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More A Levels = advantage?

Ramadulla

Yes, aslong as they're all As.

As a GCSE student you'd know that how exactly? Amazed by the number of posts like that from people who don't have even any reliable experiences or knowledge in that area.

But anyway...

Garden_gnome gave some good advice. Other factors, especially the interview are hugely important, perhaps more so for medicine than other courses and certainly at Oxford and probably Cambridge.

From conversations with some of my tutors (both medic + non), (obviously you need to meet the minimum requirements), just taking the minimum number of A-levels/qualifications to meet an offer isn't necessarily a disadvantage, but taking additional qualifications in other subjects which may come under the recommended/helpful category are sometimes seen as a general advantage to your application in terms of adding to your experience as a whole, rather than a specific indicator of academic ability.

Reply 21

necessarily benevolent

14

From what I've gathered, grades actually matter very little for the Oxford application process. The only really important things in terms of grades are your predicted A levels so that they know your chances of fulfilling an offer. I don't think they care whether you have 3As, 4As, 5As, 6As or even 7As. As long as you're predicted 3, I don't think it makes much difference because I doubt they're considered much when deciding who to offer a place. If you have them, then great, but I wouldn't expect them to give you a better chance of an offer. You'd probably have a better chance of fulfilling an offer though (or maybe less of a chance because of more work, it depends). The interview and entrance exams (when applicable) are by far the most important factors.

Cambridge on the other hand, will probably take your best 3 As and consider the UMS but I'm not too sure.

Yes it does.

Comp_Genius

Yes it does.

Substantiate?

Reply 24

Comp_Genius

4

e.g. 2 applicants, same work experience, same interview performance, only differential is marks in A-level. higher marks = accept.

Reply 25

Huw Davies

11

Comp_Genius

e.g. 2 applicants, same work experience, same interview performance, only differential is marks in A-level. higher marks = accept.

What is "same interview performance"? Other than if there are identical answers to identical questions, there is always going to be some factor available to distinguish two candidates, even if it's a subjective one. It seems unlikely that interviewers (who tend to consider the interview quite important) would resort to a tie-break on the basis of a predicted grade in an additional subject(s) which may well be irrelevant to the subject, and which the applicant might not continue to A2. Especially since there is much variation between schools as to whether pupils are encouraged\discouraged\not permitted to do additional A-levels.

In any case, even if you're right, it would seem that more A-levels are an advantage only if:
There is another applicant who is in every other respect indistinguishable to you.
The two of you are competing for the very last place (that is, there are N places and exactly N-1 better candidates than either of you). In any other situation, they will either accept or reject both of you.

Which is a pretty unlikely combination of circumstances.

Reply 26

j_w

Comp_Genius

e.g. 2 applicants, same work experience, same interview performance, only differential is marks in A-level. higher marks = accept.

Higher marks may well be used to differentiate between candidates, in fact its increasingly likely with grade inflation, however...

Higher marks has nothing to do with the original question which was about no. A levels no?

And like Huw Davies pointed out... having candidates that similar that grades come into account post interview is very unlikely, I would think in most situations where they're unsure they would just conduct further, often panel, interviews.

Reply 27

Arrogant Git

Huw Davies

What is "same interview performance"? Other than if there are identical answers to identical questions, there is always going to be some factor available to distinguish two candidates, even if it's a subjective one. It seems unlikely that interviewers (who tend to consider the interview quite important) would resort to a tie-break on the basis of a predicted grade in an additional subject(s) which may well be irrelevant to the subject, and which the applicant might not continue to A2. Especially since there is much variation between schools as to whether pupils are encouraged\discouraged\not permitted to do additional A-levels.

In any case, even if you're right, it would seem that more A-levels are an advantage only if:
There is another applicant who is in every other respect indistinguishable to you.
The two of you are competing for the very last place (that is, there are N places and exactly N-1 better candidates than either of you). In any other situation, they will either accept or reject both of you.

Which is a pretty unlikely combination of circumstances.

If that was the case (N places and N-1 candidates better than both of you), they'd probably offer either both of you an offer or neither of you an offer. They don't have to take the same number of students every year (and very rarely do take the same number of students every year).

People see the Cambridge admissions process as competing with people, and as such tend to go a bit over the top as regards personal statements, a-levels, etc. Just get 3 As. If you really want to do more, fine, but it won't help your application that much.

Reply 28

*stars and stripes*

6

Arrogant Git

People see the Cambridge admissions process as competing with people, and as such tend to go a bit over the top as regards personal statements, a-levels, etc. Just get 3 As. If you really want to do more, fine, but it won't help your application that much.

Agreed (particularly when useless careers advisers are involved :wink:

)

Most of the people I know who do/did 4 subjects had more flexibility in terms of offers as they were asked for 3 As (so they could use any three of their subjects to meet their offer, providing of course that the subjects weren't specified). I did 4 subjects and as one was unrelated to Medicine (French), my offer was AAAC, with the C being in French.

Basically if you're confident about getting at least 3 As and coping with the demands of doing more subjects, then go ahead and take more. If taking on extra work is going to jeopardise your other grades then it's not worth it. :smile:

Reply 29

The West Wing

18

Not really, very minimal at best.

Reply 30

huangcjz

Arrogant Git

If that was the case (N places and N-1 candidates better than both of you), they'd probably offer either both of you an offer or neither of you an offer. They don't have to take the same number of students every year (and very rarely do take the same number of students every year).

People see the Cambridge admissions process as competing with people, and as such tend to go a bit over the top as regards personal statements, a-levels, etc. Just get 3 As. If you really want to do more, fine, but it won't help your application that much.

