reference about your performance throughout the year if you were meant to get a better grade. I did this and it said things like I participated in class, worked hard and had performed to a better standard than my grade suggested I was capable of in essays. It does however tend to rule out unis such as Warwick who offer AAAb for many courses. However, with the introduction of the A*, they tend to offer A*AA as an alternative so it's not impossible to get in there without an additional b at AS.