The Official "Oxford or Cambridge?" Thread
Scroll to see replies
Original post by goooglie
Ooh controvesial! So, which do you thing is the more "rah"!
I actually think the winner here is the University of Teh-'rah'-n.
Original post by funkydee
your history ums is high as well as your English. A*A*A prediction is fine! If u can demonstrate passion in your interview you SHOULD get an offer. However the likelihood of you being auto-pooled is slim as their is a pooling based on UMS and GCSE thresholds but your college may put you through to the pool if they think you're a good candidate! GOOD LUCK
Can you explain the whole pooling process a bit more please? Can you be pooled without an interview?
And in your opinion, Oxford or Cambridge for me?
oxford is the old posh one that people with rich parents go to. cambridge is for clever people.
zing!
zing!
Original post by boromir9111
good luck.
haha, I'm not trying to start debate, just curious about social conceptions compared to twenty years ago.
Original post by titsmcgee
I actually think the winner here is the University of Teh-'rah'-n.
(edited 12 years ago)
Who actually cares?
:|
:|
I always had the preconception that Oxford was a bit more 'posh' than Cambridge, but I wouldn't say that that was based on anything near fact or logic, just social opinion and the general 'feel' I got from them both. It's really not something you should base a decision on; visit both and think which course would suit you better.
Oxford isn't even rah 
I heard Exeter is alot worse.
I heard Exeter is alot worse.
Neither, real rahs don't go to uni. They do 'PR' work and 'help' with daddy's business. Looking like you're doing something independently with your life when in reality you're doing **** all is the rah way of life. 
From what I've heard, Cambridge care a lot more about AS UMS than about gcse results (they actually have a letter on their website that they wrote to some government person talking about how AS UMS are by far the best predictors of future achievement that they have etc.) I think those AS scores look pretty good, certainly no worse than some applicants I personally know, one of whom got an offer and one of whom was pooled then rejected, but called a 'realistic applicant' in his interview feedback. All in all, whyever not? The interview is important too 
Original post by kjb2112
Can you explain the whole pooling process a bit more please? Can you be pooled without an interview?
And in your opinion, Oxford or Cambridge for me?
And in your opinion, Oxford or Cambridge for me?
Sorry, also: I would say go for Cambridge given that your AS levels went better than your GCSEs. In Cambridge you can't be pooled without interview, but you'd pretty much definitely be invited for one as they interview something like 90% of candidates - more than Oxford. Pooling happens post-interview in Cambridge, they put your application up for consideration by all other colleges if they think you were good but don't have room for you. The other colleges can see your GCSEs, AS levels, pre-interview tests if applicable etc. as well as the score out of ten you were given in your interviews. Sorry to jump in
Original post by soutioirsim
Original post by soutioirsim
Oxford isn't even rah
I heard Exeter is alot worse.
I heard Exeter is alot worse.
I second that too.
Original post by goooglie
haha, I'm not trying to start debate, just curious about social conceptions compared to twenty years ago.
And yet you created an account just to ask the question?
Original post by kjb2112
I'm just starting A2 and looking at Oxbridge.
In AS' I got an A (190/200) in History, an A (186/200) in English and an A in Philosophy and an A in Biology. Do Oxford see UMS grades?
GCSE's were A*AAAAAAAB, which I'm aware are not the best grades for Oxford, so would these totally put me out of the race?
Should I look at Cambridge instead, even though they don't do History/Politics which is what I want to do, so I'd have to change my choices and PS to accomodate a single honours course in History, as this is all that Cambridge offer.
I'd be grateful of any advice.
In AS' I got an A (190/200) in History, an A (186/200) in English and an A in Philosophy and an A in Biology. Do Oxford see UMS grades?
GCSE's were A*AAAAAAAB, which I'm aware are not the best grades for Oxford, so would these totally put me out of the race?
Should I look at Cambridge instead, even though they don't do History/Politics which is what I want to do, so I'd have to change my choices and PS to accomodate a single honours course in History, as this is all that Cambridge offer.
