Economics at Uni
Hello, If anyone is currently doing/applied for Economics at Uni, may I ask which A-Levels you are doing?
And what the best 3 a-levels are in your opinion for Economics. 9for warwick in particular maybe idk)
Thanks
And what the best 3 a-levels are in your opinion for Economics. 9for warwick in particular maybe idk)
Thanks
Scroll to see replies
A-level Maths is essential. A-level Further Maths would be highly desirable for most unis, and functionally essential for LSE single honours economics as well. Beyond that, anything goes. A-level Economics would obviously be relevant to your interests if you were interested in an economics degree, but it's not require by any means.
You could just as well take A-level Physics if you enjoy that, and perhaps wanted to keep your options open for doing a degree in e.g. physics or engineering potentially. A-level Geography or G&P might be a stimulating option to think about economic phenomena in other contexts, likewise history. Equally you could study A-level History of Art, if your school is one of the few offering it, and you'd be no worse off either on the course or in terms of admissions.
A-level Maths, FM, economics, plus sometimes a fourth subject like physics or history, are the most common combinations for those applying to Cambridge economics as I recall, although this was not in terms of success rates and so likely partly a matter of self selection (those who had already studied economics would know if they liked it and wanted to study it at uni, and those who were doing double maths along with that would probably encouraged to apply to Cambridge which is known to be a more mathematical economics course).
You could just as well take A-level Physics if you enjoy that, and perhaps wanted to keep your options open for doing a degree in e.g. physics or engineering potentially. A-level Geography or G&P might be a stimulating option to think about economic phenomena in other contexts, likewise history. Equally you could study A-level History of Art, if your school is one of the few offering it, and you'd be no worse off either on the course or in terms of admissions.
A-level Maths, FM, economics, plus sometimes a fourth subject like physics or history, are the most common combinations for those applying to Cambridge economics as I recall, although this was not in terms of success rates and so likely partly a matter of self selection (those who had already studied economics would know if they liked it and wanted to study it at uni, and those who were doing double maths along with that would probably encouraged to apply to Cambridge which is known to be a more mathematical economics course).
Original post by artful_lounger
A-level Maths is essential. A-level Further Maths would be highly desirable for most unis, and functionally essential for LSE single honours economics as well. Beyond that, anything goes. A-level Economics would obviously be relevant to your interests if you were interested in an economics degree, but it's not require by any means.
You could just as well take A-level Physics if you enjoy that, and perhaps wanted to keep your options open for doing a degree in e.g. physics or engineering potentially. A-level Geography or G&P might be a stimulating option to think about economic phenomena in other contexts, likewise history. Equally you could study A-level History of Art, if your school is one of the few offering it, and you'd be no worse off either on the course or in terms of admissions.
A-level Maths, FM, economics, plus sometimes a fourth subject like physics or history, are the most common combinations for those applying to Cambridge economics as I recall, although this was not in terms of success rates and so likely partly a matter of self selection (those who had already studied economics would know if they liked it and wanted to study it at uni, and those who were doing double maths along with that would probably encouraged to apply to Cambridge which is known to be a more mathematical economics course).
You could just as well take A-level Physics if you enjoy that, and perhaps wanted to keep your options open for doing a degree in e.g. physics or engineering potentially. A-level Geography or G&P might be a stimulating option to think about economic phenomena in other contexts, likewise history. Equally you could study A-level History of Art, if your school is one of the few offering it, and you'd be no worse off either on the course or in terms of admissions.
A-level Maths, FM, economics, plus sometimes a fourth subject like physics or history, are the most common combinations for those applying to Cambridge economics as I recall, although this was not in terms of success rates and so likely partly a matter of self selection (those who had already studied economics would know if they liked it and wanted to study it at uni, and those who were doing double maths along with that would probably encouraged to apply to Cambridge which is known to be a more mathematical economics course).
Many thanks for your response and your information.
I would prefer to do 3 a-levels and most porbably aiming for warwick.
I am defo doing maths and economics and then for my 3rd probably FM or literally any subject tbh. If my school won't allow FM as a 3rd what would you recommend?
Cheers
Original post by theothomas105
Many thanks for your response and your information.
I would prefer to do 3 a-levels and most porbably aiming for warwick.
I am defo doing maths and economics and then for my 3rd probably FM or literally any subject tbh. If my school won't allow FM as a 3rd what would you recommend?
Cheers
I would prefer to do 3 a-levels and most porbably aiming for warwick.
I am defo doing maths and economics and then for my 3rd probably FM or literally any subject tbh. If my school won't allow FM as a 3rd what would you recommend?
Cheers
If not FM, then whatever you find most interesting and/or think you will do best in, as that will probably translate to the best grade in the end.
Original post by artful_lounger
If not FM, then whatever you find most interesting and/or think you will do best in, as that will probably translate to the best grade in the end.
