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Original poster

GCSE Options - is it essential to study a language for uni admissions?

26 replies

Northernskyinjuly · 27/02/2025 14:52

In the options section of our school website it says "Most of the top Universities require applicants to have a language at GCSE (minimum C grade)"

Is this true? From the research I have done so far it looks like only UCL require a language. DD keen to drop MFL so I want to be sure that by agreeing to this it's not going to cause issues in the future. Thanks in advance for any info!

OP posts:
Octavia64 · 27/02/2025 14:52

No.

clary · 27/02/2025 14:53

No it is very much not true and I am shocked the the school is still peddling this nonsense. I am thinking the phrase "minimum C grade" (when it has been number grades for MFL in England since 2019) is a clue that this is old nonsense. Tho it was still nonsense in letter grade days.

UCL at one point required a language – and even then you could take a language module in your first year - but it has dropped that now. So no one does. Unless you want to study MFL at uni obvs.

(MFL is my subject btw and obvs I love it and would always promote it as a great subject to take – but if a student will not do well and will do better in something else then that is a better plan).

Snorlaxo · 27/02/2025 14:54

No it’s definitely not.
If you’re in England, GCSEs aren’t marked with letter grades any more

Allmarbleslost · 27/02/2025 14:55

No definitely not true

Original poster
Northernskyinjuly · 27/02/2025 14:56

Thanks all, this is reassuring.

OP posts:
Arseynal · 27/02/2025 15:01

Ds had an offer from UCL 2 years ago without a language gcse.

Lime90 · 27/02/2025 15:03

No

Badbadbunny · 27/02/2025 15:05

Nope, not at all. Schools are peddling this because THEY want to teach MFL, have teachers to teach it etc. If they had loads of IT teachers, they'd be pushing IT! Out in the real world, employers and Unis etc generally aren't bothered whether you've a GCSE in a MFL or not (unless it's relevant to the job/degree).

clary · 27/02/2025 15:09

Badbadbunny · 27/02/2025 15:05

Nope, not at all. Schools are peddling this because THEY want to teach MFL, have teachers to teach it etc. If they had loads of IT teachers, they'd be pushing IT! Out in the real world, employers and Unis etc generally aren't bothered whether you've a GCSE in a MFL or not (unless it's relevant to the job/degree).

As if there are loads of MFL teachers tho! Sadly not the case at all. Schools are judged on numbers taking Ebacc subjects (which includes MFL) so that's why they push MFL. They can make it compulsory if they like but they need to stop saying unis require it.

Bramshott · 27/02/2025 15:09

It's definitely not true, although we are crap at languages in this country and anything which makes that slightly better has to be a good thing IMHO. In most other countries around the world (even these days in the US), it's completely normal to study at least one additional language to 16.

pinkroses79 · 27/02/2025 15:11

It's not at all necessary. My child was at a high ranking uni and didn't have one.

mummaofthreeboys · 27/02/2025 15:11

Are you in England ? It seems odd to refer to a grade C, if so.

PopPopMusic · 27/02/2025 15:53

Son at a super selective grammar, wanted to drop MFL for GCSE and they had no problem, said it would have no impact at all on uno choice.

Original poster
Northernskyinjuly · 27/02/2025 15:53

Yes, we are in England. The use of 'grade C' is odd.

My child doesn't enjoy or excel in their language and I think it's going to become a battle over the next couple of years if they take it at GCSE. It is my second child going through the GCSE system. The first went down the EBacc pathway and did well, but they did make another subject choice they regretted. Two years is a long slog doing something you don't enjoy!

OP posts:
MargaretThursday · 27/02/2025 18:06

this was the case when dh applied in the 60s. I think you had to have Latin for some too.
I don't think it was the case in the 90s when I applied.

Hoppinggreen · 27/02/2025 18:07

Not any more.
DS isn't doing a language GCSE

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 27/02/2025 18:08

No, it's not true. I believe there are a couple of universities who do (or did at least until recently). Queen's Belfast and one other, I think.

sillybillydh · 27/02/2025 18:33

You should email the school and point out their "error". It's pretty crap that they are misinforming students and parents.

Neither of my DCs enjoy languages and take them for GCSE. It makes me a bit sad, but I can't make them do a subject they don't like so will most likely not do very well in.

StuckBehindtheTallboy · 27/02/2025 18:50

I wonder if they mean 'require English language at a minimum grade 4/5'. That is the case for some (and as one friend found, English Lit wouldn't do as a substitute).

user17353 · 27/02/2025 18:57

It’s not correct. However it’s also not correct that all GCSEs are 1-9. Various iGCSEs are A-E and lots of independent schools in particular use a combination of GCSEs and iGCSEs (which are exactly the same)

clary · 27/02/2025 19:03

user17353 · 27/02/2025 18:57

It’s not correct. However it’s also not correct that all GCSEs are 1-9. Various iGCSEs are A-E and lots of independent schools in particular use a combination of GCSEs and iGCSEs (which are exactly the same)

Yes it's true that some IGCSE courses are graded with letters still, tho many are certainly available as number grades.

IGCSEs while as valid a qualification as GCSEs are not exactly the same. The spec for my subject (MFL) is very different indeed. No translation for example and a very different speaking exam.

State schools no longer offer IGCSEs AFAIK.

Moglet4 · 01/03/2025 08:13

Badbadbunny · 27/02/2025 15:05

Nope, not at all. Schools are peddling this because THEY want to teach MFL, have teachers to teach it etc. If they had loads of IT teachers, they'd be pushing IT! Out in the real world, employers and Unis etc generally aren't bothered whether you've a GCSE in a MFL or not (unless it's relevant to the job/degree).

There’s a huge shortage of MFL teachers. Schools have actually identified it as one of the worst subjects for recruitment

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 01/03/2025 10:39

Moglet4 · 01/03/2025 08:13

There’s a huge shortage of MFL teachers. Schools have actually identified it as one of the worst subjects for recruitment

Show quote history

Quite. The poster you replied to obviously knows very little about schools.

Ellmau · 01/03/2025 12:30

It's very out of date info.

Ellmau · 01/03/2025 12:31

Unless maybe it's a private where lots of their pupils go to the US.