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Do universities REALLY care about GCSE results?

I'm nearly 15 so it's a tiny bit early to be worrying about such a matter, but I was just wondering. I would adore to be able to study at Oxford university one day. I know this seems overly ambitious.

The Facts: I have done a French A-Level, and will be doing a Spanish A-Level; I have a large interest in languages... I also have a deep, bordering on obsessive, love for literature, and simply yearn to be able to pursue it at a good university.

Thus, I would very much like to study French coupled with English literature as an undergraduate course.

The Problem:

For GCSEs - I'm predicted A*s and As in History, Spanish, English, ICT, and Geography, and have already got an A* in French. But for Science and Maths, two of the CORE subjects, I'm probably going to achieve Bs, maybe an A if I'm lucky for Biology.

For A-Levels, this won't be a problem as I'm dropping the sciences and maths, and taking on English, Spanish, Politics and History. (I've already done my French A-Level.)


So please help! Will it make a difference; and more importantly, do I sound like the type of person who is making a realistic goal of wanting to get into Oxford? I don't want to be a pipe-dreamer.

Thank you ever so much for this time, and for hacking your way through this somewhat incoherent ramble. :smile:

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Reply 1
It's unlikely to hurt you if you get Bs in maths and science and you are aiming for an arts degree... even at Oxford / Cambridge.
Reply 2
No courses require straight A/A*s at GCSE to my knowledge anyway. Don't worry about it, especially as they are not relavent to your degree choice. Most students don't think about university at that time and GCSEs are not what the universities I've been to have said they look at in the first instance anyway.
Reply 3
no if you have AMAZING A LEVELS, AMAZING UKCAT/BMAT[if applying for med] like sky rocketing amazing.. i mean will they decline then?
Reply 4
You talk in a very odd way ('I would adore to be able to...', 'I simply yearn to...') and I feel this may be more problematic than your Bs at GCSE!

Also it might be worth mentioning that I'm fairly sure Oxford don't do a French/Eng Lit joint honours, so you would need to research courses more thoroughly.
Inkstains
For A-Levels, this won't be a problem as I'm dropping the sciences and maths, and taking on English, Spanish, Politics and History.


I'm doing those A levels :biggrin:. Spanish is incredibly boring though.
Reply 6
Inkstains
I'm nearly 15 so it's a tiny bit early to be worrying about such a matter, but I was just wondering. I would adore to be able to study at Oxford university one day. I know this seems overly ambitious.

The Facts: I have done a French A-Level, and will be doing a Spanish A-Level; I have a large interest in languages... I also have a deep, bordering on obsessive, love for literature, and simply yearn to be able to pursue it at a good university.

Thus, I would very much like to study French coupled with English literature as an undergraduate course.

The Problem:

For GCSEs - I'm predicted A*s and As in History, Spanish, English, ICT, and Geography, and have already got an A* in French. But for Science and Maths, two of the CORE subjects, I'm probably going to achieve Bs, maybe an A if I'm lucky for Biology.

For A-Levels, this won't be a problem as I'm dropping the sciences and maths, and taking on English, Spanish, Politics and History. (I've already done my French A-Level.)


So please help! Will it make a difference; and more importantly, do I sound like the type of person who is making a realistic goal of wanting to get into Oxford? I don't want to be a pipe-dreamer.

Thank you ever so much for this time, and for hacking your way through this somewhat incoherent ramble. :smile:


Yes
Reply 7
Depends what uni and what course and what your 'bad' GCSEs are in and how well you've done in your A Level exams.
Reply 8
From what i gather (i.e. what my school drummed into me many moons ago) is that for uni applications GCSEs are used as a way of seeing how you cope with lots of different subjects at the same time. Individual grades don't matter as much as consistency. So if you're predicted A*s and As with a few Bs that's great.
Reply 9
serrellen
You talk in a very odd way ('I would adore to be able to...', 'I simply yearn to...') and I feel this may be more problematic than your Bs at GCSE!

