A levels 2018-2020. long wait 2

[Tinkers]

Quite scary isn’t it?

Miss Tinkers has her EOY exams after half term, but has a few extra days of study leave after half term. She has been doing a bit of revision for those, but the main emphasis has been chemistry.

What’s quite sad is that her favourite gcse subject became her least favourite A level subject, but in a way it made the decision of which to drop easier. Her predicted grades for three out of the four were the same (maths was higher ) so to start with she was worried she wouldn’t know which to drop. Within half a term she knew.

Her chemistry teachers were both keen she continue chemistry and tried to talk her into carrying on. (One suggesting she would be better off dropping English instead.) she is much too stubborn for that malarkey.

[Catseye]

I've given up on helicoptering my children . My eldest went private and achieved the best he could have done and now at Nottingham Uni and happy as Larry and my daughter now at AGGS will do the best she can, I went to Willlenhall Comp and to got to Oxford Med School and quit after 3 years......let them be and find their own way in life.

We don't own them.So chillax.

[Tinkers]

I’m not the helicoptering sort (at least I’d like to think I’m not, I’m too lazy for that). However the school say I still have to sign the form for DD to allow her to drop chemistry.

Now wondering if I can use this to my advantage.

[doodles]

I’m not the helicoptering sort (at least I’d like to think I’m not, I’m too lazy for that). However the school say I still have to sign the form for DD to allow her to drop chemistry.

Now wondering if I can use this to my advantage.

Oh definitely

I'm certainly not a helicoptering parent, taxiing perhaps, but not helicoptering DS2 is completely self driven which is quite a new thing for me.

[Reading Mum]

No AS exams being sat here - just 3 As next year.
DD did her LVI exams straight after Easter break and has got the results this week. All seem to say that she is in the right ballpark for her chosen degree (which is a relief as she has no plan B).
Focus now seems to be on the looming driving test and sax exam. At least they should be out of the way before September.

[skipsmash]

My dd is in yr 12 doing Biology, Maths and Chemistry.

She's had to re-sit several Chemistry tests. Her school did not do well at Chemistry A level last year. It seems Chemistry is the hardest subject for her.

She wants to do medicine but at last report was working at B, C, D which aren't near the 3 x A's required for medicine. However, she's been doing much better in recent tests.

She's feeling stressed and I'm just not mentioning work. She didn't complain of stress during GCSE's.

It's strange to think we've been on here together for years! Seems so long since the 11+!

Looking round universities in a few weeks - this does seem premature, but will be interesting. Any opinions/knowledge of Bristol, Manchester, Sheffield and Cardiff, for medicine?

[kenyancowgirl]

She will have to prepare for the UKCAT/BMAT depending on which universities she eventually wants to apply for - Cardiff/Bristol are known to reject anyone pre interview who hasn't got basically all A*/As at GCSEs and at least 3 As predicted A levels. (This does also mean that that is what they want for entry, so unfortunately asking teachers to inflate predictions doesn't work). She will also need good solid work experience, both for her application form but also for the interviews.

Worth her looking at some of the smaller/newer/less popular Medical Schools as they tend to be a bit more forgiving - although all of them would expect at least 3 As predicted. (Places like UEA/Lancaster/Aston/QUB). It might be worth encouraging to have a gap year - that way she can apply fully strategically when she knows her A level results - and use the time to improve her UKCAT/BMAT score and get more work experience which really does help the interview skills (they all use MMIs to interview).

[ToadMum]

Something here about the new / expanded medical schools:
https://themsag.com/blogs/applying-to-m ... -they-open

Entry requirements here:
https://www.medschools.ac.uk/studying-m ... quirements

Eta , just noticed first one, however helpful, is a blog, so may get deleted...

[Blitz]

The advice given at my DS's UCAS evening for medicine was to think of it as possibly a 2 year process. Y13 application, then if not successful a Y14 application with a health related gap year. They gave examples of current students working in clinics in Uganda, as phlebotomists at the local hospital, care assistants in care homes etc.

They said to make sure your A levels are excellent. Minimum AAB, and universities are quite unforgiving of retakes. There are a few new medicine courses that have started, ARU for one. These might be worth looking at.

My DS is thinking of meteorology at university. This came out of a random conversation whilst on holiday at Easter. Before then, he had been thinking of a degree apprenticeship in finance.

[kenyancowgirl]

The advice given at my DS's UCAS evening for medicine was to think of it as possibly a 2 year process. Y13 application, then if not successful a Y14 application with a health related gap year. They gave examples of current students working in clinics in Uganda, as phlebotomists at the local hospital, care assistants in care homes etc.

They said to make sure your A levels are excellent. Minimum AAB, and universities are quite unforgiving of retakes. There are a few new medicine courses that have started, ARU for one. These might be worth looking at.

My DS is thinking of meteorology at university. This came out of a random conversation whilst on holiday at Easter. Before then, he had been thinking of a degree apprenticeship in finance.

Both of these are not quite true! The requirement for the vast majority of universities is a standard offer of AAA, however, if you are a contextual applicant, you may get a reduced offer of AAB - there may be wiggle room on results day to those who have dropped a grade but this vastly depends on the cohort and how highly you ranked at their interview stage. If your predicted grades are lower than AAA you will struggle to get interviews and will find the standard offer if you do get one, is still AAA (or higher). With regards to retakes, actually many (but not all) universities will accept them however, they require an A* and you would have to do really well in your UKCAT/BMAT in your gap year, as well as having proper plans, to get yourself to an interview.

Getting to an interview is the bit that the UCAS form does - people often forget this - you need to get to an interview to be in with a chance of an offer, the grades (GCSE/A level predictions and UKCAT/BMAT) do that bit (it's mainly all automated now and from next year I don't think any universities actually score your PS anymore, except in the case of a tie break.) The work experience is what will help you do well in the interviews, which can be brutal - and would be very tricky if you don't have it.

Also...a warning - most universities do require references from work experience placements - a few people I know got caught out this year with "work experience" that they then couldn't reference....!