Cambridge Exams Year 12 and year 13 A levels

Medicine only required 3 A levels (Most requiring Bio & Chem). Did you choose the wrong subjects? Otherwise you won't have any advantage of taking extra subjects.

It seems you want to pick and choose you A levels that you already have in the 2 year period, plus more that you will sit in future - this would make you over the A level 2-year limit.

Also remember to get some work experience under your belt and sign up for entrance exams such as UKCAT/BMAT if required.

The A levels I picked are the following

Chemistry, Math, Biology, Physics, Chinese Literature, English Literature, Further Math

And I don't think i'll go over the A level 2 - year limit, because

for Chemistry Math and Physics, I did the AS and A2 component at year 11 and 12, aka two years.

For Biology I did the AS component at year 12 and A2 only for half a year in year 13, so only mid year of year 13 and am ready to sit the exam, so aka 1 and a half year.

For Chinese Lit, English Lit I did AS at year 12 and A2 at year 13, so also 2 years.

For further math I did the AS and A2 part in year 13 only, so 1 year.

My query is whether I can choose which results to send, or should I send all?

Thanks for your reply.

I'm pretty sure the A level limit is calculated by individual subjects and not overall time or am I wrong?

Thanks for your advices.

I thought it was for overall time, in which case it has taken you 3 years in total (year 11, 12 and 13), but I'm not 100% sure. It would be best to speak to admissions at your chosen university to clarify this, especially if they require biology alongside chemistry.

So long as you meet the minimum requirements, you can mention all your results. However, bear in mind, if you are still taking exams you may be asked for an offer from those subject (if you are applying before A2 results).

I honestly think doing more than 4 A levels is an absolute waste of your time and won't look any better on your CV, but the choice is yours - only do as many subjects as you think you can realistically get an A or A* in whilst also doing work experience and a few extra curriculars.

Firstly thank you for your reply.

Uh, I'm sure its not overtime as my school have an accelerated programme where around 30 students at year 11 does AS math and year 12 do A2 math. Furthermore, these grades can be used together with the normal year 12 and year 13 grades, therefore I'd believe it to be fine.

In terms of subjects I believe there is no harm in doing more provided that I can get A* in most of them, with the exception of further math which I'm looking for an A (though my teacher will probably predict me an A*) as I am doing it in 1 year, and most unis don't consider it a separate subject to A2 math anyway. I would like to apply to Cambridge where I am aware that they look at UMS marks. Thus here is me asking whether I can choose which grades to send as I'm worried should I send in my lower 90s that would lower my average UMS mark, as I am not really sure what the three "relevant" subjects they choose in calculating the average are.

In terms of work experience, I have been shadowing an internal doctor for a total of six months now.

Thank you again for your reply and advices, and I will remember to sign up for UKCAT and BMAT

Do you have any suggestions for extra curriculum? I am currently doing Duke of Ed and forty hour famine but that is pretty much it.

Thank you.

I think you are required to state all grades rather than pick and choose, which is why I mentioned that you need to make sure you can get good grades in all of those subjects. I suppose if you're doing some sort of accelerated programme then it would be fine, but just in case I'd email unis ask about this.

DofE is fine, although a lot of people will have this, so I'd suggest something else also, although the majority of your PS should be focused on your work experience rather than extra curriculars. Just pick any hobby or sport you like but relate it to why this helps you as a medic students or in your future career (e.g. teamwork, managing your time etc).

I'm not sure how a 40 hours famine would count as an extra curricular.... I don't see how you would relate that back to medicine

Ahh, thanks again for the reply. I guess for forty hour famine I can state it shows empathy for others? I've been playing basketball and badminton for school team for 4 years now and you reckon its a good idea to state in my personal statement?

My query is though are there any other extra curriculums you can suggest me to do? For example like student council, I doubt I would even mention it as I believe most people do student council, possibly even more than DoE? Furthermore do uni put an emphasis on music, should I put my music grades in the application?


