[ArtisticFlair]

(Original post by Raheem786)
I'm 14 and got to a Comprehensive School and want to attend Oxbridge. I am doing GCSE's a year early with tests already in Year 9. So far I have complete 50% of my English Literature GCSE with an A* and 75% of History with A. Although, my Spanish is on a B as I'm not the "best" as it, the same a Science. I'm also on an A/B for maths with tests next year.

I was wondering are these grades good for Oxbridge? Or should I be doing a lot better at the moment.
I done a little mock up and found that I'd probably get around 5 A* -- 4-ish A's -- 2-ish B's. Are these the norm or below standard? Do I have a chance at getting in? (I really like to pre-plan

Maths- A
English- A*
Science- A or B
Spanish- A or B
History- A
Business & Economics- A*
Media- A*
IT- A*
Statistics- A*

I want to do Broadcast Journalism, but I know that Oxbridge don't do this, so I'd take a post-graduate degree in this after doing History Degree at either.

I made a little mock-up of the A-Levels I'd most likely choose:

History
English Literature
Business & Economics
Media
IT or Spanish

Are these appropriate?

Sorry about this rather lengthy post. But I really want to have good options when older.

Raheem

Sorry about my rather abrupt post; this may be of some use http://www.chooseoxfordcollege.co.uk/

[stephwearne]

(Original post by ArtisticFlair)
People like you are really unlikely to go to Oxford; firstly, you've made it clear that you want to go to Oxford, but not what subject you intend to study. You need to have so much passion for that subject, and from reading your post you obviously have little interest in the subject: you just like the idea of actually going to 'Oxford', not exploring and researching your subject.

Secondly, you've chosen stupid A-levels; Media, Business and IT are going to get you NOWHERE in life. You certainely won't be able to go to Oxford with those subject choices.

Thirdly, you feel the need to declare that you go to a 'comprehensive school'; I too go to a comprehensive school, but I wouldn't go into my Oxford interview and say 'Oh, I'm amazing AND I go to a comprehensive school'. You would just sound conceited.

You also need about 7A*s as a minimum to be seriously considered; you can get in with lower than that, but you need to have a serious interest in your subject, which you don't seem to have...

GCSEs, however, say nothing about your ability at that subject, and I know people who get A*s in English yet got a C at A-level, because GCSEs are basically just memorising an essay a teacher gives to you.

You say you like to 'pre-plan', but Oxford like candidates who think on their feet, are articulate, and who are spontaneous... if you're going to take 10 minutes to string together a sentence or form an opinion on how Dickens explores self-improvement in Great Expectations, for example, the tutor would have probably decided that you're too weak for the course.

I'm not at all trying to be rude; you've asked for advice and I'm giving it to you. I think that if you act on my guidance and start reading around your subject in depth, you stand a very good chance. Good luck!

I think you should remember that he's fourteen... good on him for being so ambitious, it's refreshing.


On a lighter note, make sure you do History A-Level, you'll love it like I do good luck!

[Raheem786]

(Original post by stephwearne)
I think you should remember that he's fourteen... good on him for being so ambitious, it's refreshing.


On a lighter note, make sure you do History A-Level, you'll love it like I do good luck!

HAHA. Thanks a lot for the advice. And yes, I am only young. I'm only looking for advice.

[ArtisticFlair]

(Original post by oli_G)
What you've said there is simply incorrect. (Evidence: Talk by Merton College Admissions Officer)

Think before you post.

Otherwise good advice.

If you actually read my post properly, you would actually see that I said that GCSE grades do not matter that much; I'm just telling him that, because he doesn't appear to be very interested in his subject, he should aim for higher GCSE grades to make up for it.

[Xarren]

(Original post by Raheem786)
History
English Literature
Business & Economics
Media
IT or Spanish

Raheem

English Lit, Business, Media and IT are all considered soft by good universities, and are unlikely to win you a place..

History, Spanish, Economics and Maths?