Are there any a levels You think are best avoided/soft? Thanks
Original post by theothomas105
Are there any a levels You think are best avoided/soft? Thanks
I also mean are there any advantageous subjects for economics.
Original post by theothomas105
I also mean are there any advantageous subjects for economics.
Apart from maths and economics, probably geography or history are the most relevant. But you should really try to prioritise further maths if possible.
Original post by Incede
Apart from maths and economics, probably geography or history are the most relevant. But you should really try to prioritise further maths if possible.
So would maths econ and further maths be the best 3 alevel combo for warwick?
Original post by theothomas105
So would maths econ and further maths be the best 3 alevel combo for warwick?
Hmm I'm not sure if they would prefer having further maths as a third a level or having the third as something else, it says on their website "Our selectors value a breadth of subjects".
I was suggesting taking further maths and a fourth a-level, could be almost any subject and your chances at Warwick would be very good. For context I have an offer from Warwick with maths, further maths, economics and physics.
It's best if you email the university and ask them if having further maths as a third a level would be better or worse than having a different third a level such as geography/history/physics etc.
Original post by Incede
Hmm I'm not sure if they would prefer having further maths as a third a level or having the third as something else, it says on their website "Our selectors value a breadth of subjects".
I was suggesting taking further maths and a fourth a-level, could be almost any subject and your chances at Warwick would be very good. For context I have an offer from Warwick with maths, further maths, economics and physics.
It's best if you email the university and ask them if having further maths as a third a level would be better or worse than having a different third a level such as geography/history/physics etc.
I was suggesting taking further maths and a fourth a-level, could be almost any subject and your chances at Warwick would be very good. For context I have an offer from Warwick with maths, further maths, economics and physics.
It's best if you email the university and ask them if having further maths as a third a level would be better or worse than having a different third a level such as geography/history/physics etc.
I really want to avoid 4 alevels but if it gives me an advantage over other candidates, I would do it.
I want to do only 3 so I thought further maths as a 3rd would be the best/most advantageous.
Also how are you finding your subjects?
Cheers
For reference, I have an offer from Warwick Econ this yr without FM - Maths, Econ, History. I have heard at least one essay-based subjects is preferable, and as a traditional essay-based subject history ticks that box very well.
Original post by theothomas105
Hello, If anyone is currently doing/applied for Economics at Uni, may I ask which A-Levels you are doing?
And what the best 3 a-levels are in your opinion for Economics. 9for warwick in particular maybe idk)
Thanks
And what the best 3 a-levels are in your opinion for Economics. 9for warwick in particular maybe idk)
Thanks
ive applied for econ at st andrews, oxford, durham, Warwick and Edinburgh, and i do maths further maths, economics and philosophy at A-level - I love all my subjects, the maths is a requirement everywhere and econ is good for obvious reasons, but I think that philosophy really helps too in that its interesting, relates to econ in super interesting ways (eg thinking about ethics and what an economic system should aim to achieve ie what to produce, who to produce it for and how: the basic economic problem), adds a little variety in terms of what kind of homework you will be doing and helps with the essay writing aspect... my options also kept a lot open for me as i could take almost any essay based subject (Phiosophy, politics, law, journalism, whatever) and also maths related course (comp sci, maths). the only door i closed was sciences, but generally top unis require 2 sciences anyway, so if you're taking maths and econ you may want ot commit to closing that door.
in terms of other subjects, computer science would be crazy useful in the actual degree, and ive been self teaching python and things like that because of it... what other subjects were you thinking? and what why are you studying economics? it can be super helpful to think about what you want to do with the subject, and therefore which subjects help you take it where you want to take it
Original post by theothomas105
I really want to avoid 4 alevels but if it gives me an advantage over other candidates, I would do it.
I want to do only 3 so I thought further maths as a 3rd would be the best/most advantageous.
Also how are you finding your subjects?
Cheers
I want to do only 3 so I thought further maths as a 3rd would be the best/most advantageous.
Also how are you finding your subjects?
Cheers
just to mention it - lse wont take maths and further maths as part of three subjects, and many unis will look worse at it as tbh it only really looks like 1.5 subjects not 2 - you wont have the variety of other students.
in addition,i would *really* not recommend further maths as a third - it is a super tough course, and i cant imagine how awful it must be to have further maths as a 3rd... if unis decide to overlook the fact that you've taken it as third subject, and you get an offer for A*AA, you will have to get an A in further maths or you will lose your place. This is really really hard to achieve and you dont want to find yourself in a position where thats the case and you worry about it... i honestly think its easier to take 4 subjects and have the option of getting even a B in further at the end of it, or just taking AS. AS level further will be more than good enough for econ, even at Warwick, but if youc an do the level go for it
tldr dont put yourself in a position where you have to get an A in further maths or you wont hit your offers
Original post by emileeeei
just to mention it - lse wont take maths and further maths as part of three subjects, and many unis will look worse at it as tbh it only really looks like 1.5 subjects not 2 - you wont have the variety of other students.
