Getting into top unis with AAEE

OK - this is my friend's situation: Did 4 AS levels this year -

History A,
English Lit. A,
Chemistry E
Maths E

She wants to study Hist and Politics at a london uni - I guess preferably UCL or KCL - or others like York, etc. top unis, you know. She's definetley smart enough, but she didn't take the right A-levels for her, and got a bit lazy.
However, she's planning on resitting modules in chem and maths to maybe get them both up to C, drop them both, and then take up perhaps sociology in the one year.

So, what are her chances to get into these places? I'm not sure what my schools cashing in policy is.

Thanks very much xx

Reply 1

abc101

17

Maybe she could resit modules in just one out of Chemistry or Maths, and take up an extra AS in Year 12, one that she's more suited to and could get a good grade in? RS, English Language...I don't know, something more essay-y? She will need three good A2s though, so if she's going to do the entire Sociology A-Level in one year (will that be in school or out of school?) as well as 2 A2s, that fills up the whole school timetable. She could take a further AS out of school, either by herself, or at night class, in college or something.

If she's set on resitting, then she should pick the one subject that she thinks she can do better in, work her ass off for the January modules (but still paying a lot of attention to her other subjects) and get that grade up as high as possible - perhaps even start work on those subjects now before she goes back, as it will take a lot to get a grade up from an E. She doesn't need to resit both - if she does the entire Sociology A-Level, she will be left with 3 AS+A2 and 1 AS (either Chem or Maths - she can decline the other E). 3 A2s plus an AS is the minimum universities ask for. I imagine AAAb would look better than AAAcc, so she should just concentrate on one subject for resitting (and try to get all As in her others!).

EDIT: Sorry, at the top I said if she resits one of Chem or Maths and takes up an extra AS - that wouldn't really be necessary. If she takes up another subject other than History, English Lit and Sociology, she won't need to bother resitting Chem or Maths.

Reply 2

Kater Murr

OP

20

Thankyou! But, do you think she can still get into one of the 'top' unis, then?

Reply 3

hunibuni

I know someone at my school who got an EEE offer for medicine at Cambridge (I can't remember what college, sorry) so it is definately possible to get into a good uni without 3 As. I must say, she did get 5 As and was probably predicted them too but so long as your friend gets good predictions in at least 3 subjects from school and does not cash-in the AS results, no one will ever know that she has 2 E's because it will not be on the UCAS form. If your school does cash-in results, I would suggest that she rejects the grades.

In some ways I myself am in a sort of similar situation. My current overall grades are 5 As (maths, French, Span, Phil and RS) and 2 Bs (eng lit and chem). I am hoping my remark will improve english but chem I cannot do at all. I am simply going to drop it (which will mean I receive a certificate saying grade B) and then reject the grade and forget I ever took it. They will not know if I do not state chem on UCAS so long as I make clear to my school that this is my intention and I never want to mention chemistry again.

So, to answer your question, yes, I think she could get in still so long as she sorts things out so that her final grades will be 3 A2s with AAA/AAB because history is competitive and while she will certainly get an offer as I have said in the last 2 paragraphs because they will not know about the Es, to get the place she will need to actually have the grades. If she can get 3 good grades at the end of the day, she has as much chance as anyone else. Good luck to her. :smile:

Reply 4

WokSz

17

hunibuni

I know someone at my school who got an EEE offer for medicine at Cambridge

It's probably Christ Church.

Reply 5

kellywood_5

17

If she's aiming for top unis, she should probably decline her grades, unless of course her school doesn't cash them in. AAEE won't look good when she'll need AAA/AAB to meet her offers, even though the As are in relevant subjects and the Es aren't. I think taking up another A-level such as sociology and doing it all in one year, as well as resitting either maths or chemistry in January, would be her best option. There's no point carrying on with one of those to A-level if she only got Es at AS because it's extremely unlikely she'd get an A or a B at A-level, even if she resat the whole AS. I'm not sure what she'd do about a predicted grade for sociology, but if she could get AA predictions for the other 2 and at least a C prediction for the AS, she should be OK as long as she has good GCSEs, a good personal statement and a good reference. However, since she's applying for a pretty competitive subject and will be up against plenty of people with 4 As at AS, I'd apply to perhaps 2 middle unis as well as 3 top ones just in case.

Reply 6

hobnob

14

J-Curve

It's probably Christ Church.

Probably not. Christ Church is an Oxford college. :wink:

Reply 7

Neutral_Tones

It'd be Christ's - they're pretty much the only college who give out matriculation offers. Bear in mind though that they give out EE/EEE offers (I know a girl who got one) to people who are likely to get AAA at A level, just to 'ease the pressure of revising for exams' or something.

Getting into top unis with AAEE

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