[Fj-K]

(Original post by Xarren)
English Lit, Business, Media and IT are all considered soft by good universities, and are unlikely to win you a place..

History, Spanish, Economics and Maths?

English Lit isn't seen as a soft subject. But, Buisness, Media and IT definitely are.

[pickup]

Soft / hard subjects for Oxbridge depend on what you want to study. They have to be relevant obviously for what ever course you are applying for.

For A2 I did English Language A (Soft?) Psychology A ( Soft? ) and Theatre Studies A ( very soft) but still got an offer for Philosophy. I went down one weekend for interviews. ( I had one general and one specialist. ) Very penetrating and demanding. Kept asking me the same questions over and over - presumably to see whether I could think more deeply on the subject / think on my feet?

I also had an essay to write. Again not specific to Philosophy as such but very difficult.

They will note whatever type of school you went to as they have considerable information/ research on schools, their results and their track record in sending students to Oxbridge. They take students from state and private schools in roughly the same proportion as apply.

Good luck.

[skylliclight]

(Original post by Raheem786)
I'm 14 and got to a Comprehensive School and want to attend Oxbridge. I am doing GCSE's a year early with tests already in Year 9. So far I have complete 50% of my English Literature GCSE with an A* and 75% of History with A. Although, my Spanish is on a B as I'm not the "best" as it, the same a Science. I'm also on an A/B for maths with tests next year.

I was wondering are these grades good for Oxbridge? Or should I be doing a lot better at the moment.
I done a little mock up and found that I'd probably get around 5 A* -- 4-ish A's -- 2-ish B's. Are these the norm or below standard? Do I have a chance at getting in? (I really like to pre-plan

Maths- A
English- A*
Science- A or B
Spanish- A or B
History- A
Business & Economics- A*
Media- A*
IT- A*
Statistics- A*

I want to do Broadcast Journalism, but I know that Oxbridge don't do this, so I'd take a post-graduate degree in this after doing History Degree at either.

I made a little mock-up of the A-Levels I'd most likely choose:

History
English Literature
Business & Economics
Media
IT or Spanish

Are these appropriate?

Sorry about this rather lengthy post. But I really want to have good options when older.

Raheem

I'm still a sixth-former so you should take everything I say with a pinch of salt. Everything I'm saying is a mix of personal opinion and the advice I've been given by teachers.

I'm sure the universities will understand that taking GCSEs a year early will have affected your grades as you didn't have that whole extra year that others get. You should make it clear you basically skipped a year.

Like the others before me, I'd say ditch Media, IT, and Business and Economics (straight Economics is great but your school doesn't offer it so there's nothing you can really do). I'm not saying those are bad A-Levels to take but they are on the so-called Russell Group A-levels "blacklist". Go for traditional subjects which link in well to each other and the course you want to do. Also, I was told that it's good to have a Maths/Science subject as one of your four or five A-levels even when you are aiming for an arts degree as the universities apparently like to see variety and they like to see that you have the skills to succeed all-round. Oh and you don't have to take five A-levels. If you think you can manage it then that's great. I take five but the workload is pretty intense. The jump from GCSE to AS isn't fun.

Please make sure you are actually interested in the course you've chosen. I know for a fact Oxford and Cambridge are looking for students who are passionate about their subject, who do extra reading because they want to not because they think it looks good, who are willing to research and experiment, and who potentially enjoy the massive amounts of work.

Being ambitious is fine, although I really didn't start thinking about university choices until sixth-form. If you spend too much time "pre-planning", you've lost vital revision/ study time. I would like to stress that Oxford and Cambridge are amazing institutions but really there is so much choice out there and there are so many possibilities. I'm not really one to talk as I'm thinking of applying but I know that I'd be happy to get into any of the other places I'm considering. What I'm saying is you shouldn't restrict yourself to just the one degree subject and these two universities at this age. It could set you up to fail. (I'm not saying it will, just that it does happen.)

On a last note, good luck with everything.

