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Poor GCSE grades?

I hate to be one of those people but I feel as though my GCSE grades didn't live up to expectations but I revised the night before/morning of so it's all my fault. I got 1A* 8A's and a B. I wanted to apply to places like Durham/Imperial/KCL for a degree such as Physics. Will my poor GCSE grades (in comparison other applicants) put me at a huge disadvantage? Will I be automatically rejected? Would good AS and A2 results make up for the poor results?

I'm taking physics, maths, chemistry and biology next year.

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Original post by jeanlouise
I hate to be one of those people but I feel as though my GCSE grades didn't live up to expectations but I revised the night before/morning of so it's all my fault. I got 1A* 8A's and a B. I wanted to apply to places like Durham/Imperial/KCL for a degree such as Physics. Will my poor GCSE grades (in comparison other applicants) put me at a huge disadvantage? Will I be automatically rejected? Would good AS and A2 results make up for the poor results?

I'm taking physics, maths, chemistry and biology next year.


You won't be automatically rejected unless you don't fulfil their GCSE entry requirements (which I'm pretty certain you do). Obviously, it would look a lot better if you had better GCSE results. But they definitely will not cause you to be flat-out rejected. You've still got a chance if you do really well at AS.
Reply 2
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jeanlouise
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Original post by Chlorophile
You won't be automatically rejected unless you don't fulfil their GCSE entry requirements (which I'm pretty certain you do). Obviously, it would look a lot better if you had better GCSE results. But they definitely will not cause you to be flat-out rejected. You've still got a chance if you do really well at AS.


Thankyou! Will it disadvantage me a significant amount?
Original post by jeanlouise
Thankyou! Will it disadvantage me a significant amount?


Let's just say that it's not going to help. If you're an admissions tutor, you're going to be faced with hundreds of students with basically the same AS levels. If you've got below average GCSEs, it's definitely not going to help your cause. Having said that, if you still manage to wow the admissions staff through other stuff you've done (such as particularly good UMS at AS Level, competitions etc.) then that could make up for it.
Reply 4
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jeanlouise
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Original post by Incubator
People like you make me angry. I didn't get anything past a B at GCSE, and I got some of the highest AS grades in my class(es). Some of the A levels I'm doing are Maths and Physics before you ask me what subjects I'm doing...


I don't fully understand you comment. Why does it make you angry? I've never taken any exams before and this is my first serious set of exams so I had a genuine question. I didn't ask whether I could get high AS grades with my GCSE grades? I asked whether they would put me at a significant disadvantage. It was easier to ask here as many people have gone through the university application process.
Original post by jeanlouise
I don't fully understand you comment. Why does it make you angry? I've never taken any exams before and this is my first serious set of exams so I had a genuine question. I didn't ask whether I could get high AS grades with my GCSE grades? I asked whether they would put me at a significant disadvantage. It was easier to ask here as many people have gone through the university application process.


TRY READING YOUR TITLE.


[h="1"]"Poor GCSE grades?"[/h]
Original post by jeanlouise
I don't fully understand you comment. Why does it make you angry? I've never taken any exams before and this is my first serious set of exams so I had a genuine question. I didn't ask whether I could get high AS grades with my GCSE grades? I asked whether they would put me at a significant disadvantage. It was easier to ask here as many people have gone through the university application process.



And also, nobody even looks at GCSEs except Oxbridge. Get a bloody grip.
Reply 7
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jeanlouise
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Original post by Incubator
TRY READING YOUR TITLE.


"Poor GCSE grades?"



Yes, compared to other applicants applying to similar courses at similar universities. I didn't want to make the title too long. :rolleyes:
Original post by jeanlouise
Yes, compared to other applicants applying to similar courses at similar universities. I didn't want to make the title too long. :rolleyes:



Get over yourself.
Reply 9
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jeanlouise
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Original post by Chlorophile
Let's just say that it's not going to help. If you're an admissions tutor, you're going to be faced with hundreds of students with basically the same AS levels. If you've got below average GCSEs, it's definitely not going to help your cause. Having said that, if you still manage to wow the admissions staff through other stuff you've done (such as particularly good UMS at AS Level, competitions etc.) then that could make up for it.


Thank you, are there any other ways that I can improve my university applications besides getting good AS grades?
Original post by jeanlouise
Thank you, are there any other ways that I can improve my university applications besides getting good AS grades?


Getting excellent AS grades is probably the most important thing, since there isn't really anything that can substitute for that. However, other things that demonstrate your enthusiasm for the subject (e.g. going to lectures, reading books, watching documentaries etc.) and things that demonstrate your academic ability (like Maths challenge for Maths, Olympiads for the sciences etc.) all look really good.
You sound ungrateful, I think is what Incubator is saying. You did a hell of a lot better than a lot of other applicants and you are lucky to be on the scale that is further up in what choices you have.

