Calling A level teachers/Uni lecturers - HELP!

[TidyBush]

I'm asking this for DD1. She's about to start 6th form and is really torn about her chosen subjects.

Originally she chose English Language, English Literature, Music and German. She then went right off German and swapped it for Drama.

She knows that she wants to study music at uni maybe as a joint honours with an as yet unknown subject.

She loves music and performing arts but is worried that Drama is a 'weak' A level that doesn't have much status when applying for uni places.

So she's now torn about whether to drop drama and take psychology for A level, but she doesn't really know much about the course content.

Does anyone out there teach any of the these subjects or assess uni applications and could give any advice?

TIA

bump

TB have you tried posting this in secondary education? You may get more response.

Good luck whatever you DD decides.

Thanks JGBMum - going over there now.........

Speaking as a former university teacher at a RG university: drama and psychology are both 'weak' A level subjects. Can she be persuaded to re-think the German?

Have a look at the University websites - even if she does not know what she wants to do yet, she can pick some at random - perhaps some of the bigger ones - Manchester, Leeds, Warwick, UCL etc and look at the music courses available - they should state their entry requirements for the course and hopefully whether they just want points from the A-level grades or specific A-level subjects, or even she (or you - depending on how confident she is!) could try phoning them and be upfront and ask. They may be able to advise you - the worst they can say is "No", so I'd give that a go. Also - send off for a couple of prospectuses from Uni's - again they should have the entry requirements there and have a look. And yet another also (and probably the main thing to do at this point) is look on the Connexions website, there is a phone number of advisors that you can ask. At the secondary school I work at, we are very lucky and have a Connexions chap based in the building (it is a very big school), any students with this type of question, book an appointment with him and he finds out the info they need. Your daughter may be able to do that when she goes back to school in a couple of weeks if they have a Connexions person there (or there may be a Connexions office in a town near you?), however in the meantime do try and speak to someone on the phone. Unfortunately, your daughter is right in that some subjects are preferred by Uni's a lot more than others (for example lots of them ignored any points gained by General Studies A-level as wasn't seen as worth anything), but English and Music are not my field so I really don't know how a Drama A-level would be viewed as compared to Psychology... I do know that an awful lot of students take Psychology.. so I suspect she would stand out more in the application process with German? ...not that it would be less valuable, but just less common. However, if she thinks her grade in German would not be as high, then that would mean less points etc so no definite answer there, sorry.

Thanks for your reply OOD. Unfortunately she won't entertain taking German.

Until about February she said that if she got an overall B or higher then she'd take it at A level. She was doing really well at GCSE with coursework markes of all As and a B, but when it came the exams she had a bit of a meltdown and feels that she really blew it. Although TBH she was having doubts even before the exams.

She thinks that she'll get quite a mixed bag of results but that she'll get a C or D for German. I don't know if she'll change her mind on Tuesday if she has done well.

The only advice I feel that I can really give her is to have a good chat with her teachers once she's got her results on Tuesday but she was keen to hear from any professionals on here too, so thanks again.

Drama is not a weak A level choice if applying for a music degree. It is considered very complimentary to it. Has she any idea of which uni's she wants to apply to?

Hmm. I can understand her POV and, frankly, I would think it a very bad idea for her to take an A level in any subject that she has less than an A in at GCSE (preferably an A*). Univ. admissions tutors only have GCSE results to go on, and they won't on the whole be interested in predicted A level grades if the actual GCSE result is a B or lower.

I think Lyn3's advice about ringing up potential departments is good. Though I would one hundred percent counsel against you doing it: it looks very, very bad for parents to be doing this kind of thing.

Lyn3 she is lucky enough to have a connexions advisor at school but in the meantime I'll get her to make some calls tomorrow.

We've spent some time looking at Uni sites and all of the ones we've looked at require AAA, AAB or ABB with music A Level being the only pre-requiste and grade 5 music theory.

She's done grade 5 theory and is currently working towards grade 6 theory and grade 7 practical piano (with the plan to have completed grade 8 whilst in year 13).

She's also got some open days booked so will be going for a look around, but of course the problem is that term starts the week after next and she'll have to make her final decision by 6th Sept.

elphiethropp thanks for that POV (love the name BTW - I'm just reading the Gregory Maguire trilogy ).

She's looking at Birmingham, Nottingham and Durham to start with, then will widen the search over the next few months.

OK - have asked this in secondary education too here.

Thanks for everyone's input - keep them coming please.

