Does taking 4 A-Levels help with university applications?

what’s going on with this thread?! calm down

This 👍

I thought you commented on the thread I made because I was reading both at the same time and then I realised that I was commenting on a different thread

you’re allowed to share your opinion idk why there needs to be a whole argument from the other user for.

I know this question has probably been asked a lot but i’m new here and i can’t for the life of me work out the filtering system so sorry :,)

When applying to oxbridge, does taking a 4th a level boost your application at all? Most people advise to take 3 because oxbridge don’t look at your 4th A-level. I know that they only require 3, but doesn’t the fact that you’ve done 4 and still managed to get the same grades as someone who only did 3 make you a better candidate in their eyes? I can’t help but feel like a 4th a level is ‘useless’ on paper but actually quite helpful in candidate selections. It’s not as though it’s a matter of getting either A*A*A* or A*ABB, I’m quite confident (hopeful rather) that i could get at the least A*A*A*A and the only difference between taking 3 and taking 4 would be my stress level. If it truly doesn’t affect the application at all then i think i’ll gleefully stick to 3 a levels and use my free time to widen my general knowledge, flesh out the other parts of my application and/or conduct some uni subject-specific research. However, if doing 4 a levels as opposed to 3 gives me some advantage then i’d like to do that instead. I would very much appreciate some advice

I know this question has probably been asked a lot but i’m new here and i can’t for the life of me work out the filtering system so sorry :,)

When applying to oxbridge, does taking a 4th a level boost your application at all? Most people advise to take 3 because oxbridge don’t look at your 4th A-level. I know that they only require 3, but doesn’t the fact that you’ve done 4 and still managed to get the same grades as someone who only did 3 make you a better candidate in their eyes? I can’t help but feel like a 4th a level is ‘useless’ on paper but actually quite helpful in candidate selections. It’s not as though it’s a matter of getting either A*A*A* or A*ABB, I’m quite confident (hopeful rather) that i could get at the least A*A*A*A and the only difference between taking 3 and taking 4 would be my stress level. If it truly doesn’t affect the application at all then i think i’ll gleefully stick to 3 a levels and use my free time to widen my general knowledge, flesh out the other parts of my application and/or conduct some uni subject-specific research. However, if doing 4 a levels as opposed to 3 gives me some advantage then i’d like to do that instead. I would very much appreciate some advice

It's a bit like the "do I need Maths for Medicine?" question I think. While Oxbridge may say you don't, the reality is that most successful applicants did take Maths for A Level. So yeah, if you can get 4 top grades (even if they say you only need 3) then that's probably going to be in line with most other successful applicants?