Help me pick my GCSE subjects: Medicine, Economics, PPE, CompSci

Looking to pick my GCSE subjects for the next 2 years and I am stuck by my school's limitation of maximum 9 GCSE subjects (it's a large well known boarding school in the South-East).

So far I would like to keep my options open to study any of the below:
- Medicine (dream Oxbridge, UCL, King's etc)
- Economics (dream Oxbridge, LSE, etc)
- PPE (dream Oxford)
- CompSci (dream Oxbridge, Imperial, etc)

So far I am decided on the below:
1- Maths + further maths
2- English
3- Biology
4- Chemistry
5- French
6- Spanish

So have to drop one (can keep three) of the below four:
* Physics
* Latin
* History
* CompSci

About the moving parts:

* Physics: nearly everyone on my school takes it. Almost embarrassing if you don't. Looks like it's kind of useful for medicine and economics, but it is not a strict requirement. Do I close any doors if I don't pick it?

* CompSci: around 1/3 of students in my school take it, mostly because it is reserved for only top maths sets, so nearly everyone who can does it. Do I limit my options if I don't take it, but others do? I am thinking in terms of internal competition, coming from the same secondary to Oxbridge, do I disadvantage myself if I offer say [ Maths + FM + Chemistry ] vs a peer who offers [ Maths + FM + CompSci ]?

* Latin: around 2/3 of students in my school take it. Love the subject, but can see little benefit for future career other than for medicine on a tangent. But is it wise to drop any of the others to keep Latin? I'm not sure...

* History: around 1/2 of students in my school take it. Hearsay is that this is recommended for PPE and Economics, but other humanities/essay subjects are also OK like English or an MFL. Roughly half of students in my school take it. Do I limit myself in my future choices / competitiveness if I don't?

Pls advise - which one do you think I can most 'safely' drop without jeopardising my outlook and potentially narrowing my options into these four areas?

Reply 1

subbhy

18

Original post by SomeTacosBJ

Looking to pick my GCSE subjects for the next 2 years and I am stuck by my school's limitation of maximum 9 GCSE subjects (it's a large well known boarding school in the South-East).

So far I would like to keep my options open to study any of the below:
- Medicine (dream Oxbridge, UCL, King's etc)
- Economics (dream Oxbridge, LSE, etc)
- PPE (dream Oxford)
- CompSci (dream Oxbridge, Imperial, etc)

So far I am decided on the below:
1- Maths + further maths
2- English
3- Biology
4- Chemistry
5- French
6- Spanish

So have to drop one (can keep three) of the below four:
* Physics
* Latin
* History
* CompSci

About the moving parts:

* Physics: nearly everyone on my school takes it. Almost embarrassing if you don't. Looks like it's kind of useful for medicine and economics, but it is not a strict requirement. Do I close any doors if I don't pick it?

* CompSci: around 1/3 of students in my school take it, mostly because it is reserved for only top maths sets, so nearly everyone who can does it. Do I limit my options if I don't take it, but others do? I am thinking in terms of internal competition, coming from the same secondary to Oxbridge, do I disadvantage myself if I offer say [ Maths + FM + Chemistry ] vs a peer who offers [ Maths + FM + CompSci ]?

* Latin: around 2/3 of students in my school take it. Love the subject, but can see little benefit for future career other than for medicine on a tangent. But is it wise to drop any of the others to keep Latin? I'm not sure...

* History: around 1/2 of students in my school take it. Hearsay is that this is recommended for PPE and Economics, but other humanities/essay subjects are also OK like English or an MFL. Roughly half of students in my school take it. Do I limit myself in my future choices / competitiveness if I don't?

Pls advise - which one do you think I can most 'safely' drop without jeopardising my outlook and potentially narrowing my options into these four areas?

I think those 4 subjects are all pretty good to keep! Given you’re already doing a couple other languages, perhaps Latin could be taken out?

And btw it’s not 9 subjects, it’s 11! Maths and FM are separate GCSEs and there’s English Language and Literature which are separate GCSEs too!

Reply 2

SomeTacosBJ

OP

1

Original post by subbhy

I think those 4 subjects are all pretty good to keep! Given you’re already doing a couple other languages, perhaps Latin could be taken out?

