Are GCSEs worth anything?

[N9ne]

GCSEs matter a lot at top universities. Some examples:

L101 Economics at LSE: this year, most offers for this were given to those with a minimum of 8 A*s at GCSE and no Bs. Those with less than 6 A*s were rejected early, as well as those with Bs. A* Maths was required.

Engish at Trinity College, Cambridge: The average number of A*s for applicants this year was 8 A*s. People have been rejected on the basis that their GCSEs were average compared to other applicants.

Anything at Oxbridge: a large proportion of applicants have 5 or more A*s. While it probably isn't a deciding factor, if you have less than this, you're not on equal footing as the rest. It would take something special at AS to make up for it.

AS UMS scores are very important now. Soon universities will have access to this data and may even make offers based on UMS points in the future.

To the thread starter: Your GCSEs will be fine for most universities, however they may prove a disadvantage for top universities like Oxbridge, Imperial, UCL etc.

 

[benjo plz.]

Its likely that those who get high grades at GCSE, get High Grades at A Level, so they may not actually be a deciding factor.

 

[Nikias]

AS UMS scores are very important now. Soon universities will have access to this data and may even make offers based on UMS points in the future.

Yeah, this is very true. I think that I got rejected from Cambridge mainly because my AS UMS results weren't that high. (My GCSEs were eight A*s and two As so I don't think it was those). The guy interviewing me gave me a good sneer and commented that they were "a bit near to the A boundary", which leads me to that conclusion.

 

[daz]

Don't even bother listing your 'F' in RE on your CV. It brings your otherwise excellent results down a tad.

 

[ethan]

2 the top Universities they are just a means 2 differentiate with other candidates. Employers might view them differently. It varies really on what you want 2 do and where you want 2 go.

 

[Arcade Fire]

L101 Economics at LSE: this year, most offers for this were given to those with a minimum of 8 A*s at GCSE and no Bs. Those with less than 6 A*s were rejected early, as well as those with Bs. A* Maths was required.

Engish at Trinity College, Cambridge: The average number of A*s for applicants this year was 8 A*s. People have been rejected on the basis that their GCSEs were average compared to other applicants.

That's quite comical. I 'only' had five A*s in my GCSEs, as well as a C and a D, and I got accepted to study at Trinity! It's amusing to think that I may have been rejected early from LSE if I'd applied

 

[N9ne]

That's quite comical. I 'only' had five A*s in my GCSEs, as well as a C and a D, and I got accepted to study at Trinity! It's amusing to think that I may have been rejected early from LSE if I'd applied

Trinity's admissions proceedure is much better than LSE's. The interviews are the most important part of your application and often a good interview performance can override poor GCSE performance, below average UMS scores etc.

I got accepted to study at Trinity too . Rejected by LSE . Not early though, as I had 7 A*s, so I survived the early cuts . Clearly there was something in my personal statement they didn't like. They rejected me after the Cambridge offer, so I can't say I was bothered.

 

[Tommy B]

They're a complete joke.

They have NO repsect because Labour have ruined them. The A grade boundary in some subjects is between 45-90%. Obviously, people are looking for straight As or *s, but bar that, there really is little respect.

 

[Killerkebab]

Guess I can give up hope on applying to a top university then, however well I do in my A-levels.

 

[benjo plz.]

Guess I can give up hope on applying to a top university then, however well I do in my A-levels.

What were you considering doing?

 

[Killerkebab]

What were you considering doing?

Not totally sure at the moment, was thinking of maths or physics. I'm also doing Computing but I don't see myself carrying that one forward...

For the moment I am predicted As in all subjects (bar General Studies). I also have an A level in French, whatever that is worth

 

[Mattus]

Apparently Durham see GCSEs as particularly important, along with Oxbridge. I have 9 A*s and 2 As. Oxford and Durham accepted me, but King's and Warwick are still dithering. Maybe they don't find grades as important as the former two.

 

[PinkPig]

I really think they do matter more than most people think. Certainly the access people here - this is at Cambridge - often tell people that the college thinks of GCSE results as one of the most important things in assessing an application, mostly because they are very good at showing potential and willingness to work over a wide range of things, even those that you might now enjoy so much. Obviously AS levels and interview performance are crucial as well, and GCSEs have the problem of being quite a long way in the past by the time you're at university, but I'd say they do make a fair difference. Certainly, someone applying to a competitive course at university would be looked at worse if their grades were noticeably bad without an explanation, and I think such things have been known to be asked at interview.

 

[benjo plz.]

Not totally sure at the moment, was thinking of maths or physics. I'm also doing Computing but I don't see myself carrying that one forward...

For the moment I am predicted As in all subjects (bar General Studies). I also have an A level in French, whatever that is worth

Physics at uni would be bloody hard. Maths maybe, although tbh I'd say Bath is better for maths than Oxbridge.
Somehow I think dropping computings a rather good idea .

As in all subjects isn't bad, General studies is a pile of **** but I'm not sure what it really amounts to. The A level in French will probably be a useful advantage.

 

[PinkPig]

Physics at uni would be bloody hard. Maths maybe,

Never, ever, say that physics need be harder than maths at university, maths can be entirely impossible when it wants to be. Many of the people doing maths with physics do completely agree with me!

 

[reflex]

Hmm its kind harsh if they are took really serious. I know your ment to be mature when you take them but your around your mates all day so slightly lower grades eg) B instead of an A. Doesn't really show your intelligance as a 18/19 or whatever year old applying for uni.

 

[Psyk]

Guess I can give up hope on applying to a top university then, however well I do in my A-levels.

Depends how you define top. Top 10 you'll probably still have a good chance at with good A-levels. Top 3 or 4 maybe not so much.

 

[w11tho]

...although tbh I'd say Bath is better for maths than Oxbridge...

Soooo far from the truth. Don't get me wrong, Bath is good, but it's a fair way behind Oxford and Cambridge, and to an extent, Warwick and Imperial.

 

[benjo plz.]

Soooo far from the truth. Don't get me wrong, Bath is good, but it's a fair way behind Oxford and Cambridge, and to an extent, Warwick and Imperial.

Times Uni Guide put it second to Cambridge, so it can't be that bad...

 

[w11tho]

Times Uni Guide put it second to Cambridge, so it can't be that bad...

And thwaaaack - you've just been hit with my ignorance fish!

Universities get points for all sorts, many of which totally irrelevant - especially when trying to decide which place offers the best course in Mathematics. Having seen the syllabi and several exam papers from each of the institutions I mentioned, I can quite categorically say that each of them had tougher exams, and contained more topics, in comparison to Bath.