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Original poster

Agh! GCSE Option questions - Design?? Looking at Oxbridge

47 replies

longtallsally2 · 08/05/2014 07:43

Sorry, I know that similar questions have been asked, but DS1 has asked me to consult MN wisdom on this one .

DS1 in Y9, putting in option choices. He has discovered this year that he is brighter than he/we thought and was a little surprised to discover that he should get A/A* in all subjects. He has totally embraced this and now is setting his sights on Oxbridge, but is now looking again at his options.

He was down for triple science, double maths, double English, History, Geography, German and PE (the love of his life. Not up for negotiation.) For his final option, he was putting in French, but his Design teacher would love him to take Design, and says he will get a top grade. I am quite interested in him doing this as he is now getting good at working academically, but I think that Design will mean he has to think and work in a different way - and will give him an insight into processes as well as straightforward academic stuff. He will have to work with people eventually, after all.

So, oh wise MN, how will Design or a second language sit on an Oxbridge application, alongside 10 academic subjects, plus PE???

Thank youuuuu

Sally and DS1

OP posts:

Original poster

longtallsally2 · 08/05/2014 16:10

Wow thank you so much for all of the replies. I am loving seeing him grow academically, so can see the argument for encouraging French. He enjoys German, but isn't going to be a linguist at A level, so I am inclined to agree with Stardust, that it would be good challenge for him to do a GCSE with a different way of thinking too.

He is not likely to be an engineer, although his second passion in life is maths, so he will be aiming for Maths and probably Further Maths for A level along with, he hopes English and another. The love of his life is sport, and he knows that he will be able to develop this at Oxbridge at an extracurricular level (he has already checked out the coaches/current strengths in his favourite sport, at Oxford!) but with an interest in marketing or teaching as backups.

He's under no pressure to go to Oxbridge, but having discovered it we ain't going to discourage that ambition - nor will we be disappointed if he changes his plans. Just want to encourage him to keep developing, whilst keeping our feet on the ground too.

It's very exciting all the new ways of thinking which are opening up for him, but it has come upon us rather suddenly, so many thanks for your thoughts.

OP posts:

mummytime · 08/05/2014 16:18

Umm unless he is truly brilliant (I mean redefining Maths brilliant) I wouldn't mention sport at an Oxford interview. Whilst they do do top class sport, they are far more interested in "love of subject", and have had their fingers burnt in the past by "sportsmen".
DT involves a lot of work, and is about developing a portfolio a highly desirable skill in itself.

If he is aiming for Oxbridge I would suggest he tries to visit.

HercShipwright · 08/05/2014 16:22

Hmmm. My interview for maths at Cambridge was mainly about Blake's 7 and other sci fi things. First 15 mins maths, rest of the hour sci fi. I was offered a place. I expect if the maths bit had gone badly, there would have been more maths content.

TalkinPeace · 08/05/2014 17:41

Get him to actually LOOK at the curriculum for the 'design' subjects.
DS was considering design as his 'lightweight' subject - a nice bit of woodwork and making stuff
but no
its 30% making stuff
30% writing about international trade in making stuff
and 40% writing more about making stuff

DD has done a tech subject that was meant to be making stuff and a nice small business case study
but the syllabus turned out to be 60% bilge writing about trade in making stuff and she wishes she'd never done it

go for French

Dozer · 08/05/2014 17:46

Design is one of the fastest growing UK industry sectors, the gcse could also be useful for lots of jobs.

TalkinPeace · 08/05/2014 17:48

Dozer
It should be but it isn't because the emphasis of the new syllabus is DIRE
seriously
its all about writing and not doing or even drawing

SueDNim · 08/05/2014 17:58

I don't think that the choice between Design and French matters but I do think a passion for whatever he applies for is essential. He has time to develop this, but by the time he applies, I'd expect him to be able to demonstrate how he is pursuing this beyond the classroom.

CharlesRyder · 08/05/2014 17:58

mummytime I did 3 A Levels, one of which was PE. I got an AAB offer for Oxford with deferred entry (so I could take a gap year) which is hard to get. This was at Christ Church not some noddy college.

What impressed them was that I was a National Junior Team athlete.

