Having to do four A levels if studying further maths

[user1471443411]

My daughter is in the process of applying for A levels and wants to do further maths. It turns out that of the three places she wants to apply to, two only let you study further maths if you do four A levels. There aren't any other subjects she really wants to do as she dislikes writing essays.
Does anyone know if, in general, schools will let you drop your fourth subject at an early date? Is this requirement put in place in case people struggle with further maths, so that they have something to fall back on?

@DontKeepTheFaith
Engineering degrees are usually MEng. Not MA. 3 year degrees are BEng.

Very many engineers do know what sort of engineer they want to be. That’s why most courses specialise. Even allowing for that, the amount of learning is broad. Just look at the syllabus for 3 or 4 years!

There are plenty of engineering grads who don’t go into engineering at all. They go into finance, banking snd city jobs. There are many avenues of work outside engineering.

I meant chemistry for the fourth!!

He is doing an MA in engineering so 4 year degree and hasn’t decided on a specialty yet

In that case, get him to check which universities have a common first year for all engineering disciplines - you have to apply for a particular course with UCAS, but it's much easier to switch when there's a unified first year. I know Warwick does that, not sure about others (ready to look a fool if they all do it but I'd never quite noticed!)

Eg interested in "cyber crime" - should she look at computer science?

In which case double maths, then (new spec) computer science and/or physics, and if casting around for another subject, then psychology - extremely useful subject, eg in cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and biological perception

Back in the 1970s when I did a levels we were expected to do a fourth to stretch, so I was an arts type _ and subsequently an English lit degree. I did chemistry as my fourth. I only got a C grade, but I was so proud of myself because I had to work so hard against my natural abilities.

Maybe something that requires essay writing would be usefully challenging and against the grain? How about English lit?

@Ethelswith
No they certainly do not all do exactly the same first year modules. I’ve looked at Bristol and they have some the same but, for example, electrical and electronic engineering is different. Sheffield is all completely different and I looked at Civil, Mechanical, Aeronautical and Electric snd Electronic. I think it bakes better sense to teach for the precise engineering discipline because it gives greater depth of learning. Obviously there are transferable units and skills but clearly top universities don’t all think the same, and that’s good.

Quick look at Imperial: they are all completely different. So naked ms wonder if identical courses save money. Where they do a shared curriculum it’s much narrower.

My son has applied with only 3 A Levels - Maths, FM and Economics and so far has offers from Warwick, Bath and Exeter. If she is looking to study Maths I would say the most important element will be the results in the maths entrance exam - MAT, TMUA or STEP. This has far greater importance than taking 4 A Levels as the results show what the student is capable of rather than what has been predicted. Oxbridge and the more elite unis require a certain grade, and other less elite unis often offer a grade reduction if a good mark is achieved.

Some sixth forms/colleges teach the whole Maths A level in the first year (sitting exam in the Summer of Year 12) and the whole Further Maths A level in the second year rather than side by side.

Not read the whole thread so hopefully not repeating but something to be aware of.

You need to write a final year dissertation or research project though

They are both dependent on a good STEP result though so its relatively easy to get an offer .STEP is the ' decider' for Cambridge and about 50% do not make the STEP grades needed

Do you? I didn't, but things may well have changed in 35 years.

I wonder how the OPs DD is getting on and what A Levels she decided to do

@pinkginfizz9 that's right which takes a lot of focus&work hence the decision not to take a 4th A level and focus on STEP.

The are incredible hard.