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Can I still get into A Russell Group university?

Can I still get into A Russell Group university with only one facilitating subject at A levels, I got 4A*s and 7As at GCSE and I have the capability of taking maths/biology but I'm scared it will be too hard and stressful so I was thinking of taking sociology, politics and history or instead of sociology biology which I won't need but its a fantasising subject so Russell Group universities likes that, but I want to go into something like political economy at Kings where I dont need specific subjects just 3As
so I would like to ask,

1. Will A Russell group university care if I only did one fascinating subject (history) and the other 2 are softer but I still got 3 As, would they still take me for a degree which has no requirements?

2. Languages are facilitating subjects but does Russian count as being facilitating?

3. Is it better to do Biology, politics and history and get ABB or sociology, politics and history and get AAA?

Any feedback is appreciated :smile:
If you get good grades and they're vaguely related to what you want to do it's not really that hard to get into a Russell Group uni. There are a lot of them.
Reply 2
Original post by valdokarina
Can I still get into A Russell Group university with only one facilitating subject at A levels, I got 4A*s and 7As at GCSE and I have the capability of taking maths/biology but I'm scared it will be too hard and stressful so I was thinking of taking sociology, politics and history or instead of sociology biology which I won't need but its a fantasising subject so Russell Group universities likes that, but I want to go into something like political economy at Kings where I dont need specific subjects just 3As
so I would like to ask,

1. Will A Russell group university care if I only did one fascinating subject (history) and the other 2 are softer but I still got 3 As, would they still take me for a degree which has no requirements?

2. Languages are facilitating subjects but does Russian count as being facilitating?

3. Is it better to do Biology, politics and history and get ABB or sociology, politics and history and get AAA?

Any feedback is appreciated :smile:


0. facilitating :wink:
1. your A-levels are fine for Politics and similar courses
2. yes (although if it's your native language then that can make it less desirable at some universities).
3. sociology, politics and history and get AAA

Facilitating doesn't mean "hard" - it just means commonly accepted by a range of different courses.

http://russellgroup.ac.uk/for-students/school-and-college-in-the-uk/subject-choices-at-school-and-college/
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 3
Original post by valdokarina
Can I still get into A Russell Group university with only one facilitating subject at A levels, I got 4A*s and 7As at GCSE and I have the capability of taking maths/biology but I'm scared it will be too hard and stressful so I was thinking of taking sociology, politics and history or instead of sociology biology which I won't need but its a fantasising subject so Russell Group universities likes that, but I want to go into something like political economy at Kings where I dont need specific subjects just 3As
so I would like to ask,

1. Will A Russell group university care if I only did one fascinating subject (history) and the other 2 are softer but I still got 3 As, would they still take me for a degree which has no requirements?

2. Languages are facilitating subjects but does Russian count as being facilitating?

3. Is it better to do Biology, politics and history and get ABB or sociology, politics and history and get AAA?

Any feedback is appreciated :smile:


1. No they wouldn't care. I went to the University of Sheffield which is a redbrick Russell Group and they accepted my A-level in Critical Thinking as I failed my Biology A-level. Bear in mind that whilst these universities have the most prestige they are not necessarily the 'best' - Sheffield is average-to-good. Even Kings would be fine with this though.

2. Yes, any language is good. It's not just the relevance of the language which makes it well recognised but the skill involved in studying a language. Russian is relevant though so it's all good.

3. I'd say the second option is better as it's better grades and the subjects are a better match for each other. Unless you love Biology I'd go for the second option.



NB: Just my opinion!!
Reply 4
Original post by jneill
0. facilitating :wink:
1. your A-levels are fine for Politics and similar courses
2. yes (although if it's your native language then that can make it less desirable at some universities).
3. sociology, politics and history and get AAA

Facilitating doesn't mean "hard" - it just means commonly accepted by a range of different courses.

http://russellgroup.ac.uk/for-students/school-and-college-in-the-uk/subject-choices-at-school-and-college/


I see thank you :smile: and Luckily it's not my native language haha
Reply 5
1.Most Russel group unis would prefer two facilitating subjects rather than one, but it should not undermine you much, if you've done work experience, possibly completed the EPQ, and did a lot of things outside of school - Just have a really good personal statement.

2. i think they prefer modern foreign languages such as French, German or Spanish not Russian, as these languages are learnt during GCSE as they are the most commonly spoken languages in the world after English

3. Definitely the second one, You have history which is a facilitating subject, politics which is associated with what you want to do as a degree, and sociology( which i personally took during AS, and it really opens your mind) which shows your understanding of society essay skills, and having all A's is way better then seeing ABB. And yes biology is a facilitating subject, but rather you would get an A in sociology then a B in Biology
Reply 6
Original post by Hachkay
1.Most Russel group unis would prefer two facilitating subjects rather than one, but it should not undermine you much, if you've done work experience, possibly completed the EPQ, and did a lot of things outside of school - Just have a really good personal statement.

2. i think they prefer modern foreign languages such as French, German or Spanish not Russian, as these languages are learnt during GCSE as they are the most commonly spoken languages in the world after English



1 the subjects are absolutely fine for the course and will not "undermine" OP at all.
2 no.

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(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 7
[QUOTE="jneill;67657108"]1 the subjects are absolutely fine for the course and will not "undermine" OP at all.
2 no.

Posted from TSR Mobile[/QUOTE

Well excuse me, top uni definitely do prefer 2 facilitating subjects, because there seen as more difficult, probably your uni doesn't care, because it has less standards

What do you mean no? don't you know what explanation means? Russian is not a universal language.
Reply 8
[QUOTE="Hachkay;67689790"]
Original post by jneill
1 the subjects are absolutely fine for the course and will not "undermine" OP at all.
2 no.

Posted from TSR Mobile[/QUOTE

Well excuse me, top uni definitely do prefer 2 facilitating subjects, because there seen as more difficult, probably your uni doesn't care, because it has less standards

What do you mean no? don't you know what explanation means? Russian is not a universal language.


The subject choice is fine for HSPS at Cambridge, ditto for PAIS at Warwick. Are they top enough?

Russian is a perfectly acceptable Modern Language and therefore is a "facilitating subject" anyway.

List of facilitating subjects... you will note the inclusion of Russian:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/516423/16_to_18_list_of_facilitating_subjects_2015.pdf


Posted from TSR Mobile
(edited 7 years ago)

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