I'd be grateful of any advice.
If you really like the look of the Oxford course I wouldn't apply to Cambridge just because yo think you may be more likely to get an offer (and it's very hard to tell either way)
Your GCSEs are below average for Oxford but don't forget there's the HAT before the interview which can help to even things out if you score well. Also, with Oxford you can choose which UMS scores to send in (via your reference - so be sure that your referee is aware of them!) so you can highlight your strengths whilst not having to reveal the dead on 80% in the other subject.
Hello! Basically I'm kind of agonising over the decision about whether to apply to Oxford or Cambridge to study English Literature. Just wondering if anyone's got advice about which I'm more likely to get an offer from, what it's like being there.
I love the fact that the Oxford course starts earlier, and the historical contexts bits. I also know that it's the best university for English and has the biggest English faculty and some bits of the town I think are really beautiful. Apparently you can also do bits of classical literature in your modules, any more info on this?
However I also like the look of the cambridge course. I like that you can take a module in a foreign language (I would do greek or latin) as part of the course, and the tragedy paper that you take in the third year. I also think that Cambridge as a town is much prettier overall than Oxford- however as my grades aren't all that high i've been advised to apply to a college either out of town, or with less beautiful buildings as I might have more chance of an offer.
I have 9A*'s 2A's (physics and stats) and a B (dance-woops) at GCSE, 4 A's (UMS 192 for latin, 194 for Art, 186 for history but only 184 for English :/) at AS and am predicted 4 A*'s.
ANY advice about which to go for would be sooooo helpful! Thank you!
I love the fact that the Oxford course starts earlier, and the historical contexts bits. I also know that it's the best university for English and has the biggest English faculty and some bits of the town I think are really beautiful. Apparently you can also do bits of classical literature in your modules, any more info on this?
However I also like the look of the cambridge course. I like that you can take a module in a foreign language (I would do greek or latin) as part of the course, and the tragedy paper that you take in the third year. I also think that Cambridge as a town is much prettier overall than Oxford- however as my grades aren't all that high i've been advised to apply to a college either out of town, or with less beautiful buildings as I might have more chance of an offer.
I have 9A*'s 2A's (physics and stats) and a B (dance-woops) at GCSE, 4 A's (UMS 192 for latin, 194 for Art, 186 for history but only 184 for English :/) at AS and am predicted 4 A*'s.
ANY advice about which to go for would be sooooo helpful! Thank you!
Hello, I would just like to ask a question and I would appreciate honest answers. At GCSE, I achieved the following grades:
Maths - A*
History - A
Geography - A
English Language - B
English LIterature - B
Science - A
Additional Science - A*
Drama - A
ICT - DD (equivalent to an A*)
Religious Education - A*
French - A
PE - Team Leadership Award
During my GCSE's, I was the worst possible student. I did no revision, I behaved like an idiot and that is reflected in my poor results. Before people say that those results are reasonably good, I would just like to say that I consider them as poor, because I know in reality I had more than the capability to get all A*, yet I ended up with the results above. In year 11, I started to work a bit, as my year 10 results were terrible (Geography - C, E. History - B, Science - B. R.E. - C, D). With the exeption of Mathematics, in which I did well and achieved maximum marks in all of my units at Higher level, I found myself going in the wrong direction and although I know in application forms this would not be known, I would just like to point out a few things. In my English Lang/Lit, the coursework element of the qualification was completed in year 10 and I had just about achieved a grade C (coursework for Eng lang is 40% of grade and Lit is 30%). In my exams for Lang and Lit, I got all A's and A*'s and for both subjects I was very close to an A. For Geography, I had a great deal of work to do after my failing grades in year 10 and a in my exams year 11 exams I managed to achieve a couple of 100/100's, which brought my grade up to A, around 10 marks of an A*. For RE, in theory I started my exam in January year 11 after deciding to re-take all my previous units, and I completed the entire full course in a few months and achieved full marks in all my examinations with little revision. For Science, since I picked Double Science, I had achieved one full GCSE at the end of Year 10, a B. In year 11, I improved my coursework from a C to a B and also re-took an exam to gain an extra 25 marks to achieve an overall grade of an A. In additional Science, which took place in year 11, I achieved full marks in all my