Advice on number of A levels for Uni admissions

[bigboned]

Ds has sat an A level a year early and achieved a B. His school does not do AS levels. He was sitting 3 other subjects but wants to give up 1 - he hates it. How will uni admissions view the fact he has done 1 A level early, and is now only sitting 2 A levels with no AS levels? School advice is to speak to admissions tutors but he has absolutely no idea what he wants to study. Any feedback would be appreciated, thanks.

[TalkinPeace]

that depends to a massive amount on the sort of university, the sort of course and what the a levels are

[Molio]

Unfortunately I think taking only two this year would work greatly to his disadvantage. How about dropping the subject he hates and doing the Extended Project instead, on a topic he really enjoys? Or even another subject in one year so that he's sitting three contemporaneously - but that's a tall order.

How come no AS levels? How does that work?

[titchy]

They MUST do AS - they're half the A level course (this year anyway) - if he hasn't sat AS exams this summer he would have to sit them next year along with his A2 exams which isn't the normal way if doing things at all.

What are his subjects and likely grades? If he's around the C or lower target it probably won't matter, but if he's a high achiever and aiming for competitive places just doing two will probably matter.

if he doesn't know what he wants to do presumably he won't be applying this autumn?

[merlehaggard]

It does very much depend on what you want to do and where. My daughter is studying Law at a Russell Group Uni and they would not accept her A grade in maths done a year early and she was forced to do an AS and A2 in one year, alongside her other 2 A levels to get her 3 A grades she needed to get in. They needed her show that she could handle the work load of 3 A2's and would even accept 2 A2's and 1 AS in one year as being the same. Her problems arose, because like your son she wanted to drop an AS. Therefore, she ended up with 4 A2's and an AS2. However, my nephew did his A levels over 3 years (not due to resits) and never had 3 A2s in one sitting, and the problem never arose for him in his applications to study Biological Sciences in Bath, UCL, Kings etc. However, he only did it this way because he didn't start Chem until year 2 as he didn't realise he would like Biology so much and want to study it at Uni (rather than re-sits). I don't know if that made a difference. If he knows what he wants to do/where, it's probably best to make some phone calls to the admissions department and ask the question.

[FuzzyWizard]

Is this a UK school? And is it a state school? If it is then as I understand it he will need to do 3 subjects in order for the school to secure funding for him as a full time student. That aside I think he could be disadvantaged by only doing two. When you say the school don't 'do' ASs do you mean that they wait to enter them for the exams at the end of y13? They would still have to deliver the AS material and students would still have to sit the AS exams, no? Wouldn't the school let him sit the year 12 lessons for the subject and enter him for the AS exams in June alongside the year 13s who are sitting the whole A Level. Unless they are doing something very strange with the delivery of the course that should surely be possible?

[bigboned]

Thanks for replies. For clarity: School does AS and A2s in one go at the end of year 13. Unlikely he'll apply this year for Uni, but want to keep as many options open as possible

[MillyMollyMama]

Some Independent schools definitely do AS and A2 at the end of Year 13. I also know someone who sat A2s in different years (3 in total in years 13 and 14) and she then went to Kings College London. Not sure it makes a huge difference if results match the required level, but some Universities would be more choosy than others.

[Hakluyt]

I really wouldn't recommend only doing 2- particularly if he doesn't know what he wants to do. What is the subject he hates?

[MillyMollyMama]

He will have 3 altogether though! If the two end up as very high grades, will it really matter except at elite universities?

[Hakluyt]

But he doesn't know whether he wants to go for an elite university- daft to close doors you don't know if you might want to go through. He's done a year of the subject he didn't like- shame to waste it, particularly as they don,t do ASs- he'll have nothing to show for a years' work.

[Polonium]

So long as he does 3 subjects within a two year period he'll be OK. Assuming they are sensible subject choices.

DS1 & DS2 both did 4 core subjects to A2. In spite of school trying to persuade DS2 to reduce to 3. They thought it was more important for him to get top grades, but he didn't know which subject to drop as he didn't know what he wanted to study at university and hence didn't want o limit his options. I think DS2 made the right call and it all ended very happily.

