Should I continue doing my EPQ? (EMERGENCY, PLEASE HELP)

My first draft deadline is tomorrow (Friday) and I am thinking if I should drop it. Is EPQ actually any useful for uni application?

I am currently doing 4 A-levels and working on the first draft of my EPQ but I'm really struggling with it. I am aiming to get into Imperial civil engineering or material science but I'm not sure if it is useful for uni application or showing my interest in the subject. For engineering, are there any other stuff I can do rather than EPQ that can be used as super curricular activities? Thank you very much!

Reply 1

Username123ab

13

I wrote about my EPQ quite a lot in my personal statement/spoke about it in my interview. It’s useful to show you have interest in the subject you want to study beyond what’s covered in the a level curriculum. Also one uni I applied to (Cardiff) made me an offer of AAA or AAB and A in EPQ so it could help lower your uni offers

Reply 2

a.willow

10

for medicine, my EPQ grade A gave me a lower offer (1 grade lower than standard) not sure how it is for your courses, i'd recommend checking out the course pages for the unis you're interested in to see if they value it at all. its a big undertaking and especially alongside 4 a-levels (i only do 3) i don't think it'll be a huge advantage for you on its own merit.
it was a talking point in my personal statement for being able to research and present data etc, but if your course doesn't value that over teamwork for example, i don't think it'd be a bad idea to drop it. i do think its an "easy" supercurricular (as in, you're guided through the process and there's tons of resources to help you) that shows dedication and hard work more than just a random MOOC that the uni doesn't know is reliable or challenging etc.
maybe mention it to your supervisor?

Reply 3

HBeetle

12

You're doing 4 a levels and an epq?! Wow. I have a few mates going off to do engineering, none of them did epq but most did 4 a levels. They set up a few mech clubs, one where they designed an electric racing car (i dont know the full details but i know theyve been to a few races with the yr10/11/12s who helped design and build it) and the other club i think is just a general mech club where theres like sessions on how to get in to mech eng, different jobs, apprenticeships, some practicals etc

(edited 4 weeks ago)

Reply 4

LetsWorkHard

OP

4

Original post by a.willow

for medicine, my EPQ grade A gave me a lower offer (1 grade lower than standard) not sure how it is for your courses, i'd recommend checking out the course pages for the unis you're interested in to see if they value it at all. its a big undertaking and especially alongside 4 a-levels (i only do 3) i don't think it'll be a huge advantage for you on its own merit.
it was a talking point in my personal statement for being able to research and present data etc, but if your course doesn't value that over teamwork for example, i don't think it'd be a bad idea to drop it. i do think its an "easy" supercurricular (as in, you're guided through the process and there's tons of resources to help you) that shows dedication and hard work more than just a random MOOC that the uni doesn't know is reliable or challenging etc.
maybe mention it to your supervisor?

Thank you so much for your reply! I have mentioned it to my supervisor how I struggled with the research before but she just keeps saying it's going well but I don't really think so 😭. She helped me a lot with planning tho yet I am still struggling to write it. I think my biggest struggle is putting everything together, may I ask if you have any suggestions to how to deal with it?

Reply 5

LetsWorkHard

OP

4

Original post by HBeetle

You're doing 4 a levels and an epq?! Wow. I have a few mates going off to do engineering, none of them did epq but most did 4 a levels. They set up a few mech clubs, one where they designed an electric racing car (i dont know the full details but i know theyve been to a few races with the yr10/11/12s who helped design and build it) and the other club i think is just a general mech club where theres like sessions on how to get in to mech eng, different jobs, apprenticeships, some practicals etc

Omg! Your mates must be so hardworking! There is no such opportunity in my school🥲.

Reply 6

alivet

3

Original post by LetsWorkHard

My first draft deadline is tomorrow (Friday) and I am thinking if I should drop it. Is EPQ actually any useful for uni application?
I am currently doing 4 A-levels and working on the first draft of my EPQ but I'm really struggling with it. I am aiming to get into Imperial civil engineering or material science but I'm not sure if it is useful for uni application or showing my interest in the subject. For engineering, are there any other stuff I can do rather than EPQ that can be used as super curricular activities? Thank you very much!

Hi, my daughter is at Imperial. She did an EPQ but although it was useful for her personal statement, Imperial did not consider it in her offer - they just asked for A*AA at A level. The only unis that gave her a reduced offer based on an A in her EPQ were Birmingham and Southampton. She also applied to Warwick and Glasgow. She did several FutureLearn courses related to her subject and was able to reference these in her personal statement.The EPQ is a lot of work, my younger daughter has just finished hers - she is yr 13 and applying to med school - again only one out of her 5 applications have said they will take it into account. Honestly, if I had to advise someone now I would say dont continue if it is jeopardising your A level studies. The amount of coaching/support for it varies between schools and teachers within schools so I am not even sure its a fair grading system.

Reply 7

a.willow

10

Original post by LetsWorkHard

Thank you so much for your reply! I have mentioned it to my supervisor how I struggled with the research before but she just keeps saying it's going well but I don't really think so 😭. She helped me a lot with planning tho yet I am still struggling to write it. I think my biggest struggle is putting everything together, may I ask if you have any suggestions to how to deal with it?

I had the exact same issue! what helped for me was breaking up my project into small sections after brain dumping everything I had researched and wanted to mention and writing one or two paragraphs for each of them, then jigsawing them together into an order that made sense 🙂
Also I know you're supposed to have most of your research done already (i think) but if you realise that you've made a point that needs a reference you don't have, don't be afraid to just find one.
Also make sure you set up a project log, mine was really simple just two columns (my goals for the week and what I achieved, and in the 2nd column I evaluated the weeks work) but it was super useful to be able to go through that when updating project Q and really simply prove how my project progressed.
if you want me to send you any documents to use as reference/templates I can try and upload them later today 🙂 I was one mark away from an A* so I feel like it could be of use 😅 but no worries if you've got what you need in that regard! just offering in case you'd be interested! and good luck with whatever you decide to do!!

Hi there,

Doing 4 A-levels and an EPQ can be really tough so you have to think about what you can manage. Having an EPQ is a great way of showing interest in your subject if you tailor it to your course however it is not the only way. You should also have a focus on your grades - if pursuing an EPQ may cause you to fall behind then I would prioritise your A-levels. If you think you are managing at all at a good level then great! Some universities may offer a reduced offer but not all, a lot are focused more on your grades.
Lots of people write about their EPQ in personal statements but this is not the only way to show interest. Personally I did not do an EPQ and instead did my own research in civil engineering projects to discuss, and looked for work experience during the summer so these may be options you prefer.

Good luck with your decision,

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Sophie (uni of Bath)

Should I continue doing my EPQ? (EMERGENCY, PLEASE HELP)

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