The Student Room Group

Do banks look at your "First sitting" A level results?

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Reply 20
Original post by hockeyjoe
Wawrick, Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, Imperial, LSE (the unis you're talking about) would never let you in having taken three years to do your A levels. Reason being that they'll have thousands of superb applicants with great grades who have done it in the time you're meant to, so why would they let you in if, frankly, you've ****ed up? Be realistic.


Incorrect. I know 2 people who got into UCL after taking three years, I know more than that at Warwick and I know one person at Oxford. All of the courses were competitive. And lets not forget mature students. My mum and dad attended Warwick and they didnt hold 1 academic qualification between them.

And to the OP, why would a bank care about A levels. If you have a good degree from a good university and an awesome application when you look at everything you did after A Levels(references from work experience, internships etc.) I'm pretty sure they would be very willing to overlook them. Considering A levels are irrelevant in practically every other field after you have a degree I really wouldnt worry about this. Take everything you read on TSR with a pinch of salt, put yourself in the perspective of the employer, does 1 year really mean anything? No.
Original post by Marc Fiorano

Original post by Marc Fiorano
They'd be in it for the quick money, not for their interest to develop a career in finance. They'll settle easily, BO at IB > any other job a typical sociology grad gets.

I agree with The Don, for people who want it as a career don't settle. If they can't get in an IB, then you're better of aiming for the same desk at a boutique or a start up firm.
The salary may not be as good as it would be if they settle for MO or BO, but sticking to your field of interest will pay off in the long haul.

You get more traders coming from a small firm being hired into IB than you do those who settled from MO/BO. Anybody planning on joining BO and climbing the ranks to FO can just forget about it. It's like entering the NHS as a nurse and planning on coming out as a doctor by the end.


100% agree, if you're at a boutique at least you're doing what you enjoy.

People need to remember this isn't just for quick and easy cash.

It may sound cliché but IB is a lifestyle.. You're going to be slaving away at a pitchbook at 3 am or waking up at 5.30 to get to your trading desk whilst your Uni pals are out partying / sleeping. If you don't enjoy what you are doing then you will hate your life and that Summer bonus won't be worth it.
Reply 22
Also yup, i would rather go into S&T at a smaller firm/boutique bank rather then go into back office. I dont want to be doing something all my life that i hate.
Original post by uxa595
Not to be rude but is that a wild guess?

I wouldn't really put it down if they don't ask me to list: all colleges you have been to/all the resits i have done/First sitting results only.

There arn't even really any requirements for banks, just a "good academic background" so do you think even if i got into the likes of warwick to do A&F, i would have problems getting into banks because of my resit year?


It is a guess, yes. I don't have experience of this.

However, logic dictates that if you didn't tell them, then it wouldn't be a problem (obviously).

If they asked for your FULL academic record, then someone who gets A*AA first time round will almost certainly be favoured over someone who had two bites at the apple so to speak...
Original post by hockeyjoe
Wawrick, Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, Imperial, LSE (the unis you're talking about) would never let you in having taken three years to do your A levels. Reason being that they'll have thousands of superb applicants with great grades who have done it in the time you're meant to, so why would they let you in if, frankly, you've ****ed up? Be realistic.


I did my A levels over 3 years and I'm a second year at Warwick doing maths.
Reply 25
How would you put it on your CV though?

College A 2009-2011
College B 2011-2012

or just
College B 2009-2012 as that's where i finished my grades.
I don't think it's going to look all that great if i put down two colleges.

Also i'm doing my A levels from 2009-2012 and finishing them at college B so i'm not exactly lying...
Why not write AS and A2 results separately, that way they would know something went wrong at A2 the first time if you manage good grades this year. And youre not hiding info that way.
Reply 27
Original post by hockeyjoe
Wawrick, Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, Imperial, LSE (the unis you're talking about) would never let you in having taken three years to do your A levels. Reason being that they'll have thousands of superb applicants with great grades who have done it in the time you're meant to, so why would they let you in if, frankly, you've ****ed up? Be realistic.

I know somebody who took 3 years to do his A Levels and he got into Warwick.
Reply 28
Original post by uxa595
Well, i've asked wbs admissions, the admissions officers assistant and the admissions officer who is yet to reply. But the first two who should have a genuine idea said for econ i have no chance but for A&F i have a have chance even though i'm resitting.


so....what happened?

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