This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

State/private school?

Scroll to see replies

phishfood

Why are A levels suddenly so easy to come by if you're a linguist? If you're good at languages, you're good at languages, that doesn't make the A levels themselves trivial. Triple maths A level is not trivial, but people good at maths will be able to get quite a few grades that way. Should people be written off as less impressive than others because they did quite a few A levels but in subjects they happen to be good at?

Could this be referring to native speakers taking A-levels as foreign languages, eg a French student living in the UK taking the same A-level French course as me? Apparently that's quite common, and I don't think it should be allowed.

Reply 41

kellywood_5

aleko

I agree. Far too many people seem to go to good schools here! C'mon theres gotta be someone who went to a rubbish school like me?? (by rubbish I mean send max of 1 student every year)

Erm well my school has just had 1 student accepted to Cambridge for maths this year and they made SUCH a huge deal out of it. She got interviewed by the local paper and everything! I don't think anyone had every got in before. There was also a boy applying to Oxford for English, but he was rejected. So this year, 2 applied and 1 got in, and I know at least 1 girl applied to Oxford last year but was also rejected. I think this girl is the only one who's ever been aceepted to either, and there's a maximum of about 2 a year who apply. In terms of stats, it's an average state comprehensive with a 5 GCSEs A*-C pass rate of 46% (that was my year) and 20% of students getting ABB or higher.f

Reply 42

phishfood

kellywood_5

I can see a point in a native speaker finding his/her own language easy, but someone said earlier that it was easy to rack up UCAS points by doing 4 language A levels, and presumably a native speaker advantage won't go beyond one A level.

Having said that, you can't exactly stop people taking native languages. Where would you draw the line to distinguish native speakers? Should you stop people that go to France every year on holiday and are therefore fluent? And also, I think it's a little harsh on native speakers to assume that A levels in their own languages are meaningless. There is still a fair bit of work to do, literature to understand, and people rarely have it both ways - someone who's just come to the UK and finds A level easy will have less fluent English and hence gains no advantage from that A level, e.g. with uni applications.

Reply 43

kellywood_5

phishfood

Yeah, I see what you mean- someone doing 4 languages because they're good at them and find them easy, so getting lots of UCAS points, is no different to someone doing the straight sciences and maths because they're good at them and find them easy, so getting lots of UCAS points. I can't really see where the poster was going with that- obviously people are more likely to take subjects they're good at and if you're good at something, you find it easy. Unless he/she meant we should have to do a broader range of subjects rather than 4 so similar ones?

I wouldn't know where to draw the line either. It's interesting because a boy who has been in my French class since Year 7 is in fact half-French- his French mum is now one of our teachers for AS-level! So half of his family are French, he always goes there on holiday and his English dad is fluent in it. Yet he's far from brilliant at it! At GCSE he got a B, whereas I got an A* although I've never been to France in my life and I don't know anyone who is French! But having said that, he was born over here and his mum never taught him any French at home, whereas a French boy in my brother's year got an A*. So I guess I'd say that only native speakers who were born and grew up in France shouldn't be allowed to take A-level as sone exam boards like mine do no literature and it is just the language.

Reply 44

phishfood

kellywood_5

I wouldn't know where to draw the line either. It's interesting because a boy who has been in my French class since Year 7 is in fact half-French- his French mum is now one of our teachers for AS-level! So half of his family are French, he always goes there on holiday and his English dad is fluent in it. Yet he's far from brilliant at it! At GCSE he got a B, whereas I got an A* although I've never been to France in my life and I don't know anyone who is French! But having said that, he was born over here and his mum never taught him any French at home, whereas a French boy in my brother's year got an A*. So I guess I'd say that only native speakers who were born and grew up in France shouldn't be allowed to take A-level as sone exam boards like mine do no literature and it is just the language.

lol - we don't always fulfil expectations I guess. I got a B in AS for my native language as well (238 UMS, mind). And I think people recognise that I didn't find it trivial, since I'd come to the UK more than a decade ago and had pretty much forgotten it all. I think if it truly was trivial, say for someone who'd just arrived here, people would realise that and the A level wouldn't carry much weight. At UCL, my interviewer said to me that my native language GCSE and A level weren't as 'convincing' as my science A levels, which is fair enough, so it's rarely the case that a native speaker gets away with a free A level.

Reply 45

MadNatSci

Hmm, yes. And of course when you're learning it as a foreign language there's a big emphasis on grammar - when we learn English we don't focus much on grammar, so a native could fall down quite easily there - I had a Frenchman in my A level class whose grammar and spelling were pretty terrible and the lost him a fair few marks in the writing bits. He still got an A, but I beat him overall! :wink:

Reply 46

Willa

my comment was in regard to people who have grown up multilingual. I guess my opinion has been tainted a bit, since the people I know who have grown up with more than just english seem to be able to grasp a third or fourth language within months. So my friend got 7 a levels, 4 in languages (italian and french from his parents, then spanish and russian in almost a year).....yet he only thinks of himself having 3 like most other people in my school....cos he really didnt put in any effort at all!