Hmm, I don't know. I've got an offer for Natural Sciences of AAA in 3 sciences and A in AS Maths, and I know several people who've got offers higher than 3A's - one for Mathematics with Physics of AAA and an average of 95% in all Maths and Further Maths modules, plus 1,1 in STEP 2 and 3. I've not heard of another offer that high. Although I know Maths at Cambs is very competitive, that is crazily difficult, and the person didn't take up the offer. Another from Robinson was 3A's including an A in Further Maths for someone who was doing AS Further Maths in Year 13, so they were basically asking him to do A2 Further Maths in 2 terms. He didn't take up his offer either. One was 3A's for English at Sidney Sussex, even though he'd got an A in English already in a year in Year 12 it wasn't part of their offer. I suppose if I hadn't done the extra AS Maths they couldn't have given me the offer in it, but then again I might not have got an offer at all. My UMS are all good, so it probably came down to having a slightly iffy interview. Based on those people I know, all from my school, it seems that offers greater than 3A's are pretty common.

Reply 31

Arrogant Git

huangcjz

Hmm, I don't know. I've got an offer for Natural Sciences of AAA in 3 sciences and A in AS Maths, and I know several people who've got offers higher than 3A's - one for Mathematics with Physics of AAA and an average of 95% in all Maths and Further Maths modules, plus 1,1 in STEP 2 and 3. I've not heard of another offer that high. Although I know Maths at Cambs is very competitive, that is crazily difficult, and the person didn't take up the offer. Another from Robinson was 3A's including an A in Further Maths for someone who was doing AS Further Maths in Year 13, so they were basically asking him to do A2 Further Maths in 2 terms. He didn't take up his offer either. One was 3A's for English at Sidney Sussex, even though he'd got an A in English already in a year in Year 12 it wasn't part of their offer. I suppose if I hadn't done the extra AS Maths they couldn't have given me the offer in it, but then again I might not have got an offer at all. My UMS are all good, so it probably came down to having a slightly iffy interview. Based on those people I know, all from my school, it seems that offers greater than 3A's are pretty common.

Thing is, if you aren't doing more than 3 A-levels, they won't make you an offer of >3 A-levels. I'm guessing you school is really high in league tables etc. My offer for Maths was AABa with As in Maths and F. Maths AS with 1,2 in STEP I and II.

By all accounts (by which I mean a slightly drunken conversation with an admissions tutor over matric dinner) interviews make very little difference with regards to offers, but people from worse schools are likely to get lower offers.

But none of these require you to go out and do fourteen A-levels, do they? If you do 3 A-levels, you are as likely as anyone else to get an offer (provided you meet the subject requirements). Sure, they may ask you to do something extra (eg STEP or an extra AS if you're insufficiently prepared or whathaveyou) but it won't be anything that is beyond you (or indeed beyond what everyone will do in first year of uni). None of those offers you state are unreasonable. None require someone to have more A levels or be doing more A levels or have more AS going into interview.

Reply 32

Simba

16

I'm doing five A2s (did two early), dropped one subject at AS, and I'm doing an exam in December roughly equivalent to another AS-level. I have an offer from Cambridge for maths.

Huw Davies

Which is a pretty unlikely combination of circumstances.

It's a hypothetical situation - noone said it has to be realistic. If candidates are equal in all areas except one is getting six As and the other getting three As, the choice they would make is obvious.

It makes a difference I'm sure, just in reality, other factors may well be more important :smile:

.

A friend of mine is doing eight A2s, and I beat him in the pre-interview test :biggrin:

, so doing a lot of A2s is not everything. He got an offer too :biggrin:

.

Reply 33

Huw Davies

11

Simba

It's a hypothetical situation - noone said it has to be realistic. If candidates are equal in all areas except one is getting six As and the other getting three As, the choice they would make is obvious.

As has been said, assuming both are of a good enough standard, the likely choice would be to admit both.

Reply 34

AlexP

There are plenty of great Universites, not just Oxbridge. The prestige surrounding them is great and it is a dream to go but plenty of AAA students get declined meaning loads of brainy and able students go to other unis and the world carries on. Also Oxbridge look for more than just AAA students. A boy I know got admitted with ABB due to a good interview.

Reply 35

Mayfly

AlexP

There are plenty of great Universites, not just Oxbridge. The prestige surrounding them is great and it is a dream to go but plenty of AAA students get declined meaning loads of brainy and able students go to other unis and the world carries on. Also Oxbridge look for more than just AAA students. A boy I know got admitted with ABB due to a good interview.

I got admitted with ABB due to a good interview. I am however a girl.

Some other people floating round college have AAB. On the other hand, I don't know anyone with more than 4 A-levels, and 4 is pretty unusual if we are excluding general studies.

Reply 36

huangcjz

Mayfly

I got admitted with ABB due to a good interview. I am however a girl.
Some other people floating round college have AAB. On the other hand, I don't know anyone with more than 4 A-levels, and 4 is pretty unusual if we are excluding general studies.

Ah, you're really lucky methinks :wink:

You think that not that many people have more than 3A's excluding GS, so even with grade inflation, offers aren't rising above 3A's for most people? It does still say 3A's standard in the prospectuses. I know the school you go to counts, my school's a pretty good grammar but is probably on average 2nd or 3rd out of the 4 grammars in my town (2 boys', 2 girls') for exam results. I'd say it's pretty high, but not really high in league tables, and out of about 10-15 Oxbridge applicants every year out of a year of 120, about 8-10 get offers and 2 didn't take them up this year as they though they were too high (they were the only ones who got offers above 3 A's apart from me, see my post above), I don't know about previous years. About half of the Oxbridge applicants do more than 4 A2's excluding GS which is compulsory, most Further Maths. Arrogant Git says that "interviews make very little difference with regards to offers" but I guess our interviews must've gone relatively badly then, it must count for a hell of a lot.

More A Levels = advantage?

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