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Is This Enough For An American Uni or Any Uni? Help

Hello, I really want to get into a top or good uni. In America, UK, Ireland Ect... I want to study Bio-Chem with either Grad Med and Environmental Science with a PhD.

My GCSE Results Where:

English Language: Predicted:C - Gained: C
Mathematics: Predicted - Gained:C (Resit In November 2013 For a B/A)
Core Science: Predicted:B -Gained:C
Additional Science: Predicted:B -Gained:B
Psychology: Predicted C - Gained:B
Religious Studies: Predicted C - Gained:A
BTEC Diploma In Applied Science: Predicted: Pass (4*C's) - Gained: Distinction Star (4*A*s)

A Levels This Year

Biology (AQA)
Chemistry (AQA)
English Combined (WJEC)
Psychology (AQA)
Applied Science as a 5th Option (Edexcel)

I could self teach Environmental Studies (AQA) but not sure if it would benifit me as work load.

Enrichment's

Criminology
Engineering
Tomorrows Teachers

GCSE Lit (WJEC)
GCSE Russian (Edexcel) (Speaking and Listing Short)
GCSE Environmental and Land based Science (Need to ask Science teacher if they will let me do it in my own time)

DofE Silver Award

Is this good enough for a strong uni/personal statement? and Entry Requirements
Reply 1
Original post by ShaneJ
Hello, I really want to get into a top or good uni. In America, UK, Ireland Ect... I want to study Bio-Chem with either Grad Med and Environmental Science with a PhD.
The first thing you are going to need to do is make your mind up. If you really want to do medicine, head over to the Medicine forum. Graduate entry medicine is extremely competitive, even more so than undergrad in some respects. Remember too that the systems outside the UK will be very different.

If you decide the Environmental Science route is more interesting, focus on which undergraduate course most appeals to you, ensuring that you can meet or preferably exceed their entrance requirements. You will need to use UCAS course search to identify those unis yourself - none of us can tell off the top of our heads what those might be!

I would not suggest adding to your workload - the A levels you are covering will be perfectly acceptable for Environmental Science.
Reply 2
Original post by Minerva
The first thing you are going to need to do is make your mind up. If you really want to do medicine, head over to the Medicine forum. Graduate entry medicine is extremely competitive, even more so than undergrad in some respects. Remember too that the systems outside the UK will be very different.

If you decide the Environmental Science route is more interesting, focus on which undergraduate course most appeals to you, ensuring that you can meet or preferably exceed their entrance requirements. You will need to use UCAS course search to identify those unis yourself - none of us can tell off the top of our heads what those might be!

I would not suggest adding to your workload - the A levels you are covering will be perfectly acceptable for Environmental Science.


Okay, Thanks! I am planning on doing my undergrad in Ireland because it is cheaper to do it there than here and I have a house ect there. I could do my PostGrad here on finance. Do i have a strong profile for UCAS? and do you have any tips on how to be on track and organised for my workload?
Reply 3
Original post by ShaneJ
Okay, Thanks! I am planning on doing my undergrad in Ireland because it is cheaper to do it there than here and I have a house ect there. I could do my PostGrad here on finance. Do i have a strong profile for UCAS? and do you have any tips on how to be on track and organised for my workload?
If you are applying for postgrad, UCAS will be irrelevant as it only covers undergraduate study. At postgrad you apply direct to as many universities as you like/can afford the application fees.

As to time management for your studies, I'd look around the forums here. I can't offer any specific advice, but would make the general comment that focusing on three A levels and getting top grades in them is more helpful to your cause than taking more A levels and thereby reducing your chances of getting those top grades.
You're going to find A-Level Chemistry a big step up from GCSE, simply because you did not do triple award science. Plus, you didn't achieve that high a score in GCSE science, so you're really going to have to put the effort in.

Also, Applied Science & Environmental Studies aren't well respected by universities, so I would advise against them. The key is to focus on the core subjects.

1st year Biochemist at University of Edinburgh btw
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 5
Original post by thenumber2goose
You're going to find A-Level Chemistry a big step up from GCSE, simply because you did not do triple award science. Plus, you didn't achieve that high a score in GCSE science, so you're really going to have to put the effort in.


