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Should I do 4 subjects at A Level

Hi I have currently opted to do 3 subjects maths chemistry and biology that i am doing well in for gcse. i have also chosen RS as a 4th but i am really not sure if i can cope with all 4 once at sixth form. is rs given much respect by unis? and is a 4th subject going to be manageable with difficult subjects such as chemistry, maths and biology?
Thanks
Original post by Ajax120937102sdi
Hi I have currently opted to do 3 subjects maths chemistry and biology that i am doing well in for gcse. i have also chosen RS as a 4th but i am really not sure if i can cope with all 4 once at sixth form. is rs given much respect by unis? and is a 4th subject going to be manageable with difficult subjects such as chemistry, maths and biology?
Thanks

Also do you reckon re looks good on a CV for a course in medicine i want to do medicine and i am not sure universities care or respect religious studies?
Reply 2
Avatar for SubhanF
SubhanF
12
Pretty much all unis don’t care about 4 a levels , if you feel doing a 4th a level will impact the grade you get in the other 3 then don’t do it
Original post by Ajax120937102sdi
Hi I have currently opted to do 3 subjects maths chemistry and biology that i am doing well in for gcse. i have also chosen RS as a 4th but i am really not sure if i can cope with all 4 once at sixth form. is rs given much respect by unis? and is a 4th subject going to be manageable with difficult subjects such as chemistry, maths and biology?
Thanks


Hey :smile:

A-Levels are obviously extremely content heavy and from what I know, it can be hard to juggle four demanding subjects, when only three are required by Universities. I did Religious Studies at A-Level and I really enjoyed it, although it was a lot of work :smile:

If doing it won't necessarily benefit you I would advise doing three. Although some people do four and complete them well. Maybe see if it is a possibility to drop one a few weeks in, to see how you get on with it? As you say, your other subjects are quite demanding so definitely think about it :smile:

Hope this helps!
Sian- UoP Rep
Original post by University of Portsmouth Student Rep
Hey :smile:

A-Levels are obviously extremely content heavy and from what I know, it can be hard to juggle four demanding subjects, when only three are required by Universities. I did Religious Studies at A-Level and I really enjoyed it, although it was a lot of work :smile:

If doing it won't necessarily benefit you I would advise doing three. Although some people do four and complete them well. Maybe see if it is a possibility to drop one a few weeks in, to see how you get on with it? As you say, your other subjects are quite demanding so definitely think about it :smile:

Hope this helps!
Sian- UoP Rep

Thankyou so much for the reply
Yeh i think i will wait to see how the course develops in a level as i am currently finding the gcse course simple hence why i decided to pick it for a level but i think i will definitely keep maths chem and bio being facilitating subjects
One more question: is RE more respected by unis in general over sociology,phsycology philosophy as these were also subjects i was keen on picking for my a levels?
Again thankyou for your help and guidance
Original post by SubhanF
Pretty much all unis don’t care about 4 a levels , if you feel doing a 4th a level will impact the grade you get in the other 3 then don’t do it

thankyou for your reply might drop re if it becomes to difficult into a level
An EPQ is more impactful than a 4th A level.

I did 3 A levels and a T level which was lucky as universities don't take them even though I was told they are equal.

But if they are all recognised universities will prefer to hear about the self initiative to take an EPQ rather than just an extra exam.
yeh i think a whole extra exam will be too much to prepare for
thanyou for your response
Original post by Ajax120937102sdi
Also do you reckon re looks good on a CV for a course in medicine i want to do medicine and i am not sure universities care or respect religious studies?


