Do oxbridge want 4 A levels or 3?
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Doing 4 shows you're motivated and have good time management skills (unless the 4th subject is media studies etc.). For me it's also a way to better prepare myself for university, since everyone says that the step up from A-Levels to university is huge.
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I would say that for a Science/Maths subject, doing 4 relevant A Levels would be useful (but it's not necessary by any means). For a Humanity subject, it probably doesn't matter as much.
Someone else said this before, and posted the video (I assume you mean the one with students talking?). It certainly didn't give me the impression that doing 4 doesn't give an advantage.
Original post by Economi
In a recent video some Oxford admissions people confirmed that having 4 doesn't give you an advantage.
Someone else said this before, and posted the video (I assume you mean the one with students talking?). It certainly didn't give me the impression that doing 4 doesn't give an advantage.
Original post by Chief Wiggum
I would say that for a Science/Maths subject, doing 4 relevant A Levels would be useful (but it's not necessary by any means). For a Humanity subject, it probably doesn't matter as much.
Someone else said this before, and posted the video (I assume you mean the one with students talking?). It certainly didn't give me the impression that doing 4 doesn't give an advantage.
Someone else said this before, and posted the video (I assume you mean the one with students talking?). It certainly didn't give me the impression that doing 4 doesn't give an advantage.
I may have been the person who posted that video. To me it just showed that they're aware of applicant confusion in regards to number of A levels, so they may take this awareness into the process of picking who they're going to interview/give offers to. I don't know why they would so explicitly say it's not an advantage if they didn't mean it. Of course I could be wrong, though.
Based on the stats available for Oxford medicine specifically, the difference in the number of a-levels taken between applicants and offer-holders is very small (only further maths changes in prevalence to any degree that might reach statistical significance).
This backs up the notion that doing 3 is fine.
This backs up the notion that doing 3 is fine.
Original post by Economi
I may have been the person who posted that video. To me it just showed that they're aware of applicant confusion in regards to number of A levels, so they may take this awareness into the process of picking who they're going to interview/give offers to. I don't know why they would so explicitly say it's not an advantage if they didn't mean it. Of course I could be wrong, though.
That is not my recollection of the video. I remembered them initially saying something like "yeah, it doesn't make a difference", then a few seconds later something that appeared to imply that it could look good having another A Level, followed up with an ambiguous closing statement. I don't see how you could interpret that as completely proving that Oxford don't care if you do 3 or 4 A Levels. It was very ambiguous and uncertain.
(I don't have a clue if they care about another A Level or not, by the way, I just think your interpretation of that video is a bit odd, if we're talking about the same one.)
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by Americanism
A*A*A* is better than A*AAA, A*A*AA and A*A*A*A.
I got A*A*A*A and I'd rather have my extra A than not! Haha!
Original post by Chief Wiggum
That is not my recollection of the video. I remembered them initially saying something like "yeah, it doesn't make a difference", then a few seconds later something that appeared to imply that it could look good having another A Level, followed up with an ambiguous closing statement. I don't see how you could interpret that as completely proving that Oxford don't care if you do 3 or 4 A Levels. It was very ambiguous and uncertain.
(I don't have a clue if they care about another A Level or not, by the way, I just think your interpretation of that video is a bit odd, if we're talking about the same one.)
(I don't have a clue if they care about another A Level or not, by the way, I just think your interpretation of that video is a bit odd, if we're talking about the same one.)
Hmm, having re-watched the video I'm going to have to agree with you on it being ambiguous. For some reason I remembered it being much more clear cut. It's interesting though that it was the one science student was who added that it's one way to show your keen, vs two history students who stayed firm about it being unnecessary. Maybe it's different between the arts and sciences.
Original post by kkohli17
I think that while they CLAIM 3 is fine, these are the top unis in the country so shouldn't you really be applying with 4? esp. if it's down to two candidates one with 3 and the other with 4?
That isn't how they choose between them, no.
Original post by kkohli17
I think that while they CLAIM 3 is fine, these are the top unis in the country so shouldn't you really be applying with 4? esp. if it's down to two candidates one with 3 and the other with 4?
The only evidence available says otherwise, as I posted before.
Original post by jamiep151
One person form my year who is starting natural sciences at Cambridge this year got an AAAA offer so as he was doing 4 didn't need to get an A*.
I believe all official responses to this question from Oxbridge are that it doesn't matter though.
I believe all official responses to this question from Oxbridge are that it doesn't matter though.
I think the message is ambiguous because they don't want to put anybody off who has only done three, especially if their school does not allow four or they are doing Arts subjects.
It is more common that people doing four get an A*AAA offer. Most NatSci people (and Economics & medicine) are doing four or even five with FM.
For these degrees the presence of four consistently very high UMS in relevant subjects does give more information about an applicant. Who wouldn't prefer to see a fourth AS in FM at a high score over single maths? Of course if a fourth relevant subject is a borderline result it also gives more information of an unwelcome kind. Which is why if the workload or choice of a fourth subject jeopardises your "best three" it may be better not to do it.
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