Help with A level choices.

yy to going to uni with cs and ds too.

marking place

:) never a dull moment apparently

oops sorry just checked with dd she is doing Churchill and Mussolini.

creamycooler - yes I think she is studying that course.

back for good - I agree.dd is finding the other subjects not too bad at all at the moment English lang, sociology,communication and culture but ds was struggling with a level maths and was left behind v early on as he was a b grade gcser in a class full of as and a *.

Cooler have a look on www.push.co.uk
You have to register, but don't get harassed by loads of e-mails or anything.
You Your ds can play around with options of Universities or university courses, and what might be available with predicted or guessed grades. Or can filter by area of the country, or can filter courses from a starting point of not expecting to get more than CCC, or whatever you choose - it's been a really helpful site for us.

Geography is a great subject - really varied. Every holiday I go on reminds me of my Geography A level as it gives you a new way to view the world.

Yes. Different Unis have different entrance requirements for different subjects, see www.ucas.com, where they are all listed. If grades are very low, or with just 1 A level, he could do a Foundation Degree (bit like an HND) and top it up to a full degree afterwards...

I'd ask each of his subject teachers about his potential as an A level candidate as a B grade GCSE might be a perfectly sound foundation in some subjects, but an indication that your DS will struggle in others. There was a MN thread where a MNetter's son wasn't allowed to do Maths with a B grade GCSE because the evidence suggests that most B grade GCSE students do poorly in Maths.

The subject I would be most concerned about is Biology - but his teacher would be the best person to advise him.

Has he considered Psychology? It is a great A level and uses a scientific approach.

No - I never thought of it either, but it's easy to do - thousands of people attend and you can just turn up if you lke. They prefer you to register so they can send you marketing stuff through the post, but nobody will notice that you are a year earlier than the majority.
They give talks on finance and talks from each subject as well as tours of the campus, accommodation , sports and social places. It's really interesting.

Out2Lunch - I think all subjects are a massive jump between GCSE and AS, it's not confined to History. My ds "only" got a B for History at GCSE, but managed C for AS and is working at around a 'B' level now his teacher tell them.

dd has just started a levels - she is studying history and it is by far her most difficult subject.she had an a for gcse and she finds it v heavy going.might be worth considering after you get gcse results.

A think that's a good set of solid subjects

My ds isn't an A* pupil either, so we may possibly be looking at the same type of Universities. They are all offering things like 'BBC, incl B in history'... so they aren't really interested in what the other subjects are.

I thought I'd let you know from an ordinary mortal point of view as I realise 99% of MNers dc will all be looking at Oxbridge or 'Russell Group'

As an aside, my ds has been really inspired by looking at Universities, and, with hindsight, I wish we'd gone and looked a a couple of open days in the Autumn of Lower 6th - might be worth giving it some thought next year.

DS1 did History and English A levels last Summer. He got A*s in his GCSEs in both subjects (100% in History), they were his favourite subjects at school and he has a great interest in them. There is a lot of work to do in both subjects, it was essays and reading constantly, there was not a lot of time for going out and they needed a lot of dedication.

DS2 has just started Biology A level, he did separate science for GCSEs, he got 3As. He is doing Biology, Chemistry, Sociology and Psychology. He loves Biology, he wants to go into Nursing, but of the four it seems to be the one where he gets the most homework and the most reading.

I think as long as your son is interested, motivated and prepared to work hard he should be fine. I agree with careers a couple of DS1's friends did really well in their GCSEs, then didn't work at all in Yr12, so had to re-do it because they did badly in their AS levels. As long as he is consistent he should be fine.

The other thing is, when my 2 chose their A levels they gave the school an idea, but they didn't have to confirm them until results day so there is usually scope to change your mind.

That's great! Having B grades in GCSEs is a good foundation for A levels, if he is prepared to work hard. I've seen students who coast A* GCSEs get miserable A level grades, and vice versa. Whatever he chooses, there will be a range of options to suit him, both at university and via apprenticeships.

In principal, yes. Three would be even better, in allowing the broadest range of degree courses at the top Unis - which he would have at least to AS level, as the only non-facilitating subject amongst his choices is IT.
Good luck!

Beware. Applied science won't be seen as a facilitating subject for universities, but may be a more useful option if he might want to consider vocational options 18+. Do you think he may want to go to uni?