Bad GCSE's, college advice?

Previously, I was under the impression that colleges weren't particularly interested in GCSE grades, though, after hearing rumours floating around concerning 5A*s as a necessity in some colleges (and other things of this nature), i began to worry.

I don't expect a place, rather, I'd love to have the interview experience and i'm wondering if anyone has advice concerning which college to apply to for English (taking into account any significant leniency with regards to GCSE grades). I've been browsing around for a while and have had no real result - perhaps i'm just mildly incompetent.

GCSE: A*A*ABBCCCCCCC
AS: AAAA
A2: AAA
(perhaps worth noting: i attend a fairly poor comprehensive)

Any advice, encouragement, substantial information or, indeed, utter discouragement will be appreciated to the extent that I could quite possibly be reduced to tears. Thanks in advance.

skag.

The fact you attended a school with (I am assuming!) a low A*-C result will be acknowledged by the university of Cambridge - dunno how Oxford deals with it, though. They don't expect miracles, especially in environments where achievement is squashed rather than encouraged.

They're not even bad GCSEs, what ********.

I've always taken that little gcse grades shifter thing with a pinch of salt. I was pretty much told they won't give a crap.

to epitome: Oh, neither. That's awfully dreadful of me, I know, but I really would just like the chance of an interview. Perhaps it sounds terribly silly, but I feel in no position to differentiate between colleges that all seem tragically prestigious and certainly out of my reach (with regards to those horrific GCSEs). I'm just hoping that someone can point out a college (from either university) that perhaps hold a radical "we don't care about GCSE" stance. Hopeful to the extent of insanity, maybe, but worth a try?

Of course they're not - but when every other applicant for Oxford/Cambridge on here seems to have A*s coming out of their ears, you can see why the applicants with more normal grades get worried.



By whom? It'll always vary a little, from college to college, from tutor to tutor - but I think it's safe to say that generally the university is telling us about it's admissions system for a good reason.

Everyone who seems to get in has hoardes of A*s is why

Lidka, I'm actually not nearly as self-pitying as I appear to have conveyed. I just didn't want to put myself in a position whereby some ******* could arrive perfectly perched on some kind of altitudinous horse and assure me that I didn't have a hope in hell (which is exactly what I could do without, right now). Experience has taught me that a delightfully modest approach often yields the kindest response. To be honest, I was almost certain upon Cambridge (Christ's) until I noticed a horrid correlation in the Decisions thread concerning less than five A*'s and rejections. I then felt it entirely necessary to backtrack to a position of extreme open-mindedness.

You've been ever so helpful. Every response is valued.

No, you just never hear the ones with fewer talking about them - mainly because we know it's vulgar to boast. Also, trust me when I say that once you get here no one will give a crap about what A-level or GCSE results you have. I got in with AAB at A-level and not once have I been treated differently because of it.

I'm already screwed because i'm not even taking 10 Also i'd only want to do the cambridge course, and im not even 100% sure if it would suit me (computer science) Anyway enough thread hijacking,

to the OP: "what's the worst that could happen?"

haha.

How silly.

Intense modification of verbs is unfortunately a personal reaction to stress. Forgive me. My verbs will now stand alone, forgotten in the midst of a desolate sentence (oops).