examinations with a week's revision and got an A*. In Drama, I had to re-do my coursework in year 11, which comprised of around 5000 words and increased my grade from a C and with an A* performance I achieved a mid to high grade A overall in the subject. For French, again, my coursework was a big let down and with 60% of the course being coursework, I had to achieve high A*'s in my exam to get an A overall, which I did do. For ICT, I had recieved an e-mail from my teacher on the national deadline day of 30th June saying that I had not passed and if I did want to get the pass I needed to come in on monday and do the work, as that was the final day before the school submited the grades. I went in on monday and through hours of consistant work, I came out with Distinctions in all units. This only leaves History. Like Maths, I had a good ability in History and it was arguably my strongest subject, yet during 10, I completed my exams hand-written and I was not able to finish most of them due to my very slow writing speed. For this reason, I only managed to complete just over 50% of my History exam (got a B) and although I got full marks in all my other History exams (in year 11, I was granted the use of a word processor), I was a couple of marks shy of an A* overall, which was perhaps the most disappointing result I came across in all my GCSE's, whether it be unit grades or full subject grades. For A-Levels, although originally having been put down for Maths, Further Maths, History, Law and Economics, due to many clashes within option blocks, I chose to do 4 A-Levels and I am planning on keep all my subject in A2. The 4 subjects I chose were Economics, Maths, Law and History, but due to some more complications, there is a chance that I may not be able to do Economics, as the school does not offer them anymore and if I am unable to do my Economics A-Level in College, then I am going to have to settle for Maths, History, Law and Philosophy. A-Levels are a fresh start to me and now I am more determined to succeed than I have ever been before and for all my A-Levels I am going to be trying to achieve the best possible grades available and I will do whatever it takes to get them. If I was to get top A-Level grades, would my GCSE results stand in the way of a successful application to the likes of Oxbridge/UCL/LSE/King's College/Imperial? Or will I still be considered? Thank You
Maths - A*
History - A
Geography - A
English Language - B
English LIterature - B
Science - A
Additional Science - A*
Drama - A
ICT - DD (equivalent to an A*)
Religious Education - A*
French - A
PE - Team Leadership Award
During my GCSE's, I was the worst possible student. I did no revision, I behaved like an idiot and that is reflected in my poor results. Before people say that those results are reasonably good, I would just like to say that I consider them as poor, because I know in reality I had more than the capability to get all A*, yet I ended up with the results above. In year 11, I started to work a bit, as my year 10 results were terrible (Geography - C, E. History - B, Science - B. R.E. - C, D). With the exeption of Mathematics, in which I did well and achieved maximum marks in all of my units at Higher level, I found myself going in the wrong direction and although I know in application forms this would not be known, I would just like to point out a few things. In my English Lang/Lit, the coursework element of the qualification was completed in year 10 and I had just about achieved a grade C (coursework for Eng lang is 40% of grade and Lit is 30%). In my exams for Lang and Lit, I got all A's and A*'s and for both subjects I was very close to an A. For Geography, I had a great deal of work to do after my failing grades in year 10 and a in my exams year 11 exams I managed to achieve a couple of 100/100's, which brought my grade up to A, around 10 marks of an A*. For RE, in theory I started my exam in January year 11 after deciding to re-take all my previous units, and I completed the entire full course in a few months and achieved full marks in all my examinations with little revision. For Science, since I picked Double Science, I had achieved one full GCSE at the end of Year 10, a B. In year 11, I improved my coursework from a C to a B and also re-took an exam to gain an extra 25 marks to achieve an overall grade of an A. In additional Science, which took place in year 11, I achieved full marks in all my examinations with a week's revision and got an A*. In Drama, I had to re-do my coursework in year 11, which comprised of around 5000 words and increased my grade from a C and with an A* performance I achieved a mid to high grade A overall in the subject. For French, again, my coursework was a big let down and with 60% of the course being coursework, I had to achieve high A*'s in my exam to get an A overall, which I did do. For ICT, I had recieved an e-mail from my teacher on the national deadline day of 30th June saying that I had not passed and if I did want to get the pass I needed to come in on monday and do the work, as that was the final day before