And btw it’s not 9 subjects, it’s 11! Maths and FM are separate GCSEs and there’s English Language and Literature which are separate GCSEs too!

Thanks @subbhy, makes sense. Do you think the high take up of latin is because it is a "language"? FMSQ and English Lit are included but doesn't count towards the nine.

Reply 3

SomeTacosBJ

OP

1

Looking to pick my GCSE subjects for the next 2 years and I am stuck by my school's limitation of maximum nine GCSE subject areas (it's a large well known boarding school in the South-East).

So far I am decided on the below:
1- Maths + FMSQ
2- English language
3- Biology
4- Chemistry
5- French
6- Spanish

So have to drop one (can keep three) of the below four:
* Physics
* Latin
* History
* CompSci

I am thinking about dropping history, around 1/2 of students in my school take it. I am hearing that it is recommended for PPE and Economics, but that English language or an MFL like French or Spanish would be equally valuable. Do I limit myself in my future choices / competitiveness if I don't include history in my GCSE choices? Can I even take history A-levels if I don't?

For the rest of the choices:

* Physics: nearly everyone on my school takes it. Almost embarrassing if you don't. Looks like it's kind of useful for medicine and economics, but it is not a strict requirement. Do I close any doors if I don't pick it?

* CompSci: around 1/3 of students in my school take it, mostly because it is reserved for only top maths sets, so nearly everyone who can does it. Do I limit my options if I don't take it, but others do? I am thinking in terms of internal competition, coming from the same secondary to Oxbridge, do I disadvantage myself if I offer say [ Maths + FM + Chemistry ] vs a peer who offers [ Maths + FM + CompSci ]?

* Latin: around 2/3 of students in my school take it. Love the subject, but can see little benefit for future career other than for medicine on a tangent. But is it wise to drop any of the others to keep Latin? I'm not sure...

Pls advise - do you think I can 'safely' drop history without jeopardising my outlook and potentially narrowing my options?

Reply 4

SomeTacosBJ

OP

1

Looking to pick my GCSE subjects for the next 2 years and I am stuck by my school's limitation of maximum nine GCSE subject areas (it's a large well known boarding school in the South-East).

So far I am decided on the below:
1- Maths + FMSQ
2- English language
3- Biology
4- Chemistry
5- French
6- Spanish

So have to drop one (can keep three) of the below four:
* Physics
* Latin
* History
* CompSci

I am thinking about dropping history, around 1/2 of students in my school take it. I am hearing that it is recommended for PPE and Economics, but that English language or an MFL like French or Spanish would be equally valuable. Do I limit myself in my future choices / competitiveness if I don't include history in my GCSE choices? Can I even take history A-levels if I don't?

For the rest of the choices:

* Physics: nearly everyone on my school takes it. Almost embarrassing if you don't. Looks like it's kind of useful for medicine and economics, but it is not a strict requirement. Do I close any doors if I don't pick it?

* CompSci: around 1/3 of students in my school take it, mostly because it is reserved for only top maths sets, so nearly everyone who can does it. Do I limit my options if I don't take it, but others do? I am thinking in terms of internal competition, coming from the same secondary to Oxbridge, do I disadvantage myself if I offer say [ Maths + FM + Chemistry ] vs a peer who offers [ Maths + FM + CompSci ]?

* Latin: around 2/3 of students in my school take it. Love the subject, but can see little benefit for future career other than for medicine on a tangent. But is it wise to drop any of the others to keep Latin? I'm not sure...

Pls advise - do you think I can 'safely' drop history without jeopardising my outlook and potentially narrowing my options?

Reply 5

subbhy

18

Original post by SomeTacosBJ

Thanks @subbhy, makes sense. Do you think the high take up of latin is because it is a "language"? FMSQ and English Lit are included but doesn't count towards the nine.

I’m not sure about Latin! Perhaps it’s just out of academic interest / an ancient language looks good alongside modern foreign languages! I’ve not heard of anyone else doing Latin so I don’t think many schools offer it!

