Low GCSE's

I want to study either neuroscience or biomedical sciences at a Russel Group University in London however I got low GCSE's - Grade 5 in english, 4 in maths and a 66 in combined science.

If I am predicted high A-Levels (3xA*) will they still take my GCSE's to account or will they ignore them due to high A-levels?

Could someone please let me know so if there is a problem with my GCSE's I can then potentially retake them.

Reply 1

McGinger

If you do not meet any required GCSE grades - typically for English and / or Maths - then you will get an immediate rejection, regardless of A levels or your other GCSE grades. These are about basic skills and not just 'nice to have'.

All competitive Unis will use your overall GCSE profile as part of their assessment - it will be a very small % of the overall total score, but its how they separate those with identical A level predictions.

Applying to all mega-competitive London Unis is not a great idea. Even if you meet / exceed the entry requirements you may not get an offer - and that could mean no offers at all. I'd advise you to include one or two less competitive out-of-London Unis like Birmingham, Liverpool, Cardiff, Newcastle, Leeds, Leicester, Loughborough etc. to make sure you do get some offers and also have a realistic Insurance in case those A* predictions were way too optimistic.