Advice please about dd's A level choices. (She's asked me to ask you- I'm not being helicoptery)

More options to do what, though? Workfare with all the other unemployed graduates? You need actual skills in this climate.

I think best advice is speak to the Admissions Tutors and (if they say its not essential) drop Theatre Studies. I'm sure she can do enough extra-curricular drama related stuff to make up for it (from distant memory, friends who did drama degrees many years ago were very involved in school plays, local drama groups etc and used all that experience to support their application). Plus in the event she changes her mind about the degree, A levels in English, Philosophy and History give her more options than say History, English and TS.

Agree with BOF. In these days of massive tuition fees, a History degree is a wasted luxury. Most only offer two or so hours' tuition a week and are far too broad to be of much use, unless she wants to be a historian or teacher.

I'd be pressing the school to keep them all. if timetabling is impossible they need to be running a class after school in one of the subjects, and paying the teacher overtime or time in lieu. Many schools do this.

Times have changed. History degrees just ain't that special any more. If you've got a practical, career-focussed degree under your belt, you are ten times more likely to end up with work in that field than if you waste your time with an old-fashioned 'solid' academic subject. For most people, the route into an arts-related career nowadays will come with experience and contacts, which it just won't be building with History at Manchester or whatever. The work will be going to people with a portfolio of stuff and involvement with actual productions. Gone are the days of being 'discovered' à la Lana Turner while sipping milkshake at Schwabb's. Nobody is going to put you in their movie (and they certainly won't invite you to do the sound mixing, or post-production editing or whatever) unless they see you know what you are doing.

I totally disagree.

From bitter bitter experience, dro p theatre studies. You can do drama as a hobby. If you're good and determined you can be an actor after school has finished. Theatre studies will be as much use as a chocolate teapot and will eat away at your time. Beware.

But email the tutors for the actual subject, not just a general address.

She needs to go to the horses's mouth and ask the admissions tutor at Central and Bristol and, in addition, those who admit for History courses at universities she might like should she change her mind again.

From the website , TS isn't needed for the Central course but it might (possibly) be desirable (I doubt it matters though but it matters that she likes it.) If she is clearly doing it from commitment and to a high standard, it might not bother History admissions tutors as long as she achieves highly in it and in History (which is hard). Good luck.

I would also recommend checking the entrance requirements for, e.g. Two courses to do a theatre type degree and two courses to do a history degree and see what they want. Only then can an informed decision be made.

I vote drop English, she doesn't like it and she'll get plenty of writing practice skills with the H+P. I wouldn't bank on Theatre Studies as any kind of a career, but as a vocation/passion go for it. Lots of good directions to go after that. She'd be will set up to do a PGCE later, for instance.

TS may not be traditional but an excellent mark at any artistic A-level shows huge passion/dedication/hard work ethic potential.

There are no specific A-leve requirement for that course, so she should do the ones she enjoys and can get the required grades in.

Drama & Theatre Studies requires a good team of students to guarantee a high grade. Is she confident that there will be other good students to work with? It can be a time-suck when preparing for performances, including weekend work, as well as numerous trips to the theatre.

History, English and Philosophy are all highly regarded A-levels, and Drama is fine too :)

She should do what she enjoys. The course she has chosen selects largely on what she does off her own back, extra-curricularly.

I did English & Theatre Studies at Warwick with A Levels in English Lit, History & Classics. Get her to check the entry requirements on the UCAS website- they may not ask for A Level Drama/Theatre Studs.

Is the Bristol course the Old Vic one Seeker? If so, my nephew has just been accepted to do that - and he has no A levels, having decided to not do that. He does have a great portfolio though

Yes, looking at that course I would expect applicants to have done art, possibly music. Has she emailed the admissions team at Central to ask what they would recommend?

It looks a great course.

Hmmm..ok, looking at the course she is keen on seeker I'd be concerned she was competing against students who had A levels in Textiles, Art and Drama perhaps.

(Not helpful, I know. Sorry)

Does she really need theatre studies to go on? I'd check the entry requirements tbh. I think the other A levels are much more acceptable to a wider range of courses

I wouldn't drop the English either way, personally. Whether she wants to go to Uni or into the Theatre then I would think English will be seen as relevant. It's difficult, as she is trying to keep her options open. But yes, to read History at Uni, Theatre studies will be viewed as non academic and a little irrelevant. She needs to think about the fact that other pupils will be applying for the same course who are likely to have A levels in something like History, English and Politics. Theatre Studies might backfire on her if she does drop one of the others in favour of it - and then decides to apply for a History degree.

If they can't timetable the 4 she is currently studying could she do another AS level next year that fits in with the rest of her subjects? Government and politics or economics would be good fits and require similar skills. The reason for this suggestion is a very successful sixth form college near us gets students to do this so there is presumably some benefit.

Noooo, don't drop the Theatre Studies if that's her focus.

From what you've said in OP the philosophy just looks a little redundant. But if she loves it well then it's more complicated

I'd drop Philosophy too.

Could she do one at night school? The theatre studies one maybe?