Reply 6

emm4nuella

Debate & Current Affairs Helper, Study Forum Helper

19

Original post by SomeTacosBJ

Looking to pick my GCSE subjects for the next 2 years and I am stuck by my school's limitation of maximum nine GCSE subject areas (it's a large well known boarding school in the South-East).

So far I am decided on the below:
1- Maths + FMSQ
2- English language
3- Biology
4- Chemistry
5- French
6- Spanish

So have to drop one (can keep three) of the below four:
* Physics
* Latin
* History
* CompSci

I am thinking about dropping history, around 1/2 of students in my school take it. I am hearing that it is recommended for PPE and Economics, but that English language or an MFL like French or Spanish would be equally valuable. Do I limit myself in my future choices / competitiveness if I don't include history in my GCSE choices? Can I even take history A-levels if I don't?

For the rest of the choices:

* Physics: nearly everyone on my school takes it. Almost embarrassing if you don't. Looks like it's kind of useful for medicine and economics, but it is not a strict requirement. Do I close any doors if I don't pick it?

* CompSci: around 1/3 of students in my school take it, mostly because it is reserved for only top maths sets, so nearly everyone who can does it. Do I limit my options if I don't take it, but others do? I am thinking in terms of internal competition, coming from the same secondary to Oxbridge, do I disadvantage myself if I offer say [ Maths + FM + Chemistry ] vs a peer who offers [ Maths + FM + CompSci ]?

* Latin: around 2/3 of students in my school take it. Love the subject, but can see little benefit for future career other than for medicine on a tangent. But is it wise to drop any of the others to keep Latin? I'm not sure...

Pls advise - do you think I can 'safely' drop history without jeopardising my outlook and potentially narrowing my options?

Hello first of all please make sure you don't post the same thread more than once. Also, yes - I think the GCSEs you picked are fine! If you didn't do history GCSE, then you cant do the A Level. Also, Physics is compulsory so you gave to do that. But overall, don't stress about it!!

@SomeTacosBJ, let's break this down:

Looking to pick my GCSE subjects for the next 2 years and I am stuck by my school's limitation of maximum nine GCSE subject areas (it's a large well known boarding school in the South-East).

Most students will do nine or ten subjects. You want to take as few as possible to set yourself up for the best chances of success.

So far I am decided on the below:
1- Maths + FMSQ
2- English language
3- Biology
4- Chemistry
5- French
6- Spanish

You will also need to take Physics. Does your school also require you to take GCSE English Literature or GCSE Religious Education?

So have to drop one (can keep three) of the below four:
* Physics
* Latin
* History
* CompSci

You cannot drop Physics. It's compulsory.

I am thinking about dropping history, around 1/2 of students in my school take it. I am hearing that it is recommended for PPE and Economics, but that English language or an MFL like French or Spanish would be equally valuable. Do I limit myself in my future choices / competitiveness if I don't include history in my GCSE choices? Can I even take history A-levels if I don't?

For now, though it's good to have an idea of what you want to do in the future, you should choose a selection of subjects that keep doors open.

For some schools, GCSE History is a prerequisite to taking it at A-Level. If you plan to do A-Levels at the same school, ask your school.

* Physics: nearly everyone on my school takes it. Almost embarrassing if you don't. Looks like it's kind of useful for medicine and economics, but it is not a strict requirement. Do I close any doors if I don't pick it?

* CompSci: around 1/3 of students in my school take it, mostly because it is reserved for only top maths sets, so nearly everyone who can does it. Do I limit my options if I don't take it, but others do? I am thinking in terms of internal competition, coming from the same secondary to Oxbridge, do I disadvantage myself if I offer say [ Maths + FM + Chemistry ] vs a peer who offers [ Maths + FM + CompSci ]?

* Latin: around 2/3 of students in my school take it. Love the subject, but can see little benefit for future career other than for medicine on a tangent. But is it wise to drop any of the others to keep Latin? I'm not sure...

Pls advise - do you think I can 'safely' drop history without jeopardising my outlook and potentially narrowing my options?

It doesn't matter who in your school takes what subject. All of your options so far will keep doors open. You need to choose the subjects you like doing.

