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Reply 1
I got 12 A*s and a B for GCSE and I got rejected by Cambridge for maths. I guess that your A-levels and their predictions, your reference, your interview and your personal statement with extracurricular activities related to the subject that you want to study are more important.
Ideally you could have gotten at least the highest grades in Science as it's linked to your degree choice. The problem is those Cs and that one F and E as they will hold it against you. Oxbridge will want top grades as much as any university. You probably should have achieved higher in English. However your personal statement and interview is a contributing factor to why they will accept you, it's not always about the grades but the determination you have and the person you are.
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 3
Original post by Alan2.718
I got 12 A*s and a B for GCSE and I got rejected by Cambridge for maths. I guess that your A-levels and their predictions, your reference, your interview and your personal statement with extracurricular activities related to the subject that you want to study are more important.


does that mean i still have a chance to go to cambridge if i get amazing a levels a lot of references and the other things and i dont have to worry about my gcse as much.
Reply 4
Successful Oxford medical applicants have something like 94% A*s at GCSE, so the hard truth is that without any A*s you literally would not be able to get into Oxford..


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Original post by sherv1360
i want to go to oxbridge when im older to study medicine I just want to know will my gcse grades stop me from going to a top university even if i get 3 A* in A levels for chemistry biology and mathematics.
english language C
english literature C
mathematics A
statistics B
history B
core science B
additional science B
extension science B
business C
spanish F
computing E
someone please help me


For Oxford you have no chance because they decide who to interview based on number of A*s at GCSE and entrance test scores and they don't make offers without interviews.

For Cambridge you might have a chance because they care more about UMS averages at AS (although that might change based on the A-level reforms being implemented from this year), reference and performance at interview. Realistically you'd need to have an average of 90+ percent UMS across your three best subjects for arts or your three most relevant subjects for science. However, most successful applicants have more than a handful of A*s at GCSE.

I also think you're underestimating how hard it is to get 3 A*s at A-level in those subjects. Most people find them hard and even those those get easy As and A*s in them at GCSE sometimes fail in those subjects at A-level. With Bs at GCSE in science, you may find A-level to be an uphill struggle.

You should also consider why it is that you want to go to Oxbridge. Is it just the brand name and prestige associated with it? From your post it doesn't look like you know much else about Oxbridge other than the fact that they're prestigious universities. Depending on the course, university is hard enough to get into without obsessing over prestige so I advise that you put this whole 'Oxbridge or bust' idea out of your mind if you're currently entertaining it. Good luck. :smile:
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 6
Original post by sherv1360
does that mean i still have a chance to go to cambridge if i get amazing a levels a lot of references and the other things and i dont have to worry about my gcse as much.


Sorry, I don't know, I didn't get in myself so I'm not exactly an expert in knowing how to get into Oxbridge.....
If you're getting a B at GCSE Science then I wouldnt expect A/A*'s at A-level.
Original post by sherv1360
does that mean i still have a chance to go to cambridge if i get amazing a levels a lot of references and the other things and i dont have to worry about my gcse as much.


Why do you want to go to Cambridge to study medicine? Do you know anything about the medicine course at Cambridge?
Normally I'd say yes for Cambridge, but I'm not so sure for Medicine which is very competitive and might be a slight exception... :dontknow:

However, if you were to get a 95%+ UMS average in Chemistry/Biology/Maths (at AS) and the rest of your application was good then I think Cambridge would look past your poor GCSEs and look upon your very impressive upward trajectory favourably.

But to go from those GCSEs to a 95%+ UMS average in your ASs is by no means an easy task...
Reply 10
Original post by Hydeman
For Oxford you have no chance because they decide who to interview based on number of A*s at GCSE and entrance test scores and they don't make offers without interviews.

For Cambridge you might have a chance because they care more about UMS averages at AS (although that might change based on the A-level reforms being implemented from this year), reference and performance at interview. Realistically you'd need to have an average of 90+ percent UMS across your three best subjects for arts or your three most relevant subjects for science. However, most successful applicants have more than a handful of A*s at GCSE.

I also think you're underestimating how hard it is to get 3 A*s at A-level in those subjects. Most people find them hard and even those those get easy As and A*s in them at GCSE sometimes fail in those subjects at A-level. With Bs at GCSE in science, you may find A-level to be an uphill struggle.

You should also consider why it is that you want to go to Oxbridge. Is it just the brand name and prestige associated with it? From your post it doesn't look like you know much else about Oxbridge other than the fact that they're prestigious universities. Depending on the course, university is hard enough to get into without obsessing over prestige so I advise that you put this whole 'Oxbridge or bust' idea out of your mind if you're currently entertaining it. Good luck. :smile:


thanks. i think i needed to hear that.
Original post by Alan2.718
I got 12 A*s and a B for GCSE and I got rejected by Cambridge for maths. I guess that your A-levels and their predictions, your reference, your interview and your personal statement with extracurricular activities related to the subject that you want to study are more important.