Just do three - most schools won't allow 4 [unless its FMaths] for very good reasons.
RS as a fourth A Level is unlikely to help you (it won't hinder you, but won't make your application stronger either) in Medicine applications. You are better of doing three subjects well than four slightly less well. Bio, chem and maths will keep all medical schools open to you, as well as other options if you choose not to take the medicine route. By all means take RS if you think you will do well in it, but not at the expense of the other three. Good luck!
Original post by Peterhouse Admissions
RS as a fourth A Level is unlikely to help you (it won't hinder you, but won't make your application stronger either) in Medicine applications. You are better of doing three subjects well than four slightly less well. Bio, chem and maths will keep all medical schools open to you, as well as other options if you choose not to take the medicine route. By all means take RS if you think you will do well in it, but not at the expense of the other three. Good luck!

thanyou so much for your response are there any other subjects aside from maths chem and bio that med schools will be impressed by i am aware that maths,chem and bio will keep pretty much all med schools open to me and are the only compulsory ones. any subjects that will make my application stronger is what i guess i am trying to ask.
Thanyou so much for your interest
Reply 11
Avatar for Da14a
Da14a
16
Original post by Ajax120937102sdi
thanyou so much for your response are there any other subjects aside from maths chem and bio that med schools will be impressed by i am aware that maths,chem and bio will keep pretty much all med schools open to me and are the only compulsory ones. any subjects that will make my application stronger is what i guess i am trying to ask.
Thanyou so much for your interest

No.
All med schools require only 3 a-levels and out of the 3 you have said, there isn't really any other subject that will give you an advantage beyond you possibly being able to mention it in passing during an interview.
Original post by Ajax120937102sdi
thanyou so much for your response are there any other subjects aside from maths chem and bio that med schools will be impressed by i am aware that maths,chem and bio will keep pretty much all med schools open to me and are the only compulsory ones. any subjects that will make my application stronger is what i guess i am trying to ask.
Thanyou so much for your interest


A-level Maths is only required by a few colleges at Cambridge, and Cambridge itself is the only medical school that requires or even prefers three STEM subjects to A-level (the other colleges that don't require A-level Maths at Cambridge would probably expect you to be taking A-level Physics usually). For other medical schools, they won't be "impressed" by your subjects this way or that way.

Medical schools will look to see whether you are taking the subjects they require for consideration, and then at the grades you got in them, and then provided you meet the requirements in that way, they will use other things to distinguish between applicants. Different medical schools have different shortlisting methodologies and so some may put more or less emphasis on e.g. GCSEs, UCAT/BMAT scores, your personal statement, work experience, and so on. You will need to investigate the medical schools you are considering to identify those whose methodologies most suit your background to give you the best chance of getting interviewed (and/or getting offers).

Incidentally has made a thread here for these kinds of queries: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5611422 which helpfully includes in the original post of the thread all the current A-level subject requirements of all current accredited UK medical schools. However as above, provided you "tick the box" for taking the required subjects at A-level, medical schools won't really have any preference in what your other subjects are. Usually this will be your third subject for most medical schools.
(edited 2 years ago)
Original post by Ajax120937102sdi
thanyou so much for your response are there any other subjects aside from maths chem and bio that med schools will be impressed by i am aware that maths,chem and bio will keep pretty much all med schools open to me and are the only compulsory ones. any subjects that will make my application stronger is what i guess i am trying to ask.
Thanyou so much for your interest

No, not really. The most important thing is to do well in the subjects you're doing.
Original post by Ajax120937102sdi
Thankyou so much for the reply
Yeh i think i will wait to see how the course develops in a level as i am currently finding the gcse course simple hence why i decided to pick it for a level but i think i will definitely keep maths chem and bio being facilitating subjects
One more question: is RE more respected by unis in general over sociology,phsycology philosophy as these were also subjects i was keen on picking for my a levels?
Again thankyou for your help and guidance

Hi!

I think it would depend on the university that you were thinking of applying to. Personally, I found it better to choose subjects that I enjoyed the most and felt comfortable studying. This will be more beneficial for you as you're more likely to better in a subject that you enjoy.

It might be worth speaking to your tutor about this, as they will know you a lot better to help you decide.

Feel free to ask anything more.
Best of luck!
Chloe - Official Student Rep :smile:

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