Help with a level choices

[NCTDN]

I'm not sure if this is the right section - secondary education seemed to young.
We're just starting the college open evenings for DD. She doesn't have a clue what she would like to do career wise so needs to keep options open with her next choices. She's very academic and could take up pretty much any A level following on from gcses.
How does she decide? Where can we get advice on what universities ask for,especially the Russell group? Does she stick with 'traditional' a levels ie not vocational based but the core curriculum type?

Whether you do 2 languages obviously depends on the course you want to do next.

Some subjects have no requirements, duh. But others do. If you want to do medicine with two languages, you can't.

If a sixth former doesn't know what to do, taking two languages is a bad move. It definitely closes of certain subjects of you do two very similar ones at Alevel.

And the be honest, even if you still do the course you want, two languages isn't going to help you unless your uni course is a language. French is not going to help you if you study law at uni, but geography and history might.

@Hoghgyni would you be in Warrington?

Thanks for all the advice. Definitely not science or maths but she's open to anything else!

You couldn't be further from the truth!

If you want to do medicine with two languages, you can't.

Presumably, only if two out of three? Admittedly, I haven't had a detailed look at every UK medical school's entry requirements, but are there actually those which say, e.g. Required subjects: Chemistry, plus one of Maths, Physics, Biology. If four A levels being taken, candidates offering more than one MFL will not be considered?

Of course you can take 2 languages at A level! If you're good at languages it's not a problem, in fact they can complement each other well.

In most continental European countries students HAVE to take two foreign languages, along with Maths, Science etc for their age 18 exams!

The problem being that English students only do 3 or sometimes 4 subjects, unlike on the continent.

Yes, that is a shame. Personally I feel 16 is too early to specialise on only 3 or 4 subjects!

I did two languages at A level - back in the day - and went on to do a degree that wasn’t a language. Languages are academic subjects, involving essay writing and analysis and literary criticism. Two languages is common combination at A level, though I think it’s also fine to have just one. At my DC’s secondary school - inner city comprehensive- there were five languages on offer. Taking two, or even three, at GSCE level was quite normal for lots of children.

@BubblesBuddy
If she likes languages, always do 2 at A level. One limits choices.
I discussed this with 6th forms when we were choosing A levels for my DS. While it definitely used to be the case, apparently it no longer is and universities are very much more accommodating for anyone who applies to study MFL these days. My friend's daughter only did French and is going on to do combined languages at Exeter. So I'm not sure it is actually the case

I would agree with PPs who've said to do 'traditional' subjects - these are still viewed far more favourably by most universities than more specialist subjects. They also leave many doors open (so, for example, biology is broader than psychology) and there is really little point in specialising at this stage. Keep it generic. Languages can mix with pretty much anything; you say not science or maths, so humanities, arts and MFL are all options? I would suggest then that she starts to narrow down what she likes in those areas, aiming for a good balance in the type of thinking they require. Look at the assessment objectives of the A levels for an idea of the kinds of thinking that are being measured - you can find these in the exam specs, it shouldn't matter too much which board you look at but if you know which boards the 6th forms are using, that would be ideal.
One of the problems with A level is that lots of young people find that a subject they loved at GCSE changes or their taste for it does. So sometimes you have to have an open mind and be prepared to change within the first few weeks.

The lack of two MFLs at A level reduces choices for joint honours if both languages you wish to study are not offered ab initio. In some universities this would be French and Spanish and possibly German. But not all. Therefore choices would be limited. In addition some DC with only one MFL A level are very apprehensive about studying ab initio. It’s very hard. With more languages studied, ab initio is perhaps an easier choice to make.

Also there would be nothing against a young person studying 2x MFL and History at A level and applying for History. If they applied for History and a MFL joint humours, the university might be pleased to see them as MFL departments are not awash with great candidates.

Exeter has reduced its MFL provision and is recruiting MFL students. Oxbridge would not be so lenient. I can see that Exeter require students, who are taking 3 languages at degree level, to have studied 2 at A level. Therefore their Combined degree seems similar to anyone else’s Joint Honours. So with one MFL A level you can do an additional one ab initio. They offer French, German, Spanish and a couple of others so they are flexible in order to recruit. Some universities would not have ab initio courses for French, German snd Spanish.

To the PP who said French isn’t a good A level for Law, it absolutely is. Together with History and maybe English (and any other academic subject) it would be perfect! Law and French is also a great degree.