the school submited the grades. I went in on monday and through hours of consistant work, I came out with Distinctions in all units. This only leaves History. Like Maths, I had a good ability in History and it was arguably my strongest subject, yet during 10, I completed my exams hand-written and I was not able to finish most of them due to my very slow writing speed. For this reason, I only managed to complete just over 50% of my History exam (got a B) and although I got full marks in all my other History exams (in year 11, I was granted the use of a word processor), I was a couple of marks shy of an A* overall, which was perhaps the most disappointing result I came across in all my GCSE's, whether it be unit grades or full subject grades. For A-Levels, although originally having been put down for Maths, Further Maths, History, Law and Economics, due to many clashes within option blocks, I chose to do 4 A-Levels and I am planning on keep all my subject in A2. The 4 subjects I chose were Economics, Maths, Law and History, but due to some more complications, there is a chance that I may not be able to do Economics, as the school does not offer them anymore and if I am unable to do my Economics A-Level in College, then I am going to have to settle for Maths, History, Law and Philosophy. A-Levels are a fresh start to me and now I am more determined to succeed than I have ever been before and for all my A-Levels I am going to be trying to achieve the best possible grades available and I will do whatever it takes to get them. If I was to get top A-Level grades, would my GCSE results stand in the way of a successful application to the likes of Oxbridge/UCL/LSE/King's College/Imperial? Or will I still be considered? Thank You
Original post by Equality4all
Original post by Equality4all
Hello, I would just like to ask a question and I would appreciate honest answers. At GCSE, I achieved the following grades:
Maths - A*
History - A
Geography - A
English Language - B
English LIterature - B
Science - A
Additional Science - A*
Drama - A
ICT - DD (equivalent to an A*)
Religious Education - A*
French - A
PE - Team Leadership Award
During my GCSE's, I was the worst possible student. I did no revision, I behaved like an idiot and that is reflected in my poor results. Before people say that those results are reasonably good, I would just like to say that I consider them as poor, because I know in reality I had more than the capability to get all A*, yet I ended up with the results above. In year 11, I started to work a bit, as my year 10 results were terrible (Geography - C, E. History - B, Science - B. R.E. - C, D). With the exeption of Mathematics, in which I did well and achieved maximum marks in all of my units at Higher level, I found myself going in the wrong direction and although I know in application forms this would not be known, I would just like to point out a few things. In my English Lang/Lit, the coursework element of the qualification was completed in year 10 and I had just about achieved a grade C (coursework for Eng lang is 40% of grade and Lit is 30%). In my exams for Lang and Lit, I got all A's and A*'s and for both subjects I was very close to an A. For Geography, I had a great deal of work to do after my failing grades in year 10 and a in my exams year 11 exams I managed to achieve a couple of 100/100's, which brought my grade up to A, around 10 marks of an A*. For RE, in theory I started my exam in January year 11 after deciding to re-take all my previous units, and I completed the entire full course in a few months and achieved full marks in all my examinations with little revision. For Science, since I picked Double Science, I had achieved one full GCSE at the end of Year 10, a B. In year 11, I improved my coursework from a C to a B and also re-took an exam to gain an extra 25 marks to achieve an overall grade of an A. In additional Science, which took place in year 11, I achieved full marks in all my examinations with a week's revision and got an A*. In Drama, I had to re-do my coursework in year 11, which comprised of around 5000 words and increased my grade from a C and with an A* performance I achieved a mid to high grade A overall in the subject. For French, again, my coursework was a big let down and with 60% of the course being coursework, I had to achieve high A*'s in my exam to get an A overall, which I did do. For ICT, I had recieved an e-mail from my teacher on the national deadline day of 30th June saying that I had not passed and if I did want to get the pass I needed to come in on monday and do the work, as that was the final day before the school submited the grades. I went in on monday and through hours of consistant work, I came out with Distinctions in all units. This only leaves History. Like Maths, I had a good ability in History and it was arguably my strongest subject, yet during 10, I completed my exams hand-written and I was not able to finish most of them due to my very slow writing speed. For this reason, I only managed to complete just over 50% of my History exam (got a B) and although I got