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Best unis for psychology if I only got a B in maths at GCSE?

Thanks, I know a B holds me back.
Original post by Traore
Thanks, I know a B holds me back.


Hmm, not if you do A Level Maths and have a good grade (though I assume you won't be doing so)?

You should be able to confidently apply to 9/10 universities with a B in Maths, provided that that's the only weak point.
Reply 2
Original post by Kyber Ninja
Hmm, not if you do A Level Maths and have a good grade (though I assume you won't be doing so)?

You should be able to confidently apply to 9/10 universities with a B in Maths, provided that that's the only weak point.


I've steered clear of maths, I'm doing sociology, psychology and biology.

My English grades were A*s.. overall I got A*A*AAABBBCCC - I'm not sure what grades are important tbh.
I don't think a B in Maths will hold you back very much at all. Possibly some of the highest class universities will be out of reach (eg Oxbridge) but other than that, it probably won't matter too much. The only thing your GCSEs may affect is whether you get a conditional or an unconditional offer. Some unis that have a particularly scientific course may request an A at GCSE Maths but none of the ones I applied to did (I just accepted an unconditional offer to study Psychology at Lancaster.) Your predicted grades (and obviously your actual, final grades) and your personal statement are definitely more important than GCSEs so just focus on them :smile:
What I would say however, is that wherever you go, Psychology courses will always involve varying levels of Maths in the form of Statistics. So be prepared for this if you think it would be a weak point for you (but unis are usually aware that this is a struggle for some students and so they tend to put on extra help classes for the maths side of things)
Good luck! I'm sure you'll be fine xx
Reply 4
Original post by dilemma_w
I don't think a B in Maths will hold you back very much at all. Possibly some of the highest class universities will be out of reach (eg Oxbridge) but other than that, it probably won't matter too much. The only thing your GCSEs may affect is whether you get a conditional or an unconditional offer. Some unis that have a particularly scientific course may request an A at GCSE Maths but none of the ones I applied to did (I just accepted an unconditional offer to study Psychology at Lancaster.) Your predicted grades (and obviously your actual, final grades) and your personal statement are definitely more important than GCSEs so just focus on them :smile:
What I would say however, is that wherever you go, Psychology courses will always involve varying levels of Maths in the form of Statistics. So be prepared for this if you think it would be a weak point for you (but unis are usually aware that this is a struggle for some students and so they tend to put on extra help classes for the maths side of things)
Good luck! I'm sure you'll be fine xx

Thanks for the advice! I still have no idea what I should be looking for in a university..
A B is fine. That's what I got and I got offers from unis such as York and Exeter. Most unis ask for a B or C, so you're fine.
Original post by Traore
Thanks for the advice! I still have no idea what I should be looking for in a university..


What areas of psychology are you interested in? That's something you should probably do a good bit of research on before you apply because every course is different. For example, I prefer developmental which is why I applied to Lancaster because it's very focused on that side. Whereas, Newcastle is known for focusing on the biological and experimental side and Glasgow has a big neuroscience centre. Just do your research and know exactly what you want or you could end up hating your course :smile:
Reply 7
Original post by DrawTheLine
A B is fine. That's what I got and I got offers from unis such as York and Exeter. Most unis ask for a B or C, so you're fine.


Thanks! I see you around here quite often, always helping me with my psychology dilemmas. :biggrin:
Reply 8
Original post by dilemma_w
What areas of psychology are you interested in? That's something you should probably do a good bit of research on before you apply because every course is different. For example, I prefer developmental which is why I applied to Lancaster because it's very focused on that side. Whereas, Newcastle is known for focusing on the biological and experimental side and Glasgow has a big neuroscience centre. Just do your research and know exactly what you want or you could end up hating your course :smile:


I'm obsessed with crime so both criminal and forensic psychology interest me most. I haven't really explored other aspects but (despite doing biology) I'm not a huge fan of science although I don't mind the subject being scientific!
A grade B is ample. Only if you were thinking of applying to Oxbridge/LSE exc may it be a barrier but even then it could be offset by great A levels and the strength of your overall application :biggrin:
Original post by Traore
Thanks! I see you around here quite often, always helping me with my psychology dilemmas. :biggrin:


Happy to help :smile:

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