Oxbridge EPQ/critical thinking

[moved]

Do people have children who have taken either of these quals? Are they valued by Oxbridge? Thanks

[hermanmunster]

Have had 2 do EPQ (both A*) - one was in year 13 and the other in year 11.
Year 13 DC hadn't done it by the time UCAS form / uni applications done so don't know what influence it may have had had. Other DC still trying to fill in UCAS form and decide on Oxbridge...

[moved]

What did they do? Did they feel that they benefited from it?

[neveragain*]

My DD starting Cambridge in few weeks and was one of the only few not to do an extended project as she wanted to read around her subjects and also read around stuff she wanted to study at Cambridge. Certainly it seems they are interested in little more than your UMS and in Oxford particularly your GCSE grades - as well as your potential and your personal statement. It helps to show passion there but I don't think an extended project needed and indeed as most DC do it, it loses some value perhaps?

Hope that helps.

[KB]

You need to get to interview stage then its about being able to perform in that arena.

So the first hurdle us to have the GCSE grades(Oxford) or the UMS (Cambridge).

Then the PS needs to demonstrate an interest in the subject beyond the curriculum - an EPQ may do this but there are plenty of other ways and if the EPQ is just a tick box exercise it won't help much.

The nature of the interview will depend on the subject but once you get to that stage the only way the EPQ might help is if it has increased knowledge in an area they choose to ask about. In some subjects they could pick up on it and probe further so if you do an EPQ you'd need to really know the stuff you,d done it on. As above, if the timing of the EPQ is that its only started in year 13 then its not going to be much use in that respect.

[moved]

Thanks all - so if done for interest then great, but if done to box tick then not so great.

Anyone any input on critical thinking?

[KB]

Its not taken into account by Oxbridge.

It doesn't take a lot if work though so if DC fancies it there isn't much downside. One of mine irritatingly just missed A grade at AS and decided not to cash it in as didn't want a B grade on applications.
Having said that some of their friends have had B grades in GS and still got Oxbridge/ UCL medicine places so it probably isn't an issue .

I think its similar to your sum up re EPQ - do it for interest if it won't cause stress.

[Guest55]

One of mine irritatingly just missed A grade at AS and decided not to cash it in as didn't want a B grade on applications.

Everyone now HAS to cash in qualifications and UCAS state all qualification HAVE to be included on the application; places can be removed if you do not.

This would not be acceptable now.

[KB]

I'm not sure this is exactly correct.
At state funded schools the funding depends on the AS being cashed in but if its an optional additional subject it doesn't impact funding so the school don't have to cash it in.
UCAS guidance notes we recently consulted for current DC say that only cashed in AS subjects have to be declared.( For example some fee paying schools don't cash in anything until year13)
As far as I am aware 'our' school is still allowing a choice on cashing in Critical Thinking and I don't believe they would be doing this if it were against the rules.
If you have information to the contrary then I,ll happily forward it to the exams officer at school.

[moved]

From a well known magazine.

Since the summer of 2011, state-funded schools and colleges in England have been required to ‘cash-in’, or declare, the AS qualifications taken by pupils at the end of Year 12 in order to receive funding. As a result, state-funded schools and colleges in England are likely to cash-in all AS qualifications at the end of Year 12.

This is just one of the reasons why your AS-levels really matter – find out why else.

These new arrangements do not apply to:

independent schools
state-funded schools and colleges in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
overseas schools.
However, Ucas has suggested that schools in the categories above ‘may choose to review their policies on the cashing-in of AS qualifications in light of the changes affecting state-funded schools and colleges in England’.

Funding has changed again so that the funding is per pupil rather than per entry causing a few problems in schools where people take more than 3 AS levels.