full marks in all my other History exams (in year 11, I was granted the use of a word processor), I was a couple of marks shy of an A* overall, which was perhaps the most disappointing result I came across in all my GCSE's, whether it be unit grades or full subject grades. For A-Levels, although originally having been put down for Maths, Further Maths, History, Law and Economics, due to many clashes within option blocks, I chose to do 4 A-Levels and I am planning on keep all my subject in A2. The 4 subjects I chose were Economics, Maths, Law and History, but due to some more complications, there is a chance that I may not be able to do Economics, as the school does not offer them anymore and if I am unable to do my Economics A-Level in College, then I am going to have to settle for Maths, History, Law and Philosophy. A-Levels are a fresh start to me and now I am more determined to succeed than I have ever been before and for all my A-Levels I am going to be trying to achieve the best possible grades available and I will do whatever it takes to get them. If I was to get top A-Level grades, would my GCSE results stand in the way of a successful application to the likes of Oxbridge/UCL/LSE/King's College/Imperial? Or will I still be considered? Thank You
Maths - A*
History - A
Geography - A
English Language - B
English LIterature - B
Science - A
Additional Science - A*
Drama - A
ICT - DD (equivalent to an A*)
Religious Education - A*
French - A
PE - Team Leadership Award
During my GCSE's, I was the worst possible student. I did no revision, I behaved like an idiot and that is reflected in my poor results. Before people say that those results are reasonably good, I would just like to say that I consider them as poor, because I know in reality I had more than the capability to get all A*, yet I ended up with the results above. In year 11, I started to work a bit, as my year 10 results were terrible (Geography - C, E. History - B, Science - B. R.E. - C, D). With the exeption of Mathematics, in which I did well and achieved maximum marks in all of my units at Higher level, I found myself going in the wrong direction and although I know in application forms this would not be known, I would just like to point out a few things. In my English Lang/Lit, the coursework element of the qualification was completed in year 10 and I had just about achieved a grade C (coursework for Eng lang is 40% of grade and Lit is 30%). In my exams for Lang and Lit, I got all A's and A*'s and for both subjects I was very close to an A. For Geography, I had a great deal of work to do after my failing grades in year 10 and a in my exams year 11 exams I managed to achieve a couple of 100/100's, which brought my grade up to A, around 10 marks of an A*. For RE, in theory I started my exam in January year 11 after deciding to re-take all my previous units, and I completed the entire full course in a few months and achieved full marks in all my examinations with little revision. For Science, since I picked Double Science, I had achieved one full GCSE at the end of Year 10, a B. In year 11, I improved my coursework from a C to a B and also re-took an exam to gain an extra 25 marks to achieve an overall grade of an A. In additional Science, which took place in year 11, I achieved full marks in all my examinations with a week's revision and got an A*. In Drama, I had to re-do my coursework in year 11, which comprised of around 5000 words and increased my grade from a C and with an A* performance I achieved a mid to high grade A overall in the subject. For French, again, my coursework was a big let down and with 60% of the course being coursework, I had to achieve high A*'s in my exam to get an A overall, which I did do. For ICT, I had recieved an e-mail from my teacher on the national deadline day of 30th June saying that I had not passed and if I did want to get the pass I needed to come in on monday and do the work, as that was the final day before the school submited the grades. I went in on monday and through hours of consistant work, I came out with Distinctions in all units. This only leaves History. Like Maths, I had a good ability in History and it was arguably my strongest subject, yet during 10, I completed my exams hand-written and I was not able to finish most of them due to my very slow writing speed. For this reason, I only managed to complete just over 50% of my History exam (got a B) and although I got full marks in all my other History exams (in year 11, I was granted the use of a word processor), I was a couple of marks shy of an A* overall, which was perhaps the most disappointing result I came across in all my GCSE's, whether it be unit grades or full subject grades. For A-Levels, although originally having been put down for Maths, Further Maths, History, Law and Economics, due to many clashes within option blocks, I chose to do 4 A-Levels and I am planning on keep all my subject in A2. The 4 subjects I chose were Economics, Maths, Law and History, but due to some more complications, there is a chance that I may not be able to do Economics, as the school does not offer them anymore and if I am unable to do my Economics A-Level in College, then I am going to have to settle for Maths, History, Law and Philosophy. A-Levels are a fresh start to me and now I am more determined to succeed than I have ever been before and for all my A-Levels I am going to be trying to achieve the best possible grades available and I will do whatever it takes to get them. If I was to get top A-Level grades, would my GCSE results stand in the way of a successful application to the likes of Oxbridge/UCL/LSE/King's College/Imperial? Or will I still be considered? Thank You