in addition,i would *really* not recommend further maths as a third - it is a super tough course, and i cant imagine how awful it must be to have further maths as a 3rd... if unis decide to overlook the fact that you've taken it as third subject, and you get an offer for A*AA, you will have to get an A in further maths or you will lose your place. This is really really hard to achieve and you dont want to find yourself in a position where thats the case and you worry about it... i honestly think its easier to take 4 subjects and have the option of getting even a B in further at the end of it, or just taking AS. AS level further will be more than good enough for econ, even at Warwick, but if youc an do the level go for it
tldr dont put yourself in a position where you have to get an A in further maths or you wont hit your offers
in addition,i would *really* not recommend further maths as a third - it is a super tough course, and i cant imagine how awful it must be to have further maths as a 3rd... if unis decide to overlook the fact that you've taken it as third subject, and you get an offer for A*AA, you will have to get an A in further maths or you will lose your place. This is really really hard to achieve and you dont want to find yourself in a position where thats the case and you worry about it... i honestly think its easier to take 4 subjects and have the option of getting even a B in further at the end of it, or just taking AS. AS level further will be more than good enough for econ, even at Warwick, but if youc an do the level go for it
tldr dont put yourself in a position where you have to get an A in further maths or you wont hit your offers
Thank you, you bring up some very good points. 4 alevels just seems so daunting to me and I still want a social life, but alos want the most advantageous econ combo. However for LSE if you check their websity they allow fm as a 3rd, and fm is great prep for maths content at uni. Also, my school unfortunately does not offer AS which is very annoying, otherwise I would do that. I am quite committed so I am prepared to put in a lot of effort to get the A in FM. How do you know unis don't like that combo?
I am also defo doing econ at uni, so keeping my options open is not a concern for me. However I am open to basically any subject so that is also not a problem.
What are your alevel grade predictions and how are you finding you subjects?
Original post by theothomas105
Thank you, you bring up some very good points. 4 alevels just seems so daunting to me and I still want a social life, but alos want the most advantageous econ combo. However for LSE if you check their websity they allow fm as a 3rd, and fm is great prep for maths content at uni. Also, my school unfortunately does not offer AS which is very annoying, otherwise I would do that. I am quite committed so I am prepared to put in a lot of effort to get the A in FM. How do you know unis don't like that combo?
I am also defo doing econ at uni, so keeping my options open is not a concern for me. However I am open to basically any subject so that is also not a problem.
What are your alevel grade predictions and how are you finding you subjects?
I am also defo doing econ at uni, so keeping my options open is not a concern for me. However I am open to basically any subject so that is also not a problem.
What are your alevel grade predictions and how are you finding you subjects?
tbh 4 subjects isnt that much more demanding than 3, since you're a bright student - you'll likely find you have subjects you can chill in and rely on the results for (maths), and concentrate on FM. In addition, EPQ is a waste of time so you can avoid getting into that and focus on a 4th subject instead hahah. Maths was my absolute passion when i started A levels, and I intended on taking it at uni but i got side tracked by economics just being everything i want to do in life hahaha. Im predicted 4 A*s, but I still would strongly recommend against FM as a third - I spoke to unis about it and they said they preferred more variety, but for me the far bigger factor is the fact that its generally underestimated hahah. Despite my predictions, i am so much less stressed that I am not obligated to get that A in FM... tbh, i have nearly no doubt I wont hit my offers, since they're (at highest) A*AA and I'm confident in all three of my other subjects (tho with CAGs who knows hahaha) but if i were doing 3 subjects i would be very concerned about not hitting my offers because of that further maths. the way to look at it would be that every A level has an A levels worth of content/difficulty, but further maths has to bring an additional two years worth of difficult stuff to pile on on top of further maths - any other subject has that limited difficulty, but because of that FM is by far the hardest subject. I would definitely recommend it as its super interesting and also pretty useful for econ - and doable in terms of difficulty if you like maths - but choose it as a 4th - its annoying they dont offer AS, but I mean after year 1 you could drop it and sit the AS as an external candidate if you had to, or just enjoy it and not mind that you got a B should it come to it. What are your GCSE predicted grades?
My response to your original question would be:
Maths, further maths, economics
and then either philosophy or computer science if you wanted your a level to be directly linked to your degree, or another essay subject to balance yourself a little, since econ will require essays at uni
Original post by theothomas105
Thank you, you bring up some very good points. 4 alevels just seems so daunting to me and I still want a social life, but alos want the most advantageous econ combo. However for LSE if you check their websity they allow fm as a 3rd, and fm is great prep for maths content at uni. Also, my school unfortunately does not offer AS which is very annoying, otherwise I would do that. I am quite committed so I am prepared to put in a lot of effort to get the A in FM. How do you know unis don't like that combo?
