How many GCSE's for uni entrance?

Discussion and advice on GCSEs

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Waiting_For_Godot
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How many GCSE's for uni entrance?

Post by Waiting_For_Godot »

This is thinking ahead but I need to in a sense as what I start to do in home ed now will affect DS later on. I heard somewhere that if a child wants to apply for medicine they need to have around 10 GCSE's alongside A'levels but for any other subject, they only need A'levels or a small appropriate amount of GCSE's - English, Maths for example.

I wasn't planning on having DS sit any GCSE's or if I did it would only be in the subjects he sits at A'level. I had envisaged no more than five unless he did not want to study maths and English at A'level and I would make sure be sat them at GCSE.

So is it true about medicine or any other course or can he apply to any uni with only A'levels?
daveg
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Re: How many GCSE's for uni entrance?

Post by daveg »

Waiting_For_Godot wrote: I wasn't planning on having DS sit any GCSE'
http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/s ... hoices.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; page 16.
hermanmunster
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Re: How many GCSE's for uni entrance?

Post by hermanmunster »

WFG, I have been at quite a few pre admission and parents info sessions at competitive universities.

At some point you can guarantee some parent will stand up and say that their child has been taught at home, a Steiner school, travelled with the circus etc etc or there some other reason why they have minimal or no GCSEs.

The admissions people tend to go quiet and are most interested in their shoes. The stock answer then is that each case is considered on his / her merits .... but it seems to add complication!!!

Why make it more complicated ? GCSEs are admittedly a drag but no big deal really and having at least 9 puts them on a par with everyone else.
Guest55
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Re: How many GCSE's for uni entrance?

Post by Guest55 »

You don't need 9 - I would have said that between 5 and 8 is plenty.

Look on UCAS website for course requirements.
hermanmunster
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Re: How many GCSE's for uni entrance?

Post by hermanmunster »

Trouble is that what they say and what everyone else has got are 2 different things. I suspect it is tricky to prove yourself to a top university without:

2 english, 3 science, maths - that's 6 then a language = 7 and a humanities or RS .. = 8 .
Yep reckon 8 is the answer.
daveg
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Re: How many GCSE's for uni entrance?

Post by daveg »

Guest55 wrote:You don't need 9 - I would have said that between 5 and 8 is plenty.

Look on UCAS website for course requirements.

But more interesting that the published requirements is the published outcomes:

http://www.medsci.ox.ac.uk/study/medici ... statistics" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - search down for "Distribution of pA*".
Guest55
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Re: How many GCSE's for uni entrance?

Post by Guest55 »

Not all top Unis require a language and triple science - depends on the degree choice.
hermanmunster
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Re: How many GCSE's for uni entrance?

Post by hermanmunster »

Guest55 wrote:Not all top Unis require a language and triple science - depends on the degree choice.
Agreed not all, but a lot don't require x y or z but when it comes to selecting candidates then that is what they choose to decide whether to offer or short list. There are so many candidates for some courses at some unis that they have to use something to decided between them.
Amber
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Re: How many GCSE's for uni entrance?

Post by Amber »

I have taught children who didn't do any because of odd circumstances and still went to good universities.
I agree with G55 that 5-8 would be plenty.

I think for Oxford/Cambridge they look at A:A* ratio so the more you do, the more top grades you need.
As for Medicine, apart from Birmingham which seems to require its prospective medics to be able to walk on water, I don't think you need any particular number.

But I thought you were planning to send him to school in a couple of years, WFG - how is he going to avoid GCSEs?
hermanmunster
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Re: How many GCSE's for uni entrance?

Post by hermanmunster »

Amber wrote: As for Medicine, apart from Birmingham which seems to require its prospective medics to be able to walk on water, I don't think you need any particular number.
Birmingham doesn't get involved in the UKCAT and can therefore be incredibly choosey with GCSEs as there are hordes applying there with less than stunning UKCAT scores.
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