Reply 47

phishfood

Willa

Fair enough. But I think that person is more of an exception than the rule, and I'm guessing a pretty clever guy all round, because having as many 'extra' A levels as most people have 'proper' A levels is really pretty impressive.

Reply 48

platinumki

WhatFreshHell?

Honestly, language exams arent quite as easy as you might think, although granted if you speak French and Russian already, there's 2 A-Levels in the bag.

As for the tarriff thing, I'm over 1000, so I think the scottish system does something to it!

are you supposed to include those keys skills as well?

I think I may have just discovered that I was meant to put them on my UCAS form!? and those wee modules too? Ooops :P

pah, I don't get it.

For the person who asked I have:

1s in English, Maths, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, History, Music and German at Standard grade

As in English, Maths, Chemistry, Biology and Physics at Higher grade

Grade 8 distinction from ABRSM

Int2s and Highers in various key skills

Predicted AAAA at AH in English, Chemistry, Biology and Physics

Reply 49

RayOfHope

aleko

I agree. Far too many people seem to go to good schools here! C'mon theres gotta be someone who went to a rubbish school like me?? (by rubbish I mean send max of 1 student every year)

My school could probably beat your school. We have not had anyone go to Oxford/Cambridge for 3 years.
I applied and got rejected.
:mad:

Reply 50

platinumki

ornela

My school could probably beat your school. We have not had anyone go to Oxford/Cambridge for 3 years.
I applied and got rejected.
:mad:

17 years - I wasn't kidding. 17 years since my school's last Oxbridge application.

Reply 51

aleko

ornela

My school could probably beat your school. We have not had anyone go to Oxford/Cambridge for 3 years.
I applied and got rejected.
:mad:

Erm no... I am the first person to get an offer from my school for 7 years. So my school is worse than yours nah nah nah nah nah. :aetsch:

Seriously, I don't think this thread should turn into a slagging match over whose school is worse. Admittedly it's my fault as I started it!

Reply 52

aleko

platinumki

17 years - I wasn't kidding. 17 years since my school's last Oxbridge application.

Wow, you win the aforementioned slagging match hands down!

Reply 53

nas7232

State primary [ a good one ]
State secondary [ one of the worst in the country ]
State college [ amongst the worst in the country ]

Now repeating at private college [ quite good for art/social sciences ]

Reply 54

RayOfHope

WOW!!! 17 YEARS! Are the students naturally thick or simply not encouraged to apply by the school?

Reply 55

coldfish

The reason that the UCAS tariff numbers are often given as 360 is that what they're actually measuring is the "UCAS tariff based on three A levels" ie. three A's. Very few universities take into account more than that, as far as I know, since the top universities who may look for something a bit more special than just a the normal three exam grades tend to ignore the UCAS tariff.
I think the tariff's a load of nonsense, personally. :P

Reply 56

TakemetoAvalon

_mad_moo_

Heya

just out of interest just wanted to see what background ppl had who applied to oxbridge

myself = state primary and secondary school

Nise to see an overwhelming majority of state school acceptances.

Still a huge disparity in Oxbridge compared to the proportion of people in schools that pay... :frown:

ooh yeah I forgot to say that I went to state school all the time. I think I go to a good one with a high level of teaching but not many resources

Reply 57

Elles

TakemetoAvalon

Nise to see an overwhelming majority of state school acceptances.

Still a huge disparity in Oxbridge compared to the proportion of people in schools that pay... :frown:

not wanting to drag up this old chesnut again..

but what about the proportion of students getting AAA in each sector? i think that's more in line with the % of independent-state school individuals at oxford. how about higher education in general.. as a % of school leavers, i think more independent school pupils probably go on..

so, do you think oxford should artifically make up this disparity purely on numerical school terms by having proportional representation quotas based on type of school? or do you concede that might not necessarily allow all 'the best' candidates in. :p:

so maybe the general gulf in quality of state-independent education should be examined - rather than assuming it's Oxford's fault & they, for some totally irrational reason only want students if they paid money for their previous schooling.. :wink:

Reply 58

ak763

Did both your parents go to university?
Yeap.

How much do your parents earn?
Under the present system it would've been enough to pay full fees and recieve the minimum loan payments.

How many other people in your school were accepted/applied to Oxbridge?
In my year I would say about 70 got accepted and i wouldn't even like to hazard a guess at how many applied; probable upwards of 150 (out of a year group of 260-ish), possible more.

Reply 59

JHutcher

Jesus (Cam) AAB Theology

Did both your parents go to university?
Have only one, and she didn't do either her O or A levels. I am the first in the family to goto university, including extended family.

How much do your parents earn?
My mum's unemployed so i qualify for full funding and am eligable for the varoous funds offered by the uni.

How many other people in your school were accepted/applied to Oxbridge?
8 applied,2 got in; 1 to oxord, 1 to cambridge. Neither of us got our first choice of college.

Schooling History:
State primary, mid-table
State secondary, not very acadmeic but fantastic otherwise
State secondary Sixth-form, not exceptional but did the job for me