Are A-Levels important after University?
- Thread starter SideWinder
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ahh yes, is that the unified concepts paper?
I'm taking that one...
I'm not trying to seem really rude here, but Im really surprised how many people got D's, E's and even U's and got into uni...
If you get those grades doesn't it kinda show that you should take another path rather than further education?
I mean that in the most respectful way, and don't mean to offend
I'm taking that one...
I'm not trying to seem really rude here, but Im really surprised how many people got D's, E's and even U's and got into uni...
If you get those grades doesn't it kinda show that you should take another path rather than further education?
I mean that in the most respectful way, and don't mean to offend
Yes unfortunately they do matter.
Last year I missed out on a summer placement opportunity with a large IT company because my A Level grades were ABB and not AAA. Essentially my CV was binned before interview stage. This is despite me knowing both candidates who got summer placements with the company had lower university results than me and all in all, less impressive CVs.
Last year I missed out on a summer placement opportunity with a large IT company because my A Level grades were ABB and not AAA. Essentially my CV was binned before interview stage. This is despite me knowing both candidates who got summer placements with the company had lower university results than me and all in all, less impressive CVs.
I was originally just responding to your original point "employers will always use your A-Level results to determine that standards at the University". I just don't believe that is always the case, and more than just the odd exception too; there are other means of judging the standards.... such as:
Exactly - the grades required, not the grades achieved (which can often be two different things).
Anyway, I don't want to be too much of a pedant so I think we'll just have to agree to disagree
I can appreciate that a high achieving A-level student is more likely to have gone to a top uni, but I don't believe it should be a dominant factor in measuring their standards since a top student would be accepted by pretty much any uni, including those with low standards.edit: just to give another anecdotal example, yes I know it's just a single exception, but a bit of fun nonetheless!
My wife and I both have honours degrees from the same University (albeit at different times and studying very different subjects).
My A Level results were AAB, so your logic dictates that my uni should be viewed as being pretty good, but not right at the top of the scale.
My wife's were something like EUU(?), which implies that my uni must be pretty terrible.
So two employers looking at our CVs would infer wildly different things from this. They'd be much better off IMO using other means of assessing the quality of the university and courses we attended.
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I think people are replying to a question that besides the point. Having A levels determine your Uni isnt a good metric and not one used by companies.
Companies do look at your A levels because they are a good metric of your sustained work rate from a young age and therefore are important.
Companies does not encompass all employers or exceptions of which there are many reasons. But this doesnt reduce their importance.
Basically, I would rather have decent A levels and a 1st class degree than poor A levels and a 1st class degree, but I wouldnt be breaking a sweat unless I was looking for employment with Times100 companies.
Companies do look at your A levels because they are a good metric of your sustained work rate from a young age and therefore are important.
Companies does not encompass all employers or exceptions of which there are many reasons. But this doesnt reduce their importance.
Basically, I would rather have decent A levels and a 1st class degree than poor A levels and a 1st class degree, but I wouldnt be breaking a sweat unless I was looking for employment with Times100 companies.
Very well put
I agree with this, I got decent A levels ABB but didn't go to a top 20 University as I wanted to study Law.
You can study high demanding subjects such as engineering with as little as BBC at top universities as the courses are often undersubscribed. The same goes for almost all science and maths.
A levels do matter to some extent (they often help you get an interview), but at your age it would be much more beneficial to gain experience as ultimately if you can show you have a passion for your chosen career you will find it easier to get that job.
If you are really struggling, find something else to make your CV better, learn a language, join a society...I dunno I just really think it is futile going back to retake A levels.
They do - it's a fact. (I should add that I'm not talking about applying for positions at Bob's Chippy, but applying for graduate schemes at big firms).
I thought this was too obvious to point out earlier, but I'll do it now for clarity. The grades required should be less than or equal to the grades achieved.
We're not disagreeing over anything. I've stated how companies use A-Levels as a yardstick, and you've said you don't like it. Write some letters to some companies if you don't like the system, but don't feel the need to tell me about it...