GCSE options

[Shallwejusteatchocolateinstead]

What are the best gcse options for an oxbridge application. Do you need a language or to go all
academic or is it just coming out with 7 8 and 9’s that count, so long as you pick to allow the alevel route required.
Thanks

Didn’t intend to put this in Aibu genuinely just a question but now can’t work out how to move it so any advice appreciated if people happen to stumble across this but no need to tell me if I’m unreasonable or not (unless you really feel compelled ) Thks 😂

Well actually my child is being told they are on track for 7,8’s and 9’s across all
core subjects and various options. They work incredibly hard at it, and as a good mother if she says she wants to challenge herself for Oxbridge then I’ll support her. If she changes her mind on that then fine there’s no
expectation on her, but I don’t want her to limit her options without realising.
I actually have a first class honours degree, and her father is also very intelligent so you really are clueless and just rude!
no one is saying she’s going there just trying to make informed choices! You could do with making informed choices yourself as that post is downright inappropriate and it’s been reported.

Your child should pick the options they want to do and enjoy.

It’s their education not yours.

My child is saying to me they want to go to oxbrididge, and asking me to find out if what they pick now will
impact it!
So stop making unfounded assumptions and if you cannot actually answer this question please please stop being so rude and agressive posters.
id be happy if my daughter went down any route she chose - what you see here is a mother getting behind her child’s choices!

It depends what subjects. Anything vaguely science do triple science. A levels may be important so make sure you can do the ones you need. But the biggest advice you can give is Oxbridge is basically a lottery. Don’t pin your hopes on it and have a great plan B.

They need 8’s and 9’s to be in with a chance. Plus A* predictions at A levels. But all round at GCSE so at minimum a science, maths, English, a humanity plus a modern foreign language. DD turned down a place at Oxford!!!!!! It’s not for everyone. She loved their open day, went she went for her interview HATED it, couldn’t stand the people she was with, found the lecturers rude. Friends daughter there now doing medicine and loves it so as I say, not for everyone

My understanding is that subject choice matters less than getting good grades. Then get A* predictions for a levels and lots of supra curricular - you need to live and breathe your chosen subject. And then hope for a bit of luck while thinking of a good plan B

Thank-you, that’s helpful. She has two options she has decided on which she loves and is certain about, but can’t decide whether she goes for third she loves or language which she’s good at but loves less.
so basically trying to understand whether he is at a disadvantage from not doing a language - and picking history, a creative
subject and pe.
or whether she goes or instead of the language.
She will defo have a plan b :) she may not get in, she may change her mind, she may look
round and hate it. This is just about helping her answer her own question and make
sure she’s not limiting herself
xx thanks again xx

This is the bit we are trying to understand -
the foreign language. School is saying no longer necessary but that seems
to be different to what some
other schools are saying which DD is hearing from friends and other schools, so
were just trying to get to the bottom
of this. im sure you’re right but so we can understand is it the language if you need language a level or is it still seen as a requirement these days? Thanks

High grades in a good batch of subjects. I don’t think things like taking a language matters for applications, unless it’s relevant to the course you’re applying for (I.e. there’s no need to take the recommended Ebacc list unless your child is genuinely keen and good at those subjects).

And I don’t think they’d pay the slightest bit of attention to one or two of your GCSEs being “softer” / less academic subjects - as long as there’s a good string of v high grades especially in the relevant ones.

But really it’s all about a level grades and any extra testing they set for interviews / applications. So just think in terms of setting her up for great a level results.

Yes thank you she has researched this. And she is doing the subjects that are required to put her on that a level path. It’s more around how academic she goes on the remaining options.
and yes I was great - are you? As I don’t understand how on earth it is not aggressive and inappropriate to say to a mum asking a perfectly reasonable question on behalf of her kid to be told ‘it’s my child’s education not mine’ and other vile things from the first poster talking about my 13 year old child doing unspeakable acts with sheep…..honestly, what is wrong with this site? I will be fine but I won’t be putting up with keyboard warriors making unfounded judgements and saying absolutely
vile things.
thank you for your insights.

I don’t think there’s been a need for a foreign language before? Of course, there will be if applying for languages. But for sciences, maths, engineering, etc - they couldn’t care less.

I mean, I do think languages are brilliant and more kids should take them - but they’re not a “desirable requirement” for oxbridge entry unless they’re a relevant stepping stone for the relevant oxbridge subjects. Take a look at entry requirements / preferences for a levels for courses she might like, and see if languages crop up in there. If they do, it’ll be a level rather than GCSEs of course.

Some schools will say better universities want languages to encourage kids to take all the Ebacc subjects, as schools have been ranked on how many students take Ebacc mix subjects. It isn’t true - there are plenty of sites from “Russell group” unis saying it makes no difference. Again, I’m not saying don’t take a language- they’re fantastic - but don’t take one for the wrong reason thinking it is a secret requirement, when you really wanted to take something else.

I did a very strange subject combination at a levels. Oxford wasn’t on my radar until L6. I wrote to them to ask if all ok. Can you drop the admissions office an email? Better than a load of hearsay on here. I imagine it’s all different for everyone. State vs indi etc.

Thank you great idea! I will do this.

Keyboard warriors saying vile things? Thats a bit dramatic 🤣🤣

But yeah I’m fine thanks. Best of luck to your daughter.

Read the first post.

Just need a mfl at gcse. Daughters school has high entry to Oxbridge each year so guessing they have a good feel for entry requirements. A levels depend on subject she wants to study at degree level so unless she’s set on being a medic, as wider selection as possible so stem and humanities plus mfl gives her the best option

At GCSE it doesn’t matter what subject. My DD got 12 x G9’s and not even an interview (predicted 4x A*)

If she wants to do MFL at A level / uni then yes she does. If not, then no she does not. She should do the subjects that she enjoys and is likely to do her best in.
In some schools MFL CGSE is mandatory. Maybe that’s why her friends are saying it’s essential? It’s not.

This is the point - you don’t need a mfl at gcse for Oxbridge. Not in the slightest. There’s no preference for them at all, unless you actually need them as a useful base for what you’re going to study.

I used to do Oxbridge admissions. You don't need a foreign language and I wouldn't worry about subjects except insofar as they're obviously relevant to A Level choices or degree (eg. needing chemistry for medicine or whatever).

But absolutely write to the admissions office if you need; that's what they're there for.

You could look at the university websites for the subjects your daughter might like to study? But it's quite rare for them to need specific GCSEs unless linked to the subject to be studied (in which case the GCSE is probably a pre-requisite for Level 3 study anyway).

Just to weigh in, my daughter is looking at classics at Oxbridge and has been told an aptitude for languages needs to be demonstrated, so I would say for some subjects a MFL at GCSE would be helpful.