How much do GCSEs affect getting into uni?

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That will not come out as better I am afraid as your "score" only counts the best 8

I got way above 150% of the average performanceand where does it say they only count the top 8?Last year, 30% got 3A*-A.I got 11A^-A*.

Reply 61

TenOfThem

Original post by Dalek1099

I got way above 150% of the average performanceand where does it say they only count the top 8?Last year, 30% got 3A*-A.I got 11A^-A*.

Then that should help :smile:

Reply 62

HeyHoYolo

I was just wondering my GCSE's were okay 2A* 6A 2B 1C but surely anyone who gets something like A*A*A with an A in their AS will be able to get to oxford and cambrdige in their chosen subject (unless maybe something that requires a set amount of A* or A*/A grades

Reply 63

Albino_muffin

They count hugely for Oxbridge; you can't get in without straight As at GCSE level, unless you're incredibly lucky.

As far as the rest go, most don't look at them. However, many schools do use them as a basis of IB predictions (if you do the IB), I'm not really too sure how A-Levels work but I assume they factor in GCSEs for predictions there too.

tl;dr: Don't really count unless you're applying to Oxbridge or your school uses them for your A-Level/ IB predictions.

Reply 64

Fonzee

My GCSE's were terrible.. Like 3 Cs and 4 Ds (yes I know I messed up so badly when I was in school :P). I took an Access course last year and did extremely well in it, and I received offers from 4/5 Universities that I applied to for Law, from which I chose Surrey as my Firm choice. So I guess some might look to your GCSE grades if the course is very competitive for places, but I would think they would base their decision on what you achieve at A level rather than GCSE.

Reply 65

Claudette

Original post by Fonzee

I love reading posts like this, well done. It just goes to show it isn't always about exam performance.

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Reply 66

madkracken

Tbh I don't think GCSEs really matter at all - unless you're applying for medicine or some other course where they may have a hard cap simply to whittle down the sheer number of applicants.

A lot of people seem to say they matter for Oxbridge, but I've really never seen any evidence at all for this. Sure, most successful candidates will have brilliant GCSEs, but that's just because people talented academically are generally likely to do well in GCSEs - it certainly doesn't mean they're a major factor in the admissions process.

Reply 67

imapedo

Don't sweat it dude, passing most of your gcses are the most important thing. Also having a solid number of A* and A grades in englishes and sciences/math would significantly boost your uni application

Reply 68

jonathanemptage

Most unis don't really care all you really need are C or equivlent in english lit and math (easy yes?) and then good A levels 140 UCAS points could get you in to uni but for a high ranked one (I wouldn't say better because league tables are based on students graduating and reserch and smaller unis will be further down) they ofton ask for around the 240 mark

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Reply 69

armando_pierre

Original post by HeyHoYolo

Would 2A* 5A 3B 1C be good enough for me providing I do excellent at my A-levels though the subjects I'm taking at sixth form (4) I got A* in 3 of them at GCSE and a High A in 1 of them. I know they aren't superb and are a few B's but would they be considerate about poor attendance due to illness and the fact I go to a poor school and even those grades were the best our year had

i got exactly the same results except i did cie plus i was ill on the day of my most important exam my maths so i ended up with a b instead of an a star which was my prediction . a good uni would accept you as long as you get straight as so you can put that on your application. unis care more about your as not your gcse plus the fact that you go to a poor school does not matter. i go to a top school and people here are doing terrible in their gcses so trust me on this if you ace your a and a levels top unis will look aqt you

Reply 70

slayer12

Original post by jonathanemptage

240 UMS points is equal to CCC at A level, which won't get people into uni

Reply 71

slayer12

Original post by armando_pierre

a good uni would accept you as long as you get straight as so you can put that on your application. unis care more about your as not your gcse plus the fact that you go to a poor school does not matter. i go to a top school and people here are doing terrible in their gcses so trust me on this if you ace your a and a levels top unis will look aqt you

I'm not sure whether you mean straight A's at GCSEs or straight A's at AS Levels here, but either way you can't say that they will accept you as long as you get straight As. Getting into university is often about having a good all round application. Thats why you have to submit GCSEs, AS Levels, predicted grades, personal statement in your application, because they want to see all of these things. Yes some universities will look at GCSE's more than others, but most universities will still glance and think about your GCSE profile, so its unlikely you can just get away with poor GCSEs. I understand some certain circumstances can affect people during GCSEs and lead to bad grades, but I just fail to understand why many people go into GCSEs with the mindset that they're unimportant, you can flop some, you don't have to revise adequately, you shouldn't worry about them etc. I don't get why people just assume they're not important at all for future career, I mean at least confirm/ask people, teachers, etc about the importance of GCSEs.

