GCSEs at Uni

mtbab

yeh but those posh websites take time and effort, probably time and effort better spent on school work to get you into oxbridge or any uni

off the top of my head - some pre-uni extracurriculars of my oxbridge friends:

gold DoE
school / county orchestras
equestrianism to a fairly high level
rowing "
football "
rugby "
ballroom dancing "
oodles of charity work
local amateur productions
writing for local papers

all of these required some "time and effort", methinks.. :rolleyes:

if you seriously can't balance the time school-work requires with having a life, including some outside-of-academic-interests - don't go to oxbridge because the step-up in workload & lack of pressure release would probably kill you.

Reply 62

stratomaster

Yes I think they are important.. in some instances more than others. If people have got say AAA at a level AS level they might look at GCSE's to try and distinguish between candidates more possibly? This is academically I mean.. noy including extra-curricular stuff.

Reply 63

kellywood_5

They're not as important as your teachers will try to make you believe, but they're still important and obviously it's in your best interests to do as well as you can. The grades needed to progress to A-levels vary hugely according to the school or college, but chances are, if you're in a top private or grammar school that asks for really high grades, you'll get them because you were intelligent enough to have got a place. As for university, it depends on the university itself and the course; obviously medicine, law or English at Oxbridge will demand higher grades than a less popular course like maths or languages at a lesser university. Generally though, if you get all A*-Cs and an A*/A in the subject you want to study, AS grades, A-level predictions, personal statement, reference and interview if you have one will be much more important.

Reply 64

Where did u get the idea that maths isnt a popular course?

Reply 65

Mark S

One word - Metriculation.

Reply 66

zhivago

2

gold DoE
school / county orchestras
equestrianism to a fairly high level
rowing "
football "
rugby "
ballroom dancing "
oodles of charity work
local amateur productions
writing for local papers

Ballroom Dancing! :p:

It's kinda odd, because the tutors I was speaking too said that Duke of Edinburgh award isn't seen as an advantage at all, not even the Gold. They said they're really not arsed about it; which is why I sacked mine off half way through Silver!

Reply 67

henryt

Lol - My UCAS won't look very impressive...

Represented School at NSID and OU Debating Championships (not getting very far.. but hey!)

Elected School Council Member 2003-4 (hopefully next year too - not allowed to be on it 2 years in a row!)

Community Service (a smidge)

Charity event organiser (once!)

I think that's about it...

Reply 68

Blur303

OP

kellywood_5

They're not as important as your teachers will try to make you believe, but they're still important and obviously it's in your best interests to do as well as you can. The grades needed to progress to A-levels vary hugely according to the school or college, but chances are, if you're in a top private or grammar school that asks for really high grades, you'll get them because you were intelligent enough to have got a place. As for university, it depends on the university itself and the course; obviously medicine, law or English at Oxbridge will demand higher grades than a less popular course like maths or languages at a lesser university. Generally though, if you get all A*-Cs and an A*/A in the subject you want to study, AS grades, A-level predictions, personal statement, reference and interview if you have one will be much more important.

Thanks, informative post.

Reply 69

Xx Tomásíona - Mháire xX

14

mtbab

cool, hey and congrats on 400th post

thanx

xoxo

Reply 70

zhivago

2

Lol - My UCAS won't look very impressive...

Represented School at NSID and OU Debating Championships (not getting very far.. but hey!)

Elected School Council Member 2003-4 (hopefully next year too - not allowed to be on it 2 years in a row!)

Community Service (a smidge)

Charity event organiser (once!)

I think that's about it...

Heh, pretty similar to me. Also elected School Council co-chair, (I helped our school achieve Fair Trade status don't ya know), and I've been to the Eurpean Parliament in Strasbourg for a debating conference, and am going again in a couple of months! :biggrin:

I do loads of sports so that should be good, I've done community service about twice! Have Bronze D of E and half a Silver! :p:

JSLA award etc, the usual stuff....

Reply 71

lol.that wont make a difference anyway.the main thing will be scoring high marks in the entrance test and answering well in the interview. At the interview they may ask you some questions about ur subject. It may be possible that these achievements may help, but not a lot.

Reply 72

henryt

Lol - My UCAS won't look very impressive...

Represented School at NSID and OU Debating Championships (not getting very far.. but hey!)

Elected School Council Member 2003-4 (hopefully next year too - not allowed to be on it 2 years in a row!)

Community Service (a smidge)

Charity event organiser (once!)

I think that's about it...

this is soooo lame. You are saying that it wont look impressive, whilst listing all the extraordinary thing you ve done. It seems to me quite arrogant and big headed.

Reply 73

The Colonel

13

henryt

Lol - My UCAS won't look very impressive...

Represented School at NSID and OU Debating Championships (not getting very far.. but hey!)

Elected School Council Member 2003-4 (hopefully next year too - not allowed to be on it 2 years in a row!)

Community Service (a smidge)

Charity event organiser (once!)

I think that's about it...

YOu have got to blag it someone could have done 1/2 that stuff but it will look better if their blagging it up while you just say a "smidge" of charity work 10 years ago!

Reply 74

narc0t1c

hmm
ive only done 8 gcse
but im prety sure of 6A* and 2 A s
would that be all right for applying to oxbridge for a hard course like enginering

Reply 75

for christ sake. Some of the people on this forum are very worried about gcse grades and oxford. This is pathetic really.
take a look at this http://www.oxbridge-admissions.org.uk/profiles/
even people with all A*s get rejected. Do you know why?It is cuz they are just nerds and know nothing except their books. They cant use their logic properly during an interview. The most important thing is interview and ur performance in the entrance test.You just need to be naturally able in the subject, understand everything and have a good knowledge in everything. Read some books related to engineering. I am doing the same thing. Because I want to study Economics, I read the magazine called the Economist. Pretty interesting.

Reply 76

mtbab