[carnationlilyrose]

(Original post by poony)
I am surprised Durham will offer a place for someone with 2Bs & 2Cs. I was told these top universities will expect minimum 5A*. Many schools do not disclose/cash in students AS results, universities can only decide their offer on GCSE results and personal statement. Check with your school, if you did well at AS, request school to disclose your results, it might help to show your potential.


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

All state schools have to do this now and the overwhelming majority of private schools do.

[chinaberry]

(Original post by Smeemi)
Rubbish. I've got an offer from two Russell group universities (Durham and Southampton) with four gcses (BBCC).

Really? That's v. impressive. But did you have different circumstances/are you a mature student.....cos I thought Durham liked loads of A* at GCSE.

[roh]

(Original post by Miracle Day)
I have really bad GCSEs, but I feel like I've improved alot this year and I think I can get AAA.

If my GCSEs are:
AA - English Lang and Lit
BBBB - Welsh Lang (first language), History, Biology, Religious Studies.
CCCCCC - Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Welsh Literature, I.T, Drama

As:
AAA - History/Sociology/Psychology


Could I get into good/top universities with these for Law or History? If so what ones?

Mainly speaking for Law.

Can you get into some? Undoubtedly. Do you have a shot at any you like? No.

For example don't apply for Manchester for law. They ask for 5 As at GCSE and a B in Maths (Source). Given you have neither applying to Manc would be just p***ing away a UCAS slot.

Ditto Nottingham who have a policy about 'establishing an academic record' which means 'outstanding grades' of As and A*s at GCSE. Source.

Also given you appear to have only 3 AS (why?!?) you won't be able to apply to unis like Warwick, which asks for a C in your fourth AS. Source.

Finally, and this is just hearsay, apparently LSE are GCSE obsessed.

If you apply to Oxbridge it would seem logical to go for Cambridge, who go for AS percentage in a big way and thus probably aren't as fussed about GCSEs as Oxford, though this does depend on you getting your 90% average and not applying to Churchill who ask for 4 A2s.

Other Law Schools may also have similar policies, so just go through all the admissions stuff with a fine tooth comb.

Also, remember that policies depend on the Deprtment not the Uni, so for Manchester (who shaft you twice for law) you could do History. Source.

When choosing between the two if you choose Law make sure you do want to study it. It can be quite a boring subject at times due to the nature of the Qualifying subject system. You can always be a lawyer with a History degree and, as it's a bit less competitive, you're likely to get a 'better' uni n your CV for History.

[Miracle Day]

(Original post by roh)
Mainly speaking for Law.

Can you get into some? Undoubtedly. Do you have a shot at any you like? No.

For example don't apply for Manchester for law. They ask for 5 As at GCSE and a B in Maths (Source). Given you have neither applying to Manc would be just p***ing away a UCAS slot.

Ditto Nottingham who have a policy about 'establishing an academic record' which means 'outstanding grades' of As and A*s at GCSE. Source.

Also given you appear to have only 3 AS (why?!?) you won't be able to apply to unis like Warwick, which asks for a C in your fourth AS. Source.

Finally, and this is just hearsay, apparently LSE are GCSE obsessed.

If you apply to Oxbridge it would seem logical to go for Cambridge, who go for AS percentage in a big way and thus probably aren't as fussed about GCSEs as Oxford, though this does depend on you getting your 90% average and not applying to Churchill who ask for 4 A2s.

Other Law Schools may also have similar policies, so just go through all the admissions stuff with a fine tooth comb.

Also, remember that policies depend on the Deprtment not the Uni, so for Manchester (who shaft you twice for law) you could do History. Source.

When choosing between the two if you choose Law make sure you do want to study it. It can be quite a boring subject at times due to the nature of the Qualifying subject system. You can always be a lawyer with a History degree and, as it's a bit less competitive, you're likely to get a 'better' uni n your CV for History.

I'll have a C in english Lit

[roh]

(Original post by Miracle Day)
I'll have a C in english Lit

Ah OK, in that case just make sure you check the various GCSE requirements.

If you go for Law maybe look at Birmingham. It's a top uni and does LNAT which provides another opportunity to mitigate your GCSEs, because, though they're not vital they are still part of your academic profile and those grades are probably below the average for an RG law applicant.

And don't apply to Notts or Manchester of course

[carnationlilyrose]

(Original post by roh)
Ah OK, in that case just make sure you check the various GCSE requirements.

And don't apply to Notts or Manchester of course

English Language is the one that counts.

Edit: Sorry, should have quoted ther person above you!

[Smeemi]

(Original post by chinaberry)
Really? That's v. impressive. But did you have different circumstances/are you a mature student.....cos I thought Durham liked loads of A* at GCSE.

Had some circumstances around GCSE time but I just think that A Levels are much more important and if you get AAA/AAB etc then why would universities care about some GCSE's which will most probably have no relevance to your degree.

[Tyles]

(Original post by poony)
I am surprised Durham will offer a place for someone with 2Bs & 2Cs. I was told these top universities will expect minimum 5A*. Many schools do not disclose/cash in students AS results, universities can only decide their offer on GCSE results and personal statement. Check with your school, if you did well at AS, request school to disclose your results, it might help to show your potential.


