do russell group unis care about gcses?

hi so when i did my gcses i didnt get the best of grades but i got 6/7s and 1 8, i would of got better grades but at the time my mental health was really declined and i couldnt preform at my best ability so i didnt get the greatest of grades but i dont have proof of having any mental health issues but i did go to therapy and get help, im going to be doing a-levels next year and i want to go into medicine so say if i got like A*A*A* and good ucat score and everything like that, would i still be able to get into the top unis even though my gcse grades werent the best, i see a lot of people say that gcse grades do matter and they also have a big impact in whether u get in or not but i just want the confirmation from someone that this is true, thank you!

(edited 3 months ago)

Reply 1

lilith402

10

Original post by shimmiers

hi so when i did my gcses i didnt get the best of grades but i got 6/7s and 1 8, i would of got better grades but at the time my mental health was really declined and i couldnt preform at my best ability so i didnt get the greatest of grades but i dont have proof of having any mental health issues but i did go to therapy and get help, im going to be doing a-levels next year and i want to go into medicine so say if i got like A*A*A* and good ucat score and everything like that, would i still be able to get into the top unis even though my gcse grades werent the best, i see a lot of people say that gcse grades do matter and they also have a big impact in whether u get in or not but i just want the confirmation from someone that this is true, thank you!

Hey, I just applied to mostly Russell group unis, I would say that most don't necessarily look for top grades, but if you want to go to med school or Oxbridge, then it is more of a consideration.
I know that Oxford/Cambridge definitely look for high GCSEs, but I think as long as you're mostly in the 7- 9 range then that's fine :smile:

Reply 2

hicweondksc

11

Original post by shimmiers

hi so when i did my gcses i didnt get the best of grades but i got 6/7s and 1 8, i would of got better grades but at the time my mental health was really declined and i couldnt preform at my best ability so i didnt get the greatest of grades but i dont have proof of having any mental health issues but i did go to therapy and get help, im going to be doing a-levels next year and i want to go into medicine so say if i got like A*A*A* and good ucat score and everything like that, would i still be able to get into the top unis even though my gcse grades werent the best, i see a lot of people say that gcse grades do matter and they also have a big impact in whether u get in or not but i just want the confirmation from someone that this is true, thank you!

Probably depends on the university. Cambridge explicitly say they like to holistically look at applications but some universities place heavy weight on GCSEs.

Reply 3

gabby14115

1

Original post by hicweondksc

Probably depends on the university. Cambridge explicitly say they like to holistically look at applications but some universities place heavy weight on GCSEs.

does this mean Cambridge takes them into less account?

Reply 4

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

21

Some do, some don't. Often varies depending on course.

For medicine it's very variable, but medical schools are very clear if they use GCSEs to shortlist or not in almost all cases.

Reply 5

UoL Students

Official Rep

14

Original post by shimmiers

hi so when i did my gcses i didnt get the best of grades but i got 6/7s and 1 8, i would of got better grades but at the time my mental health was really declined and i couldnt preform at my best ability so i didnt get the greatest of grades but i dont have proof of having any mental health issues but i did go to therapy and get help, im going to be doing a-levels next year and i want to go into medicine so say if i got like A*A*A* and good ucat score and everything like that, would i still be able to get into the top unis even though my gcse grades werent the best, i see a lot of people say that gcse grades do matter and they also have a big impact in whether u get in or not but i just want the confirmation from someone that this is true, thank you!

Hello,

Firstly, you have nothing to be disappointed about when it comes to your GCSE grades, they are good high grades and so that is something to be proud of. Not everyone gets grade 9s and so you shouldn't feel disappointed because you only got grades 6 to 8, these are still considered high.

Getting to your question, universities do consider your GCSE grades, for most courses mainly English and Maths but for subjects like medicine and other science-based degrees will probably look at your science GCSEs as well. Usually, universities are only looking for grades 6-7 plus when considering GCSE grades and so it appears that you are well in this category. Universities are much more concerned with A Level grades but looking at GCSE grades can ensure you have grasped the basics in English and Maths as these are fundamental skills which often show up in science-based subjects.

I hope this helps, if you have any further questions please do let me know.

Charlie
Law LLB Student

Reply 6

hicweondksc

11

Original post by gabby14115

does this mean Cambridge takes them into less account?

They weight everything equally and all of your application is taken into account which can mean they will be a bit more forgiving if your GCSE grades aren't too good.

do russell group unis care about gcses?

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