EPQ- did your DC do it, and....

[Tansie1]

... may I be as cheeky as to enquire what their subject was, please?

DS1 just facing it now, he has some good ideas but we're interested in hearing some real-life examples, thanks!

(PS EPQ: Extended Project Qualification)

DS did his on prison privatisation (he was doing economics A-level and applying for economics at university). Nephew did his on the language of French rap music or something along those lines (applying for French & linguistics).

My dc did his on the effect Black Death had on future medicine. He chose a history topic as some uni’s offer a reduced grade if your EPQ is an A.

Thanks everyone so far!

Son did EPQ last year, along with lots of his friends

Sport studies: How important are psychological factors in sporting success?
History: To what extent does fiction such as A Tale of Two Cities help us to understand the French Revolution?
Music: Artefact - can I learn to play the guitar like Hendrix??
Biology/Medicine: Has Toxoplasmosis been underestimated by medical practitioners?
Geography: Climate change impacts on indigenous peoples/coral reefs/cricket (3 different EPQs)

HTH

Thank you. This is very useful; anyone else?

Bump?

Extended Project idea: "Mumsnet: Why?"

Anyone else, please?

Tansie - what A level's is he doing?

Some friends' kids have done the following:
Producing a Children's newsround type film.
Writing a diabetic cookbook with pics.

Thanks! He's doing Graphic Design A level and a 2 A level equivalent BTEC in Creative Design Technologies. The EPQ is quite important as Art colleges appear much keener on your portfolio/body of work than UCAS points (though he's predicted A D D*....).

DD did one on fractals in maths. DS on Sherlock Holmes (can't remember the specific area). They both said it helped preposterous them fir extended solo study. But neither gained reduced offers as a result of their distinctions or whatever the top mark is. Think that may be a myth

Although it did give them
Something to talk about at interviews

DD did hers on Thalidomide, she is doing a science degree with interest in drug research, DS didn’t bother!

Ds2 didn't bother, but I think I'd have pushed him more if he was planning to do an Arts degree as I think they are a good preparation for writing a dissertation.

DD did one in year 12. At that point she was deciding between Law and Classics at university so she did it on Roman Law (I can't remember the exact title) she got a lot out of it - the independent study skills I think are invaluable. She got an A*, and while none of her offers were reduced, she thinks it probably contributed to her getting the offers. She was asked about it in 2 of her interviews at Oxford.

I think the best plan is to think about what he wants to do next and choose a relevant subject.

Certain unis such as Bath and Southampton will give reduced offers based on getting an A* in EPQ. It clearly states so in their prospectus.

DD's was a specific area of modern history relating to work and pay for women (A*)

She's doing History at Cambridge and it was one of the pieces of written work she sent in as part of the application process, plus she was asked about it in interview - how she could develop the topic further (geographically or into another period of history) and what she'd learned from the archive work she'd done for it.

The important aspect was that it showed she really did want to be a historian, and understood something about the research process. The topic was secondary really (she had at least another 2 she'd have done very happily - one of which may become her final year dissertation project.)

Thanks, everyone. I do think that seeing as in reality, Art College is far more interested in your portfolio than your grades, it'll be very useful of DS.

Trouble is, he has to come up with a topic within 5 weeks!

We were talking about something to do with political graffiti- any ideas? Ta!

Thanks, so far- anyone else with their DC's EPQ topic?

My DD didn't get a reduced offer (for maths) at Bath despite her A* Epq. She went elsewhere in the end. It's obv no guarantee.
OP, part of the EPQ process is the student coming up with an area to research or question to answer. S/he has to come up with something that is all their own. Teachers should help refine it. I'm not sure asking for ideas here is all that helpful!

DD's school doesn't do them. She started off doing 4 A level subjects and dropped one after AS levels. The one she dropped she achieved an A in, so I hope it will count for something if required.

She has been looking at medical schools, and most of the ones we looked at said that they don't look at EPQs because they recognise that not all schools offer them.

DS got a grade dropped on what is his now his insurance offer because of his EPQ grade. None of the others changed, though.

Something on Political graffiti sounds like an interesting potential topic - not sure about how to scope it though. My DSs have long enjoyed spotting it in various European countries on holiday.

longtallwalker- in the same way I assisted my DC in their choice of GCSEs, A levels and in future, degrees; when DS comes up with an idea, I will discuss it with him forensically, I will make suggestions, I will help him decide whether what he chooses is too meaty or too lean.

Like any parent would.

I have never done an EPQ; other people on here have DC who have. That forms another resource for us to draw on.

Regarding the merits of an EPQ, I think it's important to realise that the academic requirements for his possible uni choices as pretty low (112 UCAS points).

Portfolio and evidence of ability are far more important. So the EPQ offers DS another avenue in which to show off what he can do!

Fair enough. I just felt their degrees were their business. And the EPQ (since they'll chatter about it in their personal statement - that's the beauty of it) is equally their business. Their passion. Their degree. Also I knew nothing about their subjects!

Well done you.