GCSE - Changing History for RS?

The only way they take GCSE's into account (apart from requiring certain grades in maths English & science to be able to study certain subjects such as teacher training or science/engineering courses requiring gcse maths) is that some universities ask that a certain number of subjects are passed with good grades all in one sitting if a candidate has English, maths & double science their other 3/4 subjects can be anything.

Please point me towards a source if I am wrong in this.

but the fact that they take GCSEs into account tells you that they can afford to be choosy

Source?

The fact is that the vast majority of universities canNOT afford to be choosy, and even those the MN massive regard as the elite are terrified of losing EU students... GCSEs, other than having Maths, Eng and Science, really don't matter.

The universities do not specify exact subjects and grades when they weight GCSE results (and some weightings can be higher than you tnink!) but the fact that they take GCSEs into account tells you that they can afford to be choosy. Therefore if you are aiming high, why put yourself at a disadvantage? The booklets are a generalisation and not specific. It is always best to check actual specific selection requirements.

The updated informed choices say that in terms of GCSE's that although there are certain courses that require specific subjects & grades it only really applies to maths English & science GCSE's (except UCL's language requirement.

There may be specific requirements to study a subject at A level.

Pleased to hear he has decided on which subject to take Lastminute.

I have never heard of any universities asking for specific GCSEs but was interested to read that History is included in the Ebacc subjects but RS is not.

Now that AS Levels are not the norm, you will find some universities place a lot of emphasis on GCSEs for over-subscribed courses. The breadth, quality and grade are now on the table and the universities list what weighting they give them. As indeed they now do with the personal statement in some instances. If you are aiming high, it is better to be on the safe side but that doesn't mean RS isn't ok. Both DDs did both! I think he will be fine with History by the way.

It really really doesn't matter at gcse level. RS is an academically rigorous subject & I defy anyone to find a university who will not accept a full RS Gcse.

Facilitating subjects at A level are simply a list of subjects that it's useful to take if you either don't know what degree you want to do or alongside a subject you know you need for a degree. They are simply a list of subjects that leave a wider range of options open.

Take music or art for example. It's not a facilitating subject but is listed as necessary subjects to take for many uni music or art degrees.

However if you don't know what you want to do at degree level taking music art & maths (only one facilitating subject) is going to dramatically reduce your choice of potential degree choices than taking music maths & physics or art, history & English lit.

I thought the universities didn't actually care too much about which GCSEs, after Maths and English they just want really good grades.....isn't that the point that was made in the informed choices booklet?

Bunfight aside, this has been a very useful thread for me - I came to ask exactly the same question. Super-academic DS has 2English, 3sciences, Maths, Latin, Greek, Russian, Art chosen, and is trying to choose between RS and History for his last "slot". Both are iGCSEs, both look interesting, neither is regarded as a soft option by the school......this thread has clarified a few thoughts, but I am still of the opinion that DS would probably enjoy RS more, which is all that actually matters.

Most, if not all, universities want a range of GCSEs with good grades across the board. They have greater interest in what you are studying at A level and your predicted grades and, as someone has said, history is a well regarded facilitating subject.

At dd's school, the more academic kids take history/geography, the less academic ones take RS as it is regarded (not sure if this is at all true - just how it is seen) as being much easier.

Well Tess this is supposed to be a helpful forum so if you have a link to this information why not post it? What's with all the passive-agressivensss? I, for one, would really like to see that list as I have some concerns about my DS's GCSE choices.

What rot. Search and you will find. I did. I was looking on behalf of pupils who had to make option choices.

Ffs, I'm not trying to impress you, I'm just trying to find out whether you have actually found lists of dodgy GCSEs, or whether you're just making shit up. Given your inability to provide a straight answer, I'm assuming the latter.

If only you could impress us with your facts...

Oh, my, if only you could impress me with your nitpicking

You've given opinions, not reasons, and actually we're quite picky about wanting evidence here

your argument then you get the marks
I gave you the reasons and you don't need the quote to get the mark!

Honestly, I think you're perhaps remembering wrongly. I've looked at half a dozen universities, and they mostly require maths and English GCSE but don't say anything about unacceptable GCSEs. I found a med school requirements page on The Student Room which says 9, not including any short courses, for Cambridge - perhaps it's the relatively common RS short course that was an issue. RS is on the Trinity College, Cambridge list of "generally suitable" A levels, so I don't see why anyone would have a problem with the GCSE. My googling about GCSE requirements for university is not bringing up anything like your claim. If you know where you saw it, share it. If you can't back up your claim - and in several years of children doing GCSEs and reading here, I've never seen anything like it before - then I think the OP can disregard it.

One of the reasons that my DD enjoyed RS so much is that there are no right or wrong answers. As long as you can give reasons that support your argument then you get the marks.

I think there are lots of right/wrong answers in the new RS GCSE,

And you can be as sarcastic as you like, I'm still right!

Prove it then. Show us a University where RS GCSE "appears on their 'we don't count this' list".

And you can be as sarcastic as you like, I'm still right! That's what I love about me...

Yes timely if you could guide me to an example it would really help us. Thanks for your input
Google. That's how I found it when I needed it for pupils.

The document from which the term "facilitating subjects" comes from is russellgroup.ac.uk/media/5320/informedchoices.pdf. The term applies to A'levels not GCSEs.
The key thing is what your son will be interested in most and do best in.