OOD - totally agree about the parent ringing up if it is a Year 13 student trying to get on a course through clearing etc, but my suggestion for Mum ringing up was in very hypothetical way ie "If my child was to apply to do course with you in ** years - what are the average A-level grades you would expect, could you give us some advice please?" and IN NO WAY GIVE YOUR OR YOUR DAUGHTERS NAME, lie if you have to - Mrs Smith and leave your mobile number (it's not really lying - it's a tactical approach for the sake of your child ;-)!).... as OOD says - you don't want them to associate the name Jane Jones as the student whose Mum rang up for them.. however if daughter is happy to ring up (and I am keeping in mind that she is only 16 here - confidence levels vary as do ability to think on their feet at that age), then so much the better. If necessary and you ring.. get the prospectus sent to a relatives address - again so they will not link the address with you if you give a false name... Hope it goes well!

oops - should have said Jane TidyBush not Jones!

DH who is a sixth form tutor say much of whats been said above, his addition suggestion is maths but he says asking the uni she plans to apply to is the best bet.

Drama is a good A level to take if she wants to do music at uni.

Good advice, Lyn3!

Thanks for the advice everyone.

She's now been on to quite a few Uni sites and looked at those that offer Music along with other subjects that she's interested in (English, Drama, etc) and requested prospectuses, so she can have a good look at what's required.

Just got to wait for tommorrow's results now - which might throw up a whole new set of questions .

It all depends on what course your DD wishes to do at Uni, and where she wants to go. Her UCAS statement and the reference from her tutor could count for a great deal (depending on the Uni).

My advise would be the pick the subjects she enjoys the most and take it from there. Once the time comes to pick Unis then make suer the insurance place is a course she likes but at a Uni she'll definately get the points for.

Thanks without - I think that the problems faced by this year's A Level cohort has shown just how important having the right insurance place is.

DD has finally decided to drop English Language and take drama and psychology, along with music and English Lit.

She's got to go into school on Thursday to confirm her final choice so she's just hoping now that there are still places left on the psychology course.

I teach A level ICT and am responsible for getting the students through their personal statements. I also write UCAS references.

You know now that the only expectation in terms of the universities is that she has Music A level and her grades. I'm not sure that other subjects will be specified - I had a look at Manchester's Royal Northern College of Music and they didn't specify, so I can't see others will.

Can she possibly do Theatre Studies? That's a really nice combination of literature and drama.

I don't think Drama is seen as a weak A level if the student doesn't treat it in that way, if you see what I mean. If she is knowledgeable and enthusiastic about it in her UCAS statement and if she's done well in the AS next summer, that will be fine.

She's probably lucky she doesn't want to take German as it's really hard to get a good grade in it.

If she wants to take Drama at university, she may well find English Language is actually more useful to her.

Oracle, I agree Drama can be seen as weak if you want to study an academic degree such as English Literature, which depends on the students' writing skills; I'm not sure it would be considered weak for a Music course.

Psychology is considered a weak A level, though, and is often taken by the weakest students. It's also not usually as interesting as the students expected (in my experience of teaching students who also take it.)

The thing is, though, if the universities are specifying only grades and not subjects, she might do better just taking the courses which will interest her most and which will gain her the highest grades.

Lyn3, it really isn't like that! University lecturers really don't remember the names of students who may go to university in two years time! They would respect someone, in any case, who looked around and asked questions; they certainly wouldn't have their name up on a wall just in case they dared to apply!

There is a big difference between the entry requirements for the Royal Northern than a university though. At the RNCM it all goes on audition, it is a vocational based course for those who are going to go on to be concert pianists, opera singers or join orchestras - there are few academic requiremnts. To study music at one of the academically regarded universities you need to have a high level of playing but also good grades, in my day it was something like 3 B's for somewhere like Manchester or Birmingham - I suspect it is somewhat higher now.

atswimtwolengths - that's really useful information, thanks.

DH and I have discussed with her the need to enjoy all of the subjects she takes at A level, as we know from DH's experience that finding even one subject too hard can spoil the whole 6th form experience completely.

She is really committed to her music and does work hard at her grades. I'm also hoping that she'll make good use of her extra curricular activities in her personal statement (she plays in festivals and concerts and also belongs to a youth theatre and performing arts group).

She is also now working on trying to find a part time job to both help towards uni costs and add a little extra to her personal statement.

elphabaisgreen there is a requirement for quite high grades for all of the unis she is looking at, but I think the point that atswim was making was that music may be the only required subject. Indeed this is what we have found mostly, other than some have specified grades C or B GCSE English.

For example, to study for a BMus at Birmingham the required grades are AAB, but music is the only required subject. However, Liverpool are stating ABB and don't even require music at A Level.

It seems to be a real mixed bag so she is going to have a good look around and see what seems to be the best fit for her.

Gosh, thats higher than in my day AAB wow, I really pity these kids.

What does she play by the way - she does sound a very well rounded young lady with lots going for her.

Thanks elphaba - she just plays piano now but she also used to play recorder (gave it up at grade 5 because it was 'too geeky' ), and tenor saxaphone, which she says she gave up to concentrate on piano but I think it was because she was fed up of lugging it around .

Is music your thing then?