EPQ's... worth it?

Nope not worth unless Oxbridge, n that's not because they value it, it's because everyone else will have done it as well.

Not to boast of course, only to put into perspective, I study one of the most (if not most) competitive course there is, and I didn't do EPQ.

The argument is that it teaches research skills, gives you something to talk about at uni interviews and gets you reduced offers.
I argue that you will learn research skills anyway at uni as they don’t assume you already do, you can find things to talk about at interviews (if any), through school work, voluntary work, work experience.
Most universities give reduced offers or on results day REGARDLESS, plus if you hadn’t been faffing about with an EPQ you probably wouldn’t have needed reduced offers as you would’ve got better grades.

Until I see ‘evidence’ that students who have done an EPQ come out with better degrees than those who didn’t, im not convinced by it. If you’re already buckling under pressure of work then adding an EPQ is a terrible idea.

I did an EPQ and honestly I do recommend doing one. I did it on a topic I found interesting and it allowed me to see whether my uni course was right for me - this may be especially beneficial for you if you do a law related one as it will be a good thing to talk about on a personal statement and also to see for yourself if you are actually interested in law.
If you are organised about it and dedicate some time each week to filling out the log and writing the EPQ, it really isn't a huge burden. It genuinely wasn't hard to balance with my other A levels in Year 12, except maybe the few days before the deadline when I was quickly trying to finish it! If you pick an interesting question it can be enjoyable even.

I have one reduced offer for it which is nice too. Obviously this is my experience, but it might be nice to see for you that not everyone has an overwhelmingly negative view of one. If you're applying to mega competitive courses as well (for example Law at Oxford) you do also want to distinguish yourself from other candidates as much as possible.

I did an EPQ and regretted it a lot. it was a lot of work and I already had a very busy schedule in sixth form. you have one shot to give it your all in a-levels and I personally feel like its not worth the effort because that time can be put into helping yourself achieve higher grades. a lot of my friends are now doing very competitive courses without having done an epq. its also very difficult to predict if you'll achieve a good grade in your epq. If your grade isn't high enough it probably wont get you a reduced offer anyway

Another ‘in favour’ comment here! I loved doing mine, really enjoyed being able to study a topic independently that I felt passionate about, as opposed to being by confined to mark schemes and set answers like I found in A levels. It is a lot of work, so it’s definitely a personal decision, but I certainly felt more prepared for university because it taught me how to time manage, how to self motivate and how to stay focused on one topic

Ok thank you, the schedule is what I am worrying about the most and I feel like it may even limit me if I have to drop my enrichment's (which will be beneficial for my uni course - whichever one I choose).

Please do not drop your enrichments especially if they are beneficial to your uni course. By the sounds of it you are a conscientious student who is already extending them self beyond the curriculum to enhance your chances. Please don’t worry about the EPQ. Out of interest what universities are you applying to?

Thank you for your response. What uni do you study at?

Okay, thank you so much for your response!