Grammar school - top or mediocre - which to choose?
I want to study at Cambridge. I have conditional offers from 2 grammar schools for studying A levels. Assuming my GCSE results are as expected,
Top school: One of the best in the country, competitive to get in. 4 A-levels + EPQ. They send about 20 to Oxbridge every year. (15mins by bus)
Mediocre option: Average A-level results, very low entry requirements (48 from your top 8 GCSE subjects - average 6!). They sent 1 to Cambridge and 2 to oxford last year. What I like about this school is, I can take just 3 A-levels (+EPQ). (About 40 mins by bus)
I am good with self-study - so I'm assuming poor teaching (if any) will have less impact. I'm leaning towards the mediocre school for the following reasons:
1. I can take 3 A levels
2. Less competitive environment - less stressful
3. A*A*A will put me in the top 5% in this school (vs top 25-30% in the top school)
Does this make sense or am I missing something?
Top school: One of the best in the country, competitive to get in. 4 A-levels + EPQ. They send about 20 to Oxbridge every year. (15mins by bus)
Mediocre option: Average A-level results, very low entry requirements (48 from your top 8 GCSE subjects - average 6!). They sent 1 to Cambridge and 2 to oxford last year. What I like about this school is, I can take just 3 A-levels (+EPQ). (About 40 mins by bus)
I am good with self-study - so I'm assuming poor teaching (if any) will have less impact. I'm leaning towards the mediocre school for the following reasons:
1. I can take 3 A levels
2. Less competitive environment - less stressful
3. A*A*A will put me in the top 5% in this school (vs top 25-30% in the top school)
Does this make sense or am I missing something?
Question: What is your desired degree course at oxbridge and what a-levels are you considering?
If you are thinking of going into something heavily mathematical like engineering, computer science, physics, econ/finance etc., you shouldn't disregard taking 4 a-levels as if you plan to take further maths (which you probably should in any of those cases) then 4 a-levels is usually quite common.
An EPQ takes about a week or two of work to finish, not too difficult. Don't stress too much about it.
Don't get caught in the trap of thinking you can self-study everything if you have bad/mediocre teachers. It's a massive waste of the time you could spend on improving your personal statement and preparing for entrance exams/interviews. Also don't boil down the utility of a teacher in sixth form to just whether or not they teach you all the A-level content you need to know - going to a school with a history of high-achieving students means teachers there will be aware of the standard to which a student needs to be to get into oxbridge and will be better versed in how to assist you. Plus, they will likely know of and be able to assist you with more supercurricular activities which is very important for a UCAS application.
ALSO if the school has a history of sending students to oxbridge then they will have more oxbrige-specific support available to students which may not be available elsewhere (e.g. some sessions on interviews, there may be a specific teacher who can give support for a certain admission test, etc.)
A 'competitive environment' is not something you should avoid. As apparently someone said, “If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.”
Also ignore any talk about A-levels relative to the sixth form. To my knowledge Oxbridge only looks at GCSEs contextually, not A-levels (but that may be worth verifying).
I take 4+epq at a top grammar school and in my experience it's not that difficult (although again this depends on the subjects you are taking). Is it sometimes stressful? Yes. But it's part of the game. Nobody ever got into oxbridge without some amount of stress about it, so there's no point avoiding it like the plague.
To summarise, I think you should go for the more competitive one (although I am biased so interpret this advice as you will)
If you are thinking of going into something heavily mathematical like engineering, computer science, physics, econ/finance etc., you shouldn't disregard taking 4 a-levels as if you plan to take further maths (which you probably should in any of those cases) then 4 a-levels is usually quite common.
An EPQ takes about a week or two of work to finish, not too difficult. Don't stress too much about it.
