Offers- 4 A levels?

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Reply 20

RCG

Having read this thread I've become slightly worried :frown:

. I took four subjects at AS and am continuing to study all of them for the time being--however, I am wary of spreading myself to thinly, and have made one subject teacher aware that I may drop the subject later in the year if I think it's jeopardising my other subjects.

Of course, because at this point I do anticipate taking A2 exams in all of them, I was intending to state all of them as exams to be taken--and I will be receiving predicted grades in all subjects. Now I'm unsure whether to list four subjects, because I really don't want to completely cut off the option of dropping something if necessary. (Aside from anything else I suffered from medical problems during AS, so I'm particularly wary of overdoing things and aggravating that again.)

For Oriental Studies, and considering the subjects I'm taking, I think it unlikely that they would specify a particular subject in an offer (I'm doing Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy, and Maths--Philosophy would be the one to go), so dropping a subject they've asked for shouldn't be a problem. But I am now wary of being asked for AAAA when there is still a significant chance I will only be completing three A-levels.

(That said, I doubt that I will actually receive an offer at all--I'll probably be lucky if I get an interview. However, if I actually did receive an offer but had put myself in such a position that meeting it was unnecessarily hard...well, I'd be kicking myself :wink:

.)

I'll consult my school about this and, come to think of it, I should probably contact the college's admissions office for advice. But, from your experience, do you have any views on what would be the sensible course of action?

Rachel

Reply 21

Lizard

jcw

Finally, if you are right and you get an AAAE offer and then doss, do you really want to be forced to declare a C or D at a-level for the rest of your life, as most application forms for jobs will require full disclosure of your a-levels (else you'll be committing a criminal offence, technically, and subject to immediate dismissal). With graduate recruitment getting more competitive, having to explain why you got that C/D could be very embarassing.

This is so true. A levels are increasingly being used as a discriminator to distinguish amongst the hordes of graduates flooding out of Tony Blair's degree factories.

Where I work, A levels are taken seriously, despite the fact that we employ graduates & post graduates and expect a minimum 2.1 degree class. They still want to see As and Bs at A level. So don't assume that once you have your degree, nobody cares about your A level grades. Sad but true. You can't escape.

Reply 22

BossLady

Grifter

let's be honest though- most employers will not find out, or even know/care about this technicality- they're far more concerned with those adding extra, mythical quailifications than those hiding them.

Employers have been known many times to ask to see the actual A-level certificate, so if the board you are doing for the weak subject is also the same board you're doing for another subject you'll end up showing them the crappy mark just so u can prove your A in the other subject.

Btw I doubt having 4 As is going to make that big a difference as compared to 3As...the interview is where you're going to have to impress.
If you're good enough u really shouldnt have to bother with all this rubbish anyway....

Reply 23

jonas123

Why don't you just do 4 A levels. If you're too lazy to cope with the work load then you'll really struggle at Cambridge. Otherwise do all 4, it'll look good on your c.v for the future and you'll feel better for not cheating the system.