University College London
London
Is it a bad idea to apply for History at Uni if I got a 6 at GCSE
I'm predicted A*A*A with an A* in History, received almost full marks in my History mock and came top in my year. Unfortunately though, I underperformed in my GCSEs (got 888776555), and for various reasons pulled a 6 in the final exam. This was completely unexpected because I'd gotten 9s all year, and I almost ended up not taking History A-level because it was such a shock - but I'm so glad I did because I proved that my GCSE result was what I assumed it to be - an anomaly. I love History, and want to take it further, but would it be a terrible idea to apply to top unis (UCL, KCL, Bristol, Durham) with a 6 in History? It seems so unfair, considering that some of my classmates who got 9s at GCSE are currently getting Cs and Ds. I haven't gotten anything less than an A* in months, so I'm understandably horrified by the idea that I could be rejected by the 6 I got over a year ago!! I might have extenuating circumstances, but I'm worried that they're not 'extenuating' enough...
In short; would I actually have a decent chance at somewhere like UCL/Bristol, or would it be an awful idea to apply if I did badly in the GCSE?
In short; would I actually have a decent chance at somewhere like UCL/Bristol, or would it be an awful idea to apply if I did badly in the GCSE?
(edited 8 months ago)
I can't see why your GCSE, which has been trumped by your A-level grade, will be relevant at all. As you said, you've proved it was an anomaly 
UCL's grade requirement is AAA so you're already above that!
UCL's grade requirement is AAA so you're already above that!
University College London
London
In short: no. Your A-level grades & any wider reading around your subject form a much more important application and it's incredibly unlikely that they'll single you out in a bad way for your GCSEs (let alone care about the 6 you got in History).
Also, considering that you came top in the year in your mocks for History, any of the unis you are planning to apply to will have little reason to care about your History GCSE grade in the first place considering just how much you have progressed in the subject, now at A-level even - this is likely to even impress the admissions tutors, especially if you were dealing with extenuating circumstances at the time of sitting your GCSEs.
The sheer insignifiance of a History GCSE grade when it comes to applying to Uni is further exemplified by your Grade 9 classmates dropping to Cs and Ds - so no need to worry! Also, it seems like you did your GCSEs in 2022 (same as me) so you will know that a lot of content was cut out from the exam, making even a 9 in History even less important when it comes to the grand scheme of things relating to uni applications.
Hope this advice was helpful.
Kind regards,
A fellow A-level student.
Also, considering that you came top in the year in your mocks for History, any of the unis you are planning to apply to will have little reason to care about your History GCSE grade in the first place considering just how much you have progressed in the subject, now at A-level even - this is likely to even impress the admissions tutors, especially if you were dealing with extenuating circumstances at the time of sitting your GCSEs.
The sheer insignifiance of a History GCSE grade when it comes to applying to Uni is further exemplified by your Grade 9 classmates dropping to Cs and Ds - so no need to worry! Also, it seems like you did your GCSEs in 2022 (same as me
) so you will know that a lot of content was cut out from the exam, making even a 9 in History even less important when it comes to the grand scheme of things relating to uni applications.Hope this advice was helpful.
Kind regards,
A fellow A-level student.
Original post by vapordave
I can't see why your GCSE, which has been trumped by your A-level grade, will be relevant at all. As you said, you've proved it was an anomaly
UCL's grade requirement is AAA so you're already above that!
UCL's grade requirement is AAA so you're already above that!
I really hope you're right! But my worry is that places like UCL are so competitive that they'll be practically looking for reasons to turn people away. Unfortunately I'm not sure my 6 in History (and generally pretty subpar GCSEs) will cut it
Original post by MonotheisticMort
In short: no. Your A-level grades & any wider reading around your subject form a much more important application and it's incredibly unlikely that they'll single you out in a bad way for your GCSEs (let alone care about the 6 you got in History).
Also, considering that you came top in the year in your mocks for History, any of the unis you are planning to apply to will have little reason to care about your History GCSE grade in the first place considering just how much you have progressed in the subject, now at A-level even - this is likely to even impress the admissions tutors, especially if you were dealing with extenuating circumstances at the time of sitting your GCSEs.
The sheer insignifiance of a History GCSE grade when it comes to applying to Uni is further exemplified by your Grade 9 classmates dropping to Cs and Ds - so no need to worry! Also, it seems like you did your GCSEs in 2022 (same as me) so you will know that a lot of content was cut out from the exam, making even a 9 in History even less important when it comes to the grand scheme of things relating to uni applications.
Hope this advice was helpful.
Kind regards,
A fellow A-level student.
Also, considering that you came top in the year in your mocks for History, any of the unis you are planning to apply to will have little reason to care about your History GCSE grade in the first place considering just how much you have progressed in the subject, now at A-level even - this is likely to even impress the admissions tutors, especially if you were dealing with extenuating circumstances at the time of sitting your GCSEs.
The sheer insignifiance of a History GCSE grade when it comes to applying to Uni is further exemplified by your Grade 9 classmates dropping to Cs and Ds - so no need to worry! Also, it seems like you did your GCSEs in 2022 (same as me
) so you will know that a lot of content was cut out from the exam, making even a 9 in History even less important when it comes to the grand scheme of things relating to uni applications.Hope this advice was helpful.
Kind regards,
A fellow A-level student.
2022 GCSEs were really awful, ugh! I had content on half my papers that AQA insisted wouldn't come up but did. I try not to lose sleep over them because I know I can't do anything now, but I wish I could've somehow done better. All I can do now is try my best at A-levels, I suppose
My History teacher absolutely loves me though so at least I'll have a half-decent reference. What A-levels do you do?Original post by eilnabrmnat
I really hope you're right! But my worry is that places like UCL are so competitive that they'll be practically looking for reasons to turn people away. Unfortunately I'm not sure my 6 in History (and generally pretty subpar GCSEs) will cut it
You exceed the typical offer so it's not a waste for you to apply. Your GCSEs are excellent and combined with a good personal statement, I don't see any showstopping reason for you not to get an offer.
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