Don't get caught in the trap of thinking you can self-study everything if you have bad/mediocre teachers. It's a massive waste of the time you could spend on improving your personal statement and preparing for entrance exams/interviews. Also don't boil down the utility of a teacher in sixth form to just whether or not they teach you all the A-level content you need to know - going to a school with a history of high-achieving students means teachers there will be aware of the standard to which a student needs to be to get into oxbridge and will be better versed in how to assist you. Plus, they will likely know of and be able to assist you with more supercurricular activities which is very important for a UCAS application.
ALSO if the school has a history of sending students to oxbridge then they will have more oxbrige-specific support available to students which may not be available elsewhere (e.g. some sessions on interviews, there may be a specific teacher who can give support for a certain admission test, etc.)
A 'competitive environment' is not something you should avoid. As apparently someone said, “If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.”
Also ignore any talk about A-levels relative to the sixth form. To my knowledge Oxbridge only looks at GCSEs contextually, not A-levels (but that may be worth verifying).
I take 4+epq at a top grammar school and in my experience it's not that difficult (although again this depends on the subjects you are taking). Is it sometimes stressful? Yes. But it's part of the game. Nobody ever got into oxbridge without some amount of stress about it, so there's no point avoiding it like the plague.
To summarise, I think you should go for the more competitive one (although I am biased so interpret this advice as you will)
Original post by Robin8
I want to study at Cambridge. I have conditional offers from 2 grammar schools for studying A levels. Assuming my GCSE results are as expected,
Top school: One of the best in the country, competitive to get in. 4 A-levels + EPQ. They send about 20 to Oxbridge every year. (15mins by bus)
Mediocre option: Average A-level results, very low entry requirements (48 from your top 8 GCSE subjects - average 6!). They sent 1 to Cambridge and 2 to oxford last year. What I like about this school is, I can take just 3 A-levels (+EPQ). (About 40 mins by bus)
I am good with self-study - so I'm assuming poor teaching (if any) will have less impact. I'm leaning towards the mediocre school for the following reasons:
1. I can take 3 A levels
2. Less competitive environment - less stressful
3. A*A*A will put me in the top 5% in this school (vs top 25-30% in the top school)
Does this make sense or am I missing something?
Top school: One of the best in the country, competitive to get in. 4 A-levels + EPQ. They send about 20 to Oxbridge every year. (15mins by bus)
Mediocre option: Average A-level results, very low entry requirements (48 from your top 8 GCSE subjects - average 6!). They sent 1 to Cambridge and 2 to oxford last year. What I like about this school is, I can take just 3 A-levels (+EPQ). (About 40 mins by bus)
I am good with self-study - so I'm assuming poor teaching (if any) will have less impact. I'm leaning towards the mediocre school for the following reasons:
1. I can take 3 A levels
2. Less competitive environment - less stressful
3. A*A*A will put me in the top 5% in this school (vs top 25-30% in the top school)
Does this make sense or am I missing something?
Pick the school you are most comfortable with attending and feel you will perform the best in. Going to one of the best performing schools won't necessarily mean you'll get into Cambridge, likewise going to a standard grammar school doesn't mean that your chance at Cambridge is gone.
I attend a below average state school (a sixth form college specifically). I had the option to remain in my secondary school, which is one of the top performing schools in my area, despite not applying, but I chose my college as I knew I would be more comfortable in that environment and I preferred the subjects on offer. I'm currently predicted A*AA at A level and achieved two A*s in my mock exam. I will be applying to study law at Cambridge this year. Both of your options are grammar schools, meaning the quality of education will be high regardless. Having self-discipline when it comes to studying is exactly what will be expected of you if you wish to study at Oxbridge. Taking four A levels generally has no benefit (unless that fourth A level is further maths - and this is only for specific courses and universities). You are better off focusing on the three you need and doing well in those. Being in a less stressful environment is also important, as it will allow you to focus more on yourself and your academic progress. The top performing school may potentially foster a competitive environment, especially because they send so many students to Oxbridge. At the same time, this environment could push you more academically. Ultimately, it's down to what your priorities are.
(edited 2 months ago)
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