What happens if he sits all his A levels a year early?

[Noname1]

Please can someone advise me. My very bright DS is at very well known super selective independent he's in the top 15 for most subjects the top five for maths and physics. He's just sat his IGCSE's and doesn't wish to stay on for the 6 th form he wants to attend our local 6 th form college. He looked at the AS maths paper and can answer all the questions, he looked at the A2 maths paper and can answer 6/8 ditto physics and French. The college have suggested he does maths, physics and French A2 at the end of year 12 and a Further Maths German and one other A2 of his choice (Italian probably) at the end of year 13.
He wants to do physics probably at IC but I thought you had to sit the subjects you wanted to do at Uni at the end of year 13 or could he apply at he end of year 12 (2015) and defer till 2016?

[summerends]

uiler that might be the principle but I certainly know of state sixth forms who organise sessions (sometimes asking outside teachers) to help their students along. Of course the students also practise by themselves as well.

[Noname1]

Gosh so much helpful advise I'm really grateful I'm must post on this section more often! Many thanks alreadytaken for the link to Cambridge a University maths with physics degree. It's my mothers home city although my DS has never been there. He is highly likely to get 100% on maths AS and A2 he tried various sections of both at home and scored at least 95% on the AS and 75% on the A2, there were two questions he couldn't answer on the A2 because he's not yet covered the subjects but as soon as the teacher at the college began showing him at how to do 1 of the questions he got it straight away and could then answer it correctly. He said it was easy. It's really weird because neither DH or I are mathematicians in fact Im pretty convinced DH has dyscalculia, his siblings are also not budding mathematicians either!
Thanks again. MN really is very helpful.

[uiler123]

Most students who get into Cambridge maths could have or did prepare themselves for STEP maths with no help. I have known many students from state schools who had zero help and scored very highly.

It's unnecessary to apply for maths with physics if you know you want to study mathematical or theoretical physics - the maths tripos is fine for this and the pure maths taught at the beginning is actually very important in contemporary mathematical physics. The maths with physics course is primarily aimed at students who cannot decide between maths and physics; they do both for the first year and then choose one or other. Note that there is physics lab work in the first year. More information about the course can be found at

www.maths.cam.ac.uk/undergrad/course/mathswithphysics.pdf

From the OP's description straight maths would be a better option. From the second year onwards he can specialise into physics related courses. If there is any chance that he wants to carry on and do theoretical physics research straight maths is marginally better, as the pure maths he learns could be useful later.

[Noname1]

Thanks uiler this information is very useful. I feel we are a bit clueless about maths/physics as our degrees/understanding is in very different areas.

[sashh]

titchy

I wasn't thinking of them benefiting financially, more it would up their A Level score per student and could also be news worthy.

[PetraArkanian]

Another option if he is likely to be bored is to spend the 2 years doing AS/A2 but start an open university degree at the same time? I know people who have done that!

[alreadytaken]

I'd missed the part about not liking the practical side of physics. I was thinking that if he had declared an interest in studying Physics the Maths with Physics degree might encourage him into something that could be a better fit. He does sound more of an applied mathematician than a physicist. The Oxford Physics degree says it has a "significant amount" of experimental work.

Noname1 his school ought to be encouraging him to do Maths Challenge if he hasn't done so already (or at a higher level if he has) www.ukmt.org.uk/individual-competitions/ ,

the Physics Olympiad www.physics.ox.ac.uk/olympiad/PaperPhysicsChallenge.html

and perhaps the Kelvin Science prize www.pet.cam.ac.uk/prospective-students/essay-prizes