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Applying to Oxford with AABbb

So I got my AS results yesterday and was rather disappointed with what I saw on my sheet...
Psychology- A
Religious Studies- A
Biology- B
Chemistry- B
Critical Thinking- B

I want to study Psychology with Philosophy at Oxford but I'm not sure if there is any point applying with those grades. I plan on resitting Biology to hopefully get it up to an A but I wont be able to do that until next summer so Oxford will be looking at AAB in RS, Psychology and Biology. I'm also doing the Extended Project which I will hopefully get an A/A* in based on my teachers feedback. Does anyone know if I would stand a chance? Is anyone else in a similar position?

N.B If you're one of those people who are thinking, 'why would you be disappointed with those results', ' you're so ungrateful' please don't bother replying, I have my goals and you have yours. I didn't meet mine so I am obviously going to be upset. Also, I am not saying they are bad results, I am simply saying they are not enough to allow me to pursue my goal of Oxford so if anyone else got similar results and are pleased with them then great. Congratulations.

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You need three AAAs to even consider applying at Oxford :smile:
Reply 2
No chance, especially as one of your As is in Religious Studies. Do you know the sort of students that apply to Oxford? The vast majority have 4 solid As at AS level and are predicted at least two A*s predicted for A2 level. Not to mention the string of A*s at GCSE
Reply 3
Go for it! You definitely stand a chance; I got exactly those grades at AS:

English - A
French - A
History - B
Classical Civilisation - B
Critical Thinking - B

And I'm off to Oxford this coming October to do English :smile: GCSEs, your personal statement, admissions tests and interviews as well as A2 predictions are more important :smile:
Original post by lauracardiff
You need three AAAs to even consider applying at Oxford :smile:


Original post by peter12345
No chance, especially as one of your As is in Religious Studies. Do you know the sort of students that apply to Oxford? The vast majority have 4 solid As at AS level and are predicted at least two A*s predicted for A2 level. Not to mention the string of A*s at GCSE


OP, I beg you do not listen to either of these answers. It really angers me when people who clearly have no idea what they're talking about discourage others from pursuing their ambitions.

I know plenty of people who got into Oxford with AAB at AS level - your GCSEs, reference, predicted grades, TSA score and (if you get that far) interview can easily make up for your Bs in Bio/Chem. It helps that you have two As in the two most relevant subjects. (Also, Religious Studies is a well respected A-Level [if it's good enough for Cambridge it's good enough for Oxford] so don't worry about that.)

While peter12345 is right in that you will be up against a lot of candidates with straight A grades at AS-Level, to say you have no chance is a patent lie. It is only one of your five choices so as long as you have other universities you'd be happy to go to and don't get your heart set on Oxford too much, there is absolutely no discernible reason why you shouldn't give it a shot.
Reply 5
Original post by Morgasm19
Go for it! You definitely stand a chance; I got exactly those grades at AS:

English - A
French - A
History - B
Classical Civilisation - B
Critical Thinking - B

And I'm off to Oxford this coming October to do English :smile: GCSEs, your personal statement, admissions tests and interviews as well as A2 predictions are more important :smile:



Really? That's made me feel quite a bit better. What grades did you get at GCSE if you don't mind me asking? Also did you attend a grammar school?
Thanks
Reply 6
Original post by katnia
Similar situation :frown: I got As in french and german and three Bs in history, rs and critical thinking and I wanted to apply for history...I do have straight A*s at GCSE and will be predicted A*AA for next year but don't think they'll overlook those Bs seeing as I can't retake my history papers until the summer


I had a Cambridge lecturer come to my school to talk about the application process for Oxbridge and apparently Oxford care more about GCSE grades than AS grades. I don't understand why they would, but if that is true then you should be fine. Are you still going to apply?
Reply 7
Original post by solinmeow
Really? That's made me feel quite a bit better. What grades did you get at GCSE if you don't mind me asking? Also did you attend a grammar school?
Thanks


Yep :smile: And an A* in the EPQ if that counts haha, I got 8A*s, 2 Bs and 1C at GCSE, but anything around/above 4 A*s is probably enough to get you an interview I reckon, I have another friend that got ABBC at AS Level and 4A*s and 6As at GCSE and got an interview for History :smile:

I went to a voluntary aided comprehensive for main school and sixth form :smile: It is a pretty good school, it's not selective but it's renowned for the students getting quite good results.

I'd honestly say apply, if you think you can produce a good personal statement a bit earlier than the general UCAS deadline then it's definitely worth it! I guess my gcses were probably a bit above average for my school but I also got 44/60 on the ELAT, the lowest possible mark you can get and still probably get an interview, so I guess the main factors were my personal statement and interview, so as long as your gcses are okay then you do stand a reasonable chance :smile:

It makes me so upset when people are too unsure to apply to Oxbridge and Russell Group unis :frown: I and the people I know who got in didn't expect to get places in a million years! And you have nothing to lose, so I'd say go for it :smile:
GO FOR IT! I got AABB in AS level, got A*A*A* yesterday to confirm my place at Oxford.

If your GCSE's are good, you have every chance.
If you don't apply, you'll regret it, so I think you should just go for it.
go for it!!
Original post by Pineapple Syrup
My point was that Cambridge care about UMS and are therefore more scrupulous when it comes to selecting candidates than Oxford. You can get away with getting AAB in your best three AS subjects at Oxford, but I doubt you would have as much luck with Cambridge.

Yes, a lot of people wouldn't because they are idiots and undeserving.


UMS is a terrible way of deciding between candidates, in humanities especially. Much better to put the emphasis on the candidate's written work, in interview etc.

It might be better for the sciences and maths, as they are more factual/clear-cut, but the UMS system is not very beneficial to essay subjects.