What were your A level results/predictions if you don't mind my asking?
Original post by sherv1360
thanks. i think i needed to hear that.


You should consider resitting the C in English Language in November as a lot of medical schools require a minimum of a B grade in English Language GCSE as it's their only proof, unless you take the subject for A-level, that you're sufficiently proficient in English. If not, they might ask you to do IELTS and get a minimum score on that.
The last comment is very true in terms of Oxford and medicine. However, for a single science like chemistry you may be able to swing it. Especially with Oxford! You need to have top grades at A-levels (which you do), an amazing personal statement and excel in your interview. The biggest thing with Oxford is the admissions test, you need to do highly in this, as I know Oxford base a big part of their decision on this. If you do incredibly well in any Oxford admissions test, you stand a really high chance of being made an offer. I say all of this because I know someone with mainly Cs off to study at Oxford this year. However, as is always said with Oxbridge, there is no grantee. I know Oxford is said to be very GCSE specific, so if you're not feeling confident making an application there try Cambridge. You'd definitely be invited to interview, by Cambridge, because you'd have top grades, assuming high UMS. :smile:
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 14
Original post by heyhey55
What were your A level results/predictions if you don't mind my asking?


funny thing .idk i got my gcse results 10 days ago and im starting as/a level on wednesday this week i was just curious to see if i still had a chance of going to oxbridge
Original post by heyhey55
What were your A level results/predictions if you don't mind my asking?


For AS-Level, I got an A in Maths, an A in Further Maths, an A in French, an A in Physics and a C in General Studies. I had full UMS in three maths exams too. I was predicted an A* in Maths, an A* in Further Maths, an A* in French and an A in physics.

I got rejected from Cambridge for maths because apparently, they said that I did badly in my interview and my AS level results weren't good enough.

For A-Level, I got an A* in Maths, an A* in Further Maths, an A in French, a C in physics and a D in my EPQ because I stopped trying after I got rejected by Cambridge. However, it would be difficult to predict whether or not I would have done better with such a large workload if I had gotten accepted by Cambridge...
Original post by aish98xo
The last comment is very true in terms of Oxford and medicine. However, for a single science like chemistry you may be able to swing it. Especially with Oxford! You need to have top grades at A-levels (which you do), an amazing personal statement and excel in your interview. The biggest thing with Oxford is the admissions test, you need to do highly in this, as I know Oxford base a big part of their decision on this. If you do incredibly well in any Oxford admissions test, you stand a really high chance of being made an offer. I say all of this because I know someone with mainly Cs off to study at Oxford this year. However, as is always said with Oxbridge, there is no grantee. I know Oxford is said to be very GCSE specific, so if you're not feeling confident making an application there try Cambridge. You'd definitely be invited to interview, by Cambridge, because you have top grades, assuming high UMS. :smile:


Oxford does look at contextual data so that somebody who got 3 A*s at GCSE in a school where the average person got something like 0.3 A*s has a better shot than somebody with 8 A*s from a school where the average person had 10 A*s but we're talking about medicine here. Medicine is the exception to the rule because of how competitive it is. The average successful applicant in the previous application cycle had something like 10.2 A*s and the average proportion of A*s was 94 percent.

I strongly think that it would be a waste of an option for the OP to apply to Oxford... Medicine is just too competitive; even if he aced the BMAT, he'd be in competition with people who aced the BMAT and also had 10 A*s at GCSE. Who would you invite for interview given the choice?
Original post by Alan2.718
For AS-Level, I got an A in Maths, an A in Further Maths, an A in French, an A in Physics and a C in General Studies. I had full UMS in three maths exams too. I was predicted an A* in Maths, an A* in Further Maths, an A* in French and an A in physics.

I got rejected from Cambridge for maths because apparently, they said that I did badly in my interview and my AS level results weren't good enough.

For A-Level, I got an A* in Maths, an A* in Further Maths, an A in French, a C in physics and a D in my EPQ because I stopped trying after I got rejected by Cambridge. However, it would be difficult to predict whether or not I would have done better with such a large workload if I had gotten accepted by Cambridge...


Those are incredible results 😰😰 what are you studying now? Looks like Cambridge missed out on an outstanding student
Original post by heyhey55
Those are incredible results 😰😰 what are you studying now? Looks like Cambridge missed out on an outstanding student


Thanks. I'm going to study maths at Warwick.
Sorry for digressing, but this thread is depressing. :tongue: :/ (Bit of unintended poetry there.)

But regardless, it's good people here aren't sugar-coating their views.

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