A2 Level, or AQA Baccalaureate?

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Hxc

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Hey all.

This is gonna sound wierd as it's generally the sort of thing you ask a teacher, but I've done exactly that and they've given me really rather poor answers.

I'm in the first year of sixth form, studying Maths, Computing A2, Physics and Geography. I'm predicted straight As and with a nice bit of work I know I can achieve them. For A2 (second year), the convention is to drop one subject, but due to doing Computing a year early, I'll already have only 3 subjects left over.

I will definitely be doing further maths in it's place, in AS form, as that is all that is offered by our sixth form. As I plan to do Maths at a well regarded university (OxBridge, Durham, the like), it is an utmost requirement.

However, our school is very keen to get students to do something called the AQA Baccalaureate, which is a european style qualification. Apparently Unis are very interested in this for whatever reason. In order to do it, I would have to take an AS Level in either Citizenship or Critical Thinking. This is not possible as I will already be doing 4 subjects next year, unless I drop one of them.

I would drop Geography out of the four (Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Geography) in order to do either Citizenship or Critical thinking, and in turn do the AQA Bac.

Yet I can't seem to get any information on what's really worth more to a university, the Bac and an AS in one of those two, or completing my Geography to a full A2 standard....

Any ideas? The AQA Bac scheme has been running a year so it's possible some people here may have done it last year...

Cheers
 
Can't help I'm afraid. Although I find the idea of a class on critical thinking quite amusing. It sounds like it's teaching common sense for those that lack it :D
 
I can't say for certain, as I know very little about the AQA Bac, but I'd say a university would be far more interested in Maths than those other two. They sound about as much wishy-washy touchy-feely rubbish as General Studies.

If you want to do maths at a decent university, I'd even go as far as to say Further Maths A2 is pretty much a requirement.
 
AS Further Maths is the only requirement. No university expects A2 further maths, with the exception of one college at Cambridge, and possibly a couple of colleges at Oxford.

I wouldn't be dropping maths for the Critical Thinking/Citizenship with Bac, I'd be dropping Geography.
 
Well when I applied to cambridge to study Engineering the offer i got was 3As at A2, Maths, Physics and F. Maths. I got 3As in Maths, Physics and Chemistry and a B in F.Maths and they rejected me! :(
 
Unlucky mate! I dunno if I'll end up at Cambridge. It's a goal and I'll definitely give it my best shot.
 
Worked out for the best I think... anyways, you might want to bear in mind the difference between requirements and offers!
 
I'm confused about what the AQA Baccalaureate actually is. Is it just an AS level in critical thinking, or is it that just a requirement for it?

I'd just carry on doing what you're doing now. Critical thinking is a pile of ****, as is general studies.
 
p4radox said:
I'm confused about what the AQA Baccalaureate actually is. Is it just an AS level in critical thinking, or is it that just a requirement for it?

I'd just carry on doing what you're doing now. Critical thinking is a pile of ****, as is general studies.
Click to expand...

You've got to take the AS level, and then do about 100hours of your own work on a personal project and service.

STEP is required yes, but the subject choices are still important!
 
DON'T DO CRITICAL THINKING / CITZENSHIP! From what I've read they want to slowly bring in the Baccalaureate as they believe it gives someone more rounded skills for futurelife. But Uni's at the moment are predominately more concerned with A-Level's. But personally I did A-Levels and still had to do Citizenship, its just your knowledge of current events such as Global Warning etc which I did in way more depth in Sociology anyway.
 
While the Baccalaureate is a well respected alternative now, and some would argue a much better qualification for 18 year olds, English universities are still very used to the A-level system. The increase in European students has meant that all universities will know the qualification well, but the ability to make more refined conditional offers means that you may end up with offers which are more difficult than the tradiotional AAA offer. This is something european students complain about all the time. Then again, because grades are more specific, you could argue that you are more likely to get an offer from top UK universities.

edit:

It seems the aqa baccalaureate is very different from the proper international baccalaureate, and hence all my advice is wrong.

http://www.ibo.org/diploma/curriculum/

Here is what oxford expect from ibac students

http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/unde.../courses_and_entrance_requirements/index.html

Roughly 6s are equivalent to an A and 7s are above an A.
 
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90% of the advice in here is useless, he has to take Critical Thinking as a pre-resiquite, its not the actual qualification, hes not going to drop a full A level to do AS Critical Thinking ._.
 
I am currently taking Further Maths, History A2, English Lit and Physics in Year 12. I also do a Critical Thinking course, which at the moment I find really interesting and engaging. The skills it teaches will hopefully be very helpful when I go onto Law at Oxbridge, or at least that is my aim.

What would you take the Bac in? It depends on what is more worthwhile to you and the university, not the school.
 
Strife212 said:
90% of the advice in here is useless, he has to take Critical Thinking as a pre-resiquite, its not the actual qualification, hes not going to drop a full A level to do AS Critical Thinking ._.
Click to expand...

This isn't the proper internationally recognised bac. If you look at the specification, its complete crap.

http://www.aqa.org.uk/qual/pdf/AQA-BACC-W-SP-10.PDF

Compare this to the ibac ive linked to above. This aqa version is not one that will replace a-levels as it lacks any real substance.
 
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