I am also defo doing econ at uni, so keeping my options open is not a concern for me. However I am open to basically any subject so that is also not a problem.
What are your alevel grade predictions and how are you finding you subjects?
I am also defo doing econ at uni, so keeping my options open is not a concern for me. However I am open to basically any subject so that is also not a problem.
What are your alevel grade predictions and how are you finding you subjects?
as for how im finding my subjects:
philosophy and economics should hopefully be relatively straight forwarded A*s (or they would have been if i had sat exams hahah) I find both really quite manageable despite not revising in my own time, maths is a little weird because its really boring imo so hard to "knuckle down" for - I had far higher hopes in exams (I think I could have got an A*) but due to focusing on further I think with teacher assessment I could get my A for my future offers, but potentially a B, no idea tbh! Further is hard - I would be v happy with an A but its also super interesting (Im only doing pure this year and I love it)
and you said youre open to any competitive subject combo - 4 is more competitive than 3, take FM, maths, econ and make your 4th whichever you're going to score the highest in easily, as long as its not business (too much overlap with econ) as the content of it doesn't matter to unis once you've got the maths down, just the grade
Original post by theothomas105
Are there any a levels You think are best avoided/soft? Thanks
"Top" universities tend to not prefer vocational or applied A-levels which are primary assessed by coursework, e.g. accounting, but this isn't a hard and fast rule. Also usually universities have no issue if you take one such subject provided you are at taking at least two traditionally academic subjects such as economics, RE, sciences and maths, languages, etc.
It is worth noting though the combination of business studies and economics is usually frowned upon due to overlapping content, and some universities will not consider that as part of a combination of three A-levels (they will only consider the grade from one of the two towards meeting their entry requirements). Likewise, for a few courses at a few universities, the combination of maths and FM with only one other subject is not preferred - however it is fine for many other courses, including any mathematical subjects (e.g. STEM degrees, many single honours economics degrees, etc).
Original post by theothomas105
I also mean are there any advantageous subjects for economics.
If you have Maths and Economics, I’d suggest looking for a relevant subject that you can get a strong grade. Better to score a A* in Chemistry than a D in History - if you are not strong in it.
I see you are already doing Maths and Economics, both of which will help you in your degree, for a 3rd choice in your A-Levles i would choose something you can get a strong grade in, and may help you in the future. In you want to go into investment banking and that area doing computer science/ICT will help you as you may have to do coding. As you're applying for universities with high expected grades I would also look at subjects you can get a good grade, and with a subject you are comfortable in so it can be easier for you, and allow you to focus on maths and economics.
What would you say is the easiest a levels to get an A* in then, to go alongside Maths, further maths and econ. Although I did want to avoid 4, if it means an advantage I will do it + a lot less stress with only getting a B in further maths - would that apply to warwick economics as well?
BTW my GCSE grades are 8s and 9s and a couple 7s in spanish and eng lit. Thanks
BTW my GCSE grades are 8s and 9s and a couple 7s in spanish and eng lit. Thanks
Original post by emileeeei
as for how im finding my subjects:
philosophy and economics should hopefully be relatively straight forwarded A*s (or they would have been if i had sat exams hahah) I find both really quite manageable despite not revising in my own time, maths is a little weird because its really boring imo so hard to "knuckle down" for - I had far higher hopes in exams (I think I could have got an A*) but due to focusing on further I think with teacher assessment I could get my A for my future offers, but potentially a B, no idea tbh! Further is hard - I would be v happy with an A but its also super interesting (Im only doing pure this year and I love it)
and you said youre open to any competitive subject combo - 4 is more competitive than 3, take FM, maths, econ and make your 4th whichever you're going to score the highest in easily, as long as its not business (too much overlap with econ) as the content of it doesn't matter to unis once you've got the maths down, just the grade
philosophy and economics should hopefully be relatively straight forwarded A*s (or they would have been if i had sat exams hahah) I find both really quite manageable despite not revising in my own time, maths is a little weird because its really boring imo so hard to "knuckle down" for - I had far higher hopes in exams (I think I could have got an A*) but due to focusing on further I think with teacher assessment I could get my A for my future offers, but potentially a B, no idea tbh! Further is hard - I would be v happy with an A but its also super interesting (Im only doing pure this year and I love it)
and you said youre open to any competitive subject combo - 4 is more competitive than 3, take FM, maths, econ and make your 4th whichever you're going to score the highest in easily, as long as its not business (too much overlap with econ) as the content of it doesn't matter to unis once you've got the maths down, just the grade
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