The School; did not offer the triple award to my year due to timetable issues. I did not put that much effort into my GCSE's but i got B's in Biology and Chemistry it was just physics that let me down for a B in Core and an A in additional. I am finding AS Chem really enjoyable because I did most of the spec over the summer
Reply 6
Hello, I really want to get into a top or good uni. In America, UK, Ireland Ect... I want to study Bio-Chem with Environmental Science for my PhD.

My GCSE Results Where:

English Language: Predicted:C - Gained: C
Mathematics: Predicted - Gained:C (Resit In November 2013 For a B/A :biggrin:)
Core Science: Predicted:B -Gained:C
Additional Science: Predicted:B -Gained:B
Psychology: Predicted C - Gained:B
Religious Studies: Predicted C - Gained:A
BTEC Diploma In Applied Science: Predicted: Pass (4*C's) - Gained: Distinction Star (4*A*s)

A Levels This Year

Biology (AQA)
Chemistry (AQA)
English Combined (WJEC)
Psychology (AQA)
Applied Science as a 5th Option (Edexcel)

I could self teach Environmental Studies (AQA) but not sure if it would benifit me as work load.

Enrichment's

Criminology
Engineering
Tomorrows Teachers

GCSE Lit (WJEC)
GCSE Russian (Edexcel) (Speaking and Listing Short)
GCSE Environmental and Land based Science (Need to ask Science teacher if they will let me do it in my own time) Is it worth it?

DofE Silver Award

Is this good enough for a strong uni/personal statement? are my options good enough?
Original post by ShaneJ
Hello, I really want to get into a top or good uni. In America, UK, Ireland Ect... I want to study Bio-Chem with Environmental Science for my PhD.

My GCSE Results Where:

English Language: Predicted:C - Gained: C
Mathematics: Predicted - Gained:C (Resit In November 2013 For a B/A :biggrin:)
Core Science: Predicted:B -Gained:C
Additional Science: Predicted:B -Gained:B
Psychology: Predicted C - Gained:B
Religious Studies: Predicted C - Gained:A
BTEC Diploma In Applied Science: Predicted: Pass (4*C's) - Gained: Distinction Star (4*A*s)

A Levels This Year

Biology (AQA)
Chemistry (AQA)
English Combined (WJEC)
Psychology (AQA)
Applied Science as a 5th Option (Edexcel)

I could self teach Environmental Studies (AQA) but not sure if it would benifit me as work load.

Enrichment's

Criminology
Engineering
Tomorrows Teachers

GCSE Lit (WJEC)
GCSE Russian (Edexcel) (Speaking and Listing Short)
GCSE Environmental and Land based Science (Need to ask Science teacher if they will let me do it in my own time) Is it worth it?

DofE Silver Award

Is this good enough for a strong uni/personal statement? are my options good enough?




It depends on your A levels to get into a Russel Group University you need ABB+
Reply 8
With your GCSEs, I think you should do 4 AS subjects like most people because not all o your grades are A*s or As and I knew a couple of people with really good GCSEs who did 4 like everybody else and they were better off for it. DofE sounds a good idea to break up your studying and you can always use that for your personal statement in year 13 to suggest good team work skills. As for enrichments, maybe only do Engineering because this is the closest to the science route and the others may seem irrelevant, unless you want to live abroad, as in Russian.
Reply 9
Original post by ShaneJ
Hello, I really want to get into a top or good uni. In America, UK, Ireland Ect... I want to study Bio-Chem with Environmental Science for my PhD.

My GCSE Results Where:

English Language: Predicted:C - Gained: C
Mathematics: Predicted - Gained:C (Resit In November 2013 For a B/A :biggrin:)
Core Science: Predicted:B -Gained:C
Additional Science: Predicted:B -Gained:B
Psychology: Predicted C - Gained:B
Religious Studies: Predicted C - Gained:A
BTEC Diploma In Applied Science: Predicted: Pass (4*C's) - Gained: Distinction Star (4*A*s)

A Levels This Year

Biology (AQA)
Chemistry (AQA)
English Combined (WJEC)
Psychology (AQA)
Applied Science as a 5th Option (Edexcel)

I could self teach Environmental Studies (AQA) but not sure if it would benifit me as work load.

