Number of A Levels

[MSD]

None of the medicine courses my son looked at offer lower for 4 A levels, MSD. Actually they were the ones that were most insistent that, along with the very specific grade requirements for GCSEs, they would NOT allow slippage for 4!

I think what it says on paper can look very different to what you are actually told when you visit for Open Days. In my experience as a CA and a parent is that Admissions staff are very clear at Open Day’s, no ambiguity at all. And I say again, 4 A levels generally, for the vast majority, does not help/result in lower offers.

Crossed with Guest

My son came across few while researching KCG. Let me see if I can dig them out

[Guest55]

MSD - your child has not actually reached UCAS yet so maybe you are looking at the 'theory' which often does not match what actually happens.

Many of us have been involved over a number of years wither as parents, careers people and/or teachers so perhaps our knowledge base is wider.

[MSD]

None of the medicine courses my son looked at offer lower for 4 A levels, MSD. Actually they were the ones that were most insistent that, along with the very specific grade requirements for GCSEs, they would NOT allow slippage for 4!

I think what it says on paper can look very different to what you are actually told when you visit for Open Days. In my experience as a CA and a parent is that Admissions staff are very clear at Open Day’s, no ambiguity at all. And I say again, 4 A levels generally, for the vast majority, does not help/result in lower offers.

Crossed with Guest

My son came across few while researching KCG. Let me see if I can dig them out

For Birmingham medicine school the typical offer with 3 A levels is A*AA and with 4, AAAB

[Guest55]

The phrase 'typical offer' means nothing MSD ... and did you note this:

"If an A Level is completed in Year 12 at grade A or above, the offer for the remaining subjects studied in Year 13 will be AAA"

[scary mum]

Birmingham's website states:

Typical offer
A*AA. Candidates should have predicted AAA including Biology and Chemistry

[MSD]

MSD - your child has not actually reached UCAS yet so maybe you are looking at the 'theory' which often does not match what actually happens.

Many of us have been involved over a number of years wither as parents, careers people and/or teachers so perhaps our knowledge base is wider.

Is that question even relevant to this thread G55 and I find it quite condescending. And how would you know what experience I have with the UCAS process?

[MSD]

Birmingham's website states:

Typical offer
A*AA. Candidates should have predicted AAA including Biology and Chemistry

It also states

Candidates studying four A Levels:
If all A Level subjects are examined for first time in Year 13, the offer will be AAAB (Biology and Chemistry must be at grade A)

[Middlesexmum]

My dd isn't looking at Medicine and isn't doing Science A Levels.

Her reasoning - why should she do a 4th A Level, perhaps in a subject she's not 100% keen on, just for the sake of it?

I asked about work load/pressure, school say the girls cope fine with four. I'm still not convinced.

[Guest55]

Middlesexmum - perhaps she might need to explore other Sixth forms and what they offer?

[Daogroupie]

To do a 4th A level in a subject that she is not as interested in is just asking for trouble.

It will naturally become her weaker A level as she has been forced, rather than chosen, to do this A level.

I suggest you go to some admission talks in subjects she might be interested in and ask the question for yourself.

"Will she get a lower offer because she is doing four subjects at A level?"

I have heard this question asked in English, History, Geography, Classic and Music talks and the answer has always be the same, no.

Dd1 was doing 4 A levels right upto the week before putting in her UCAS form. We decided that she would drop the 4th A level just beforehand so that the universities she had applied to would see that she was focused on three relevant A levels. DG