Your grades won't stop you but you might want to tone down the arrogance in the way you speak about your potential...lots of people mess around at GCSE (me included, and before you ask, I go to Oxford so do know the system) but don't come across as feeling entitled when they don't get 13 perfect A*s...your grades are okay but you'll need to do very well at AS and have good extra-curricular to prove your dedication to whichever subject you choose...Sorry to come across as a bit harsh but it will help you in the long run...trust me.
Original post by Equality4all
Hello, I would just like to ask a question and I would appreciate honest answers. At GCSE, I achieved the following grades:
Maths - A*
History - A
Geography - A
English Language - B
English LIterature - B
Science - A
Additional Science - A*
Drama - A
ICT - DD (equivalent to an A*)
Religious Education - A*
French - A
PE - Team Leadership Award
During my GCSE's, I was the worst possible student. I did no revision, I behaved like an idiot and that is reflected in my poor results. Before people say that those results are reasonably good, I would just like to say that I consider them as poor, because I know in reality I had more than the capability to get all A*, yet I ended up with the results above. In year 11, I started to work a bit, as my year 10 results were terrible (Geography - C, E. History - B, Science - B. R.E. - C, D). With the exeption of Mathematics, in which I did well and achieved maximum marks in all of my units at Higher level, I found myself going in the wrong direction and although I know in application forms this would not be known, I would just like to point out a few things. In my English Lang/Lit, the coursework element of the qualification was completed in year 10 and I had just about achieved a grade C (coursework for Eng lang is 40% of grade and Lit is 30%). In my exams for Lang and Lit, I got all A's and A*'s and for both subjects I was very close to an A. For Geography, I had a great deal of work to do after my failing grades in year 10 and a in my exams year 11 exams I managed to achieve a couple of 100/100's, which brought my grade up to A, around 10 marks of an A*. For RE, in theory I started my exam in January year 11 after deciding to re-take all my previous units, and I completed the entire full course in a few months and achieved full marks in all my examinations with little revision. For Science, since I picked Double Science, I had achieved one full GCSE at the end of Year 10, a B. In year 11, I improved my coursework from a C to a B and also re-took an exam to gain an extra 25 marks to achieve an overall grade of an A. In additional Science, which took place in year 11, I achieved full marks in all my examinations with a week's revision and got an A*. In Drama, I had to re-do my coursework in year 11, which comprised of around 5000 words and increased my grade from a C and with an A* performance I achieved a mid to high grade A overall in the subject. For French, again, my coursework was a big let down and with 60% of the course being coursework, I had to achieve high A*'s in my exam to get an A overall, which I did do. For ICT, I had recieved an e-mail from my teacher on the national deadline day of 30th June saying that I had not passed and if I did want to get the pass I needed to come in on monday and do the work, as that was the final day before the school submited the grades. I went in on monday and through hours of consistant work, I came out with Distinctions in all units. This only leaves History. Like Maths, I had a good ability in History and it was arguably my strongest subject, yet during 10, I completed my exams hand-written and I was not able to finish most of them due to my very slow writing speed. For this reason, I only managed to complete just over 50% of my History exam (got a B) and although I got full marks in all my other History exams (in year 11, I was granted the use of a word processor), I was a couple of marks shy of an A* overall, which was perhaps the most disappointing result I came across in all my GCSE's, whether it be unit grades or full subject grades. For A-Levels, although originally having been put down for Maths, Further Maths, History, Law and Economics, due to many clashes within option blocks, I chose to do 4 A-Levels and I am planning on keep all my subject in A2. The 4 subjects I chose were Economics, Maths, Law and History, but due to some more complications, there is a chance that I may not be able to do Economics, as the school does not offer them anymore and if I am unable to do my Economics A-Level in College, then I am going to have to settle for Maths, History, Law and Philosophy. A-Levels are a fresh start to me and now I am more determined to succeed than I have ever been before and for all my A-Levels I am going to be trying to achieve the best possible grades available and I will do whatever it takes to get them. If I was to get top A-Level grades, would my GCSE results stand in the way of a successful application to the likes of Oxbridge/UCL/LSE/King's College/Imperial? Or will I still be considered? Thank You
