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SsHh02

6

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(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 1

Kian Stevens

16

Seriously, it depends what you get at A-level; after all, the entire point of them is to get you into university
I understand that both Cambridge and Oxford look at GCSEs, but I don’t think they look at them as much as they do your A-levels, and if you show your worth by getting good enough A-levels then they have no reason to not consider you

Even then, what does it matter if you don’t get into these universities? Only a very small number of people get offered a place at either of them, and then an even smaller number are actually admitted
There are plenty of fantastic universities out there which you could go to instead, and so it really won’t do you much good to beat yourself up over doubts about getting into two of the greatest universities in the world

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 2

username4218074

18

Oxford - probably not since they see GCSEs as important factors
Cambridge don't evaluate GCSEs so much as they prefer post 16 qualifications; they interview most applicants as they use it as a method to test intelligence and aptitude for the course - you will ideally need 3 A*s predicted and a good admissions test score.

Reply 3

ella1902

15

I’m not an expert in the subject but as far as I’m aware oxford does look a lot at gcse so I don’t think you’d have a chance there. I’ve heard Cambridge puts less weight in gcse results but I’m not sure to what extent.

Reply 4

Anonymous #1

You probably wouldn’t get an oxford interview with those gcses. Cambridge probably would believe 3A*s predictions with those gcses. I suggest you put all of your efforts into actually getting 3A*s (don’t even take the time out to do a UCAS application during y13) and then apply post A level to Cambridge and your other 4 unis.

Reply 5

Anonymous #1

Sorry typo - *camb wouldn’t believe 3A*s predictions. Hence apply post a level when/if you actually meet or exceed the offer

Reply 6

Anonymous #2

You scored a C in English language and yet you want to study English at Oxbridge? That's embarrassing. And no A*? A recipe for disaster.

Reply 7

help_bot2021

9

I have a cousin who failed all his GCSEs... Retook them all... Passed them all with Bs and Cs and then moved on to A-Levels. Smashed his A-Levels. Got a place! Never give up hope...

Reply 8

SsHh02

OP

6

Original post by SALMAAN_SOG

I have a cousin who failed all his GCSEs... Retook them all... Passed them all with Bs and Cs and then moved on to A-Levels. Smashed his A-Levels. Got a place! Never give up hope...

But I don’t have the time to re take all my GCSE’s, do you think I could still apply? I got 8 GCSE’s grades from 7-5 including a 5 for English Lang and a 4 for maths and I got an A for English lit. Do you think if I could do a really good personal statement get really good A level results and a good result in my Aptitude test? I don’t want to take a gap year either.

Reply 9

help_bot2021

9

Original post by SsHh02

But I don’t have the time to re take all my GCSE’s, do you think I could still apply? I got 8 GCSE’s grades from 7-5 including a 5 for English Lang and a 4 for maths and I got an A for English lit. Do you think if I could do a really good personal statement get really good A level results and a good result in my Aptitude test? I don’t want to take a gap year either.

It's gonna be tough for you... But you still have a chance... You need to start gathering some more credit behind you! Work Experience! Volunteering etc... Find ways to make up for your grades and make sure you stand out in every way shape and form! Remember, even if you don't get a place... You can do just as good else where!

Reply 10

SsHh02

OP

6

Original post by SALMAAN_SOG

It's gonna be tough for you... But you still have a chance... You need to start gathering some more credit behind you! Work Experience! Volunteering etc... Find ways to make up for your grades and make sure you stand out in every way shape and form! Remember, even if you don't get a place... You can do just as good else where!

I would take the chance even if it is slim but I don’t want to take the chance if there isn’t any? I don’t want to put down oxbridge it I know I’m going to get rejected there isn’t a point.

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 11

SsHh02

OP

6

Original post by SALMAAN_SOG

It's gonna be tough for you... But you still have a chance... You need to start gathering some more credit behind you! Work Experience! Volunteering etc... Find ways to make up for your grades and make sure you stand out in every way shape and form! Remember, even if you don't get a place... You can do just as good else where!

would you recommend I apply for Cambridge or oxford. I know with oxford I can do a joint honours with English and history but the only thing is oxford look at GCSE’s and with Cambridge I have to pick between history or English so...I don’t really know. Apparently Cambridge look less at GCSE’s though.

Reply 12

Anonymous #1

Original post by SsHh02

But I don’t have the time to re take all my GCSE’s, do you think I could still apply? I got 8 GCSE’s grades from 7-5 including a 5 for English Lang and a 4 for maths and I got an A for English lit. Do you think if I could do a really good personal statement get really good A level results and a good result in my Aptitude test? I don’t want to take a gap year either.

Hi. I hate be the bearer of bad news but I don’t they’d interview you with those GCSEs. Sadly, your only option here is to take a gap year and apply post A-level

Reply 13

SsHh02

OP

6

Original post by Anonymous

Hi. I hate be the bearer of bad news but I don’t they’d interview you with those GCSEs. Sadly, your only option here is to take a gap year and apply post A-level

Don’t you think? Do you think there is even a point. I was also thinking st Andrew or Durham but I feel like they look at GCSE’s as well so i don’t know.

Reply 14

Anonymous #1

Original post by SsHh02

Don’t you think? Do you think there is even a point. I was also thinking st Andrew or Durham but I feel like they look at GCSE’s as well so i don’t know.

Unless your contextual GCSE score is high (you did the best in your cohort at school - ie your school is very underperforming), I think it would be a struggle to make a competitive application during y13. If you want to apply during y13, I’d say your gcses would mean that, unlike most candidates applying to Oxbridge, you can’t apply to 4 or 5 risky choices. You should probably go for 3 max risky ones (out of Oxbridge, LSE if you end up applying straight hist, UCL, KCL, Warwick, Durham, St Andrews, Edinburgh, Bristol), and then 2 ‘safer’ unis where your gcses would be in line with the rest of the applicants. As a note, the top unis are very unpredictable and getting an offer from one of them is a very small indicator of whether you’ll get an offer from another!

It is true that Cambridge don’t look at GCSEs as much as Oxford. However, now AS levels are no longer compulsory, GCSEs are the only qualifications you have when applying to uni, so Camb is likely to put more weight on GCSEs than they did before. An option could be to sit AS levels this summer (they will not count towards your A2 results, but 4As at AS level will show vast improvement since GCSE and make your predictions more believable).

Oxford place more value on their entrance tests than Cambridge do, so that could be an argument for applying to Oxford. However, Oxford tend to use algorithms for shortlisting, meaning that even a very high entrance exam score may not make up for poor GCSEs.

Whether you apply in y13 or on a gap year, Cambridge is the better option I think. If you want to apply during year 13, perhaps you could use it as a ‘trial run’ - even if you don’t get an interview, you would have gained valuable experience with the entrance exam. If you get an interview but no offer, you’ll be more comfortable when reapplying on a gap year. And you might even get an offer in y13!

Don’t go in with high expectations. And don’t devote too much time to Oxbridge prep in y13 - in my opinion, it would be better to focus on your A-levels, make sure you get 3A*s or close to it, and then apply on a gap year when you are able to make a competitive application.

Reply 15

help_bot2021

9

Original post by SsHh02

would you recommend I apply for Cambridge or oxford. I know with oxford I can do a joint honours with English and history but the only thing is oxford look at GCSE’s and with Cambridge I have to pick between history or English so...I don’t really know. Apparently Cambridge look less at GCSE’s though.

Much more of a chance with Cambridge to be honest... Your chances are unidentifiable with Oxford. Good Luck

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