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What extra curricular activities go well for an application for a PPE course?

I'm quite keen on applying to many universities to do PPE (politics, philosophy, and economics). I got: 1A*, 3A, 6B for GCSE which I understand is not exactly the most impressive combination of grades to get.

Not only do I want to compensate for the grades I got for GCSE, but i also want to do as much outside school to show my interest towards this course.

With the grades I got so far, do you think it is possible for me to even be considered for russel group universities? (For this course I've been looking at: Oxford, Durham, King's College, and Manchester).
Original post by kt21
I'm quite keen on applying to many universities to do PPE (politics, philosophy, and economics). I got: 1A*, 3A, 6B for GCSE which I understand is not exactly the most impressive combination of grades to get.

Not only do I want to compensate for the grades I got for GCSE, but i also want to do as much outside school to show my interest towards this course.

With the grades I got so far, do you think it is possible for me to even be considered for russel group universities? (For this course I've been looking at: Oxford, Durham, King's College, and Manchester).


Extra-curricular activities are of minimal interest to universities when you are applying for an academic course like PPE and no amount of them will make up for not having the qualifications in the first place. The crucial questions in a PS are 'Why this course?' and 'Why me?' You need to have a wider spread of universities than the ones you have listed, all of which are very competitive. You do not say what your AS grades are or what you are predicted, but the range of offers made by those four will be very narrow and they are all high risk.

You need to demonstrate an interest in three subjects which don't tend to have relevant work experience attached to them, so you need to show by reading relevant texts that you have an independent interest in them beyond the syllabuses at school. Some involvement in local politics, if you have it, will be relevant. The bottom line, though, is having the grades to match where you are applying, so choose carefully.
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kt21
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For a level, I'm doing: politics, economics, history and maths. I'm predicted As for all of them. This is however only the beginning of my a level course, so there is a possibility of them increasing in the future.
Original post by kt21
For a level, I'm doing: politics, economics, history and maths. I'm predicted As for all of them. This is however only the beginning of my a level course, so there is a possibility of them increasing in the future.


You've not done AS yet? Well, there's a long way to go before you need to think about this in detail. It's way too early for predicted grades to have any kind of accuracy, though. You're barely past GCSE at this stage in the school year.

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