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Are my a-levels creditable enough?

Hi guys, just a quick one... I'm currently in dispute on whether I should drop my English Language AS and keep my work load to three AS. My other subjects are Government and Politics, Business and Law. Hopefully I want to end up on a undergraduate degree studying law, but I don't know if these alone are creditable enough what do you guys think?
Original post by MaxSop
Hi guys, just a quick one... I'm currently in dispute on whether I should drop my English Language AS and keep my work load to three AS. My other subjects are Government and Politics, Business and Law. Hopefully I want to end up on a undergraduate degree studying law, but I don't know if these alone are creditable enough what do you guys think?


They should be fine! :smile: At the end of the day unis are more focused on AS and Predicted grades than anything so if you think you can get a better grade with just the three you should definitely go for it. I'm only doing 3 myself and universities don't seem to mind when I asked! :smile:
Depends on which unis you're looking at- check the websites to see what their entrance criteria are and if they require a 4th AS. More competitive unis also tend to require you to do 2 or more "facilitating" subjects, of which a list is published on their website, so that may mean you'd have to do English to A2. (Business and Law are both non preferred, and Politics is sometimes non preferred, sometimes accepted)

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If I'm not mistaken, the only universities that publish lists on "preferred" vs "non-preferred" A-Levels are Oxbridge, LSE, UCL, and Sheffield. Perhaps there are others (Imperial maybe?) but for the most part, it's only the ferociously competitive universities that will discriminate based on A Level choice.So unless you plan on applying to those universities, it shouldn't be a big deal. Your A Levels for Law seem totally fine. Of course, the best thing to do is to email the universities that you're most interested in attending. In all likelihood though, they'll tell you that your subject choice is fine, and that they're far more interested in your actual predicted grades/GCSEs/Personal Statement than your choice of A Levels.

As for dropping down to 3 AS Levels, I'd only do it if you feel you genuinely cannot cope with the workload. Having 3 AS Levels is just another paranoia you'll have when it comes to your application (going through it now lol), and even though pretty much all universities won't care too much (I believe it's only Warwick and UCL that demand a fourth AS), why give yourself something to worry about? If you really feel you cannot cope, then I would suggest dropping Business over English, as Business sometimes appears on "non-preferred" lists, while English is typically on "preferred" lists. Alternatively, you could drop one of your subjects but pick up an Extended Project on the side. It's less work than a full AS Level, but will still usually be considered as a fourth subject, and it'll give you something to write about in your Personal Statement too.

Tldr; your subject choice is totally fine unless you're applying to Oxbridge, LSE, UCL, or Sheffield. Dropping down to 3 AS will not really hinder your application, but I'd only do it if you feel absolutely overwhelmed by the work.Good luck!
Reply 4
Original post by ChuckHades
If I'm not mistaken, the only universities that publish lists on "preferred" vs "non-preferred" A-Levels are Oxbridge, LSE, UCL, and Sheffield. Perhaps there are others (Imperial maybe?) but for the most part, it's only the ferociously competitive universities that will discriminate based on A Level choice.So unless you plan on applying to those universities, it shouldn't be a big deal. Your A Levels for Law seem totally fine. Of course, the best thing to do is to email the universities that you're most interested in attending. In all likelihood though, they'll tell you that your subject choice is fine, and that they're far more interested in your actual predicted grades/GCSEs/Personal Statement than your choice of A Levels.

As for dropping down to 3 AS Levels, I'd only do it if you feel you genuinely cannot cope with the workload. Having 3 AS Levels is just another paranoia you'll have when it comes to your application (going through it now lol), and even though pretty much all universities won't care too much (I believe it's only Warwick and UCL that demand a fourth AS), why give yourself something to worry about? If you really feel you cannot cope, then I would suggest dropping Business over English, as Business sometimes appears on "non-preferred" lists, while English is typically on "preferred" lists. Alternatively, you could drop one of your subjects but pick up an Extended Project on the side. It's less work than a full AS Level, but will still usually be considered as a fourth subject, and it'll give you something to write about in your Personal Statement too.

Tldr; your subject choice is totally fine unless you're applying to Oxbridge, LSE, UCL, or Sheffield. Dropping down to 3 AS will not really hinder your application, but I'd only do it if you feel absolutely overwhelmed by the work.Good luck!

Thanks mate helped a lot
Honestly I'd keep English language. Most unis like an essay subject :smile:


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