bad gcses oxford?

hey everyone I was thinking of applying to oxford but I'm realising my gcses are so behind compared to everyone else, I got 9877776666 and I was just seeing if it's still worth applying anyways?
(no extenuating circumstances apart from maybe covid ig)

Reply 1

Scotland Yard

Universities Forum Helper

Oxford contextualises GCSEs, so it basically compares your GCSEs with your school's historical average GCSE grades. Without knowing your school's average performance in GCSEs it's hard to tell, but you might still have a chance!

Reply 2

Stiffy Byng

"GCSEs
GCSEs will be taken into account when we consider your application but they are just one aspect that we look at. GCSE results will be considered alongside your personal statement, academic reference, predicted grades and performance in any written work or written test required for your course.
If you are shortlisted, your performance in interviews will also be taken into account. Higher grades at GCSE can help to make your application more competitive, and successful applicants typically have a high proportion of 7,8 and 9 grades. However, we do look at GCSE grades in context.
If you feel that you did less well in your GCSEs than you might otherwise have done because of extenuating circumstances, you may still be able to make a competitive application. Examples would include disruption caused by change of school or system, severe discontinuity of teachers, bereavement, and debilitating illness.
We take care to treat each application individually and would always take such extenuating circumstances into account, if they are brought to our attention. You may like to mention any such circumstances in your personal statement, and your referee should make sure to mention them clearly in their reference."

https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/courses/admission-requirements/uk-qualifications

Reply 3

Scotland Yard

Universities Forum Helper

Original post

by SixthFormerAgain

Ah okay thanks! My school is a grammar school, and I know a lot of people that have done better than me, I'm guessing it would lower my chances right? In the year I probably performed average/slightly lower end if anything

I'm afraid it does lower your chances. But it doesn't make your chances 0. And since you sat your GCSEs during Covid, that will be kept in mind!

Reply 4

Stiffy Byng

Original post

by Scotland Yard

I'm afraid it does lower your chances. But it doesn't make your chances 0. And since you sat your GCSEs during Covid, that will be kept in mind!

If the OP is currently in year 12 or year 13, then it appears unlikely that the OP took GCSEs during Covid.

OP, your chances of a successful application are likely to depend on all of the other factors which Oxford take into account, as noted in the extract from the Oxford website above.

Reply 5

unsouleddd_

Original post

by SixthFormerAgain

It’s extremely unlikely unfortunately. Oxford only uses 2 factors when deciding who to shortlist for interviews- GCSE results and UCAT scores. I believe the average number of 8/9s achieved for shortlisted applicants is 10.5- your results are well below this and so it’s practically impossible that you will even get an interview. Also, your context doesn’t make things any better at all. I’m also afraid that this GCSE profile is very low for any top tier medical school let alone Oxford just in case you are wondering

(edited 10 months ago)

Reply 6

Anonymous #1

To be honestly realistic, it okay grades if your aiming to apply for non competitive course, However if your aiming something extremely competitive, you have to have high predicted grades for a level and even then you would need to do extremely well on any addition test for the courses U wanna apply for.