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Eligibility for Admission in US universities as an A-level candidiate

I have a question in mind. Hope I will receive a comprehensive answer. Following is the source of my questions.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/parents/alevels/
https://www.brightknowledge.org/knowledge-bank/education-pathways/a-levels/a-and-as-levels-explained

A-levels consist of two standalone modules:AS and A2. You can apply after you complete one or both of them.

I am willing to complete the AS modules for the following 7 subjects: Physics | Bio | Chem | Further maths | Core Maths | ICT | Psychology | and the A2 module for only Core and Further Maths (not others).

As I am not taking the A2 module of 5 other subjects, am I eligible to apply to most US universities( including the Ivy League.)?

Please answer on the basis of Academics.
(edited 7 years ago)
I'm not so sure myself... but I do know this guy who got into 18 of his 20 universities just on the basis of his AS result and now he is "apparently" going to NYU in December leaving his A2 incomplete. The reason I say "apparently", for he could easily be lying.
Why don't you ring up the admission offices of the universities you want to go to? They'll be able to give you concrete guidance.
However apart from A levels you definitely need SAT, SAT Subject Tests and sometimes ACTs.
Reply 2
Original post by Planehopper
I'm not so sure myself... but I do know this guy who got into 18 of his 20 universities just on the basis of his AS result and now he is "apparently" going to NYU in December leaving his A2 incomplete. The reason I say "apparently", for he could easily be lying.
Why don't you ring up the admission offices of the universities you want to go to? They'll be able to give you concrete guidance.
However apart from A levels you definitely need SAT, SAT Subject Tests and sometimes ACTs.


WBU?
I'm not applying to the US
Why dont you just email some of those Unis - and ask them?
Reply 5
Original post by alif.alamin


As I am not taking the A2 module of 5 other subjects, am I eligible to apply to most US universities( including the Ivy League.)?



Anyone is eligible to apply.

However, universities consider the rigour of your academic plan when making decisions so taking only 2 A2's is definitely below par, especially after taking 7 AS's.

Why aren't you taking your A2s?
Reply 6
Original post by feyy
Anyone is eligible to apply.

However, universities consider the rigor of your academic plan when making decisions so taking only 2 A2's is definitely below par, especially after taking 7 AS's.

Why aren't you taking your A2s?


Here is my core philosophy:

Subjects refer to the area,which you are interested in the future.

My interests involve |Computer Science&Programming| and Entrepreneurship.The subjects which overlap in the mentioned fields are-
(Maths)_(parts of Further Maths)_(Parts of Psychology for Entrepreneurship)_(60% of ICT); (Fundamentals of Physics,Chemistry, and Biology).

Time is a limited resource.

So instead of utilizing the time to study for A2, I can use my time on Programming, improving SATs, Personal Essay and other aspects of academics and life.

Personal Note: I have an enduring love for physics, so why not A2 of Physics?
When you learn to study for a short time span,in order to be examined by the educational system, your learning is momentary. The specification of educational system does not foresee your career.

I hope you understand my circumstances.
Thank you for your information,though.
Reply 7
Well the Ivy League/Liberal arts schools are all about studying things outside of your intended field so that wouldn't be a good sign.
Reply 8
Original post by feyy
Well the Ivy League/Liberal arts schools are all about studying things outside of your intended field so that wouldn't be a good sign.


I know!
Thanks again :smile:
Why not consider IB instead of A levels?
Almost certainly not. The way you are going you would almost certainly be rejected from almost every single UK and US university. I may have misunderstood based on your post, but you seem like someone who is very bright from what you are intending to study however you have to actually study things that universities require you to study both in the UK and USA and that includes full A-levels in the UK and ACT/SAT and SAT IIs for most US universities whether they are really elite or party schools. I don't say party schools as a disparaging term, they are a lot of fun...

My understanding is based on the admissions process a few years ago and things may have changed (although I doubt it). Please bear in mind I was only interested in a few very elite US universities (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford).

From what I can recall if you had completed A-levels Yale would make you an offer based on your completed A-level results and your SAT score. If you had not finished A-levels yet (the full A-level) then you needed to do SAT IIs I can't remember how many but it was a few or I think the ACT. Apparently the ACT is more popular now due to SATs messing up a change in the way they score candidates, but I don't know how true this is. Yale was the only really elite US university to recognise A-levels and none of the others cared and required you to do American qualifications. I think this included places like Stanford, Penn, Bron, Berkley etc too.

I don't really understand why you would take so many AS levels and AS levels like IT and psychology but not do A2s. Really you should be doing physics, biology, chemistry, maths and further maths and then doing SAT IIs in these subjects as a lot of the material should crossover and then if you get a high enough score in SAT and SAT IIs you will I think get an unconditional offer assuming that the rest of your application is competitive.

Undergraduate admission to elite US universities is very competitive (Harvard, Yale Princeton anyway) so you should aim for UK ones too, and to do A-levels as normal in the UK but apply to the US on the side and sit ACT/ SAT and SAT IIs whichever is required by the universities you want. Your parents should also consider hiring someone with knowledge of the US admissions system as this can help you get through. Furthermore you should consider having intensive tutoring in SAT/ ACT and SAT IIs.

If I am completely honest it isn't worth going to the US for undergrad. You have to do loads of extra exams and so many extra curricular activities on top of A-levels and unless you are incredibly bright you will have a mental breakdown and not be able to cope, or you will end up doing badly and achieving way below your potential in everything because you are too thinly spread.

Having said that aside form Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT and Stanford I don't think US universities are generally particularly competitive to get into for undergrad based on people I know who got into other ivy league schools that weren't particularly strong compared to people I know who got into Oxbridge/ LSE/ imperial for the most competitive subjects (think economics, medicine, maths). These included University of Pennsylvania, Brown among others), but it is still a lot of work.

