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Does Durham consider GCSE grades for Philosophy and Politics admissions?

Hey, i'm thinking to apply to durham to study a Philosophy and Politics degree. My only concern is, my GCSE's were not taken the most seriously, and I ended up only getting 6s as my highest. Do I still have a chance of getting in, as my results were significantly low, and will this affect my application if I still meet the entry requirements? Thank you!

Reply 1

Original post
by Anonymous
Hey, i'm thinking to apply to durham to study a Philosophy and Politics degree. My only concern is, my GCSE's were not taken the most seriously, and I ended up only getting 6s as my highest. Do I still have a chance of getting in, as my results were significantly low, and will this affect my application if I still meet the entry requirements? Thank you!

Hi there!

I'm glad to hear you're thinking of studying with us. For Philosophy and Politics, the entry requirements at A-Level are: AAA including a social science or humanities subject..

In terms of GCSEs, A-levels are primary though GCSEs are frequently used to differentiate applicants, particularly for competitive courses. I understand you said your results were significantly low, though you did not expand on what they were. It is difficult to say whether this would affect your likelihood of getting an offer - the course does not specify any GCSE-specific requirements, but having slightly lower grades could be considered in Durham's holistic admissions process, particularly when distinguishing between candidates.

If you aren't sure, you could contact the Admissions Team & inform them of your GCSE grades and predicted A-Level grades, as they might be able to offer you some more specific insight. 🙂 You can do so using this link: https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/ask-us/uk-students/.

Let me know if there's anything else I can help with. ☺️
-Rosie (DU Representative)

Reply 2

Original post
by DurhamRep Rosie
Hi there!
I'm glad to hear you're thinking of studying with us. For Philosophy and Politics, the entry requirements at A-Level are: AAA including a social science or humanities subject..
In terms of GCSEs, A-levels are primary though GCSEs are frequently used to differentiate applicants, particularly for competitive courses. I understand you said your results were significantly low, though you did not expand on what they were. It is difficult to say whether this would affect your likelihood of getting an offer - the course does not specify any GCSE-specific requirements, but having slightly lower grades could be considered in Durham's holistic admissions process, particularly when distinguishing between candidates.
If you aren't sure, you could contact the Admissions Team & inform them of your GCSE grades and predicted A-Level grades, as they might be able to offer you some more specific insight. 🙂 You can do so using this link: https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/ask-us/uk-students/.
Let me know if there's anything else I can help with. ☺️
-Rosie (DU Representative)


Hey, I got 44455666, does this help you with my question a bit more? Thank you so much!!

Reply 3

Original post
by Anonymous
Hey, I got 44455666, does this help you with my question a bit more? Thank you so much!!

Hi there!

It wouldn't be possible for me to give you a definite answer, because your application will be considered across so many factors i.e course demand, supercurriculars, personal statement. It is a good sign that you've passed all of your GCSEs - have you considered looking into the foundation year?

I don't know that you can do philosophy and politics in a foundation year, but looking just at Philosophy with Foundation as an example:

Essential Criteria for Younger Applicants (under 21 years)
Applicants under 21 must have achieved a GCSE grade 4 or higher in English Language.
Recommended Criteria for All Applicants
Successful applicants for this route are likely to have achieved GCSE grade 5 or higher in English Language or be able to clearly demonstrate their potential in this subject.


'The Foundation Programme is designed for students from under-represented groups in higher education, who have the potential to achieve but who, because of educational disadvantage or disruption, do not have the level of attainment or access to qualifications required for standard entry to a Durham University course.' - this could be a route for you to consider, if you think your GCSE grades might not be competitive.

I'll attach the links for Philosophy and Politics with foundation years individually if you'd like to read more about these:

I hope this helps, let me know if you have any questions. 🙂
-Rosie (DU Representative)

Reply 4

Original post
by DurhamRep Rosie
Hi there!
It wouldn't be possible for me to give you a definite answer, because your application will be considered across so many factors i.e course demand, supercurriculars, personal statement. It is a good sign that you've passed all of your GCSEs - have you considered looking into the foundation year?
I don't know that you can do philosophy and politics in a foundation year, but looking just at Philosophy with Foundation as an example:
Essential Criteria for Younger Applicants (under 21 years)
Applicants under 21 must have achieved a GCSE grade 4 or higher in English Language.
Recommended Criteria for All Applicants
Successful applicants for this route are likely to have achieved GCSE grade 5 or higher in English Language or be able to clearly demonstrate their potential in this subject.

'The Foundation Programme is designed for students from under-represented groups in higher education, who have the potential to achieve but who, because of educational disadvantage or disruption, do not have the level of attainment or access to qualifications required for standard entry to a Durham University course.' - this could be a route for you to consider, if you think your GCSE grades might not be competitive.
I'll attach the links for Philosophy and Politics with foundation years individually if you'd like to read more about these:

I hope this helps, let me know if you have any questions. 🙂
-Rosie (DU Representative)


For the foundation year, do you have to be eligible for it, as I attend a private school so I doubt I would be able eligible to take on a foundation year. Thank you for your suggestion though I really appreciate it!!

Reply 5

Original post
by Anonymous
For the foundation year, do you have to be eligible for it, as I attend a private school so I doubt I would be able eligible to take on a foundation year. Thank you for your suggestion though I really appreciate it!!

Hello,

Thank you for the extra information. The general eligibility requirements for foundation years are as follows:

'To be considered for our Foundation Programme you must meet:

one of the General eligibility criteria


General eligibility criteria in order priority:

1. Applicants from areas of low participation in higher education (LPN based on Polar 4 data)
We will consider applicants from Polar 4 quintiles 1 or 2 postcodes as a priority. This classification is based on the home postcode provided in your application.

2. Applicants with low household income or low socioeconomic status (based on Acorn and FSM data)
To meet this criteria applicants will need to be in receipt of, or entitled to, Free School Meals, which are directly linked to financial hardship, and/or from an ACORN category 5 or 6.

The ACORN classification is based on the home postcode provided in your application and is a measure of the socio-economic status of the area you live in.
3. Applicants from mature students

To meet this criteria you will need to be 21 years of age or over at the start of your Foundation course.

4. Applications from some other under-represented groups within higher education.
These include:

Gypsies, Travellers, Roma, Showmen and Boaters (GTRSB)

refugees'


If none of these criteria apply, you will not be eligible for this route unfortunately. Otherwise, you could contact the Admissions Team and see what they recommend based on your grades. ☺️

All the best
-Rosie (DU Representative)

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