[Raheem786]

(Original post by skylliclight)
I'm still a sixth-former so you should take everything I say with a pinch of salt. Everything I'm saying is a mix of personal opinion and the advice I've been given by teachers.

I'm sure the universities will understand that taking GCSEs a year early will have affected your grades as you didn't have that whole extra year that others get. You should make it clear you basically skipped a year.

Like the others before me, I'd say ditch Media, IT, and Business and Economics (straight Economics is great but your school doesn't offer it so there's nothing you can really do). I'm not saying those are bad A-Levels to take but they are on the so-called Russell Group A-levels "blacklist". Go for traditional subjects which link in well to each other and the course you want to do. Also, I was told that it's good to have a Maths/Science subject as one of your four or five A-levels even when you are aiming for an arts degree as the universities apparently like to see variety and they like to see that you have the skills to succeed all-round. Oh and you don't have to take five A-levels. If you think you can manage it then that's great. I take five but the workload is pretty intense. The jump from GCSE to AS isn't fun.

Please make sure you are actually interested in the course you've chosen. I know for a fact Oxford and Cambridge are looking for students who are passionate about their subject, who do extra reading because they want to not because they think it looks good, who are willing to research and experiment, and who potentially enjoy the massive amounts of work.

Being ambitious is fine, although I really didn't start thinking about university choices until sixth-form. If you spend too much time "pre-planning", you've lost vital revision/ study time. I would like to stress that Oxford and Cambridge are amazing institutions but really there is so much choice out there and there are so many possibilities. I'm not really one to talk as I'm thinking of applying but I know that I'd be happy to get into any of the other places I'm considering. What I'm saying is you shouldn't restrict yourself to just the one degree subject and these two universities at this age. It could set you up to fail. (I'm not saying it will, just that it does happen.)

On a last note, good luck with everything.

Thanks a lot for the advice. One of the most helpful. As with what everyone is saying the A-Levels I said are bad and I probably won't choose them but I am very passionate about History. So I am thinking of doing

History
English Lit
Spanish / Maths / Science (I know it sounds dumb, but whichever I am better at, because they are all very hard)


As opposed to the "softer" subjects which I didn't really think through.
Which others are saying is good. On a positive note, thanks for acknowledging my early GCSE's

[Craming Revision]

get to college level son then apply i got **** gcses but smashed a levels

[Larry31]

(Original post by Raheem786)
Thanks for the reply TauMuon, you say "soft" subjects and I would probably agree. But I though doing 1 "soft" subject would make "it" look better Also, when you say Maths. I suspect A-Levels? At the moment I find it very hard so am not sure about that.

If i were to take 4. How does the following sound?

English Lit.
Hist.
Span.

For the 4th, other than maths what'd you recommend?

These are good A-Levels but I feel like I should warn you about Spanish. Spanish AS is SO much harder than GCSE; by far my hardest subject and I took Bio, Chem and Math to A-Level and got an A* in Spanish GCSE. If you want to take it to AS, I would strongly suggest trying to bump it up to an A* by the time you get to college (I understand that being in year 9 this is quite an achievement ) I just thought that I should say; chances are that you'll change choices, careers etc. between now and college anyway! I changed my A-Levels right at the end of Year 11, so nothing is set in stone now. Enjoy life before you hit A-Levels

[oli_G]

(Original post by ArtisticFlair)
If you actually read my post properly, you would actually see that I said that GCSE grades do not matter that much; I'm just telling him that, because he doesn't appear to be very interested in his subject, he should aim for higher GCSE grades to make up for it.

If he isn't interested in his subject, he won't be accepted even if he has 55 A*s

[ArtisticFlair]

(Original post by oli_G)
If he isn't interested in his subject, he won't be accepted even if he has 55 A*s

So why are you telling him that he's going to get in? "Think before you post". Hmmm...

[oli_G]

(Original post by ArtisticFlair)
So why are you telling him that he's going to get in? "Think before you post". Hmmm...

I didn't ever say that.

