GCSE Options - impact on Oxbridge application

Went to Oxford in 1992 and did the entrance exam for Modern Languages.

My impression then was GCSEs didn't really count for much either way, as long as you had the requisite passes for matriculation (maths, English, a science and a foreign lang at A-C, I believe, but do check - 14 years is a long time).

To a lesser extent, your choice of A levels only mattered insofar as there were 3 "proper" subjects, potential for high grades, you were shit hot on the subject(s) you were actually going to study and you had a good interview.

I'm sure now that a Fellow will tell me that's all wrong and I got in because someone liked my tie ...

snorkle why is the thinking of Japanese if languages are not liked?
I was a very gifted linguist, French, Latin, Spanish, Russian, some Arabic but Japanese was soooo very hard!

The FSMQ as ds1 is doing it is basically read the textbook and sit the exam! It is hard, very hard!
It is not taught per se.
The 4 top kids at maths were given it, ds1 was left out as he has a very hefty GCSE course load compared to others
( doing Art and Mandarin) but he asked and they included him.

Thanks for that reassurance re Economics at As/A level, Lilymaid. Sorry if I hijacked slightly off the GCSE focus!

Snorkie.. DS1 ( and 2) are both dyslexic.. DS1 has just seen this as something to be tackled and overcome.. where as ds2 is highly effected by it ( their dad and I are both dyslexic.. and both of us have degrees, careers ( he's a teacher) but I see no reason not to try for oxbridge if that is what your DD would like to do.. ). So I guess it depends on how her dyslexia effects her.

HTH

I'm not too worried if BS is a bit soft. Most of her other subjects aren't, so that should be OK especially if she gets a higher grade in it as a result. But that's interesting what you say about Geog being recommended for dyslexics weegie I'll definately pass that message on (it's GCSE we're talking about here not A level, but I assume the same applies).

generally anything with "studies" in its title is regarded as a less academic subject (exception being Religious Studies at A level I believe).

Snorkie, I am talking as a Geog teacher here, but I would say Geog was a much better option than BS for A-level, unless she is especially interested in going into something businessy at Uni. Geog is a good wide ranging subject for both arts and sciences and (IIRC, its a long time since I looked at the English curriculum as am in Scotland) has a healthy dose of statistics etc which also come in handy later.

Plus - if she is dyslexic then the more graphic nature of Geog can be useful - certainly at amy last school (not currently teaching!) we encouraged dyslexic pupils into Geog (rather than History, for example) as they often found it more manageable - could draw a diagram rather than write a paragraph, IYSWIM. In fact, the department had a theory that the dyslexic pupils were actually better at this side of the subject than those who were more long winded with their written answers!

Dd's school seem to regard Expressive Arts and Art as the most rigorous of the "Kids from Fame/touchy-feely" options.

DD is thinking of the following options:
English Lang
English Lit
Maths
Sciences (3 separate)
Geography or Business Studies
RE
Art
Japanese (as a twilight subject)

She may also have to do French, but is hoping to wriggle out of it as she's not that great at languages, but really wants to do Japanese (she will do both if she's not allowed to drop French).

She's quite bright, but dyslexic. Doubt she'll be trying for Oxbridge, but I obviously want her to keep as many options open as possible. I'm trying to gently suggest that Geography would be a better choice than BS, am I right?

Lilymaid, people were saying economics was OK at A level but soft at GCSE (I think RE is supposed to be like that too). All I know about economics GCSE is that very few schools offer it.

Economics is definitely fine for AS/A2 - both DSs took it and have had no problems in getting into decent universities. I don't think you'd find it on the "soft" A Level list for any universities.

DS will be able to do GCSE Maths and GCSE Additional Maths. Does anyone know how additional Maths compares to freestanding Maths. Is it worth doing both? Sorry to go on about this but I am very interested and have not heard of it.

music is not supposed to be regarded as soft at GCSE, but if you exclude the time spent to get proficient enough at an instrument for the performance side of it I think it is quite an easy option. At A level, music is OK but Music Technology is soft I'm told.