Let me guess, you have a place at Cambridge?
Original post by xMr_BrightSide
UMS is a terrible way of deciding between candidates, in humanities especially. Much better to put the emphasis on the candidate's written work, in interview etc.

It might be better for the sciences and maths, as they are more factual/clear-cut, but the UMS system is not very beneficial to essay subjects.

Let me guess, you have a place at Cambridge?


Not according to the reports published by Cambridge themselves. Where is the evidence to support your claim that UMS is "a terrible way of deciding between candidates, in humanities especially." Hm?
Original post by Pineapple Syrup
Not according to the reports published by Cambridge themselves. Where is the evidence to support your claim that UMS is "a terrible way of deciding between candidates, in humanities especially." Hm?


Well, think about it. In an essay subject, there is plenty of subjectivity and leeway for personal opinion. For example, a friend got 64 UMS in an English paper - got a remark, went up to 80. Poor marking, yes, but it just shows a lot depends on the marker's interpretation.

Also, imagine this. You under perform an exam for whatever reason, but your previous exams were all full UMS. Cambridge won't care, they'll look at the UMS and say 'na - this other guy got full UMS everywhere'. Suddenly, one iffy exam has cost you the chance of a lifetime.

Furthermore, to put so much emphasis on exam grades is to cater to those taught the syllabus rigidly, and doesn't necessarily show a student's passion for the subject, which would be obvious in interview.

But anyway, I don't know why I'm typing this - you just came for a cheap shot at an Oxford student because you love Cambridge. How hilarious you are. Ha.
Original post by xMr_BrightSide
Well, think about it. In an essay subject, there is plenty of subjectivity and leeway for personal opinion. For example, a friend got 64 UMS in an English paper - got a remark, went up to 80. Poor marking, yes, but it just shows a lot depends on the marker's interpretation.

Also, imagine this. You under perform an exam for whatever reason, but your previous exams were all full UMS. Cambridge won't care, they'll look at the UMS and say 'na - this other guy got full UMS everywhere'. Suddenly, one iffy exam has cost you the chance of a lifetime.

Furthermore, to put so much emphasis on exam grades is to cater to those taught the syllabus rigidly, and doesn't necessarily show a student's passion for the subject, which would be obvious in interview.

But anyway, I don't know why I'm typing this - you just came for a cheap shot at an Oxford student because you love Cambridge. How hilarious you are. Ha.


You misunderstand the system, Cambridge does allow for mishaps and they would not rule you out, due to one bad exam.

I do not completely agree with PS, but this point you make is false.
However, there is some truth to your points on interpretation and essay subjects. Thus, resulting in the subjectivity in UMS scores at A level, in essay based subjects.




**DISCLAIMER**I could not care less about stupid grammar Nazis, I alternate typing my comments from my iPod to my computer. As long as my comment is legible and you can understand my points. That is what ultimately matters on a forum.**DISCLAIMER**
:h:
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by hannah60000
You misunderstand the system, Cambridge does allow for mishaps and they would not rule you out, due to one bad exam.

I do not completely agree with PS, but this point you make is false.
However, there is some truth to your points on interpretation and essay subjects. thus, resulting in the subjectivity in UMS scores at A level.




**DISCLAIMER**I could not care less about stupid grammar Nazis, I alternate typing my comments from my iPod to my computer. As long as my comment is legible and you can understand my points. That is what ultimately matters on a forum.**DISCLAIMER**
:h:


Point taken, but it would only be to your disadvantage. What's with the huge disclaimer at the bottom of your post, btw? Shouldn't that be a sig?
Reply 16
Pull it up to AAA then you may have reasonable chance of getting an offer.
Original post by xMr_BrightSide
Point taken, but it would only be to your disadvantage. What's with the huge disclaimer at the bottom of your post, btw? Shouldn't that be a sig?



Well, I would say yes in general. However, speaking as an applicant who got an offer with lower than average UMS scores (for Cambridge), due to a doggy exam here and there at AS; I would say if the other aspects of your application are "excellent", it may not be as detrimental as people suggest. Especially, if you are called for an interview!

Yeah, it should be I guess, but it's only for when I type on my iPod the problems caused by auto-correcting and typing on a touch screen makes my comments come out wrong and grammatically incorrect. The TSR app adds it at the bottom of all my comments :dontknow: I was just tired of the "critic" so I did it out of frustration :tongue:.

Although, it does not come up when I'm on my Laptop though.

EDIT: I have not read the whole thread, so what will you be reading at Oxford?

Congrats, by the way :h:
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by hannah60000
Well, I would say yes in general. However, speaking as an applicant who got an offer with lower than average UMS scores (for Cambridge), due to a doggy exam here and there at AS; I would say if the other aspects of your application are "excellent", it may not be as detrimental as people suggest. Especially, if you are called for an interview!

Yeah, it should be I guess, but it's only for when I type on my iPod the problems caused by auto-correcting and typing on a touch screen makes my comments come out wrong and grammatically incorrect. The TSR app adds it at the bottom of all my comments :dontknow: I was just tired of the "critic" so I did it out of frustration :tongue:.

Although, it does not come up when I'm on my Laptop though.

EDIT: I have not read the whole thread, so what will you be reading at Oxford?

Congrats, by the way :h:


Well done! But I bet your idea of low UMS is 80/100 or something :wink:
I'm doing Philosophy and Theology, yourself? Something sciency?
Original post by xMr_BrightSide
Well done! But I bet your idea of low UMS is 80/100 or something :wink:
I'm doing Philosophy and Theology, yourself? Something sciency?


:lol: Not the case at all!

Cool, Science? No. I was good at Science generally, but never had any real drive to purse it.
I'll be doing History :biggrin:
Philosophy is cool though really enjoyed it at A level.

Good luck!

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