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Is There Any Hope?...

Basically I did (poorly in my GCSE's I was involved in a car accident) I just wondered if there was any point me applying for OXBRIDGE?

GCSE’s Results
English Lang A
English Lit A
History B
ICT BBBB (GNVQ)
Geography C
Science CC
Religious Studies C
Math’s D! (I no lol)

How ever I got back to work when I started my AS Levels and iam predicted 5A'S and I no that’s what I’ve got because I aced the exams!

Politics... Philosophy... Law... English Lang/Lit ...and Film Studies...
My College is allowing me to take All 5 subjects to A2 level and My A2 predictions are again 5As

I wanted to study Politics I just wanted to no if there was any point of applying for OXBRIDGE and what my chances were?

Thanx

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Reply 1
Avatar for d750
d750
8
Your chances are probably going to be better post-qualification if you get your 5As. So you might as well apply this year if only for practice, and be prepared to take a gap year.
Reply 2
Avatar for Woostarite
Woostarite
9
Well I suppose it's just 2 weeks until you find out your AS results anyway.
Under normal circumstances, it wouldnt even be worth applying with those GCSEs. But considering you were involved in an accident, if you get the AS results you say you're going to get, then I can imagine they might turn a blind eye.

There's no point of doing 5 A2s. It doesn't impress Oxbridge at all, and will just cause unnecessary stress. I would recommend dropping a subject.
Reply 3
Avatar for Willa
Willa
11
yeah, "film studies" isn't really at all relevant to what you want to be studying...so continue it if you wish, but I would be suprised if they made an offer involving that subject. The subject you will have needed to have aced would be Eng Lit! Doing superb in that is really quite important for these types of subjects at uni!
Reply 4
Avatar for DemonDemonic
DemonDemonic
OP
I was sooooo worried thanks if i take another Gap year that means i'll be 20! when i start Uni which i think may go against me?
Reply 5
Avatar for H&E
H&E
3
Actually you may be a bit fooked. With a D in Maths you can't really do PPE. And I'm pretty sure SPS involves some maths. I suppose you could do History & Politics.
Reply 6
Avatar for Waldo
Waldo
Unfortunately I suspect H&E might be right.
Reply 7
Avatar for Willa
Willa
11
mmmm, perhaps drop Film studies and pick up AS maths!?
Admissions will tell you this (and I work for them now and again): GCSE results are just one thing they look at so if you secure 5As at AS then it will mask those results. On the basis of the car accident then it may be the case that they discount those results. It might be worthwhile considering History & Politics because as H&E could tell you just as well as me, the history at Oxford is mostly politics!
Um, how about emailing admissions and seeing how they react to your circumstances? To be honest, since a C in maths GCSE is a matriculation requirement (at least, at Cambridge it is), and none of your A Levels really show scientific/maths ability, I'd be tempted to at least resit maths GCSE.
oriel historian
Admissions will tell you this (and I work for them now and again): GCSE results are just one thing they look at so if you secure 5As at AS then it will mask those results. On the basis of the car accident then it may be the case that they discount those results. It might be worthwhile considering History & Politics because as H&E could tell you just as well as me, the history at Oxford is mostly politics!


Would you not need A Level History for that? I know at Cambridge that History is not a formal requirement for a History degree, but it's highly advantageous and I doubt many get in without it.
As long as you get your referee to mention the car accident, you should be fine. GCSEs aren't the most important part of the application process anyway, and since you have a good reason for getting mostly Cs, they shouldn't hold it against you. The only problems, as others have mentioned, are a) your D in GCSE maths and b) the fact that neither university offers politics, so unless you're interested in either PPE, SPS or politics and history and can prove you have the ability in maths/history, you can't apply anyway. I'd recommend researching the courses in detail and then resitting GCSE maths as well as maybe dropping a subject and picking up AS history if you go for the politics and history route.
Ambellina you are sadly mistaken. There is no formal requirement for History at Oxford. Maybe at the other place, but not here. This person is not fooked as H&E would have it, simply applying with a non-standard package. We should not deter him on this forum but I have given the advice that admissions would present.

I would suggest though that they contact the admissions office asap and let them guide you through the process rather than following the comments of sadly misinformed posters such as Ambellina.
oriel historian
Ambellina you are sadly mistaken. There is no formal requirement for History at Oxford. Maybe at the other place, but not here. This person is not fooked as H&E would have it, simply applying with a non-standard package. We should not deter him on this forum but I have given the advice that admissions would present.

I would suggest though that they contact the admissions office asap and let them guide you through the process rather than following the comments of sadly misinformed posters such as Ambellina.


She said Would you not need A Level History for that? She was asking a question, not stating that history is a requirement.
Reply 14
Avatar for H&E
H&E
3
oriel historian
Ambellina you are sadly mistaken. There is no formal requirement for History at Oxford. Maybe at the other place, but not here. This person is not fooked as H&E would have it, simply applying with a non-standard package. We should not deter him on this forum but I have given the advice that admissions would present.

I would suggest though that they contact the admissions office asap and let them guide you through the process rather than following the comments of sadly misinformed posters such as Ambellina.


I think you owe someone an apology...she specifically said there was no official requirement. Couldn't have been clearer about this.

And he's asking for opinions. We're giving them. You're just saying you've no idea and passing the buck.
H&E
I think you owe someone an apology...she specifically said there was no official requirement. Couldn't have been clearer about this.

And he's asking for opinions. We're giving them. You're just saying you've no idea and passing the buck.


I know I'm not "sadly misinformed", so it's okay. And did I, or did I not say that he should ask admissions...
Reply 16
Avatar for H&E
H&E
3
Well I'm sure you're not heartbroken given how clearly you were in the right, but that doesn't change the fact there was a remarkably quick mounting of a high horse just now, and entirely unjustified.
H&E
Well I'm sure you're not heartbroken given how clearly you were in the right, but that doesn't change the fact there was a remarkably quick mounting of a high horse just now, and entirely unjustified.


He knows I'm always right, deep down. It's okie...
Reply 18
Avatar for H&E
H&E
3
Oh wait. You actually know the guy. That makes it even weirder! Or was he winding you up?
H&E
Oh wait. You actually know the guy. That makes it even weirder! Or was he winding you up?


Hope so.

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