Not mentioning sport it bollocks. They are looking for candidates with more to offer than a crop of A*s.

mummytime · 08/05/2014 18:51

Well the admissions tutors I know aren't much! And I do know someone who got sent down for only being inline for a 2:2 not his expected 1st (but that college was trying to become less Sporty and more academic).

hench · 08/05/2014 21:43

You never know mummytime. If you do anything extra curricular at a high level it would be odd not to mention it at least in passing on your ps imo. Then if the interviewing tutors have an interest or even if they dont, but want a non-confrontational opener they may well mention it. Ds was asked about both his sport and his music at his oxbridge interview (one was mentioned in his ps in a very few words, the other in equally few in his reference), he wasn't expecting it, but it can and does happen. The bulk of the interview was academic though. Incidently he had fewer academic GCSEs than the OPs ds would even without French and it wasn't a problem.

Martorana · 08/05/2014 21:56

CharlesRyder- I suspect that may have been a while ago (although perhaps not as long ago as your nickname suggests!)

Things are very different now.

JimBobplusasprog · 08/05/2014 23:04

In my Interview for maths at Oxford the tutor said "I don't give a damn about grade 8 violin or being in the first rugby team. I haven't read your personal statements. This is about your mathematical ability and whether you'd benefit from what we offer"

So do the subject he'll get the best grade in. If he's going for maths it's not going to matter.

hench · 08/05/2014 23:10

ds's interview was for Maths JimBob, while maths was what they were primarily interested in they were also interested enough to at least ask some very odly specific questions about the extra curriculars (quite possibly not caring too much what the answers were, but interested enough to at least ask).

Coconutty · 08/05/2014 23:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MillyMollyMama · 09/05/2014 08:43

Oxbridge are happy to see a breadth of subjects and that includes and art or technology one, as long as the academic ones are there. If he is not a linguist,DT is fine, as would be Art, Drama, Music or DT.

TheWave · 09/05/2014 09:55

If he does just the one MFL that's plenty and he can concentrate on immersing himself in that one over the next two years for a good A/A* rather than perhaps risking two Bs in 2 languages.

Lancelottie · 09/05/2014 11:17

DS got architecture offers partly on the strength of his DT portfolio (didn't take art at A-level), so if the syllabus does including plenty of design, making and modelling it could be a good one.

If, as a previous poster said, it's mostly writing about imports and H&S, it might be less useful.

TheWordFactory · 09/05/2014 12:10

Oxbridge do actually care what subjects an applicant's GCSEs are in.

In fact, one of the reasons for many applicants being turned down is that they have inapprorpriate GCSEs.

However, I don't think DT would be seen as inappropriate. It's like Art. The Powers That Be accept that it requires a great deal of time and commitment.

That said, I'd ditch PE if I were the OPs son. Go with French and DT. Or just DT.

Oxbridge give no extra brownie points for candidates with oodles of GCSEs....

threedeer · 09/05/2014 12:18

He's already doing 10 academic subjects plus PE so I doubt the final subject will matter in itself. however, as others have said, what he wants to read should influence which he chooses. So Design if engineering, maths or similar, but French if English, Law (v important for law) maybe PPE etc. French = humanities, Design = sciences or art, roughly.

Also very important is how much time each subject will take. the practical subjects (art, drama, maybe design too) are notoriously time consuming and can add a lot of stress, so check what is required. If he's good at French it will be an easy option.

And which does he love most? Get most pleasure from? (Bearing in mind the massive call on time for practical based work...)

CharlesRyder · 09/05/2014 14:06

You callin' me old, Martorana?

Agggghast · 09/05/2014 21:18

My dd got in to read medicine, the majority of her interview was about her experience sailing in tall ships and why she chose to do graphic design as an AS. A well rounded candidate with a broad mind is what they are looking for, let's face it they will all be getting top grades in their chosen subjects.

hench · 09/05/2014 22:47

Medicine is a bit of a special case to be fair. They are far more interested in roundedness and personability than is typical, but for the majority of other subjects the received wisdom is that extra curriculars really aren't important. That said I think they still expect them to be mentioned briefly because they know they do carry more weight at other places the candidate will probably also be applying to, and they also do indicate that a candidate is strong enough to get good grades and do other stuff too. Some tutors will ignore them completely, others will give them a cursory glance, a few may be interested enough to mention them, but hardly any will lend much/any weight to them when making selection choices.

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