Hello everyone!
This year, I am planning to send an Oxford undergraduate application to study Chinese language. Now, I have read this year's undergraduate prospectus but I still have some uncertainties regarding international qualifications.
I am 18 years old and on senior year. I am from Serbia. I attend a secondary school primarily specialized in learning languages, so I am attending Chinese language department. I have been learning this language for almost 4 years (secondary education in my country lasts 4 years while primary education lasts 8 years. I hope this is also not a problem to apply to Oxford, right?)
1. Since I will not have finished secondary school by October 15 this year, my subject teacher will have to also predict my grades at the end of school year, right?
2. I have ALWAYS been an straight A student since the primary school and throughout the whole secondary school and I know this last year will not be an exception. International qualifications regarding Serbia are found on Oxford university website, and it says that I need to have a 5 in majority of subjects when I get a Secondary School Leaving Diploma (By the way, a grade 5 in my country is equivalent to grade A, just to understand) and that is A-level requirement. But Chinese language requirements say that I need A-levels: AAA. What is the difference between A*A*A and AAA? Are those same as A-levels? It is not specified for Serbia what AAA and A*A*A levels are, just what is equivalent to A-levels. (and I fulfill that requirement). So can someone explain this to me?
3. If I fulfill A-levels, do I need to have IB and Advanced Highers? I also do not know what these are and cannon find appropriate explanation on the internet.
4. English language requirements say that I need to have passed the IELTS exam and have a minimum band 7 as both overall score and score in all four sections. It occurs that I have a band 7 as overall score, but: band 7 in Listening, Writing and Speaking and 7.5 in Reading. Even though it is on the border of acceptable, is this score still acceptable?
I simply do not want to worry about qualifications and language requirements so that I dedicate my time to writing personal statement and two pieces of written work. I want to know that I am not applying in vain so I hope I have sufficient qualifications to apply to Oxford.
Thank you very much in advance, I would really appreciate anyone's help! I really want to give my best and enroll at this university, it has been my dream since the age of 12!