[Hakluyt]

"So long as he does 3 subjects within a two year period he'll be OK. Assuming they are sensible subject choices."

Not necessarily true. Some institutions require them to be taken in one sitting.

As he doesn't know what he wants to do it would be foolish to close any doors.

[Polonium]

Hakluyt - There are only two exam entry points in each two year window. And to fit an A level into 2 years, you either have to sit AS one year and A2 the next, or sit AS and A2 simultaneously, or you might mix up the AS and A2 modules. What do you mean by one sitting?

[titchy]

Hak just means the final A2 taken at the same time. Most students do 4 x AS in year 12 then 3 x A2 in yr 13, which more selective institutions prefer as it indicates the student can cope with a full workload. Just doing two A2 exams in yr13, irrespective of what they did the previous year, does not demonstrate that.

[Polonium]

titchy - it doesn't always work like that though. For example, lots of schools arrange their maths and further maths A level courses so the maths A level (AS&A2) in completed in yr 12 and a further maths A level (AS&A2) is completed in yr 13. Many talented mathematicians end up sitting their A level maths early.

Most RG universities express their A level requirements as being A levels within a two year period. Even Oxford accept A levels taken early so long as you demonstrate being able to handle a workload that indicates you will cope with the course. And most universities (including Oxford) don't mind a candidate resitting an occasional module within the two year window either.

[titchy]

I know it doesn't ALWAYS work like that - but often it does and no applicant should limit themselves I'm this way unless they have had specific advice from the universities they are interestedin applying to.

See here for Leeds': www.law.leeds.ac.uk/assets/files/Admissions/Law-admissions-policy-2015.pdf
1.5 and 1.6. I can't be arsed to trawl through other websites but there are others that wouldn't advise this.

There are plenty of MN threads where dcs have been made offered which exclude A levels already taken.

[Polonium]

I don't think they exclude them if they've been taken within the 2 year window. Often if GCSE is sat in Yr10, then AS is sat in Yr 11 and A2 in Yr 12. Clearly that A level they can't count as that's outside the two year window.

But sitting full a levels across 2 years with no resitting is acceptable.

I think you are confused.

From that admission document for Leeds:

1.5 Early Examinations
The School of Law recognises that some applicants may have studied a more flexible curriculum, where they have been able to progress through their educational development at an appropriate rate according to their ability, this may be as early GCSEs or A-levels (or equivalent) across three years.
Typically we would expect applicants to have completed three A-levels (or equivalent) in one sitting. If this has not been the case, then we advise the school provides further information as to reasons for this within the academic reference section of the UCAS form.

[titchy]

I haven't misunderstood at all - three in one sitting means just that - not one in one sitting and two in the next sitting. Not to mention the fact that most kids will also have a 4th AS which this kid won't have.

[Polonium]

titchy - A two year cycle is 'one sitting' for a whole A level.

[Polonium]

If you take a whole A level in your AS year then take two whole A levels in your A2 year, you have three A levels in one sitting.

I don't think the OP is applying for Law at Leeds, it was you who linked to that.

[Hakluyt]

"titchy - A two year cycle is 'one sitting' for a whole A level."

No it isn't. You are categorically wrong about this. If you take an AS and and A2 in one subject one year and 2 more A2s the following year you have not got 3 A levels at one sitting. You have 3 A levels, but from different sittings.

[titchy]

Much more succinctly put than me hak! Pol - what she said

[TalkinPeace]

"modules"
yeah right

[Polonium]

Hakluyt & Titchy

BOY A: Yr 12 AS CHEM, AS MATHS, A2 MATHS, Yr 13, A2 CHEM, AS PHYS, A2 PHYS

BOY B: Yr 12 AS CHEM, AS MATHS, AS PHYS, Yr 13 A2 CHEM, A2 MATHS, A2 PHYS

So you are saying BOY A would be disqualified whereas boy B would not?

When they've both studied the same A levels over the same time period. Mwah ha ha.

[TalkinPeace]

polonium
yes, they would be counted diferent because at University admission they will look at the results slips, which make the sessions clear

same as my rant on another thread about the clampdown on retakes which is hitting kids who may need to retak for UTTERLY sound reasons (like being in a coma for half a term during year 11)