Having one grade 5 (C) when applying for Oxford
Hi. I know it’s a bit early, but I just received my GCSE results and I got mostly A star, As and one B but I also got one C in Spanish. I’m hoping to appeal against this to make sure it’s correct but say I wanted to go Oxford, would I have lower chance of being accepted because of one bad grade?
(edited 1 year ago)
Apply to Cambridge as they place less emphasis on GCSE grades.
Original post by MlightOr
Hi. I know it’s a bit early, but I just received my GCSE results and I got mostly A star, As and one B but I also got one C in Spanish. I’m hoping to appeal against this to make sure it’s correct but say I wanted to go Oxford, would I have lower chance of being accepted because of one bad grade?
Absolutely not as long as you are not planning on studying Spanish!
What do you wish to study at Oxford?
Original post by MlightOr
Hi. I know it’s a bit early, but I just received my GCSE results and I got mostly A star, As and one B but I also got one C in Spanish. I’m hoping to appeal against this to make sure it’s correct but say I wanted to go Oxford, would I have lower chance of being accepted because of one bad grade?
Original post by Oxford Mum
What do you wish to study at Oxford?
Medicine, most probably. I know that it’s a competitive so I’m wondering just how much sway GCSE grades are during the admission process.
Original post by MlightOr
Medicine, most probably. I know that it’s a competitive so I’m wondering just how much sway GCSE grades are during the admission process.
do you go to a state school? your GCSE grades could be contextualised, which means you may still have a good shot
Original post by MlightOr
Medicine, most probably. I know that it’s a competitive so I’m wondering just how much sway GCSE grades are during the admission process.
There's no advantage to studying Medicine at Oxford; all degrees are GMC accredited.
What is it about studying there you want?
Hi there, OP!
I can't speak for Oxford and say definitively how they would approach your results. What I can tell you is what we at Peterhouse look at (in no particular order) when looking at GCSE results:
- Total number of 8s and 9s
- How you did in relation to your cohort at your school. In Cambridge, this includes placing applicants in a quintile of relative GCSE achievement in your year in your school and adjusting the number of A*s achieved (A*s are 8s and 9s in numbered grading systems and A*s in letter grading systems) upwards for students in low-performing GCSE schools. Oxford contextualise GCSE data, but may do things differently. This was the only information I could find on the Oxford website.
- Grades in relevant subjects - did you get strong/your strongest grades in the subject(s) that are most relevant to what you want to study?
- What subjects are your weaker grades in? Are they relevant to what you want to study?
Of course, Oxford is not Cambridge and indeed what Peterhouse does might not be common to all colleges. However, one weaker grade is not going to destroy an otherwise-good application. Hopefully this will give you some idea and set your mind at rest a bit.
I can't speak for Oxford and say definitively how they would approach your results. What I can tell you is what we at Peterhouse look at (in no particular order) when looking at GCSE results:
- Total number of 8s and 9s
- How you did in relation to your cohort at your school. In Cambridge, this includes placing applicants in a quintile of relative GCSE achievement in your year in your school and adjusting the number of A*s achieved (A*s are 8s and 9s in numbered grading systems and A*s in letter grading systems) upwards for students in low-performing GCSE schools. Oxford contextualise GCSE data, but may do things differently. This was the only information I could find on the Oxford website.
- Grades in relevant subjects - did you get strong/your strongest grades in the subject(s) that are most relevant to what you want to study?
- What subjects are your weaker grades in? Are they relevant to what you want to study?
Of course, Oxford is not Cambridge and indeed what Peterhouse does might not be common to all colleges. However, one weaker grade is not going to destroy an otherwise-good application. Hopefully this will give you some idea and set your mind at rest a bit.
Original post by nightingalegend
do you go to a state school? your GCSE grades could be contextualised, which means you may still have a good shot
I do, and am continuing into its Sixth Form this year.
Original post by MlightOr
Medicine, most probably. I know that it’s a competitive so I’m wondering just how much sway GCSE grades are during the admission process.
Aha. I was going to say it doesn’t matter if you don’t want to study medicine at Oxford…. GCSEs do matter and most successful candidates ( including my son, currently in his sixth year) have at least 10 x 8/9s. The very least is 8. This is just due to the massive competition. As has been said further up the thread, Cambridge would be a much better bet, although the offer at a*a*a is higher than Oxford’s a*aa. I did look at the Cambridge data once and a handful of students got in one year with five or less a* s. You would need to ace the bmat, do lots of research in an area of medicine that intrigues you etc. Later on I will send you the Oxford and Cambridge demystified chapters, so you can see the type of things offer holders have done to get in.
Original post by may_g
honestly i would love to know this too bc i got one 5 so just replying to watch the thread
Hi there
How about you? What do you wish to study?
Original post by may_g
hi! my one 5 is in science, and i'm hoping to study either english or mfl
Mfl is a different kettle of fish. Statistically it is in the top ten easiest subjects to get in for. The English will be a bit harder because of fiercer competition. My son got only 3 x 8/9s but got in for German. You need to be good at literature for all of your chosen courses. The 5 will not matter
Original post by Oxford Mum
Mfl is a different kettle of fish. Statistically it is in the top ten easiest subjects to get in for. The English will be a bit harder because of fiercer competition. My son got only 3 x 8/9s but got in for German. You need to be good at literature for all of your chosen courses. The 5 will not matter
thank you
Original post by Oxford Mum
Aha. I was going to say it doesn’t matter if you don’t want to study medicine at Oxford…. GCSEs do matter and most successful candidates ( including my son, currently in his sixth year) have at least 10 x 8/9s. The very least is 8. This is just due to the massive competition. As has been said further up the thread, Cambridge would be a much better bet, although the offer at a*a*a is higher than Oxford’s a*aa. I did look at the Cambridge data once and a handful of students got in one year with five or less a* s. You would need to ace the bmat, do lots of research in an area of medicine that intrigues you etc. Later on I will send you the Oxford and Cambridge demystified chapters, so you can see the type of things offer holders have done to get in.
Oxford have not set so much store by gcse's since covid. This cohort are still very much in the effected group. It would be nice to hear from people who went to the open days this year on what different subjects are saying about gcse's.
i applied for medicine 2023 entry and they didn't look at gcses AT ALL in 2023. i know because i forgot to put gcse maths on my ucas and got automatic rejections from my other ones lol. so if it was done during a covid year they dont care as they weren't 'real' ie weren't standardised between schools
(edited 10 months ago)
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