Got a bad grade in my 4th A level

So I do Maths, Further Maths, Geography and Physics at A level and essentially, I'm no good at Physics and I just don't enjoy it at all. I got a C for my UCAS grade and I'm not allowed to drop it so my grades currently look like A*A*AC with A* in Geography and Maths. I want to apply to Cambridge for Geography but I'm worried the C looks really bad. I emailed the college I want to go in Cambridge and they got back to me saying that they usually make offers on all 4 grades, they specified relevance to the course doesn't matter, so it sounds like I'll be asked to get a B or even an A in physics. I heard that Oxford don't tend to care as much about the 4th A level but at the same time I'd prefer to go Cambridge. So I'm not sure what to do. Do I just apply anyways and pray that they'll ignore it or should I apply to a different college in Cambridge or even Oxford instead? I'm very tight on time as my school's deadline for UCAS application is this Monday so the sooner you can help the better. Thank you.

Why are you not allowed to drop physics? To me there seems to be no good reason for you to do a fourth A-level, and your school should probably let you drop it.

Yeah I tried asking but they just said it's not possible. 🤷

So I do Maths, Further Maths, Geography and Physics at A level and essentially, I'm no good at Physics and I just don't enjoy it at all. I got a C for my UCAS grade and I'm not allowed to drop it so my grades currently look like A*A*AC with A* in Geography and Maths. I want to apply to Cambridge for Geography but I'm worried the C looks really bad. I emailed the college I want to go in Cambridge and they got back to me saying that they usually make offers on all 4 grades, they specified relevance to the course doesn't matter, so it sounds like I'll be asked to get a B or even an A in physics. I heard that Oxford don't tend to care as much about the 4th A level but at the same time I'd prefer to go Cambridge. So I'm not sure what to do. Do I just apply anyways and pray that they'll ignore it or should I apply to a different college in Cambridge or even Oxford instead? I'm very tight on time as my school's deadline for UCAS application is this Monday so the sooner you can help the better. Thank you.

Yeah I tried asking but they just said it's not possible. 🤷

Just don't go to classes.
They will soon realise that you mean it.

Your school cannot compel you to take a qualification you do not wish to.
Did they provide a reason for why it is "not possible"?

So essentially it's because I do further maths. At my school the way they do further maths, is they make you do A level maths in Y12 and sit the actual a level exam that year. They can do this because we are given twice the amount of lessons of a normal A level. Then Y13 is just for further maths, and again it's the same amount of lessons. I got an A in the maths A level but I'm gonna resit to get an A* this year. This does not mean I will have maths lessons again however. Anyways their argument was that they require students to be doing the hours for 3 separate A levels, if I were to drop physics I would be doing the hours of 3 A levels but only actually studying for two of them (FM and geo), because further maths is double the lessons/hours. I honestly think it's so unfair but I really did ask them and I'm not sure if I want to ask again.

So essentially it's because I do further maths. At my school the way they do further maths, is they make you do A level maths in Y12 and sit the actual a level exam that year. They can do this because we are given twice the amount of lessons of a normal A level. Then Y13 is just for further maths, and again it's the same amount of lessons. I got an A in the maths A level but I'm gonna resit to get an A* this year. This does not mean I will have maths lessons again however. Anyways their argument was that they require students to be doing the hours for 3 separate A levels, if I were to drop physics I would be doing the hours of 3 A levels but only actually studying for two of them (FM and geo), because further maths is double the lessons/hours. I honestly think it's so unfair but I really did ask them and I'm not sure if I want to ask again.

If you take 4 a levels then they will likely make you an offer based on all 4 subjects but the 4th will be a lower grade requirement. It might be worth looking around on the internet for Cambridge geography offers from 4 a levels and see what people tend to be asked for