Medicine

If you want to apply to Oxford and your teachers think you're capable of it, then go for it. I just wanted to make it clear that it won't benefit your application to other universities whatsoever and that you'd still have the same chance as being accepted as someone who achieves AAA even if you achieve A*A*A*A*.

This is probably the only logical reason to take a 4th.



Too true. The medicine application process is far more time intensive and stressful than for any other degree (except perhaps dentistry and vet med), and most people underestimate how much it will impact your life and study. I've seen lots of people think they could cope with 4 or even 5 A-levels but miss out on their offer grades because they were biting off more than they could chew - A2 can be considerably harder than AS, especially unit 4! If you don't get AAA not only would you not meet any offer/s you have, but you would be severely restricted as to where you could apply with resits.

Reiterating what everyone else has said, I think it'll be more beneficial for you to drop one. As you would have more free periods you can focus on those three subjects and aim to get really high grades. I'm going to be doing some volunteering at a care home in my free periods that would have been for the fourth a2, so I don't have to do loads after school

I have just finished year 12 and I am an aspiring medic, I just need some advice on whether to keep all 4 subjects for A2 or drop one?-please...
I take geography, maths, chemistry and biology, I am predicted all As for my as levels, so if I do get 4As should I keep all 4 or not?
If I was to drop one it would be geography
Thank you

Reiterating what everyone else has said, I think it'll be more beneficial for you to drop one. As you would have more free periods you can focus on those three subjects and aim to get really high grades. I'm going to be doing some volunteering at a care home in my free periods that would have been for the fourth a2, so I don't have to do loads after school

I had the same dilemma while I was in college but in my case, I had to beg my college to let me do four subjects. I didn't drop any of my subjects because I loved them (I did maths, physics, chemistry and biology). Ended up meeting the target grades that I set for myself.

However, I must say that doing four A levels gave me no advantage - I struggled to get into medical school due to other reasons!!

The key is to be honest with yourself if you can cope.

Thankyou, glad to see someone who has managed 4 subjects and they are certainly not 4 easy subjects too! To be honest I do like geography and it hasn't required much work from me for AS- if you don't mind me asking what were your target grades? Did you find it difficult to keep up with all 4? and if you could go back would you take 3? Thanks

Thank you, I will definitely contact my teachers to see what the work load is like. So, are you taking 4 or have you already completed your A2s?

I'm in the same position as you, at the moment

I couldn't really bear to drop more than one subject - I took maths, F-maths (planning on dropping), physics, chemistry and english. My school's really supportive - quite a few people take five ASs, then drop.Some have dropped more than one AS - planning on taking 3 A2s, others are going the full way and taking five A2s . . . I don't think I'll go that far

I guess I could afford the time because I did a load of chemistry lab/hospital work placements during summer of yr 11 and I've volunteered at a hospice for a while. It's whatever works for you - some of my friends are using the free periods they get to bulk up personal statements, but I thought I had enough stuff. Pretty sure it says on the Oxford and Cambridge websites that they put more weight on the interview, as they don't consider personal statements to always be a accurate representation . . . http://www.applytocambridge.com/applying/faqs/

I'm currently not sure whether to go for natural sciences or medicine though, what about you?