A Levels choices

[BabyG2004]

Hi my DD is trying to decide what A Level choices to take in 6th form. She has predicted grades in all GCSE subjects of 6 and above.
She likes 5 subjects but can only take 3 at A Level.
PE, Business, Law, Psychology (last 3 not taken at GCSE level)and Criminology at BTEC level
She has no idea what she wants to study at Uni or career wise yet.
I have read that if you want to study Law at Uni then doing A level Law will not help you? Out of all of them I think Law should be dropped but not sure. Any one have any thoughts to make her choices easier.
She plans to do taster sessions of all of the above subjects in college when available to do so. TIA

If she plans to do law I would not drop law. Its not as simple as not being needed, as she'll have a stringer otring in rules and understanding case law and terminology etc if she keeps it. It really does depend on her career path though.
I was due to do biology at A level, changed it for English as was predicted A which I got. However, now I want to go into medical training (midwife) and very difficult to do with ought a science A level. It's so harsh how kids have to make decisions like these so young!

I would say that for Law degrees you need an essay subject. Law would fulfill this as there are no other essay subjects.
For subjects not taken at GCSE most sixth form offer taster sessions to see what they are like. This may help with the final choice.
Psychology is one of those subjects that may be very different to what students think it will be like for example.
With that GCSE predicted grade profile, it would be much better to take A levels rather than a BTEC or mixture, especially if you are considering a competitive subject such as Law.

If she genuinely doesn’t know what she may want to do at university then this is, perhaps one of the few times that taking a facilitating subject should be considered. There are none in that list of five.

Saying that, it’s important she choose what she enjoys and is likely to do well in.

PE & Psychology go well together. If she’s interested in following a sports science route then Biology would be a good choice.

For something like Law then English Lit or History would be a good subject to add to the mix.

For Business Studies applicants have often studied maths or a social science subject or a language.

I would agree with comefromaway
Please be aware that A level study is a huge step up from GCSEs. You’ve said she’s predicted 6 and above in all her gcse subjects. Which ones are above a 6? Any of those appeal? They’re likely to be her strengths & They could be ‘facilitating’ - even though this term has been removed, traditional subjects are useful if you’ve no idea what to do later.
To help her consider options Order a few prospectuses and get her to flick through these highlighting anything she finds interesting and if there are any ‘must haves’ at A level. If there isn’t then she really has free choice. I’d also discuss these options with school and any careers person you have, if there is one.

If aiming high especially Law she needs two more solid subjects I would say, like a science, history, geography, English, maths. Then one of PE/criminology/law /psychology/business. I think these are the unwritten rules that mean rich school kids get the right guidance to get onto the right careers. But why not look up the entry requirements for degrees she might enjoy at some top and mid rank unis to inspire her?

When I said ‘order a few prospectuses’ I meant from universities. All the info is on websites but the hard copies are good to flick through for initial ideas. There’s lots of courses she won’t know even exist!

None of those would get you into a competitive university. As said above, academic subjects such as History, MFL, Maths, sciences, English should be in the mix. Universities are nit against law A level but it’s no advantage and lots of academic schools don’t offer it.

What does she want to do with a law degree? Over 18000 young people graduate with a law degree every year. Around 6000 trainee solicitors are recruited. 50% of them might not be law grads at all, especially at top firms. It’s ludicrously competitive. The subjects she’s looking at won’t give her an edge re recruitment - mostly the opposite I’m afraid.

I agree PresentingPercy as an ex solicitor myself. Unfortunately whilst she may get away with one of the subjects on the list that would be very much a third and would need more robust academic subjects. Her gcse grades I am afraid are also not at the level that would suggest she would get top A level grades that would make her competitive in the legal field.

The Russell Group have a helpful website www.informedchoices.ac.uk which provides guidance to students regarding A level choices.

I work in FE and I would not recommend Law A level as a route into Law. Your daughter needs a good selection of what used to be called “facilitating subjects” as previous posters have indicated. Criminology can be studied at uni but is really aimed more at students considering a career in the police.

Nothing hugely wrong with Law of you put it with History and English Lit (for example) or Maths, a MFL etc. The key is that at least two subjects should be considered academic and at least one must involve reading, analysis and essay writing.

ukalevelsonline.co.uk are offering extended taster sessions in June for a number of subjects. They are mainly aimed at helping students with the transition to A level but can also help with making sure its the right course.

Another solicitor here agreeing that those subjects are not right for someone who might want to do law. Also I’m afraid I agree that unless “6 and above” really means all 8s and 9s then law isn’t a good idea anyway. Law is regarded as quite a lightweight A Level and you need some essay based subjects.

Could she switch business to economics? Economics, law and psychology looks far better as a combination. PE is only ever going to be seen as a doss subject by recruiting law firms.

@LadyMacnet

The Russell Group have a helpful website www.informedchoices.ac.uk which provides guidance to students regarding A level choices.

I work in FE and I would not recommend Law A level as a route into Law. Your daughter needs a good selection of what used to be called “facilitating subjects” as previous posters have indicated. Criminology can be studied at uni but is really aimed more at students considering a career in the police.

This website is fabulous!

Bumping....

How has she got on with the BTEC? If she likes the way of studying and assessment, have you considered BTEC diplomas like Sports and Exercise Science?

PE is only ever going to be seen as a doss subject by recruiting law firms

I am not sure law firms are still that blinkered, but PE is anything but a "doss" subject at A level.

Law firms are looking for academic excellence as a given. PE doesn't shout that unfortunately. I'm not saying it's easy as an A Level but its not a good option if a student is potentially looking to do law.