Maths - A*
History - A
Geography - A
English Language - B
English LIterature - B
Science - A
Additional Science - A*
Drama - A
ICT - DD (equivalent to an A*)
Religious Education - A*
French - A
PE - Team Leadership Award
During my GCSE's, I was the worst possible student. I did no revision, I behaved like an idiot and that is reflected in my poor results. Before people say that those results are reasonably good, I would just like to say that I consider them as poor, because I know in reality I had more than the capability to get all A*, yet I ended up with the results above. In year 11, I started to work a bit, as my year 10 results were terrible (Geography - C, E. History - B, Science - B. R.E. - C, D). With the exeption of Mathematics, in which I did well and achieved maximum marks in all of my units at Higher level, I found myself going in the wrong direction and although I know in application forms this would not be known, I would just like to point out a few things. In my English Lang/Lit, the coursework element of the qualification was completed in year 10 and I had just about achieved a grade C (coursework for Eng lang is 40% of grade and Lit is 30%). In my exams for Lang and Lit, I got all A's and A*'s and for both subjects I was very close to an A. For Geography, I had a great deal of work to do after my failing grades in year 10 and a in my exams year 11 exams I managed to achieve a couple of 100/100's, which brought my grade up to A, around 10 marks of an A*. For RE, in theory I started my exam in January year 11 after deciding to re-take all my previous units, and I completed the entire full course in a few months and achieved full marks in all my examinations with little revision. For Science, since I picked Double Science, I had achieved one full GCSE at the end of Year 10, a B. In year 11, I improved my coursework from a C to a B and also re-took an exam to gain an extra 25 marks to achieve an overall grade of an A. In additional Science, which took place in year 11, I achieved full marks in all my examinations with a week's revision and got an A*. In Drama, I had to re-do my coursework in year 11, which comprised of around 5000 words and increased my grade from a C and with an A* performance I achieved a mid to high grade A overall in the subject. For French, again, my coursework was a big let down and with 60% of the course being coursework, I had to achieve high A*'s in my exam to get an A overall, which I did do. For ICT, I had recieved an e-mail from my teacher on the national deadline day of 30th June saying that I had not passed and if I did want to get the pass I needed to come in on monday and do the work, as that was the final day before the school submited the grades. I went in on monday and through hours of consistant work, I came out with Distinctions in all units. This only leaves History. Like Maths, I had a good ability in History and it was arguably my strongest subject, yet during 10, I completed my exams hand-written and I was not able to finish most of them due to my very slow writing speed. For this reason, I only managed to complete just over 50% of my History exam (got a B) and although I got full marks in all my other History exams (in year 11, I was granted the use of a word processor), I was a couple of marks shy of an A* overall, which was perhaps the most disappointing result I came across in all my GCSE's, whether it be unit grades or full subject grades. For A-Levels, although originally having been put down for Maths, Further Maths, History, Law and Economics, due to many clashes within option blocks, I chose to do 4 A-Levels and I am planning on keep all my subject in A2. The 4 subjects I chose were Economics, Maths, Law and History, but due to some more complications, there is a chance that I may not be able to do Economics, as the school does not offer them anymore and if I am unable to do my Economics A-Level in College, then I am going to have to settle for Maths, History, Law and Philosophy. A-Levels are a fresh start to me and now I am more determined to succeed than I have ever been before and for all my A-Levels I am going to be trying to achieve the best possible grades available and I will do whatever it takes to get them. If I was to get top A-Level grades, would my GCSE results stand in the way of a successful application to the likes of Oxbridge/UCL/LSE/King's College/Imperial? Or will I still be considered? Thank You
Cool story bro...
