Will my GCSE's limit my chances of getting into Oxbridge?

GCSEs aren't really an indicator to academic ability, if they were - universities would be very inflexible as to how they use them as entry requirements.

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The only deciding factor as to whether someone should apply is if they get the right AS grades and are wanting to study at a high level in a subject they're interested in.

In fairness, Law (and Medicine) can be different and strong GCSEs may be viewed as helpful. In the Cambridge study "Predictive Effectiveness of Metrics in Admission" AS-levels and GCSE both have the same correlation for Law with 0.32 each.

Maths is the only one where GCSE is higher than AS, but even then that's only 0.31. Most of the subjects where AS is higher than GCSE are at least 0.35+.

It does also say "The study also found thatCambridge’s long-established weighting system for GCSE had now become ineffective in improvingcorrelations between GCSE and Tripos performance"

Nonetheless, the basis of my argument still stands and that the implications of what she said were irresponsible.

Churchill, for one, require at least 5 A* at GCSE to be considered for Interview for Law.

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Honestly I know this will sound rude but I don't believe some of you when you say you got like 1-2A*s for your GCSEs and is studying law or medicine etc in Cambridge. Some of Cambridge colleges state that it's highly unlikely for someone to get an interview without having mostly A*s and like 1-2As and at least 90% UMS for A Levels.


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Will 1 fail in GCSE jeopardize your application to a Russel Group?
I want 4 A* in GCSE.My whole class if failing my Modern Foreign language,(Highest was a G) and i may fail that.However can my other GCSE and AS/A-Level back my application up

In fairness, Law (and Medicine) can be different and strong GCSEs may be viewed as helpful.

Even then more recent results will be more interesting. GCSEs are only ever considered in context of your school and what else we know about you. A good showing at GCSE might be 16 A*s at certain schools, but 1 A* would be exceptional at others. We like to see good performance relative to your school, or a strong upward trajectory from GCSE-A level. Dozens of A*s followed by mediocre AS results can be very concerning, 0 A*s followed by fantastic year 12 results can be very encouraging.

We only look at things holistically. "I got X A*s at GCSE - how will my application be viewed" is to take a overly simplistic view of our admissions process. All applications are reviewed in detail by several people at every stage before any decision is made (to interview or make an offer). For those candidates invited to interview, this can easily add up to a full working day's worth of time per candidate.

Agreed. But Churchill (and others? ) say different for law... ? Which does confuse things somewhat.

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Colleges are independent to an extent and can vary requirements and how they communicate what they're looking for. It's best to view such cases as the exception though. If Colleges don't say anything about requirements they will be following the general policy on GCSEs - Colleges need to be specific if they want to vary anything. Applicants shouldn't extrapolate from cases where GCSE requirements are mentioned and assume that there are secret requirements for other courses.

THink about your last statement again.

Swap "A*s" with "A's and A*s" and then realise that we also mostly got 4 A's, and around 90% UMS for A levels.

The admissions people look at the whole application, and every application will have strengths and weaknesses. And if your weakness is your GCSE's, you're going to have a better chance than people with weaknesses in more important areas - such as AS UMS or your Interviews. They're looking for the best, not who the best are on paper. There's a difference

A few facts can go a long way....


This is for Peterhouse, other Colleges may do it differently but I can sense a growing myth that GCSEs are extra important for Law that I'd like to put to bed. One major reason that many successful applicants have the number of GCSE A*s they do is that doing well at GCSE sets you up to do well at A-level. One other thing to point out is that every candidate's interview report has an adjusted GCSE score which takes context into account.

Thanks!

For which course?

Short answer is yes, good AS can compensate for it. 1 poor MFL GCSE is not a problem.

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Law.

A few facts can go a long way....


This is for Peterhouse, other Colleges may do it differently but I can sense a growing myth that GCSEs are extra important for Law that I'd like to put to bed. One major reason that many successful applicants have the number of GCSE A*s they do is that doing well at GCSE sets you up to do well at A-level. One other thing to point out is that every candidate's interview report has an adjusted GCSE score which takes context into account.

Thanks!