Not everyone will have the choices you have, those are great grades. Not everyone with higher grades will do better than you, or even get a place at university, and for most universities it's your AS and A level predictions that will help you into university.
Original post by jeanlouise
I hate to be one of those people but I feel as though my GCSE grades didn't live up to expectations but I revised the night before/morning of so it's all my fault. I got 1A* 8A's and a B. I wanted to apply to places like Durham/Imperial/KCL for a degree such as Physics. Will my poor GCSE grades (in comparison other applicants) put me at a huge disadvantage? Will I be automatically rejected? Would good AS and A2 results make up for the poor results?

I'm taking physics, maths, chemistry and biology next year.


Poor??? If there poor then what is 1 A, 1 B, 3 Cs, 1 D and 1 E?

I hate it when people who don't get anything lower than a B say that there results are poor.
Reply 13
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jeanlouise
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Original post by LadyEcliptic
You sound ungrateful, I think is what Incubator is saying. You did a hell of a lot better than a lot of other applicants and you are lucky to be on the scale that is further up in what choices you have.

Not everyone will have the choices you have, those are great grades. Not everyone with higher grades will do better than you, or even get a place at university, and for most universities it's your AS and A level predictions that will help you into university.


Yes, I did do better that others, but others have also done better than me. I know university competition is fierce, I had a genuine question.

Original post by James2810
Poor??? If there poor then what is 1 A, 1 B, 3 Cs, 1 D and 1 E?

I hate it when people who don't get anything lower than a B say that there results are poor.


People have different ideas of what is bad and good. I know somebody who today and got 9A*'s and 3A's and she was upset because she had put in 100's of hours of revision but still got 3A's. Yes she got better results than me, but she was entitled to feel upset/annoyed. People have different perceptions of what is good and bad.
Original post by jeanlouise
Yes, I did do better that others, but others have also done better than me. I know university competition is fierce, I had a genuine question.



People have different ideas of what is bad and good. I know somebody who today and got 9A*'s and 3A's and she was upset because she had put in 100's of hours of revision but still got 3A's. Yes she got better results than me, but she was entitled to feel upset/annoyed. People have different perceptions of what is good and bad.


I know.

But majority of universities will only ask for your AS/A level predictions, they will specify if they look at GCSE, but as far as I'm aware GCSEs really count for incredibly competitive courses, and even at that a lot don't look at them. It's only a small %, if any, of your overall application, so if it were me, I wouldn't worry too much.
Reply 15
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jeanlouise
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Original post by LadyEcliptic
I know.

But majority of universities will only ask for your AS/A level predictions, they will specify if they look at GCSE, but as far as I'm aware GCSEs really count for incredibly competitive courses, and even at that a lot don't look at them. It's only a small %, if any, of your overall application, so if it were me, I wouldn't worry too much.


Thank you for the help :biggrin:
Those really aren't poor grades...

GCSE's aren't even as important as people make them out to be. I got 1 A, 1 B, a gazillion C's and two D's. (well not literally, but I got quite a few) Anyway, I got a D in maths and still got through to college. Did decent in college and now I'm off to university with a D in maths and science GCSEs. Although my course isn't related to the two, it goes to show that gcse's aren't THAT important. Yeah some universities require you to have at least a C in core subjects, but you've already got them... In fact you've done good...

So, what exactly are you worried/complaining about?
Reply 17
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jeanlouise
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Original post by Novascope
Those really aren't poor grades...

GCSE's aren't even as important as people make them out to be. I got 1 A, 1 B, a gazillion C's and two D's. (well not literally, but I got quite a few) Anyway, I got a D in maths and still got through to college. Did decent in college and now I'm off to university with a D in maths and science GCSEs. Although my course isn't related to the two, it goes to show that gcse's aren't THAT important. Yeah some universities require you to have at least a C in core subjects, but you've already got them... In fact you've done good...

So, what exactly are you worried/complaining about?


Just not being good enough for the courses I want to apply to. These are my first set of 'proper' results so it got me worried not performing as well as I could have. I know GCSE grades are not everything, but they do have some worth.
Reply 18
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doodle97
you're grades aren't poor at all you should be so proud and pleased with them! I can understand peoples frustration when you call you're own grades poor though, because it they have less than you, then it is a little offensive :/ (please don't be offended by my comment, just giving you another perspective :3)

But your grades are great and you really shouldn't worry! good luck at A levels! :biggrin:
Reply 19
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jeanlouise
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Original post by doodle97
you're grades aren't poor at all you should be so proud and pleased with them! I can understand peoples frustration when you call you're own grades poor though, because it they have less than you, then it is a little offensive :/ (please don't be offended by my comment, just giving you another perspective :3)

But your grades are great and you really shouldn't worry! good luck at A levels! :biggrin:


Thanks, I know where people are coming from as it seems as though I am deeming their grades 'poor'. I meant for me personally, but I can see how it offends people which I didn't mean to do. Different people have different standards for themselves and what is good for one person good be poor for another and vice versa.

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