Number of GCSES

My son is applying for medicine. Of the unis that consider GCSEs (most don’t beyond at least a 6 in maths and English) they look at their best 7 or 8. I'm think she’d be much better off with stronger grades in 8 than weak grades in 10.

In the summer of 2024, in England, only 1270 16yo students achieved 'all nines' at GCSE and only 14% sat 10 or more GCSEs in one sitting. Link below provides more detail. The stats most likely do not include iGCSEs but you get the picture.
www.gov.uk/government/publications/infographic-gcse-results-2024/infographics-for-gcse-results-2024

All of those are good subjects for sure. Quite a range though. I appreciate she wants a fresh start but that feels a bit scattergun. Is she really passionate about all those – and not any of the GCSE subjects that would link with them? Would she not like to add in Eng lit or history – something she knows she likes? Economics and psych go well with maths or other sciences; class civ is really good with history.

All those subjects are fine in terms of uni, as in all unis will accept any of those. What might she look to do at uni?

Obviously it will be dependent on predicted A Level grades. DS is very good at history and essay based subjects, Psychology was a bit of an outlier for him as it is less essay/ more science/ maths based. But by the time uni applications were made he was predicted 3 A*s at A level.

It is probably end of year 12 predicted grades and teachers references at that stage that matter more, or as much as, the GCSE grades.

For my DS it wasn't until end of year 12 that his teachers realised his potential BUT his less than stellar GCSE's definitely did not hold him back.

There was also context for his GCSE results, that being said he still wasn't eligible for contexualised offers.

Obviously your thread was on number of GCSEs required for acceptance on a course and I do think that they are less significant than many people think they are, with the exception of Oxford who acknowledge that they are contextually factored into their admissions process.

@RampantIvy my DS had 2 'untried' A Levels, psychology was one of them. I wouldn't personally let the untried part put you off if there is an interest. It didn't hold my DS back. He didn't 'love' psychology but still achieved a top grade through hard work from the outset. I think his teacher was gutted he didn't love it and follow through to uni.

I agree with @clary about being cautious about taking three untried subjects. DD started with 4 A level subjects, one of them being psychology, which she hated. She dropped it at the end of year 12.

There is another thread in higher education for parents of DC who aren't aiming at Oxbridge/top 10 universities that you might like to have a look at.

My son is first year at UCL with 6 GCSE's, his highest grade was 8 but the rest were 6's and a 5.

He was also interviewed at Oxford.

Unless there are course specific requirements GCSE's really won't matter.

Edited to add he is studying history at UCL and has very similar interests to your DC having done history, classics and psychology A levels.

There are very few pupils who get 10 or more straight 9s (around 700 in the entire country this year). The majority of students at even the top universities have not got straight 9s.

Hey OP I am sorry that your DD is struggling – it is a lot and tbh I think that year 11 in a lot of ways is worse than sixth form in terms of number of exams and the weight of it all.

I understand that the top/top universities will require straight 9s at GCSE

I don't know who has told you this but luckily it’s not true. In 2019 – the last normal year really – fewer than 1000 students got all 9s at GCSE (this is those taking 7 or more GCSEs at one time). Now that number would nowhere near fill one year at Oxford uni, supposing they all wanted to go there.

No university in the UK requires all 9s at GCSE. Oxford and to some extent Cambridge, along with some other unis for most competitive subjects, might well require (say) GCSEs at 7-9. Even then, a mate of DS2's went to Cambridge with a grade 6.

Yes, if your DD gains mostly 6s and 7s then she is probably not looking at Oxford or LSE. But that's fine. She can still go to a great uni.

You say that the A levels she is interested in are not studied at GCSE - it’s likely that a school will still require a certain grade (6 or 7) in some similar subjects – so for (say) sociology, a grade 6 or 7 in Eng lit or history.

I would caution slightly against three totally new subjects tho (and see lots of other threads on this) – what if she doesn't enjoy them? Why does she not want to continue to study even one of her GCSE subjects? And also three new subjects will close a number of doors – as I presume that means not sciences, not maths, not Eng lit or MFL or history or art or geography or music – all of which pretty much are needed at A level to study certain subjects at uni.*

Obvs you don't need all* of those A levels to study at uni – but I mean to do engineering or maths at uni you need maths, to take MFL you need MFL, to take Eng lit you need Eng lit - etc.

Most universities don't care about GCSE grades beyond expecting passes in English and maths (and sometimes Science). But check for individual universities and courses.

I think your perception is skewed by your DC being at a very high achieving school. Other than very top universities and very competitive courses, 8 GCSEs at 6/7 would be perfectly normal. (My daughter is at York without a string of 9s if it helps).

8 GCSEs at G6-7 is still top performer in the real world of comprehensives. She’ll be fine but do look at what she may want to do next at college or 6th form and their entry requirements. Our local college asks for 8 and for a G6 min in the A level you wish to study. Plus G8 ideally if it’s Maths, they will let you in with less but then cull 20% off the course at the end of year 1 if they can’t pass the AS levels. Another six form locally doesn’t have these entry requirements.