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does 4th A level affect University offers?

I just started my A levels and I'm doing 4
If I apply to uni that has requirements of A*AA would they give me an offer for all 4 of my A levels or not care about my forth
(edited 2 years ago)
Original post by qweasdzxcwersdf
I just started my A levels and I'm doing 4
If I apply to uni that has requirements of A*AA would they give me an offer for all 4 of my A levels or not care about my forth

Most unis make an offer on 3 a-levels.
If you do a 4th, then they may not include that in your offer. But it can be useful, if you struggle with one subject then you still have the other 3.
Original post by qweasdzxcwersdf
I just started my A levels and I'm doing 4
If I apply to uni that has requirements of A*AA would they give me an offer for all 4 of my A levels or not care about my forth

Yes they could offer on 4 or stipulate grades in particular subjects.
Original post by qweasdzxcwersdf
I just started my A levels and I'm doing 4
If I apply to uni that has requirements of A*AA would they give me an offer for all 4 of my A levels or not care about my forth

They can make offers on 4 but very few do. Nearly all make offers on your best 3 subjects.
There is no point in doing 4 A levels.
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As someone who did four A Levels, I had offers which required three mostly, except one which stipulated A*A*AA or A*A*A*. It’s up to you ultimately, and I found it academically enjoyable to study an extra subject. If one of your three A Levels would go down as a result of your fourth, I wouldn’t say it’s worth it, but if you keep your three up, I’d say do it as it can give you a slight edge, if not for Uni, for early working life. Not many people take 4 A Levels, so it may show that you’re academically minded!
Original post by McGinger
There is no point in doing 4 A levels.

I'm doing Maths, Further maths, History, and economics. I want to do economics at uni and my odds of getting in are higher with further maths but I'm sure if I want to do the full 2 years or just AS so i'm tkaing it as a forth. The problem is that my school doesn't do AS and A2 for history meaning if a chose to take it for both years I'll have to either take 4 or have wasted a year of History
Original post by qweasdzxcwersdf
I'm doing Maths, Further maths, History, and economics. I want to do economics at uni and my odds of getting in are higher with further maths but I'm sure if I want to do the full 2 years or just AS so i'm tkaing it as a forth. The problem is that my school doesn't do AS and A2 for history meaning if a chose to take it for both years I'll have to either take 4 or have wasted a year of History

Maths, Further Maths and Economics will get you offers without History. As already said you have nothing to gain and everything to lose by taking 4 A levels. There is a strong possibility by taking 4 you can spread your time and this can sometimes lead to lower grades, A*AA is considered better by universities than AAAA or AAAB.
Original post by swanseajack1
Maths, Further Maths and Economics will get you offers without History. As already said you have nothing to gain and everything to lose by taking 4 A levels. There is a strong possibility by taking 4 you can spread your time and this can sometimes lead to lower grades, A*AA is considered better by universities than AAAA or AAAB.

I think I phrased it wrong.
I'm in yr 12 right now and I'm now sure if I'm taking Further maths to A2 or stopping after AS. If I stop after AS I need to take history so that I still have 3 A levels (maths, econ, hist) at the end of yr 13.
If I take further maths to A2 I'm unable to drop history because my school doesn't do History at AS and A2 they just do it as a whole course meaning I cannot drop it during yr 13. So I will end up doing 4 a-levels without a say in the matter
Original post by qweasdzxcwersdf
I think I phrased it wrong.
I'm in yr 12 right now and I'm now sure if I'm taking Further maths to A2 or stopping after AS. If I stop after AS I need to take history so that I still have 3 A levels (maths, econ, hist) at the end of yr 13.
If I take further maths to A2 I'm unable to drop history because my school doesn't do History at AS and A2 they just do it as a whole course meaning I cannot drop it during yr 13. So I will end up doing 4 a-levels without a say in the matter

Further Maths is only useful for a small number of universities. If you intend applying to somewhere like LSE you will need it. If you decide to go ahead with it you would lose nothing in practical terms by dropping History. You would have taken it for a year but you wouldnt be affected by it. Many take 4 A levels suffer lower grades and miss university places because of it. I just hope it doesnt happen to you.
Original post by swanseajack1
They can make offers on 4 but very few do. Nearly all make offers on your best 3 subjects.

I’m sorry I realise this was posted a while ago but do you know if they still do that if one of your best grades was achieved earlier then the others??
Original post by Sandyfish
I’m sorry I realise this was posted a while ago but do you know if they still do that if one of your best grades was achieved earlier then the others??


This depends on a lot of things - how much earlier, what the subject was, what you're applying for and what the unis policy is in general.

You would need to ask the uni(s) about your specific circumstances.
The extra subject is German which I'm doing a year earlier (in year 12) and I want to study classics and English. I just believe that my early German grade might be better then maths which I'm taking next year
Original post by Admit-One
This depends on a lot of things - how much earlier, what the subject was, what you're applying for and what the unis policy is in general.

You would need to ask the uni(s) about your specific circumstances.

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