Oxford won't care about the specifics of your GCSE modules.
It's all very well minutely analysing your modules and it is good that you improved drastically in year 11 but the fact is you didn't get all A*s and laziness isn't an extenuating circumstance. Also, trying to spin your turn around as awesomely impressive is a bit dodgy seeing as GCSE isn't even that hard...
You will have to do well at AS to back up the "I was young and lazy" excuse - the jump from year 10 to 11 won't be enough.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by qwertyuiop1993
Original post by qwertyuiop1993
Cool story bro...
Oxford won't care about the specifics of your GCSE modules.
It's all very well minutely analysing your modules and is good that you improved drastically in year 11 but the fact is you didn't get all A*s and laziness isn't an extenuating circumstance.
You will have to do well at AS to back up the "I was young and lazy" excuse - the jump from year 10 to 11 won't be enough.
Oxford won't care about the specifics of your GCSE modules.
It's all very well minutely analysing your modules and is good that you improved drastically in year 11 but the fact is you didn't get all A*s and laziness isn't an extenuating circumstance.
You will have to do well at AS to back up the "I was young and lazy" excuse - the jump from year 10 to 11 won't be enough.
I know that. What I said weren't excuses, at the end of the day it came down to poor Academical perfomances. What I asked was not to do with the jump from year 10 to year 11, but bearing in mind if I manage to get top A-Level grades, would I still be considered, or would I be disqualified from being offered a place at those Universities, because of my poor GCSE's?
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- Does Oxford care about GCSEs if you wanna do law there?
- Cambridge ISMM 2024 entry
- Doubts about medicine
- TSR Community Awards 2023 Winners
- TSR Community Awards 2023 - VOTING NOW CLOSED!
- How Difficult Is It To Get Into Oxford?
- I did bad in my iGCSE's.
- Oxford or Cambridge med?
- NERC and BBSRC DTP PhD 2024
- Considering taking a gap year and applying to oxford
- Oxbridge
- Which university, Oxford or Cambridge cares more about GCSE grades?
- EEE offers
- No BMAT from 2024/25 : Reforms to Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing from 2024
- oxbridge gsce grades
- Importance of degree classification for GEM
- GCSE and A level stats for oxbridge medicine
- New Thread Experience Feedback - Official Thread
- EPQ question ideas
- TSR Decisions Drop In 17th April - 5th May
Latest
Trending
Last reply 29 minutes ago
Weidenfeld Hoffmann Trust (WHT) Scholarship Notification (2024-2025)Last reply 5 hours ago
Oxbridge applicants for modern languages - 2025 entry (applying in 2024)Last reply 1 week ago
Will I get into Oxford with my GCSE results? - EngineeringLast reply 3 weeks ago
will 5 a levels give me a better chance at getting into oxford?Trending
Last reply 29 minutes ago
Weidenfeld Hoffmann Trust (WHT) Scholarship Notification (2024-2025)Last reply 5 hours ago
Oxbridge applicants for modern languages - 2025 entry (applying in 2024)Last reply 1 week ago
Will I get into Oxford with my GCSE results? - EngineeringLast reply 3 weeks ago
will 5 a levels give me a better chance at getting into oxford?