Is music GCSE regarded as soft ?

Oh, and I missed off Physics. Maths and Further Maths somehow count as one choice at his school. That Trinity College link is v useful, thanks for that!

Lilymaid, interesting that you say Economics is fine at AS/A level although not at GCSE. I'm relieved - ds has chosen Economics as an AS/A level subject, and hopes to try for Oxbridge. He's also doing Maths, Further Maths and History, so we hope the combo will be solid enough.

I was advised to do maths rather than economics for A level in order to do economics (with history) at Oxford. I think maths is better regarded as they teach economics to A level and beyond in the first couple of terms.

DS1 did Freestanding Maths in Y11 after doing GCSE in Y10 - school thought it helped transition from GCSE to AS/A2.

the FMQ is like the old Additional Maths O level, and covers some of the same stuff as AS Maths, but in a different way, and the exam is very different to GCSE - DD1 moaned because for the FMQ she had to remember all her formulae, but in the GCSE she got given them all. According to an ex-pupil now doing Maths at Warwick who came back to talk to the current lot, the FMQ was the most difficult maths exam he's sat. It's pretty well regarded AFAIK.

The free standing maths qual sounds interesting Piffle. Was it recommended to you? How different is it from GCSE and A level Maths/

NL3 - Definitely avoid Economics GCSE though it is fine for AS/A2 (avoid Law for both GCSE and AS/A2). Citizenship wouldn't be well thought of either. English is better done as two subjects - not sure whether here it is a combined course. If you had to choose two out of three from History, Geography and RE, History and Geography would be better - but perhaps RE is compulsory?
TheArsenicCupCake - English Literature is better thought of than English Language as an A2 subject.

Trinity College Cambridge produces a list of A Level "soft subjects" which is more detailed than the Cambridge University list and which may be of help.

Sounds good to me, RE and French will probably help if does either history or philosophy. The others are good "normal" academic subjects - what does he think about it? is there anything he esp wants to do that's not on the list?

As others have said don't forget out of school activities - I went to an oxbridge college and tbh there were people there who had probably just sat at home and done homework every night. But a lot more people had been involved in stuff both within school (e.g. mentoring, school counsel, activities like orchestra etc) and out of school. Nothing in particular i think, just be directed by his interests. If he's interested in history for instance he cuold volunteer at a museum, or on an archeological dig, or recording old people for an oral history project or something.

It looks like a good set of choices to me. The first 10 are all solid academic subjects covering all the basics and separate science, two languages (highly regarded) and 2 good humanities. On their own those 10 would set him up well for most courses, so I don't think the last three being potentially soft matters at all. RE/Citizenship are mandatory in some places, so their 'softness' doesn't matter.

The only thing I would say is that some Engineering, Architecture courses are supposed to favour having a DT or Art type option. Even Dentistry likes to see something that demonstrates good fine motor control I'm told. So long as those aren't things he's likely to consider doing he's probably best playing to his strengths and sticking with his current choices, rather than risking a lower grade in a subject he's not keen on or especially good at.

DS is yr 9 and his science teacher says he should be looking at oxbridge for sciences. We were told that it's not only exam results but they are now starting to look further and further back into their educational history and also extra curicular work. We were told to start preparing now. He choses his options in March.

i think philosophy is considered soft, sorry iirc

DS1 took advice and has done
Maths Stats
IT (half course already in yr10
HE got A and A*

Yr 11 now and is taking
Higher maths
French
Triple Science
Double English
Mandarin (as twilight after school course)
Art
Res Mats (tech)
Geography
Compulsory half course RE

In addition he is doing a free standing Maths qualification
here

That said he now said he does not want to go to Oxbridge and wants to do some kind of web design/graphic design/architecture type thing

A levels touted thus far
Chemistry
Maths
Art
English