Is aiming for Oxbridge too optimistic?

You need to work harder. You say you didn't study for mocks, but these are the type of things you should be studying for to enable you to achieve your full potential.
If you can study harder and read around your subject more then go for it. Also blaming your teachers for your GCSE grades is not the best attitude to have....They are good grades, so clearly they were doing many things right.

There is a difference between-"has anybody ever got in with these results" and "are these results on target for indicating I have the right ability" isn't there?

What subject are you thinking of applying for Medicine? Law? Maths? Sciences or Arts?
For medicine especially GCSE results do count & the standard expected is higher.

The typical student at a selective school is going to have an almost full house of A* at GCSE. The typical student from a poorly performing comprehensive will have mostly A* & A.
Cambridge research shows that a student at a poor school who does very well at GCSE is especially likely to do well at Cambridge. Presumably because this indicates both raw ability and the right work ethic. However Cambridge research has also indicated that AS results are a better indicator of degree success than GCSE and so rely on these, if they exist, looking for an average across the right subjects of above 90% and typically 94-96%.

Most people at good schools who get 5A* are not able to go on and get 95% at AS. That is not the same as suggesting that if you get 95% Cambridge would not give you an offer because you got "only" 5 A*. So there are no GCSE requirements. The only requirement is to be academically the best of your competition.

Take for example I only achieved a low amount of GCSEs but obtained an A at As level in sociology, psychology and Btec health and social, would it be possible for me to access Cambridge?

I would highly doubt it.

I would highly doubt it.

so how would I gain access?, Is there little chance for attending a top university?

Well done guys for all the hard works you have done. I am not trying to be cynical here but, in order to get a chance at Oxbridge, you need to be someone from at least upper middle class family background, particularly from White background (Please google recent statistics). You might not get offer if you are from lower middle class or working class background, regardless of your results at GCSEs and A Levels. However, your lower socio-economic status may not be taken into consideration if your parents or grandparents were leaders (not only in politics but any other fields). This shows that you have inherited leadership potential so you can maintain the status quo of elite universities like Oxbridge.

I do not know much about other elitist universities in London like UCL and LSE, but Oxbridge prefer students from private schools over students from state schools - once again, your result is secondary.

Just to give you an example, in the academic year 2010-11, Oxford recruited just 3 Black students out of several thousands. 'A word is enough to a wise".

Just to add one thing, I am not a person from Black/White ethnic background. And, I am trying to make my comment as objective as possible.

Did you not consider the fact that perhaps it was a case of less black students applying? Or less black students having the appropriate grades to get in? Think about it.

so how would I gain access?, Is there little chance for attending a top university?

The same can be said for those from poorer backgrounds, state schools, certain areas etc. If they don't have the right subjects or grades, they won't get in regardless of how many of the same type of people apply. They won't take them for the sake of proportions if they aren't good enough.

Did you not consider the fact that perhaps it was a case of less black students applying? Or less black students having the appropriate grades to get in? Think about it.

Take for example I only achieved a low amount of GCSEs but obtained an A at As level in sociology, psychology and Btec health and social, would it be possible for me to access Cambridge?

I would highly doubt it.

so how would I gain access?, Is there little chance for attending a top university?

Well done guys for all the hard works you have done. I am not trying to be cynical here but, in order to get a chance at Oxbridge, you need to be someone from at least upper middle class family background, particularly from White background (Please google recent statistics). You might not get offer if you are from lower middle class or working class background, regardless of your results at GCSEs and A Levels. However, your lower socio-economic status may not be taken into consideration if your parents or grandparents were leaders (not only in politics but any other fields). This shows that you have inherited leadership potential so you can maintain the status quo of elite universities like Oxbridge.

I do not know much about other elitist universities in London like UCL and LSE, but Oxbridge prefer students from private schools over students from state schools - once again, your result is secondary.

Just to give you an example, in the academic year 2010-11, Oxford recruited just 3 Black students out of several thousands. 'A word is enough to a wise".

Just to add one thing, I am not a person from Black/White ethnic background. And, I am trying to make my comment as objective as possible.

Guys,
Thank you for your insightful comments.
First of all, do you think that there only handful of black students who achieve 5 A*s?
Of course, if people are less optimistic with institution they are more likely to avoid such a place. This may be one of the possible factors that deters Black students from applying to Oxbridge.
If there is no equal representation of students from all section of the society, who is to blame for? Individual or the state?
The crux of the problem is some people think that other racial groups are not capable to get to the top of social hierarchy 'because they are biologically inferior' (This was what Darwin and Lombrosso said). This speculation has now been proved wrong. During the 1960s, Americans did never though that they would have Black president in 40 years time.

For the statistics, please visit an independent jorualistic analysis:
http://www.theguardian.com/education/abby-and-libby-blog/2013/dec/04/black-students-absence-diminishes-oxbridge

There are top universities that aren't Cambridge, but 2 softish A-levels and a BTEC? For an 18 year old it is difficult to imagine that any amount of contextual data might make good on that.

The only way, I would think, would be to apply for entry the year after, making clear in your application that you intend in the interim to do two more A-levels in more standard subjects (e.g. history and biology) and are happy to have an offer made conditional on these.

I cannot do biology as I have a B in additional science but a c in core, my GCSEs are not great due to me being 'cool' and fooling around, but honestly I am capable of an A. Do you believe English a level will be a good choice?. I want to take into.consideration if I fail I wish to to do mental health nursing instead, would this lessen my chances?

I suggested biology as an example just because I imagined your interest might be in PBS (is it?) and because it seemed to fit with psychology and health. But, and though you'll need to refer to the entry requirements for the course in which you're interested, any "traditional" A levels will do.

The thing is, though, that most applicants to Cambridge, even most of those with great (and appropriately chosen) GCSEs and A levels gotten first time around, don't get in. You have to prepare yourself for the likelihood of failure, as they have to, and wonder whether the year off is worth the slim enough chance it affords.