Does taking A levels early impact on university offers?

[KB]

Taking then early may not be an issue in itself if sufficient are then taken at the 'standard' time but the grades of those taken early still need to be the best that student is capable of. So better to leave it a year and get the top grade. Getting more subjects at lower levels is not helpful.

The other issue us that offers may be made on the strength of exams taken at the standard time, so if you take your best subjects early you still need to leave yourself the 'standard' number that you are strong enough in.

Presumably many of those taking exams early will be looking at top universities or competitive courses like medicine/vet school. In these cases a passion for the subject/demonstrated commitment through extra curricular activities like competions,projects, extensive reading/ work experience etc are essential. Its worth thinking about where time and effort is best directed.

[silverysea]

Putting myself in the shoes of the person deciding who to admit to my course, requiring the best marks in subjectS A, B, and C, I imagine scenarios like:

Candidate 1: top marks in Y13 in A, B, and C
Top marks in Great other choices, X, Y, and Z taken Y13 or earlier

Versus

Candidate 2: top marks in Y13 in A, B, and Z
Top marks in C (required) plus Great other choices, X, and Z taken Earlier than in the proper Y13 batch


Wouldn't I pick candidate 1 over 2?


Then I would start looking at other factors, but 2 might already be out of my possibles.

[2childmum]

I think schools can still put students in for GCSEs early, but only the result achieved on their first attempt counts towards the league tables, so it doesn't do schools any good to keep on putting students in over and over again in the hope they pass one of them. A school near here usually put all their students in for maths GCSE in November of year 11, saying it was in the students best interests (I suppose it did give those that didn't get a C+ grade a second go). As soon as the Government introduced the 'only the first attempt counts' rule they withdrew every year 11 from the November sitting - I guess maybe it wasn't in the students best interests after all!

Almost every school around here makes students choose their GCSEs at the end of year 8 so that they take 3 years rather than 2 over them. We tried to find a school that didn't for our very creative daughter, as it's always the creative subjects that get dropped, but we failed to find one (and there are lots of schools around here!) The only schools that, as far as I can tell, don't do this are the grammars.

DS (at aforementioned grammar) started science in year 9 - they make them sit core science at the end of year 9 - I don't think they had caught up with the fact that new rules meant they had to take all the exams at the end of the course and will therefore be re-examined in all this stuff this summer. I think they have had less lessons in each individual science than in other subjects - so I think over the 3 years each science might have had the same teaching time as subjects done over 2.

[Bexley Mum 2]

OK - so judging by the experiences of everyone on here, the universities I have heard back from are spinning me a yarn and it is essential to take three A2s in Year 13. I had hoped that the person from the Computing Department Admissions at Imperial who said that, "it is our policy to evaluate applications on an individual basis - therefore we appreciate that different students advance at different times and that school policy can impact on this ...an earlier indication of your son's actual ability might well strengthen his application" suggested that universities would, within reason, look at the individual student rather than apply too many blanket rules, but from what you all say this is not to be believed.

So, leaving aside the general comments about what [i]should[/i] happen, I'm wondering how to make the best of the specific situation ds is in given that I'm not about to suggest to him that he moves school (he's perfectly happy there).

The irony is that, by the end of year 9 he really didn't like school and was getting really depressed by it and switched off. We sat together one evening last year and went through each subject, almost all of which he found 'boring'. Since he started his two AS subjects in Year 10 his whole attitude has changed. He is really enjoying AS maths and is now regularly 1st or 2nd in tests in his top set maths class (and yes, I understand from Guest 55 that there are other "fun" maths things to do rather than start courses early, but they are not on offer at his school). He also loves AS computing - he's in a small class (10) with a very quirky, committed and engaging teacher. DS is enjoying these subjects so much his enthusiasm has rubbed off onto other GCSE subjects and I've recently found him revising other subjects and sometimes staying behind after school voluntarily (yes I've checked!) to work on other subject areas.

So he should end up with A2s in maths and computing at the end of year 12. If he did do AS Electronics in year 11 and ended up with 3 x A2s at the end of year 12, would that not be the same as 3 x A2s at the end of year 13? Depending on grades of course. I know there is the argument of waiting to see if you can get better grades by doing them at the right time, but he is very old for his year and is taking an increasingly mature attitude to school.

If he continues to want to do Computing at uni, he will have to do FM in year 13 as a double subject. So I guess his best option is to get to a situation where he does FM and completes two other A levels in year 13. This would mean starting two new subjects in Year 12 alongside the A2s. Would that be a problem?

[kenyancowgirl]

I haven't completely followed this thread but, he will have to do something else in Y13 alongside FM. To get the three A2s in Y13, your biggest problem will be battling a timetabler at school, I suspect, notwithstanding that, as he will have done the subjects he enjoys most, early on, he will be taking on "new" less familiar subjects for the A2s to be completed in Y13 (and may not do as well in them, as a result). I actually agree that generally, especially nowadays, Universities are looking for evidence of ability to study and complete 3 or 4 A2s in one year (usually y13). Unfortunately competition is so high that they can do this - despite not stating this in their admissions policies (they have to give themselves leeway, just in case!)

I get that this is not what you want to hear - and is at odds with what you have been told by specific University departments - the point is, if I said "no, you'll be fine" that would actually be more of an untruth, with most universities. There are always exceptions to every rule, however, and, if your son is offering 3 A2s in one year, completed in Y12 plus plus plus in Y13 then that MAY be enough for some universities. Imperial (and any other uni) can change the goalposts at any point, remember, and the harder a place is to get into, the more popular it becomes and the more sticky they get about things! I would encourage your son to think about what he will take/do alongside his FM in Y13 - more subjects, other whizzy things (Duke of Edinburgh etc) - do not give universities a reason to reject him - Imperial is VERY hard to get into - even if he ticked the academic boxes, he may not be what they are looking for - he needs to ensure that he is giving himself realistic back up alternatives and not allowing anybody to rule him out. (FYI I am a semi retired professional Careers Adviser and have been for more years than I care to remember!!)

[2childmum]

To do 2 more A2s alongside FM in year 13 he would have to do 2 AS alongside his 3 A2s in year 12 which is a lot of work.

Could he wait until year 12 to do electronics AS (they do offer it at AS in year 12 as DS may have considered it if he were staying on there) DS loves GCSE astronomy, if it's not too late to change his mind about what he does in year 11- lots of more advanced physics and a small class with a very enthusiastic teacher - although you have to be prepared to drive out to dark places at the dead of night for the controlled assessments!

Then he could do A2 maths and computing, AS electronics and AS something else in year 12, followed by all of Further Maths and A2 electronics and the something else giving him the 3 A2s in year 13. Just a suggestion.

[Bexley Mum 2]

If he does AS Electronics in year 11 he could leave it at that. In year 12 do A2 maths, A2 computing, start A level Physics (he definitely wants to do and excels at it) and either another science, Music or Philosophy. In year 13 he could do FM, Physics and the other subject.

But if he did continue with Electronics, would 3 x A2s in year 12 not be as useful as 3 x A2s in year 13?

[Bobmumof3]

2childmum - double award is still examined as core in year 10 and additional in year 11. Only triple is fully assessed at the end of key stage.

I agree that making children choose options in year 8 is ridiculous. I work in a local comp who begin GCSE in year 10.

[Loopyloulou]

Bexley Mum 2, if he takes three A2s in year 12 why not consider putting him in for university a year early?

[Bexley Mum 2]

Loopylou - because he needs to do FM in year 13! That's part of the whole problem - FM is taken as a double subject in Year 13 at his school.