Afterwards though getting into even the most elite universities in the US for postgrad isn't necessarily that difficult as long as you went to a very good UK universities. I know a few people at Harvard, one is doing an MBA and another on a Kennedy scholarship and neither of them were particularly strong or impressive in my opinion when I was at a (admittedly elite) UK university with them. The one doing the MBA did an Mphil in economics after undergrad and then worked in development/ politics in Africa and the one on the Kennedy scholarship published academic papers while an undergraduate but they weren't particularly good, however it was far more than most undergraduates do.





Original post by alif.alamin
I have a question in mind. Hope I will receive a comprehensive answer. Following is the source of my questions.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/parents/alevels/
https://www.brightknowledge.org/knowledge-bank/education-pathways/a-levels/a-and-as-levels-explained

A-levels consist of two standalone modules:AS and A2. You can apply after you complete one or both of them.

I am willing to complete the AS modules for the following 7 subjects: Physics | Bio | Chem | Further maths | Core Maths | ICT | Psychology | and the A2 module for only Core and Further Maths (not others).

As I am not taking the A2 module of 5 other subjects, am I eligible to apply to most US universities( including the Ivy League.)?

Please answer on the basis of Academics.
I am being very blunt here. I don't mean to be unkind, but you are seriously screwing up your education and if you follow through with your plan then you will end up with no offers and spending 3/4 years doing A-levels/ applying to universities in order to be successful because you will have to go and redo everything again. This is an absolutely terrible philosophy to have and you come across as extremely misinformed. Universities are very clear about what they want and how they want you to go about progressing with regards to subjects.

It makes perfect logical sense and I can see why you are doing it, but you are judged against your peers who will be studying 3-5 A2s having studied 4-5 AS levels. You need to study the things the universities which you are applying to want you to study and which make you comparable to other people. I had more than one friend at Oxford who studied not one but 2 different education systems with non-overlapping subjects e.g. one girl studied the IB and also studied the German Abitur at the same time and she was given 2 offers: 1 IB offer and one Abitur offer. The point is that she decided she didn't just want to do the typical track so she met the minimum requirement (studying the IB/ Abitur) and then studied an additional entire qualification as well. If you want to do all of these subjects then do them but you need to do AS levels in first year and 3-5 A2s in second year, as well as the SAT/ ACT and multiple SAT IIs. I have gone into more detail below.

Essentially this approach you are following is completely ridiculous. It is logical but will almost certainly result in you getting 0 offers and then having to do a third year and maybe fourth year of school where you do more A2s and then apply to UK universities, who will then find it difficult to assess you as you have done multiple subjects split over 3 years rather than 2 years meaning that a lot of the top universities could reject you straight out.

Just follow the normal UK pathway doing 4-5 AS levels and as many A2s as you can manage (I suggested maths, further maths, biology, physics and chemistry if you can cope) as well as the SAT/ACT and SAT IIs and apply for UK and US universities.

Please don't do things the way you are planning because you will almost certainly end up with 0 offers from US and UK universities.

Original post by alif.alamin
Here is my core philosophy:

Subjects refer to the area,which you are interested in the future.

My interests involve |Computer Science&Programming| and Entrepreneurship.The subjects which overlap in the mentioned fields are-
(Maths)_(parts of Further Maths)_(Parts of Psychology for Entrepreneurship)_(60% of ICT); (Fundamentals of Physics,Chemistry, and Biology).

Time is a limited resource.

So instead of utilizing the time to study for A2, I can use my time on Programming, improving SATs, Personal Essay and other aspects of academics and life.

Personal Note: I have an enduring love for physics, so why not A2 of Physics?
When you learn to study for a short time span,in order to be examined by the educational system, your learning is momentary. The specification of educational system does not foresee your career.

I hope you understand my circumstances.
Thank you for your information,though.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by alif.alamin
I have a question in mind. Hope I will receive a comprehensive answer. Following is the source of my questions.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/parents/alevels/
https://www.brightknowledge.org/knowledge-bank/education-pathways/a-levels/a-and-as-levels-explained

A-levels consist of two standalone modules:AS and A2. You can apply after you complete one or both of them.

I am willing to complete the AS modules for the following 7 subjects: Physics | Bio | Chem | Further maths | Core Maths | ICT | Psychology | and the A2 module for only Core and Further Maths (not others).

As I am not taking the A2 module of 5 other subjects, am I eligible to apply to most US universities( including the Ivy League.)?

Please answer on the basis of Academics.


Personally, I think 3 A2-Levels are better than 5 AS-Levels and 2 A2s, particularly when they're the same subject. Plus, your academics have to be outstanding as an international student to get into an Ivy League school. You honestly don't have much of a chance as it is, so do more.
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 13
To be honest, what you're planning on doing is completely unheard of.

The minimum requirement for all universities in the UK are 3 A levels. A lot of ex-polys will let you in with 2 A2s and 2 ASs but by the sound of your post you're ambitious so you probably wouldn't be looking at these sort of unis. With reforms as well, an AS level is only worth 40% of an A level so I'm not sure if unis would still do that. Many good US unis would be familiar with this structure and even if they wasn't it takes a quick Google search to understand it.

If you want to look at the A levels most relevant to Computer Science and programming then look at A level Maths, Further Maths and Computer Science. Physics is the next relevant and then Chemistry so if you enjoy either of them then definitely study one of them. Studying a fourth will probably improve your chances as US universities emphasise breadth rather than depth in their courses.

Don't bother looking at ICT as well. Also I'm baffled to why you think studying an A level in psychology could help you become an entrepreneur?
SATs are necessary to be able to integrate a US Uni

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