Original post by Mathlover123

See this is sort of what I mean now admittedly I have no proof that this is definitely true but the way I see it. I feel that if someone say got all A*s at GCSE and A-level that'd make them like every other applicant. If someone got only 5C's at GCSE then got A*A*A* they would look amazing.

The thing is this is rare (get 5C's at GCSEs and then A*A*A*) and so that's why it stands out. Lots of people here are just saying they got bad GCSEs and in the same sentence saying 'but if they get great A Levels...' . The fact is thats a big 'if'. You have to realise most people find A levels much harder than GCSEs. Its normally a step up and needs much more work generally to get good grades. There's many people who have a good set of GCSEs but end up with like ABC/BCC etc at A levels. These grades won't get you into many unis generally, and if your thinking about medicine/dentistry/law etc then chances are even slimmer/nil . So A levels aren't a walk in the park for the best of people, and so its necesary to put in max effort and realise they're important. Good luck to everyone, A levels are more important than GCSEs, so work well for them!

Reply 72

Dust.

How are my chances of getting an offer from King's for Law with 5A(one is English) 3B 2C(one is Maths) D(Art) but with AABB at AS (EngLit/Biology/German/RS)? Are they strict with GCSEs?

What about Durham?

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 73

igottrolled

do igcses matter if I want to get into an american uni

Reply 74

jonathanemptage

Original post by slayer12

240 UMS points is equal to CCC at A level, which won't get people into uni

Depends what you apply for and I said UCAS not UMS its different although I did get my Btech national in 2004 so it may have changed since then.

Reply 75

slayer12

Original post by jonathanemptage

Depends what you apply for and I said UCAS not UMS its different although I did get my Btech national in 2004 so it may have changed since then.

Sorry I did mean UCAS initially not UMS

Reply 76

Susy123

Original post by Cate:

I'm in Year 11, but I'm worried that my GCSE results will limit my chances of getting into the university I want to go to.
I've been told that they don't really look, but when it comes to a really good university, surely there must be some checking. I heard somewhere else that to get into Oxbridge, you can't really afford to get more than one B at GCSE.
I suppose it all depends on your A-Level results, but can anyone confirm or deny that?

From what I have heard, GCSEs matter mainly in sixth form applications and job applications..

In Uni, if they have two similar candidates fighting for one remaining spot, they may look at your GCSE results to determine who is the better applicant :smile:

Reply 77

username1042689

Good GCSEs = an advantage.
But bad GCSEs will not stop you getting into uni, or even a great uni. A levels are about five times more important to most unis.

Reply 78

AnharM

I got AABa in my A-Levels, but I only achieved 3A's, 5B's, 1C and a D in my GCSE's. I hate my GCSE's, and I wish someone just drilled it into me how important GCSE's are. If you are thinking of applying for Medicine, it's extremely important to have majority of A's and A*'s in your GCSE's. But if you are thinking of applying for another course, but at a top university (Oxbridge, LSE, Imperial, UCL), I think it mostly depends on your achieved AS/A2 grades, but Oxford do tend to look more in your GCSE's. My conclusion is that it's very important to get brilliant GCSE's, because you don't want top universities to give you a reason of rejecting you based on your GCSE's. Teachers in my school tend to help students who are getting D's to get C's, so the schools "pass rate" is high. They don't tend to help students who are getting B's to get A's and A*'s. But in the end of the day, I can only blame myself for not revising for my GCSE's, because GCSE's are extremely easy compared to A-Levels.

Reply 79

jonathanemptage

Original post by slayer12

Sorry I did mean UCAS initially not UMS

I guess it must have changed since I applied although I did a HND and then topped up I also really looked at foundation degrees may have something to do with it