to EPQ or not to EPQ?

It seems a bit sad not to be able to think of a subject, how about setting aside half a day to sit in a library meandering through the shelves dipping in to different books. If you can't find something that inspires interest then perhaps university is not for you........

By A level the schools are very used to spotting parental input, very common for personal statements lovingly crafted by parents to be sent back in favour of something a bit more raw but genuine from a 17 year old. The whole point is to be studying something that neither parent or teacher would know much about in the depth required. What point would there be in parents / teachers doing it anyway, is the pupil going to take their parents / teachers along to university to write their essays there too?

Uilen
Yes, I can see your link. DD has no intention of doing 4 science A levels, no matter what. But her targets fit with what the College is asking for, and the kind of stuff that she would do for her EPQ, if they do not like it, that is tough on them, not her.

If your DS is aiming high for university, and presumably it will be for a humanity or humanity related vocational course then an EPQ will give him a chance to develop the skills in research and developing in depth evidenced argument, and presentation skills that he will need at university. It is all very well preferring to know a little about a lot but that is not what will be required at university. Either university is not for him or he had better develop the motivation to know a lot about one thing .

My DD found it very valuable, not just for the above reasons but that it gave her a chance to pursue an interest to see whether it was really something that she wanted to study in joint honours with a subject she was already studying. It also gave her a chance to understand that the humanities have a great deal of overlap, literature and art have a historical, political and philosophical context and in turn can shed light on the historical, political and philosophical perspective. So your son could get a chance to not just know a lot about a little but to know a little about a lot not confined by three narrow disciplinary boundaries

Personally as a Historian I think it is a no brainer.

And actually my Scientist daughter was really frustrated, and still regrets, she was not had been allowed to do an EPQ (they were trialling it and in the first year for some reason only allowed the projects proposed by Humanities students ) alongside her 4 Science A2 subjects, for the same reasons, the uni relevant skills gained and the chance to explore an interest in depth. She is now doing a Masters and the research team she is part of are focused on the area she proposed for her EPQ.

It was aimed at one of the people replying (whose child is doing sciences and looking to apply to university for biological sciences).

UILEN she says her Dc is doing 3 humanities plus maths.What earthly relevance does your link to natural sciences at Clare college, Cambridge have ?

EPQ is not particularly helpful for maths/physical sciences and engineering. In my understanding it also does not play a role for other sciences (biology, chemistry etc). Note that it is considered desirable to have four A2 sciences when applying for sciences at top universities see e.g.

www.clare.cam.ac.uk/Natural-Sciences/

under Admissions. EPQ would not usually be considered a good substitute for a fourth A2 science.

For humanities and languages EPQ are much more valued.

My dd says that the EPQ has been more use to her than her A levels at University- she learned so much about research and note taking and extended independent writing. And the viva was useful and challenging experince too. I think EPQs are great.

Brenda a couple of days ago Bristol wrote to DS saying that the EP (and presumably his prediction for it) contributed to his early offer from them - the earliness of it I mean, not just the fact of an offer. So clearly they rate it. That was for History. Another poster had said it played no part in offers for her area (mathsy stuff), but for this subject and this uni it was completely specific.

We had this exact discussion over supper last night.
DD is planning to drop down to 3 A2 subjects and then do a thesis style EPQ

and she's still aiming high on Unis