Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

A-levels and university...

(edited 6 years ago)

So, I'm in year 12. If I do my AS-levels badly, I won't be able to go to a top university. This is presumably the case even if I get top grades next year, in year 13, at A2-level...?

If so, and I am forced to have to apply to lower-tier universities, I will be discontent. I have a number of options from here, I take it.

Firstly, I could just not apply after bad AS-level results this year, and do my AS-levels and A2-levels in the summer of 2015 again, and possibly again in the summer of 2016, properly. I would definitely get much, much better results, meaning I could then apply to go to (a good), top Russell Group university for September 2016 (and not 2015). I could gain even the most mediocre kind of work experience by doing this, along the way, too... However, I do not want to do this. It would be embarrassing, and I would feel really rather depressed, right up until I do - finally - go to a top university.

Could I also go to a lower-tier university, get a top First class BSc, and apply to do an MSc/other, different degree, at a much better university? I hear many people do this, and are still deemed almost as employable as a BSc student at Warwick, or Bristol, say...?

One other thing is... Could I do my A-levels again, during my time in whatever university I go to, so that I have much better A-level results to complement an overall transfer application to somewhere like LSE, UCL, Warwick etc?

Please could people discuss some general ideas on all this, and options available? Thank you...

In Yr13, if you had a massive improvement, provided you've already put a UCAS application in and received offers, you can go through adjustment, and get into a better uni :smile:

Applying a year or so later can be a bit trickier, getting the school to provide references and things like that, and I think for courses like medicine it's generally not preferred :s-smilie:

But you're absolutely right saying that even if you went for a lower tier uni, you can do your masters elsewhere :smile:

I'm not sure about retaking A-Levels whilst at uni :s-smilie:

My advice is not to resign yourself to lower-tier universities...I was quite shocked and a bit embarrassed to find I got BCCD at AS! Still put in a UCAS application, and I've received and accepted an offer from Nottingham to do Biochemistry as my firm choice (AAB), and as my insurance I got an offer from Warwick to do Chemistry (ABB)...so don't worry if the grades don't go quite as planned :biggrin:

If your predicted grades at least contain an A (I got predicted ABBC), and you've got a good personal statement to back it up, you should be fine :smile:

Obviously not the best situation...I'm doing 17 exams this year as a result of last year...much better prepared now, and hoping that (now I find AS exams comparatively easy) I can bump up AS grades enough to counteract a not quite so good performance at A2 (might be Bs), which will be tricky with all the retakes, but worth the risk :wink:

Reply 2

Tappouni

Original post by Wisefire

Wow, well done with those offers! Two very strong universities for one hell of a respected course. This encourages me a bit I suppose then, especially as those courses you mentioned are probably more competitive to apply for, compared to what I want to apply for (Economics, Maths, Finance or Physics, in chronological preferred order).

Thanks for the reply! :smile:

Thanks

I was a bit surprised getting the offers, but they were two places I really wanted to go to, so thought I should put them down as 2 of my 5 choices. Most courses are generally fairly competitive at Russell Group unis I reckon, but even if you don't get what you were hoping for this year...don't worry about it, there'll always be a way around it :smile:

Good luck with your exams :biggrin:

Reply 3

gr8wizard10

Original post by Wisefire

Thanks at the above poster.

Also, could anybody elaborate on the likelihood that me doing well in AS-level retakes, and A2-level exams next year, will allow me to gain a place to study any one of the above subjects (preferably Economics or Maths, also Finance, and possibly Physics) at universities like UCL, Warwick, Durham or LSE? This would be alongside what I feel would be a rather articulate personal statement, and academic-based extra-curriculars (lectures, books, online courses, attending events, community service, possibly an extra-curricular essay and maybe even some work experience, or some minor employment?)

Bump...

Target universities are competitive for those types of degrees, as everyone's looking to get into IB. You need strong AS grades to get an offer, to be perfectly honest with you. The likelihood those subjects would be in clearing are very minimal and as I understand it to be they may ask for a higher grade if you're a re-take candidate. Nonetheless, good-luck!

Reply 4

Fox12

HI.I need your advice(s). I got ABC in AS but my predicted grades are AAA. What is my chance of securing an interview if applied to Oxford? Do i stand a chance by all means?