I merely contradicted your statement which implied that a lack of interest in his subject could somehow be made up for by having X number of A*s at GCSE - a laughable concept.

Think before you post...

[Raheem786]

So, because I didn't write passionately for the subject, I have no chance of getting in??

[ArtisticFlair]

(Original post by Raheem786)
So, because I didn't write passionately for the subject, I have no chance of getting in??

Well, for starters you didn't actually say what subject you want to study - you merely stated that you want to go to Oxford. This suggests that you prefer the idea of actually going to 'Oxford', rather than studying your subject. If you were truly passionate and interested in your subject, you wouldn't care where you study, as long as you get to study that subject.

Oddly, you still haven't told us what you want to study. Hmm....

[dclarke35]

Your GCSE's are fine. However, your A-level choices are not. You need to consider what you want to read at University. Firstly, Business, I.T and media are considered 'soft subjects'. As for History, Eng Lit and Spanish, they are amazing subjects to take. If I was you, i'd take Eng lit, History, Spanish, another m.f language and possibly a science/math as it shows that you are a well rounded student! But, remember that grades aren't everything, you need to get lots of work experience; hospices, charity shops, public/charity events all look amazing on both CV's and personal statements! If Oxford is the university that you wish to go to, go for it, but a lot of hard-work and effort is needed. Gook luck!

[ArtisticFlair]

(Original post by dclarke35)
Your GCSE's are fine. However, your A-level choices are not. You need to consider what you want to read at University. Firstly, Business, I.T and media are considered 'soft subjects'. As for History, Eng Lit and Spanish, they are amazing subjects to take. If I was you, i'd take Eng lit, History, Spanish, another m.f language and possibly a science/math as it shows that you are a well rounded student! But, remember that grades aren't everything, you need to get lots of work experience; hospices, charity shops, public/charity events all look amazing on both CV's and personal statements! If Oxford is the university that you wish to go to, go for it, but a lot of hard-work and effort is needed. Gook luck!

I wouldn't advise him to do English Literature or History if he wants to do a Medical course!

[SonnyBeatle]

Are my grades good enough for PPE at Oxford?
A* Physics, A Chemistry, A* Biology
A Maths, A English Language, B Eng Lit, A Business, A French
B RE, A Citizenship, Distinction in OCR national IT (counts as an A)

AS Levels- A Economics, A Politics, A Physics, B Maths
Predicted A2's- A* Econ, A* Politics, A Physics, A Maths (with a C2 resit I can get it)

[When you see it...]

(Original post by ArtisticFlair)
People like you are really unlikely to go to Oxford; firstly, you've made it clear that you want to go to Oxford, but not what subject you intend to study. You need to have so much passion for that subject, and from reading your post you obviously have little interest in the subject: you just like the idea of actually going to 'Oxford', not exploring and researching your subject.

Secondly, you've chosen stupid A-levels; Media, Business and IT are going to get you NOWHERE in life. You certainely won't be able to go to Oxford with those subject choices.

Thirdly, you feel the need to declare that you go to a 'comprehensive school'; I too go to a comprehensive school, but I wouldn't go into my Oxford interview and say 'Oh, I'm amazing AND I go to a comprehensive school'. You would just sound conceited.

You also need about 7A*s as a minimum to be seriously considered; you can get in with lower than that, but you need to have a serious interest in your subject, which you don't seem to have...

GCSEs, however, say nothing about your ability at that subject, and I know people who get A*s in English yet got a C at A-level, because GCSEs are basically just memorising an essay a teacher gives to you.

You say you like to 'pre-plan', but Oxford like candidates who think on their feet, are articulate, and who are spontaneous... if you're going to take 10 minutes to string together a sentence or form an opinion on how Dickens explores self-improvement in Great Expectations, for example, the tutor would have probably decided that you're too weak for the course.

I'm not at all trying to be rude; you've asked for advice and I'm giving it to you. I think that if you act on my guidance and start reading around your subject in depth, you stand a very good chance. Good luck!

He's 14, give him a break.