My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Secondary education

A Levels to Uni

16 replies

Orianne · 06/10/2013 18:37

When universities are looking at applications are there any preferred A levels?

OP posts:
Report
senua · 06/10/2013 18:43

Look at the Russell Group "Informed Choices" website but read it as a guideline, not the eleventh commandment.

Report
callamia · 06/10/2013 18:46

It depends on the university, and the subject under consideration. Any more info?

Report
titchy · 06/10/2013 18:59

Well Media Studies at London Met - anything goes, Medicine at Oxford prob maths chem and bio. You need to be more specific!

Report
Kez100 · 06/10/2013 19:28

Yes, there certainly can be.

Report
Orianne · 06/10/2013 19:31

My DD hasn't finished her GCSE's yet but has predicted A*s across the board. Hopefully, that does happen. Her teachers are discussing A level options with her Year group and she's hearing about 'soft' A levels and 'preferred' A levels. I do understand that it depends on the course you want to take at Uni and have said this to her but she's getting worried about making the wrong choices in February. She's not sure about what she wants to do in Uni. Any advice?

OP posts:
Report
titchy · 06/10/2013 20:15

Well she needs to have a broad idea of what she would like to do - at least in terms of Science, something creative, humanities, languages, something practical? Clearly if she's more interested in science than anything else, then maths and two sciences should be part if her choices. If she's a linguist then one or two languages plus at least one 'hard' subject (English, history). If neither of the above then at least two serious (google Trinity Cambridge hard and soft subjects - RG facilitating list is just a list of A levels you need to study specific degrees and not that informative if you're not planning a specific subject yet) plus any two more.

Report
MagratGarlik · 06/10/2013 21:46

If she's very academic (and it sounds like she is), she should choose 'traditional' subjects. Sciences should always be considered in pairs (so, biology with chemistry; physics with maths; chemistry with either physics or biology. Warning, not to attempt physics without maths - it is possible, but so much more difficult without the maths backup). If she is looking to study any science at university, chemistry is pretty much the 'central' science, but biology, chemistry and a language or humanity subject can demonstrate breath and gives interesting talking points at university interviews.

It is difficult if she doesn't want to pinpoint a specific area yet.

Report
BackforGood · 07/10/2013 00:22

Surely she must have subjects she enjoys more than others ? It's very important to be doing subjects you are keen on, and not ones you think someone else wants you to do, IMO.

Report
Orianne · 07/10/2013 09:57

Thanks for your replies.

Backforgood. Yes, you would think so but apparently not. She's not keen on English. poetry and Shakespeare specifically but was one of 5 students in the Year group to get a good A* pass.

Anyway, she has a wee bit of time and some exams to think about it properly.

OP posts:
Report
senua · 07/10/2013 12:02

After doing umptymillion GCSEs, it can sometimes come as a bit of a shock when you get to sixthform - when there are fewer students, who do a narrower set of subjects - to realise that you are not 'allowed' to do certain things. Timetabling (blocking) means that some subject-combinations are out. They will do the obvious (eg sciences together or multiple languages) but more esoteric choices may not fit.
If she can start to pin down one or two definite choices then the rest may slot in by default.

I second what B4G says about going with her interests, not doing what others want her to do, but I know that it can be difficult to prune when they seem to be good at everything. Can you tell from her hobbies or work experience what might be a good route? If she was a mad-keen scientist I think that you would know it by now, so we are probably looking at a BA not a BSc. Have you heard about this new thing they (eg KCL, Exeter) have invented called Liberal Arts. It seems to be the BA equivalent of Natural Sciences.

Report
MagratGarlik · 07/10/2013 12:19

I believe Harvard has been offering a liberal arts education for years.

Report
senua · 07/10/2013 12:30

OK. I shall rephrase it as a "new-to-the-UK thing".Smile

Report
mummytime · 07/10/2013 12:30

Liberal Arts has been offered (an indeed is the basis of most if not all US degrees for 200 years?). Birmingham offer it, and it seems to be a rebadged and expanded version of their old General Studies.

Report
MLP · 07/10/2013 13:03

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1574823/Cambridge-and-LSE-in-soft-A-levels-revolt.html

Here's a list that Cambridge doesn't like that much. I think if you stick to the traditional subjects like maths, English Lit, modern languages, history, geography, chemistry, biology or physics, then you won't go too far wrong.

Report
busymummy3 · 07/10/2013 22:24

My DD was predicted A across the board and achieved 12 GCSE's this summer - 9 A's and 3 A's
She is now in Y12 studying 4 A levels in History, French, Maths and Government & Politics. Also has to study RE .
It is hard for them to choose when they seem to be good at everything but as others have already said it is better if they choose the subjects they enjoy rather than those they feel they have to do. For my DD History and French were first on the list. She wanted to try something different so chose Government and Politics. The rest of the summer was spent deliberating between Maths , Spanish and English Lit before she finally decided on Maths.

Report
BlackMogul · 07/10/2013 22:44

Choices do matter though because there can be good courses closed down to students who make less informed choices than their peers. Doing one language is a mistake for linguists because if you want to do joint honours one language will have to be ab ignitio. Some courses do require recommended A levels and you are at a disadvantage if you don't have the right combination because others will. For example LSE wants further Maths as well as Maths for their economics course but some economics courses do not require an economics A level. This is why a scattergun approach is not always the best course of action nor is just doing what you enjoy. The best way forward is probably to assess which area of learning she is really best at and would like to study for another 2-6 years, ie A levels and degree. Then she can pick the complimentary subjects. If she gets all A* s then look at Oxford or Cambridge to see what they recommend for any chosen area of study. If they are happy, then others are likely to accept the combination.

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.