are these uni choices realistic / help needed for extra and supercurriculars!!!
hi, im currently a year 13 student aspiring to do neuroscience at uni, and i just wanted to know whether my gcses and a-level predictions are appropriate for the choices i picked:
gcse grades:
physics - 8
maths - 7
english lit - 6
chemistry - 6
biology - 5
eng lang - 5 (resat it this year, and got a 4 :/)
history - 5
spanish - 5
pe - 4
a-level predictions:
biology - B
chemistry - C
maths - B
i know that my predictions are quite weak, but i have one last chance to improve them in my november mocks and im aiming to get atleast BBB (this way i can be predicted atleast AAA)
here are the unis im applying to (and their requirements):
kcl - AAA
bristol - AAA
manchester - AAA/AAB
queen mary - ABB
exeter - ABC (as im eligible for a contextual offer because im part of the elephant group)
are my choices realistic or should i change them?
i also need advice on which extra/supercurriculars are useful for neuroscience, would highly appreciate any advice regarding that matter
gcse grades:
physics - 8
maths - 7
english lit - 6
chemistry - 6
biology - 5
eng lang - 5 (resat it this year, and got a 4 :/)
history - 5
spanish - 5
pe - 4
a-level predictions:
biology - B
chemistry - C
maths - B
i know that my predictions are quite weak, but i have one last chance to improve them in my november mocks and im aiming to get atleast BBB (this way i can be predicted atleast AAA)
here are the unis im applying to (and their requirements):
kcl - AAA
bristol - AAA
manchester - AAA/AAB
queen mary - ABB
exeter - ABC (as im eligible for a contextual offer because im part of the elephant group)
are my choices realistic or should i change them?
i also need advice on which extra/supercurriculars are useful for neuroscience, would highly appreciate any advice regarding that matter
Reply 1
Your choices are all quite aspirational, if you applied to these then you’d risk getting no offers and having to go through clearing or re-sit and re-apply during a gap year.
If you want to give yourself the best chance of getting into uni then pick 2 aspirational choices (BBB or above), 2 at BBC and one at BCC or below. If none of the courses which would be lower options appeal to you then apply for the aspirational options youve listed but be prepared for if you dont get offers or if you miss your offers due to being over-predicted.
For extracurriculars id look at openlearn, Springpod, unifrog, any books or articles which interest you- i read immense world by ed yong recently and loved it!
If you want to give yourself the best chance of getting into uni then pick 2 aspirational choices (BBB or above), 2 at BBC and one at BCC or below. If none of the courses which would be lower options appeal to you then apply for the aspirational options youve listed but be prepared for if you dont get offers or if you miss your offers due to being over-predicted.
For extracurriculars id look at openlearn, Springpod, unifrog, any books or articles which interest you- i read immense world by ed yong recently and loved it!
Reply 2
comicF1
OP
2
tysm for ur advice!! but are you saying i should change my choices because of my gcses and/or my predicted grades? the reasons i picked those choices is because i still have one last chance (ik ill have to work very hard) to improve my grades in my november mocks, so if i end up doing well in them should i keep my choices as they are?
Reply 3
20
Unrealistic choices. Any Uni asking for AAA etc does so because they know they will get thousands (yes, thousands) of applicants with the grades or even higher. They do not need to be charitable to anyone with predicted grades 4 grades below that to fill their course.
You might get an offer from QMUL but they wont be forgiving on Results Day, Exeter often accept 'achieved below offer' on Results Day, so those are probably okay choices - but your other three choices need to be far more realistic.
Neuroscience BSc : University of Sussex (check the contextual criteria etc)
Neuroscience | Aston University
Neuroscience BSc Honours 2025 | Middlesex University
You might get an offer from QMUL but they wont be forgiving on Results Day, Exeter often accept 'achieved below offer' on Results Day, so those are probably okay choices - but your other three choices need to be far more realistic.
