what grades do you need to get to oxbridge?
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Re: what grades do you need to get to oxbridge?my school dont allow u to apply to oxbridge unless u have at least 6 A* at GCSE.(Original post by swagadon)
do you need A*/A for everything in gcse?
will there be a higher chance of getting in with 4 A levels?
do you need duke of edinburgh?
4 a levels is good but not essential.
D of E is the most highly respected extra curricular activity- but make sure u do the GOLD award.
Good luck -
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Re: what grades do you need to get to oxbridge?If you have all A's and A*s it's helpful, but a B or two won't make a huge amount of difference. It'll also depend on the subject, the subject has a test that has to be sat then GCSE's have less weight but if they don't then GCSE's are given greater weighting.
4 A levels won't give you much advantage, very few people I know who go to Oxbridge have more than 3 at A2.
You do not not need Duke of Edinburgh, it is the most cliched piece of extra-curricular activity there is. You're better off not mentioning it at at all.
You don't need to have extra-curricular activities on your PS to get in, it should focus mainly on your subject and anything else should only be included if they can relate to your subjects. -
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Re: what grades do you need to get to oxbridge?1. No you don't need A*/A in all your GCSEs, but good GCSEs will obviously strengthen your application.(Original post by swagadon)
do you need A*/A for everything in gcse?
will there be a higher chance of getting in with 4 A levels?
do you need duke of edinburgh?
2. I'm actually not sure. I think for sciences at Cambridge, it can be good to do 4 since it gives you more relevant knowledge, but for arts subjects, it doesn't matter so much since there's less "required knowledge" for arts courses. But you certainly don't "need" to do 4 in any case.
3. No, admissions are based on academic things, not non-relevant extracurriculars. -
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Re: what grades do you need to get to oxbridge?Check on their websites, and also post your predicted/attained grades here for a response: here for the University of Oxford or here for the University of Cambridge
They do mainly look for A/A* grades, but generally do the best you can, aim to get the at as many A*s as possible, and everything else at least A, make sure you're passionate about the subject you want to do, and good luck!Last edited by mevidek; 03-07-2012 at 16:45. -
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Re: what grades do you need to get to oxbridge?I assume your school performs very highly at GCSE i.e. 6A*s is not uncommon? Otherwise, this is bad advice on your school's behalf. Even though the average number of A*s at GCSE for applicants is around 6 or 7, and you may well be disadvantaged relative to your classmates, it's far from a requirement - many get in with much worse at GCSE.(Original post by RSP18)
my school dont allow u to apply to oxbridge unless u have at least 6 A* at GCSE.
No, it isn't. They probably would much rather see extra-curriculars that are relevant to your subject. For example, evidence of doing the BMO for maths or work experience for medicine etc.D of E is the most highly respected extra curricular activity- but make sure u do the GOLD award.
Above all else though, barring medicine and maybe one or two other subjects, extra curricular activities are generally nowhere near as important as the grades and interview performance. -
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Re: what grades do you need to get to oxbridge?Hi there. I am not an oxbridge applicant but know people who have applied both on here and at my sixth form, hopefully this can help:
Oxbridge is very competitive, and many applicants who would be more then capable find themselves rejected after interviews, so please bear this in mind when applying- its not the be all and end all. That being said, it is possible
1. Because it is so competitive, the majority of applicants will have straight a's/a*'s at GCSE. Oxford and Cambridge are the only university's I think where GCSE's play a role in selection. I have heard people with B's and even some C's get in, but most likely because the admissions team were EXTREMELY impressed by other parts of their application.
2. As with any university, you only need 3 alevels, and the majority of applicants focus on 3 only due to the workload and the need to get A's/ A* in these subjects. Although if you can acheive 4 A's it would certainly not hinder your application, in fact, if you can provide a good reason for doing 4 it may even strengthen it, for example taking english lit as an extra subject because of your love of literature and desire to explore it further. When doing 4 alevels, some universities only expect 3 A's at a level and a 4th a.s level/ full a level at say, grade B or C. Not sure if this applies to Oxbridge though due to the competition. Basically, doing 3 is fine, and doing 4 doesn't necessarily help your application. Also, take a look at the Cambridge 'blacklist' of subjects- it can be helpful in selecting their 'favourite a levels', i.e 'hard' ones. However if you find you prefer other subjects that may be considered soft, do them, because you need to enjoy what you study at a level, otherwise it can become very boring and horrible
3. The Duke of Edinburgh at Gold will help your application, but that is not the only thing that they want as an extra curricular. Oxbridge admissions look for well rounded candidates who don't just sit and study all the time- playing a sport, volunteering or any kind of constructive activity will help, and the majority of applicants have more than one. You may also want to apply for school positions like Head boy/ girl.
Finally, research your course- there may be specific/ preferred a levels needed to study them. A good example is fine art at oxford- who recommed studying art a level for their degree, even if art is seen as a softer subject by many.
Hope this helps you and good luck on your results and application
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Re: what grades do you need to get to oxbridge?(Original post by Farhan.Hanif93)
I assume your school performs very highly at GCSE i.e. 6A*s is not uncommon? Otherwise, this is bad advice on your school's behalf. Even though the average number of A*s at GCSE for applicants is around 6 or 7, and you may well be disadvantaged relative to your classmates, it's far from a requirement - many get in with much worse at GCSE.
No, it isn't. They probably would much rather see extra-curriculars that are relevant to your subject. For example, evidence of doing the BMO for maths or work experience for medicine etc.
Above all else though, barring medicine and maybe one or two other subjects, extra curricular activities are generally nowhere near as important as the grades and interview performance.
yes ur right. 6 A* is very common in my school- may have been bad advice, but im going on what ive been told.
Also, we were given a talk about "getting into oxbridge", and they told us that D of E was the most desired extra curricular activity, so long as u do it up to gold. -
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Re: what grades do you need to get to oxbridge?No. GCSE grades are looked at contextually. Obviously better grades help.(Original post by swagadon)
do you need A*/A for everything in gcse?
will there be a higher chance of getting in with 4 A levels?
do you need duke of edinburgh?
Depends on the course and views of the tutors reviewing your application. It may well help.
No, entrance is based only on academic criteria. That said, the occasional EC is handy to show that you've got some extra time and energy to devote to your studies, and that you aren't slaving away 24/7 to get your A*AA.Last edited by michael321; 04-07-2012 at 17:15. -
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Re: what grades do you need to get to oxbridge?Well, it helps a great deal if he is your father: both Charles and Edward got in with results rather lower than you or I would be expected to have.(Original post by swagadon)
do you need duke of edinburgh? -
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Re: what grades do you need to get to oxbridge?As it's a bit late to arrange to have a different father, as well as a predicted string of A/A*s, make sure you have something you can talk about, with enthusiasm and detail, at interview.