Also it might be worth mentioning that I'm fairly sure Oxford don't do a French/Eng Lit joint honours, so you would need to research courses more thoroughly.


They do have a joint French & English Lit course: http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate_courses/courses/english_and_modern_languages/english_and_modern_3.html

It's English and Modern Languages - I would choose French.

I have researched quite thoroughly already, considering it is still a few more years until I am actually off to university! :smile: But thank you for your time.
I can't remember my GCSEs ever making much of an impact on anything.
Inkstains



For A-Levels, this won't be a problem as I'm dropping the sciences and maths, and taking on English, Spanish, Politics and History. (I've already done my French A-Level.)




No they won't be a problem - you're doing arts subjects at A level, so as long as you get at least a B it'll be fine.
Not really. But for Oxford you need more than brilliant qualifications anyway.
Reply 13
serrellen

Also it might be worth mentioning that I'm fairly sure Oxford don't do a French/Eng Lit joint honours, so you would need to research courses more thoroughly.



They do, I have a friend who applied to do just that at Oxford this year.

In a nutshell, GCSEs are important but they're not the be all and end all. As far as Oxbridge is concerned, AS results are more important. That said, they will expect you to have a good number of A* grades.
Inkstains
I'm nearly 15 so it's a tiny bit early to be worrying about such a matter, but I was just wondering. I would adore to be able to study at Oxford university one day. I know this seems overly ambitious.

The Facts: I have done a French A-Level, and will be doing a Spanish A-Level; I have a large interest in languages... I also have a deep, bordering on obsessive, love for literature, and simply yearn to be able to pursue it at a good university.

Thus, I would very much like to study French coupled with English literature as an undergraduate course.

The Problem:

For GCSEs - I'm predicted A*s and As in History, Spanish, English, ICT, and Geography, and have already got an A* in French. But for Science and Maths, two of the CORE subjects, I'm probably going to achieve Bs, maybe an A if I'm lucky for Biology.

For A-Levels, this won't be a problem as I'm dropping the sciences and maths, and taking on English, Spanish, Politics and History. (I've already done my French A-Level.)


So please help! Will it make a difference; and more importantly, do I sound like the type of person who is making a realistic goal of wanting to get into Oxford? I don't want to be a pipe-dreamer.

Thank you ever so much for this time, and for hacking your way through this somewhat incoherent ramble. :smile:

um ok


on a serious note, thats pretty impressive at 15 (unless its a second language, actually thats still impressive)
serrellen
You talk in a very odd way ('I would adore to be able to...', 'I simply yearn to...') and I feel this may be more problematic than your Bs at GCSE!

Also it might be worth mentioning that I'm fairly sure Oxford don't do a French/Eng Lit joint honours, so you would need to research courses more thoroughly.



have you considered that for the OP English is not their first language , and that they think in one of those other languages leading to a slightly stilted and overly formal style of English prose ?

alternatively the OP could be a real life Hermione Granger and actually talk in that somewhat affected way.
Reply 16
It doesn't really matter as long as your A-Level results are awesome. Top-end universities [Cambridge, Oxford and Durham in particular, along with some others] tend to base offers on GCSE results in addition to A-Level results, though - so it wouldn't hurt to put a load of effort in.
Oh, and you seem like the kind of person who could stroll into Oxford, juggling torches and with a pot of Petit Filous on your head
Reply 17
annab1684
No courses require straight A/A*s at GCSE to my knowledge anyway. Don't worry about it, especially as they are not relavent to your degree choice. Most students don't think about university at that time and GCSEs are not what the universities I've been to have said they look at in the first instance anyway.


History?

Stop worrying, just nail your a-levels.
Reply 18
Thanks very much. I really appreciate it. :smile:
to some extent - they'll look at your GCSE results and probs band u into: 7+A* 4-6A* 1-3A*. However, this would probably compromise a very small part of your academic profile.