Furthermore, do top in country/world awards help in applications, even slightly?

I personally don't think you should mention the 40 hr famine. There are other ways of showing empathy without starving yourself. Not good for your health either.

Yes, sports show you work well in a team and are dedicated (for example), as well as balancing training with your A level workload. As a personal statement helper (do use our free service - click ' personal statements' at the top if you wish) I'd say sports are useful things to mention so long as your relate the skill e.g. team work to your career in medicine.




It's totally up to you and depends on what you are best at and want to do. These are all valid extra curriculars. I don't know if student councils work differently where you're from but at my school only around 10 out of 250 were on the student council - so not everyone did this. Quite a few did DofE, but than a lot of people do musics and sport too. You don't need anything extravagant though - Cambridge are looking into academics more than anything (mostly in your grades) and interview but will be interested in your work experience too (which should form the bulk of your statement). However, they do like to see you can relax outside of studying so you need to put some sort of ECs in. If you apply to other unis, they will value this too. You are restricted by a word count, so I'd pick 2-3 extra curriculars which you feel give you the best skills as a student & doctor. Yes, I'd mention awards, briefly.

I personally don't think you should mention the 40 hr famine. There are other ways of showing empathy without starving yourself. Not good for your health either.

Yes, sports show you work well in a team and are dedicated (for example), as well as balancing training with your A level workload. As a personal statement helper (do use our free service - click ' personal statements' at the top if you wish) I'd say sports are useful things to mention so long as your relate the skill e.g. team work to your career in medicine.




It's totally up to you and depends on what you are best at and want to do. These are all valid extra curriculars. I don't know if student councils work differently where you're from but at my school only around 10 out of 250 were on the student council - so not everyone did this. Quite a few did DofE, but than a lot of people do musics and sport too. You don't need anything extravagant though - Cambridge are looking into academics more than anything (mostly in your grades) and interview but will be interested in your work experience too (which should form the bulk of your statement). However, they do like to see you can relax outside of studying so you need to put some sort of ECs in. If you apply to other unis, they will value this too. You are restricted by a word count, so I'd pick 2-3 extra curriculars which you feel give you the best skills as a student & doctor. Yes, I'd mention awards, briefly.

By the way, I know for Cambridge when we apply we have to send in UMS marks, what about other universities?

Thanks

I never applied to the other unis you are looking at, so I don't know. I think it's unusual to ask for UMS marks.

Ahh, when we apply for uni in UK, we send our stuff to UCAS right? Does that include our UMS score? What I mean is for example I'm applying to the 4 unis listed previously, do I send an individual application to each uni, or do I just send the required items to UCAS and they will then send the required info for each individual uni to them?

Thanks again for your swift reply

Also, may I ask who exactly sends your results to UCAS or the individual unis? I've gone through the sample registration and Apply on UCAS main page yet I don't see a place to enter qualifications and results? Are those done by our own highschools?

Thanks

When I applied to uni 3 years ago, we only had to mention the grade we got, and not UMS (I think it might have been optional, but not sure).

No, you enter your own qualifications. I'm not sure why this isn't coming up - perhaps post in the "UCAS and application" thread for more help. You won't need to submit your application until early october.

I think you are required to state all grades rather than pick and choose, which is why I mentioned that you need to make sure you can get good grades in all of those subjects. I suppose if you're doing some sort of accelerated programme then it would be fine, but just in case I'd email unis ask about this.

I thought it was for overall time, in which case it has taken you 3 years in total (year 11, 12 and 13), but I'm not 100% sure. It would be best to speak to admissions at your chosen university to clarify this, especially if they require biology alongside chemistry.

I honestly think doing more than 4 A levels is an absolute waste of your time and won't look any better on your CV, but the choice is yours - only do as many subjects as you think you can realistically get an A or A* in whilst also doing work experience and a few extra curriculars.