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

a minimum of 5A* at GCSE for durham? erm...no..just no.

[roh]

(Original post by carnationlilyrose)
English Language is the one that counts.

Edit: Sorry, should have quoted ther person above you!

I think OP meant that I have a C at AS which allows them to apply to Warwick, but it's not particularly clear!

[Jess9]

(Original post by Miracle Day)
I have really bad GCSEs, but I feel like I've improved alot this year and I think I can get AAA.

C - Maths

If you believe you have improved from then, and get them grades at A-Level - then you may want to consider taking maths again? I'm sure your college let you do this? I presume you're in the first year at college?

Look on UCAS first though to see what the requirements are for specific universities you are looking at (for GCSE). However, be aware that the top universities are often really competitive - meaning that someone with higher GCSE's may get in over you on this fact, if you both have a good application.

You get 5 University offers, so try going for a few top ones in the russell group, then a few less great ones as back up.

Thing is law obviously needs AAA at top Universities, meaning that if you had these grades exactly, (e.g. not higher than what they're asking for) - they might look at your GCSEs more

[Miracle Day]

(Original post by Jess9)
If you believe you have improved from then, and get them grades at A-Level - then you may want to consider taking maths again? I'm sure your college let you do this? I presume you're in the first year at college?

Look on UCAS first though to see what the requirements are for specific universities you are looking at (for GCSE). However, be aware that the top universities are often really competitive - meaning that someone with higher GCSE's may get in over you on this fact, if you both have a good application.

You get 5 University offers, so try going for a few top ones in the russell group, then a few less great ones as back up.

Thing is law obviously needs AAA at top Universities, meaning that if you had these grades exactly, (e.g. not higher than what they're asking for) - they might look at your GCSEs more

No I don't want to retake maths, some universities I've looked at don't even write down maths as a requirement but even Warwick only asks for a C GCSE so IMO it isn't neccesary.

I was thinking of applying to..

Warwick - History
Cardiff - Law
Cardiff - History
Liverpool - Law
Bangor - Law

I just can't decide between Law or history

[Jess9]

(Original post by Miracle Day)
Warwick - History
Cardiff - Law
Cardiff - History
Liverpool - Law
Bangor - Law

Be careful when doing this. The personal statement should be tailored to one subject to be specific enough, if the Universities hint you are applying for something else, they are unlikely to give a place, as it suggests you don't have "the passion" if you understand me.

It is doable, but you'll have to work really hard on your personal statement to fit both subjects

[Miracle Day]

(Original post by Jess9)
Be careful when doing this. The personal statement should be tailored to one subject to be specific enough, if the Universities hint you are applying for something else, they are unlikely to give a place, as it suggests you don't have "the passion" if you understand me.

It is doable, but you'll have to work really hard on your personal statement to fit both subjects

Oh crap really I thought I could adapt my PS for each application

[Jess9]

(Original post by Miracle Day)
Oh crap really I thought I could adapt my PS for each application

You can adapt it, etc.

But think about it logically.

You have two applications: one says how much they love law, really wanted to do it. got loads of experience etc. The other is good, but half of it is about history.

You're going to be more inclined to go for the one who has just wrote about Law, aren't you? Their passion for the subject will come out more.

Personally, I'd think of doing the history one? You can still do a Law conversion course - and some legal firms prefer you not to have the undergraduate degree, so you'll learn the way they deal with things. If law is then not for you, you've got your degree in history

[Saima12345]

It depends totally on your alevel grades, as long as you have got certain GCSE's, which I think you have. With three A's of course you should beable to get into a good university. Leeds, for example, with is AAB, for law, and probably most, if not all of the other good ones.

[SleepySheep]

(Original post by carnationlilyrose)
All state schools have to do this now and the overwhelming majority of private schools do.

Thank God for that. I had 5 As at AS but my sixth form refused to let me put down the grades (I never understood why ), it was incredibly frustrating. Especially as my references were pretty rubbish Glad they've changed that.

[carnationlilyrose]

(Original post by Miracle Day)
Oh crap really I thought I could adapt my PS for each application

No, you only get one ps for all five applications. For subjects as competitive as history and law, you would really be shooting yourself in the foot by trying to cover both in one, thereby making it irrelevant to all of them. Decide what you really want to study and then apply.

[Miracle Day]

(Original post by carnationlilyrose)
No, you only get one ps for all five applications. For subjects as competitive as history and law, you would really be shooting yourself in the foot by trying to cover both in one, thereby making it irrelevant to all of them. Decide what you really want to study and then apply.

Awh I don't know.

I want a career in law but in terms of education I love History, but I hear from TSR it hasn't very good prospects.

[Octohedral]

(Original post by Miracle Day)
Awh I don't know.

I want a career in law but in terms of education I love History, but I hear from TSR it hasn't very good prospects.

TSR doesn't know what it's talking about, the majority of the time. History is a very strong degree, and whilst law gets you into a specific field, you can do a lot with history.

[Miracle Day]

(Original post by Octohedral)
TSR doesn't know what it's talking about, the majority of the time. History is a very strong degree, and whilst law gets you into a specific field, you can do a lot with history.

I got told Law firms will rather say a History degree from Warwick than a Law degree for say Birmingham, is this true?