Will Cambridge disregard my application if I have an AS level in media studies?
Hello,
Currently I'm studying English Literature, History, French and Media Studies at AS level. Although I was originally considering applying to English at Oxford, the HSPS course at Cambridge looks immensely interesting to me.
But I have a problem - you'll see the problem in my list of subjects. I'm from a state school and obtained 10 A*s, 1 A and 1 B at GCSE - the highest result in my college. They KNEW I was interested in Oxbridge and didn't mention that Media Studies is regarded with approximately next to no respect.
Still, all the Oxbridge advisors there say I have nothing to worry about. They've told me that having three facilitating subjects means that my fourth AS level will barely be considered no matter what subject it's in, especially as I'm dropping it next year in exchange for the Extended Project - so my three A Levels will be in English Lit, History and French. The assistant principal said that they'd simply see it as increasing my breadth, and that in any case media is hardly the worst choice: in the rankings of A level suitability, it's on the second list rather than the third of non-science subjects. But, of course, the internet is a place of scaremongering and every Guardian article puts Media Studies in its foreboding warnings of the worst A Levels you can take.
And I'm not even taking it to A Level. But I'm worried beyond what is reasonable anyway, I know. The thought that my application could be metaphorically thrown out the window just because of a slightly erroneous AS level choice is a crushing one - I've worked incredibly hard to get my GCSE results, and I've (somewhat unwillingly) put myself in every useful extra curricular activity I can just to stand a chance.
Again, sorry if this is irritating and my issue isn't that damning. But I would LOVE some more reassurance or advice.
Do Cambridge really care that much about your fourth AS level?
Are there any students at Cambridge currently who took Media Studies at AS? (State school students - absolutely no intention to exclude those who didn't go to state schools, but I've seen the stats and I know only 2% of those taking media studies were privately educated.)
Currently I'm studying English Literature, History, French and Media Studies at AS level. Although I was originally considering applying to English at Oxford, the HSPS course at Cambridge looks immensely interesting to me.
But I have a problem - you'll see the problem in my list of subjects. I'm from a state school and obtained 10 A*s, 1 A and 1 B at GCSE - the highest result in my college. They KNEW I was interested in Oxbridge and didn't mention that Media Studies is regarded with approximately next to no respect.
Still, all the Oxbridge advisors there say I have nothing to worry about. They've told me that having three facilitating subjects means that my fourth AS level will barely be considered no matter what subject it's in, especially as I'm dropping it next year in exchange for the Extended Project - so my three A Levels will be in English Lit, History and French. The assistant principal said that they'd simply see it as increasing my breadth, and that in any case media is hardly the worst choice: in the rankings of A level suitability, it's on the second list rather than the third of non-science subjects. But, of course, the internet is a place of scaremongering and every Guardian article puts Media Studies in its foreboding warnings of the worst A Levels you can take.
And I'm not even taking it to A Level. But I'm worried beyond what is reasonable anyway, I know. The thought that my application could be metaphorically thrown out the window just because of a slightly erroneous AS level choice is a crushing one - I've worked incredibly hard to get my GCSE results, and I've (somewhat unwillingly) put myself in every useful extra curricular activity I can just to stand a chance.
Again, sorry if this is irritating and my issue isn't that damning. But I would LOVE some more reassurance or advice.
Do Cambridge really care that much about your fourth AS level?
Are there any students at Cambridge currently who took Media Studies at AS? (State school students - absolutely no intention to exclude those who didn't go to state schools, but I've seen the stats and I know only 2% of those taking media studies were privately educated.)
No.
For humanities they rank you on your best 3 AS. The only ones they actually discount are Critical Thinking and General Studies - so Media Studies is fine as a 3rd (or 4th) AS subject.
Even Trinity College (known as being fussy with A-Level choices) has Media Studies on it's More Limited Suitability list which is better than Suitable Only As Fourth Subjects
http://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/acceptable-level-subject-combinations
For humanities they rank you on your best 3 AS. The only ones they actually discount are Critical Thinking and General Studies - so Media Studies is fine as a 3rd (or 4th) AS subject.
Even Trinity College (known as being fussy with A-Level choices) has Media Studies on it's More Limited Suitability list which is better than Suitable Only As Fourth Subjects
http://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/acceptable-level-subject-combinations
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by jneill
No.
For humanities they rank you on your best 3 AS. The only ones they actually discount are Critical Thinking and General Studies - so Media Studies is fine as a 3rd (or 4th) AS subject.
Even Trinity College (known as being fussy with A-Level choices) has Media Studies on it's More Limited Suitability list which is better than Suitable Only As Fourth Subjects
http://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/acceptable-level-subject-combinations
For humanities they rank you on your best 3 AS. The only ones they actually discount are Critical Thinking and General Studies - so Media Studies is fine as a 3rd (or 4th) AS subject.
Even Trinity College (known as being fussy with A-Level choices) has Media Studies on it's More Limited Suitability list which is better than Suitable Only As Fourth Subjects
http://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/acceptable-level-subject-combinations
Thank you for the reassurance.
It's quite nice to hear this from someone who isn't an advisor at my college. I had a feeling they were just trying to stop me from causing a fuss and didn't want to bother with changing around my courses at this point.
The mental image of some stuffy professors peering at my application, shuddering at the words 'Media Studies' and then proceeding to put it to the side is starting to fade a little.
(It would still be nice to have someone tell me that they received an offer having done Media Studies at AS, but even if nobody has, there's a first for everything I guess.)
Original post by thewickedllama
Thank you for the reassurance.
It's quite nice to hear this from someone who isn't an advisor at my college. I had a feeling they were just trying to stop me from causing a fuss and didn't want to bother with changing around my courses at this point.
The mental image of some stuffy professors peering at my application, shuddering at the words 'Media Studies' and then proceeding to put it to the side is starting to fade a little.
(It would still be nice to have someone tell me that they received an offer having done Media Studies at AS, but even if nobody has, there's a first for everything I guess.)
It's quite nice to hear this from someone who isn't an advisor at my college. I had a feeling they were just trying to stop me from causing a fuss and didn't want to bother with changing around my courses at this point.
The mental image of some stuffy professors peering at my application, shuddering at the words 'Media Studies' and then proceeding to put it to the side is starting to fade a little.
(It would still be nice to have someone tell me that they received an offer having done Media Studies at AS, but even if nobody has, there's a first for everything I guess.)
I'm sure it will be fine, especially as you're not taking it to A-Level. My friend received an offer for Theology with Media Studies as her fourth A-Level. Another friend received an offer for History with Film Studies and Theatre Studies as third and fourth A-Levels, although that might have been a special case. (They were both pooled to Girton but I think it was because of how their interviews went rather than their A-Level choices).
Original post by dramallama
I'm sure it will be fine, especially as you're not taking it to A-Level. My friend received an offer for Theology with Media Studies as her fourth A-Level. Another friend received an offer for History with Film Studies and Theatre Studies as third and fourth A-Levels, although that might have been a special case. (They were both pooled to Girton but I think it was because of how their interviews went rather than their A-Level choices).
Girton nonetheless seems like an excellent college! Any kind of offer is an incredible achievement, pooled or not.
Thanks so much for this.This truly does show that they definitely don't make all their initial judgement on subject choices. I suspected that taking Media Studies would disadvantage me even if it wasn't among my most relevant three subjects. Clearly, that's not true.Perhaps then rather than being regarded with snobbery (as I initially worried) it's just simply seen as limited in its suitability - so my other subject choices balance it appropriately.
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