Oxford out the window :(

So basically until my AS results day I was an Oxford candidate and I set my heart on it.

At GCSE I got 5 A*s (full UMS in English Language, Spanish, French, Business Studies, and then a lower A* in IT), 7 As (Latin, Music, Maths, English Literature, DT, Core Science, Advanced Science) and a B (Art) as well as a qualification in Enterprise & Employability, 2 CREST awards, a Maths Leaders Award and Grade 7 Piano.

HOWEVER despite being predicted all As at AS I achieved the following -
Spanish - high A
Psychology - high B (one module was 1 mark off an A so I think I will get it remarked and while I won't get an overall A, it will mean that my psychology modules could be A B as opposed to B B)
English Literature - low B in the exam, high B in the coursework
DT - B
General Studies - B
A2 DT sat a year early - C

Next year my predicted grades should be in the range of A*AB-A*AA and for the course I want to do (Spanish and Italian) I need AAA…is it even worth trying with these AS results?!

Thanks x

Reply 1

oxymoronic

Original post by geeklovescake

Hi,

I'm sorry things didn't go well for you yesterday.

I would say one thing - being an Oxford candidate is very different to actually getting an offer for Oxford and then making the grades next year. A lot of people end up very disappointed somewhere along the way.

What you need to think about now is whether you think the grades for Oxford are achievable and/or realistic to you. From what you're saying it sounds like you've attained ABBB plus a C in A level DT, is that right? You've said that your psychology score was close to an A so therefore realistically, you're looking at AAB in your core subjects. Do you think that getting at least an A in all of the subjects is achievable? That's the key thing as your predictions will be looked at carefully and your teachers will need to justify their predictions.

Right now I don't think Oxford is out of the window. You just need to be realistic and work hard next year. As long as you make your other choices carefully I think that you can still have a good application and whilst the grades aren't exactly what you hoped, they're not bad, and you've got a very good mark in Spanish with a realistic chance of A* there.

Good luck :smile:

Reply 2

lilyobz

worst case scenario, dont apply to oxford, get your 3 A's (assuming u resit some modules), and apply the following year.

Reply 3

Memetics

Original post by geeklovescake

I was at a summer school in Oxford this year. One thing that I found particularly interesting is that one of the tutors told us that they really don't give a damn about AS results, and will more often focus on predicted grades.
So from that's I'd say that, unless you're applying for medicine, you should go for it, because it's only one choice in five and you'll probably end up wondering what could have been. As said above, you need to be fully confident that you are capable of getting at least A*AA in you A-levels.

Reply 4

fskilloran

Original post by geeklovescake

I am in a very similar situation!
At GCSE I got 7A*s, 3As, 1B (in PE) and an A in Level 3 Additional Maths. I worked as hard as I possibly could for my AS levels to the point where my parents were concerned about my mental health but yesterday I got:
English lit- A (this is what I want to do at Uni)
French- B
History- B (2 marks off of an A)
Critical Thinking- B

and then the nightmare:
Politics- D

I have asked for remarks in my politics as throughout the year I was getting straight As??!! :confused:

But basically I have emailed the college that I wanted to apply to and am waiting for a response. I would talk to your teachers about possible remarks if you think that they will make a difference but sometimes your grades can actually go down in remarks so only do it if you're confident that there was a mistake or if you have nothing to lose :smile:

Good luck!!!!!

Reply 5

TurboCretin

Original post by geeklovescake

The road to success is rarely smooth. Talk to your teachers, setting out an explanation of these results and your plan next year for achieving the results you need. If you can convince them to give you the right predictions, then I don't think you will be in a worse position than anybody else.

You have nothing to lose by trying; the only limitation here is your perception of your limitations.

Reply 6

geeklovescake

right, i'm currently thinking i'm gonna give it a go anyway

i want to do spanish and italian and i got a high A at AS spanish as well as full UMS at spanish (and also french) gcse which hopefully shows my passion, and i have done a lot of extra reading and i'm so passionate and desperate to go to oxford…but these blooming B grades!!!!!

Reply 7

Mumbai'sGirl

I’m in a similar situation. :frown:

I’m giving Mathematics, Economics, Chemistry and English Language at A2 level, and was hoping to read E&M at Oxford. But due to a blip in the pure math paper (I’m doing CIE) i got an overall B at maths AS and As for the rest. For A2 I’m hoping to be predicted A*A*A*A (not sure since i’m self teaching english language to A2 and how my teacher predicts it) but will the Maths AS b really hinder my application? The A grade would be in maths, needless to say.
Another trouble is that in India we’re giving our A2’s in October/November 2014, so the TSA would effectively be sandwiched between my exams. Is there any chance I get in?

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 8

Mimsycrafts

I don't think its out of reach, with some hard work and the luck of draw with exam questions/assessors you could get there. I would suggest you apply for Oxford but put a lot of thought into who you want as your insurance so that should the worst happen at least you know your insurance is a uni you also want to go to.