Neuroscience BSc : University of Sussex (check the contextual criteria etc)
Neuroscience | Aston University
Neuroscience BSc Honours 2025 | Middlesex University
Reply 4
20
Useful Moocs - short free online courses from sensible Universities :
Understanding the Brain: The Neurobiology of Everyday Life | Coursera
The science of mind and decision making | Coursera
Anatomy: Human Neuroanatomy | Coursera
etc
Understanding the Brain: The Neurobiology of Everyday Life | Coursera
The science of mind and decision making | Coursera
Anatomy: Human Neuroanatomy | Coursera
etc
Reply 5
comicF1
OP
2
Original post
by McGingerUnrealistic choices. Any Uni asking for AAA etc does so because they know they will get thousands (yes, thousands) of applicants with the grades or even higher. They do not need to be charitable to anyone with predicted grades 4 grades below that to fill their course.
You might get an offer from QMUL but they wont be forgiving on Results Day, Exeter often accept 'achieved below offer' on Results Day, so those are probably okay choices - but your other three choices need to be far more realistic.
Neuroscience BSc : University of Sussex (check the contextual criteria etc)
Neuroscience | Aston University
Neuroscience BSc Honours 2025 | Middlesex University
You might get an offer from QMUL but they wont be forgiving on Results Day, Exeter often accept 'achieved below offer' on Results Day, so those are probably okay choices - but your other three choices need to be far more realistic.
Neuroscience BSc : University of Sussex (check the contextual criteria etc)
Neuroscience | Aston University
Neuroscience BSc Honours 2025 | Middlesex University
what if i manage to show significant improvement in my november mocks and get something like AAA/AAB, or possibly even better? wont my teachers/ho6f have to reconsider my predicted grades at that point? but i will consider swapping out one of my options from ones you listed, and thanks so much for ur advice + the moocs!!
Reply 6
20
Original post
by comicF1what if i manage to show significant improvement in my november mocks and get something like AAA/AAB, or possibly even better? wont my teachers/ho6f have to reconsider my predicted grades at that point? but i will consider swapping out one of my options from ones you listed, and thanks so much for ur advice + the moocs!!
That is a decision entirely for your school. Talk to relevant teachers now to find out if this is possible, and what you need to do to raise your grades.
Reply 7
Original post
by comicF1tysm for ur advice!! but are you saying i should change my choices because of my gcses and/or my predicted grades? the reasons i picked those choices is because i still have one last chance (ik ill have to work very hard) to improve my grades in my november mocks, so if i end up doing well in them should i keep my choices as they are?
Im basing this on your current predicted grades on the assumption that BBC is the level you are typically working at currently. Given that 75% of predicted grades are an over-shoot you should be cautious about applying for more competitive courses just because your school is willing to adjust your grades. If you had been working at AAA for most of the year and then your mocks were a bad one-off and caused you to be predicted BBC then it would be a different scenario.
If you’re predicted AAA but actually work at the ability of around BBC then you could get offers from the 5 courses that you mentioned but they if you get BBC in your actual a levels youll have missed all your offers so you wont be guaranteed a place by any means. You’d have to hope that the courses are undersubscribed which isn’t likely with more competitive courses like at kcl.
By all means, try really hard in your mock to boost your predicteds so that you have a higher chance of getting an offer from aspirational choices (BBB and above) in case you manage to achieve these grades in your a levels. However your choices should reflect your current ability at BBC so having 2 choices at around BBC-BCC and 1 or 2 at BCC or below will mean youll have offers in case things dont go to plan on getting As.
Hope that makes sense 🙂
Reply 8
12
You could just put down three universities to begin with in November then see if you get any offers and add the final two at the beginning of January depending on responses (you might not get responses in time so it may not help but could do). But generally, I would go with one to two ‘aspirational’ options (Queen Mary and Exeter would count as this), two ‘realistic’ options where offers are BBB or BBC (your current prediction), and one or two ‘safe’ ones (BCC or less).
(edited 1 month ago)
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