As long as you meet the entry requirements for university courses, you will not be at a disadvantage.

@SomeTacosBJ, I am merging all your threads. Please do not create duplicate threads. :smile:

(edited 9 months ago)

Reply 9

melancollege

Universities Forum Helper

18

Whether or not you can take History A-Level without the GCSE is up to the discretion of the school. It is not usually a prerequisite but it is recommended. Other than English and Maths, generally speaking, there are no specific GCSE subjects required as it will be your A-Level subjects.

For Oxford PPE, Maths is recommended. Since you are coming from what I assume is a large independent boarding school, you can treat this recommendation as a quasi-requirement. They state that History may be of useful preparation so it may be worth looking into it more if it's the topics in the GCSE specification you dislike and not the subject area as a whole. Politics, Economics and Philosophy A-Levels may also help, and, since Maths is recommended, Further Maths may also be useful.

For Cambridge Economics, Maths is required. The course overall is very Maths-heavy - I'd say they do more Statistics than us Maths students, particularly in the earlier years - so Further Maths is very useful, with 93% of successful applicants having it. Similarly, Economics A-Level is also taken by 93%, with 86% taking both Economics and Further Maths. If you're coming from a particularly well-performing school, especially an independent school, then they may be less lenient with your not having them, as many of the students who don't have them won't have had them as options at their schools.

Overall, your GCSE subject choices really shouldn't make much difference, provided that they permit you to do the necessary A-Levels.

I should mention that Oxford PPE and Cambridge Economics are really quite different courses. Oxford also has Economics and Management which is more similar to Cambridge Economics. Furthermore, if you are still at the stage of choosing your GCSEs, you are really looking ahead too early, especially for choosing courses that you likely won't have studied at school.

Reply 10

cantankerouswolf

9

Original post by SomeTacosBJ

Looking to pick my GCSE subjects for the next 2 years and I am stuck by my school's limitation of maximum 9 GCSE subjects (it's a large well known boarding school in the South-East).
So far I would like to keep my options open to study any of the below:
- Medicine (dream Oxbridge, UCL, King's etc)
- Economics (dream Oxbridge, LSE, etc)
- PPE (dream Oxford)
- CompSci (dream Oxbridge, Imperial, etc)
So far I am decided on the below:
1- Maths + further maths
2- English
3- Biology
4- Chemistry
5- French
6- Spanish
So have to drop one (can keep three) of the below four:
* Physics
* Latin
* History
* CompSci
About the moving parts:
* Physics: nearly everyone on my school takes it. Almost embarrassing if you don't. Looks like it's kind of useful for medicine and economics, but it is not a strict requirement. Do I close any doors if I don't pick it?
* CompSci: around 1/3 of students in my school take it, mostly because it is reserved for only top maths sets, so nearly everyone who can does it. Do I limit my options if I don't take it, but others do? I am thinking in terms of internal competition, coming from the same secondary to Oxbridge, do I disadvantage myself if I offer say [ Maths + FM + Chemistry ] vs a peer who offers [ Maths + FM + CompSci ]?
* Latin: around 2/3 of students in my school take it. Love the subject, but can see little benefit for future career other than for medicine on a tangent. But is it wise to drop any of the others to keep Latin? I'm not sure...
* History: around 1/2 of students in my school take it. Hearsay is that this is recommended for PPE and Economics, but other humanities/essay subjects are also OK like English or an MFL. Roughly half of students in my school take it. Do I limit myself in my future choices / competitiveness if I don't?
Pls advise - which one do you think I can most 'safely' drop without jeopardising my outlook and potentially narrowing my options into these four areas?

I am in year 11. My friends have struggled with compsci but you should definitely take it if you want to do it at uni (make sure to take physics as well because sometimes they like that for compsci)
History is a good gcse (most people find it easier than Latin and it’s more useful for PPE if you opt to do it for a level) . Don’t get me wrong Latin is a good subject (my sibling took Latin A level and ended up at Oxford studying chemistry) however I think history would provide more open doors (provided you don’t want to do classics at university) and it is also (arguably easier and more enjoyable)!

Help me pick my GCSE subjects: Medicine, Economics, PPE, CompSci

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