Enrichment's

Criminology
Engineering
Tomorrows Teachers

GCSE Lit (WJEC)
GCSE Russian (Edexcel) (Speaking and Listing Short)
GCSE Environmental and Land based Science (Need to ask Science teacher if they will let me do it in my own time) Is it worth it?

DofE Silver Award

Is this good enough for a strong uni/personal statement? are my options good enough?


I wouldn't advise you trying to take on more GCSE's whilst doing your A-Levels if thats what your suggesting under enrichment. Your GCSE's aren't the strongest, no, and Science A-Levels are supposed to be quite difficult but if you work hard you could turn things around & most universities will look primarily at A-Levels. For UK universities they couldn't care less about things like DofE e.c.t- they just want evidence of a passion for the course you are applying for in your personal statement and predictions that match or are close to what they are asking for.

American unis want the SAT test and they do look at extra curricular activites, no idea about Ireland.
Reply 10
Original post by Forumfinder
With your GCSEs, I think you should do 4 AS subjects like most people because not all o your grades are A*s or As and I knew a couple of people with really good GCSEs who did 4 like everybody else and they were better off for it. DofE sounds a good idea to break up your studying and you can always use that for your personal statement in year 13 to suggest good team work skills. As for enrichments, maybe only do Engineering because this is the closest to the science route and the others may seem irrelevant, unless you want to live abroad, as in Russian.


Okay, The school said i should do 5 AS as one is a BTEC. I am part Russian so i could live there if i want to.
I think you should focus on 4 A levels rather than resitting any GCSEs because A levels take a lot out of you I know people who A*'d GCSE's and still didn't do as predicted in 4 A levels no matter 5. That's not to say you won't do amazingly well but you need to have enough time to do this extra work that's expected at AS.

It's one thing being dedicated but you need to know when you are stretching yourself too thin :smile:
Original post by ShaneJ
Okay, The school said i should do 5 AS as one is a BTEC. I am part Russian so i could live there if i want to.


Just do 4. If you had perfect grades, then I'd encourage you to do more but as they're not perfect, you've got to be realistic about what you can achieve. You're better off with 4As than getting 5Ds. I wouldn't bother with a BTEC. Unis are mostly after A-level students.
Reply 13
Original post by Forumfinder
Just do 4. If you had perfect grades, then I'd encourage you to do more but as they're not perfect, you've got to be realistic about what you can achieve. You're better off with 4As than getting 5Ds. I wouldn't bother with a BTEC. Unis are mostly after A-level students.


What do you mean by perfect grades? My grades for my circumstances are good to be honest! If you had to put up with what i did! I am realistic about what i can do and i think that 5 is not a lot if i am honest.
Original post by ShaneJ
What do you mean by perfect grades? My grades for my circumstances are good to be honest! If you had to put up with what i did! I am realistic about what i can do and i think that 5 is not a lot if i am honest.


5 doesn't sound a lot yet but A-levels aren't like GCSEs. You mostly have Bs and Cs from GCSE. If you had A*s then I'd tell you to go for it. I get that you're passionate about what you want to do but you might not be extremely academic. I know of a couple of people who had As and Bs across the board at GCSE who got Cs at A-level. Even if you constantly revise you may not do really well. I found that there were a couple of things I didn't have the time to cover at A-level. You don't want to stretch yourself too far.
Reply 15
Original post by Forumfinder
5 doesn't sound a lot yet but A-levels aren't like GCSEs. You mostly have Bs and Cs from GCSE. If you had A*s then I'd tell you to go for it. I get that you're passionate about what you want to do but you might not be extremely academic. I know of a couple of people who had As and Bs across the board at GCSE who got Cs at A-level. Even if you constantly revise you may not do really well. I found that there were a couple of things I didn't have the time to cover at A-level. You don't want to stretch yourself too far.


I only did a low number of GCSE's due to the fact the teachers would not let me do extras because it meant them having to stay and help me. I can cover most things faster than normal. I am only doing the subjects that i am going to do well in. I can handle pressure i have no social life anyway so it is not like i am missing out on anything by staying in and doing work
For a US uni they're going to want to see more extra curriculars and leadership positions

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