Will my GCSES hinder the chances of me applying to Oxford?

I had little passion for education in my younger years, From Year 7 to Year 11, I did not understand the importance of education and I mainly focused on other things, near the end of Year 11, I became very passionate about English, I liked English literature, because it enabled me to analyse and think critically about different works of masterful literature, I liked English Language because I could use my imagination to write creatively and see the clever language techniques and strategies writers used to convey many elements. I found language and literature so powerful that it would make me express emotions whilst reading/writing.

By the time I found my passion for English, it was too late, I had 2 weeks until the exams, so I decided to revise all the content I had missed for English and I attempted to study other subjects in the process because I came to the realization that education was indeed important. The step that would get me higher was A levels, so I aimed for the minimum GCSE requirements (With the little time I had) so I could do A levels at Sixth Form.

However, me aiming for the minimum, lowered my potential as I could not express the ideas and theories I had to fit in the time constraints of my exams. To top it all off, my GCSE subjects weren't that great either, the subjects I chose did not give me any sense of enjoyment except English, but I attempted to try in them just so I can meet the requirements for A levels. The grades I achieved were:

Two Ds in Science
Grade 4 in English Language
Grade 5 in English literature
C in ICT
D* in ECDL (Level 2)
D in Business
D in History and Geography
And grade 3 in Maths.

I managed to get 4 GCSES A-C, and thankfully, my teachers allowed me to study the A levels subjects I desired. With that in mind, I am still proud of my self as I managed to fit two years of content within two weeks.

I am currently at Year 12 and I am re-taking Maths alongside my A Levels and I am confident I will be able to get a Grade 5 in Maths by the end of the year. I am currently studying: Philosophy, English Lit, Sociology. And I have been getting almost full marks on my essays for all subjects, I believe I can get A* in all 3 of these subject areas with hard work and effort, I am aware of the difficulty A levels provides and I fully believe that I will get good AS grades by the end of the year, and this isn't just based off my essays, it is based off my determination and belief that I can fully do this.

So the question I propose is, If I get A* in all my A level subjects, and I have a personal statement that shows my passion and dedication for my chosen degree (Law) will my GCSES overshadow that potential and will I have an chance of getting an offer. Thanks.

My advice is get your grades, take a gap year and then apply.

You have a poor academic record, which will likely stop you from getting an interview. Most applicants have multiple A*s at GCSE, and high predictions. I have a friend who got 10 A*s at GCSE, an A in AS maths and A*A*A*A* predictions and didn't even get an interview.

However, if you apply once you already have those 3 A*s at A Level, then you've completely boosted your academic record which means that they will likely be unable to discriminate against your previous track record. In fact, you will then be academically superior to most candidates who won't have their A Levels yet.

Then, with your passion for the subject, you should do well on the admissions test and most likely get an interview...and hopefully a place! You are much, much more likely to be considered if you already have your grades, as you do not have a competitive application at the moment - even if you have all A* predictions.

Go on youtube, and take a look at Ibz Mo. His position was quite similar to yours, he took two gap years and now studies at Cambridge.

Good Luck X

ibz mo , and opt for cambridge!
The most accepting university part of oxbridge.

My advice is get your grades, take a gap year and then apply.

You have a poor academic record, which will likely stop you from getting an interview. Most applicants have multiple A*s at GCSE, and high predictions. I have a friend who got 10 A*s at GCSE, an A in AS maths and A*A*A*A* predictions and didn't even get an interview.

However, if you apply once you already have those 3 A*s at A Level, then you've completely boosted your academic record which means that they will likely be unable to discriminate against your previous track record. In fact, you will then be academically superior to most candidates who won't have their A Levels yet.

Then, with your passion for the subject, you should do well on the admissions test and most likely get an interview...and hopefully a place! You are much, much more likely to be considered if you already have your grades, as you do not have a competitive application at the moment - even if you have all A* predictions.

Go on youtube, and take a look at Ibz Mo. His position was quite similar to yours, he took two gap years and now studies at Cambridge.

Good Luck X

i don't agree with people saying it's impossible for you to study at Oxbridge, so please don't listen to that. It is entirely possible. As suggested above, it would be brilliant to focus on your A-Levels, work really really hard, and apply with strong final results. Also, Oxford does seem to be more GCSE-heavy than Cambridge, although if you are applying post A-Levels, it hopefully shouldn't matter too much.

It practically is impossible though - surely? It is not the case that they would simply need to do well in their A-Levels and then, if they get a couple of A*s or maybe 3A*s then they should be fine, rather they will be up against students who have either predicted or achieved the same grades, but as well as that they will have fantastic GCSE grades and incredibly competitive applications. With a need to differentiate candidates, the student in question is almost guaranteed to be decided against because their record shows that they simply didn't try for 5 years of education - so why would a university such as Oxford decide in their favour and prioritise them over somebody who achieved 10A*? They certainly won't listen to any nonsense about suddenly having an epiphany two weeks before exams and realising that they suddenly love English.

This is especially the case for the course they have suggested: Law. Law is about one of the most competitive degrees they could have chosen, let alone at Oxford and Cambridge. More than this, candidates would be expected to have a great grasp on the English Language and ability to express ideas; a skill that a Grade 4 in English Language GCSE doesn't demonstrate.

In answer to the title question, "Will my GCSEs hinder the chances of me applying to Oxford (successfully, I should assume)?" then the answer has to be 100% yes it will.

you see, this is just a typical case of pessimism, and i hope that pessimism like this does not demotivate the OP or stop them from applying. i don't understand how this is a student forum, yet the majority of people on here do not seem to be encouraging of people chasing their academic goals. it's absolutely absurd. not everybody who applies to Oxbridge has straight A*s at GCSE. And whilst the majority of people there probably do have good GCSEs, it is not impossible for someone to get in with bad GCSEs - if this was the case, there would be minimum GCSE requirements, just like there are for A-Level requirements. And once you get to university age, your GCSE grades are probably the most unimportant factors in your application, given that Oxford has multiple interviews, an entrance assessment and your A-Level grades. if OP manages to shine in these categories, then they are probably a strong candidate and have a chance. it is not impossible.

yes, Law is competitive, and yes, Oxbridge is obviously competitive too. however, whilst it is competitive, students with absolutely perfect academic records are still beaten by students who are not as "perfect" academically to them. that goes to show that there's more to a university admission than GCSE grades.

if we were speaking about odds in respect to GCSE, OP would probably have a better chance at Cambridge, but that's not to say they can't achieve their goal of getting into Oxbridge. i wish people on this forum would be more respective of people and their perfectly achievable ambitions, given that OP is extremely motivated to do well.