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Bad GCSEs affect university applications?

Reply 20

10

bigmo7

LSE and ULC both rejected me due to GCSE's...mine were actually pretty much the same as yours!

Though I kinda knew the risks when I applied... :o:

Oh well...

Yeah, It's awful ey. Even though I understood the risks, and yes, I know GCSE's are important, but If you show progression, and are now more mature, surely they shouldn't say no just because of the poor GCSE's that were far into the past.

Reply 21

Liverpool F.C.™

11

Depend's on the course and the Uni. For Medicine they're not all that, but if you pick your choices carefully then maybe yeah.

Reply 22

River85

17

jjackson18624

'membership'? is it like a golf club? :lol:

Just seems to be all theones based in big cities to me, i dont see st andrews or durham on there,and they are both old, prestigious universities. still failing to see the fascination.

The Russell Group is a collection of large, research intensive universities. It's not suprsing that these are in the larger cities.

The 1994 Group (consisting of Durham and St Andrews amongst others) is a group of smaller research intensive universities with most of these based in the smaller cities and market towns. There are some exceptions (smaller London universities in the 1994 group Goldsmith's for example, LSE were in the 94 group until about 2007). But yes, the larger cities are often home to the larger, more established research intensive universities.

Both are just lobbying groups. They aren't strictly a collection of "best" universities.

Anyway, to the OP, this isn't something that can be answered so easily. GCSEs might come into play particularly with exceptionally over-subscribed courses. But even then the quality of your school and any mitigating circumstances might be taken into account.

But with Bs and Cs at GCSE, plus As/A*s at A-level I certainly think the Russell (and 1994) Group universities are well within your reach. There's nothing you can do about your GCSE results now, which are still decent by the way, just concentrate on achieving those A-level grades and making your application as strong as possible. A strong personal statement and reference are just as important, usually far more important, than GCSE grades.

Reply 23

AmbitiousOutsider

6

greatmonte

hmmphh yes they were

I know! Blatantly just wanted people to say they were good.

Reply 24

hotshot45

1

rick4236

No it shouldn't be a problem, I got bad GCSE's. 1A 3B's and 4C's and am predicted 3A's and have offers at Bath, Loughborough, Liverpool and Manchester. It will matter more so for Oxbridge, Durham, London unis ect

what offers? and for what degree?

Reply 25

SiaSiaSia

16

greatmonte

hmmphh yes they were

They were for any other school, but I went to a grammar school which is in the top 10 in the country for GCSE results. I was like, bottom of the pile :p:

Reply 26

WilliamWJ

9

nick369

Hi, getting straight to the point; I am expecting to get AAA/A*AA at A2. However, due to leaving secondary school because of family problems etc I have relatively average GCSEs (B's and C's).
I was wandering if these GCSE grades would affect me applying to the Russell Group universities?

I got a C in physics at GCSE and I got offers from UCL, Bath, Bristol and Kings College London for physics/astrophysics.

Reply 27

sevendaughters

11

I got an A in PE at GCSE (the rest were gack) and two Cs (one in General Studies) at A-Level and I am about to do an MPhil at Cambridge.

Don't sweat your balls off.

Reply 28

rick4236

ashton.alfred

what offers? and for what degree?

Civil engineering. Bath AAA Loughborough AAB Manchester ABB and Liverpool BBB. The last two were only for a 3 year course. Why?

Reply 29

suicidaloverbusiness

13

Jingers

Yes, provided you apply to the top universities and/or for the most competitive courses.

Sorry but this is a little of topic but can I ask what you got for your GCSE's as I can see you have an offer from Birmingham to do Law. Thank you :biggrin:

Reply 30

Jingers

15

suicidaloverbusiness

Sorry but this is a little of topic but can I ask what you got for your GCSE's as I can see you have an offer from Birmingham to do Law. Thank you :biggrin:

6A*
5A
1B

Yourself?

Reply 31

greatmonte

18

SiaSiaSia

They were for any other school, but I went to a grammar school which is in the top 10 in the country for GCSE results. I was like, bottom of the pile :p:

yeh i understand but at most unis (bar oxbridge and some specific courses eg med at birmy) you wont be put at a disadvantage

Reply 32

kinetik

I got A*A*A*A*A*AAABBC, AAAA (over 90%) at AS and am predicted A*A*A, and was rejected from UCL and Edinburgh on the basis of my GCSEs

Reply 33

suicidaloverbusiness

13

Jingers

6A*
5A
1B

Yourself?

Well i'm still in the process of taking my GCSE's i.e. this summer will determine them. I don't think i'll quite achieve 6A*s but hopefully somewhere close to that (well it depends if the DiDA qualification is accounted for). I want to apply to read Law at a russel group uni or at least one of the top ten universities. How bad would it seem if I had half a GCSE in P.E. at C/B grade - it's compulsory btw. The rest will without a doubt be A*s and As.

Reply 34

SiaSiaSia

16

greatmonte

yeh i understand but at most unis (bar oxbridge and some specific courses eg med at birmy) you wont be put at a disadvantage

I applied for a vaguely unpopular course with good enough ASs so I was fine :blush:

Reply 35

Jingers

15

suicidaloverbusiness

Well i'm still in the process of taking my GCSE's i.e. this summer will determine them. I don't think i'll quite achieve 6A*s but hopefully somewhere close to that (well it depends if the DiDA qualification is accounted for). I want to apply to read Law at a russel group uni or at least one of the top ten universities. How bad would it seem if I had half a GCSE in P.E. at C/B grade - it's compulsory btw. The rest will without a doubt be A*s and As.

My B was in PE short course lol.

Btw, I also got offers from Warwick and Bristol last year.

Reply 36

suicidaloverbusiness

13

Jingers

My B was in PE short course lol.

Btw, I also got offers from Warwick and Bristol last year.

Really BRISTOL!! wow well done you! Lol that's so ironic, I just can't be arsed with P.E. because it's compulsory and i'm just not great at it even though I can get an A if I REALLY revise my arse off.

EDIT: Oh and when I say that i'll have to revise my arse off I really do mean it because my school is useless at helping us with the exam.

Reply 37

jjackson18624

11

Paske

- Just seems like a really petty reason to reject someone... but oh well... with the increased number of applicants it was probably a pretty easy determining factor this year. As you said, its their loss.

I hear St Andrews has a crazy applicant to place ratio this year since it became fouth in the good university guide (and since the universities small compared to most), so i'm guessing this is more specifically closer to the truth, rather than them being petty for pettys sake or a genral boom. GCSE grades seem a bad way to narrow it down though, when most applicants have As anyway.

Reply 38

BryonieIV

8

I think I was rejected on the basis of my GCSEs from KCL, York and UCL.

I had really good AS results as well, but they didn't know about them because it's my school's policy and I wasn't predicted any A*s. (Despite being able to get 2 based on my AS/A2). FML.

Reply 39

hotshot45

1

jjackson18624

'membership'? is it like a golf club? :lol:

Just seems to be all theones based in big cities to me, i dont see st andrews or durham on there,and they are both old, prestigious universities. still failing to see the fascination.

the other like St.Andrews exetre and durham are in the 1994 group which is basically same as russel group

Bad GCSEs affect university applications?

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