Is drama still considered a soft A Level and do all universities accept it?

[sauvignongone]

I’ve been away this week and left my DD who had a solid plan for A levels with my DH to go to her A Level information evening and she now seems to be on a totally different thought trajectory!

DD is very academic and had decided on 4 A levels as really wants to do Drama (predicted a 9) but had heard that drama doesn’t hold the weight of other A Levels and her 1st choice (Edinburgh) not accepting it at all. The theory being starting with 4 and dropping D if it all became too much.

DH has since looked it up and it seems this is not true and has now swayed DD to just go for 3 A levels (Maths, RS and Drama)

Im just wondering if anyone has any advice or experience with their own children.

To add DD is our middle DC and her A levels are her choice, we just try to advise as best we can.

This blog is quite old but shows that drama is actually an excellent A-level for acceptance onto Law courses, which makes sense if you think about a court room being a performance https://cfey.org/2013/09/what-a-level-subjects-do-russell-group-universities-prefer/

When my DD was unsure of which A levels to choose, we pointed out to her that course webpages have contact details for the admissions tutors - she emailed a few and got some very helpful answers.

If your dd wants to know what certain unis think of drama when applying for particular courses best ask them!

It is simply not true that universities consider it ‘soft’. Ring up some admissions tutors and ask. I did this, as the ridiculous myth persists, a summary of some responses:

laughs ‘why are you asking me that?’
’of course not’
’we consider all a levels equally’.
’refer to our admissions guide, we are not somehow misleading people when we state that the full range of a levels are accepted’

A Level drama is 70% written assessment and no easier or less rich in content than any other subject. Drama is excellent preparation for a range of university courses, including Drama, English, Anthropology, Psychology, History, Law, PPE etc…. It is absolutely no barrier to study at Edinburgh and I personally know around 5 students who have gone on to Edinburgh over the last 5 years after A level drama.

Thanks everyone, I think the the main issue is as of yet she doesn’t know what she wants to do at Uni. She knows she wants to go to Ed because it’s part of the Russel group, she was born there and though living in England because of my husbands job can still apply and therefore benefit financially.

She has always considered Law which looking at the table does seem supportive of Drama but I wonder how it will hold with her other two choices Maths and RS.

Interestingly we heard that Drama was considered a softer subject from two teachers (one being a drama teacher) and that Ed was one of two UK unis not to consider it a full A Level so we haven’t really questioned it until now.

Slightly off topic, but I couldn’t help noticing what you said about why she wants to study in Edinburgh. By “benefit financially” are you thinking that being born in Scotland will qualify her to be exempt from fees? This is not the case. It’s residence in Scotland that is required for exemption to uni fees, and she seems to be ordinarily resident in England, so she will pay fees.

Slightly outing but it’s because we are a forces family, we have been deployed here effectively. I don’t completely understand it (DH’s department) but down to a continuity of education policy and the fact her change of residency was not out of choice.

If she is applying for Maths, then drama doesn't make much of a contribution. But for most subjects that aren't hard science, it is fine.

It seems like a slightly random combination but I think they would work together well for law.