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Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

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Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Higher education

AABB in AS, possible for Oxbridge?

81 replies

star2013 · 13/08/2015 15:18

Dd got AABB in her AS result today. School's predicted grade are A*AA for the best three subjects. Dd desires to go for Oxbridge. Is it possible?

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Molio · 18/08/2015 23:18

Oh I see star. Honestly, it sounds fine, provided she did ok in the foreign system equivalent of GCSE. From the sound of it Cambridge may be more of a challenge than Oxford, because of their thing about AS ums.

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Molio · 18/08/2015 23:12

It is that extreme Alice yes, except that actually a single grade increase isn't extreme over a couple of decades or more. Perhaps you'd now get full ums in two subjects and a lowish A* in the other :)

I completely agree that able but unconfident students shouldn't be deterred from applying to Oxbridge or any top uni for that matter but actually there are always quite a lot of people here saying my DC got an offer with less than perfect grades or tutors saying the same so it isn't universally silly or swamped with people deluded by the idea that everyone who goes to Oxford or Cambridge is a diligent goody goody two shoes genius, that's just the MN caricature.

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star2013 · 18/08/2015 22:45

Molio, the third A is native language. Some universities don't count this as a subject. Dd received her secondary school education in another country. They have different examination system.

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Alicekeach · 18/08/2015 22:40

Molio, I've no idea whether that's right or not (surely grade inflation isn't that extreme?), but the point I really wanted to make was that all the endless ruminating and analysing and theorising on sites like this runs the risk of deterring able but unconfident candidates from applying. That would be a shame. ( BTW, when I told my French teacher I wanted to go to Oxford she laughed at me...."people from this school don't go to Oxford".... See what I mean?)

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Molio · 18/08/2015 22:35

Alice I agree completely with what you've said but as a general point it's not really fair to write as though A levels a few decades ago are the equivalents of today's. If you took yours back in the days of S levels then your grades would now equate to two A*s and an A, plus (at least four or five years ago when the qualification was still available) a Distinction in the AEA.

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Molio · 18/08/2015 22:28

I'm obviously ignorant star2013 because I don't understand what 'not in the stream of GCSE' means? Did she take all vocational subjects other than those two?

If she obtained three As and two Bs then I'm also not sure I understand your op, unless she's taking four subjects to A2 but dropping one in which she achieved an A? . Nevertheless she still seems to have achieved three As, which is extremely good on any definition - but exceptional if she's been to a low achieving school, as I'm assuming you're suggesting.

Which subject does she intend to read, and is she wanting to go to Oxford or does she prefer Cambridge?

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Alicekeach · 18/08/2015 22:28

Thank you Star . Yes, it was a while ago, but I think the point still stands. I wasn't the only one there with a B in one of my A-levels (though I had a distinction at S-level in my chosen degree subject). My family and I knew nothing about Oxbridge in those innocent pre-internet days, and I suspect that had Mumsnet and the Student Room etc been available then, I'd have scared myself into not even bothering to apply. Instead, I knew nothing about how many GCSEs the other candidates might have or what last year's statistics showed. I just knew I was good at my subject, so I applied and hoped for the best. Having been to Oxford, I'd also like to endorse the person who said that it's not the be all and end all. It's a great opportunity, but other universities are also fabulous but a lot less stressful. (But that's a whole other thread.)

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star2013 · 18/08/2015 22:15

Molio

Dd was not in the stream of GCSE. She did take two subjects as a trail and both achieved A*.

Actually she obtains AAABB in AS. One of the A's is facilitating subject. The other two are Eng Lit and Maths. She was always the top of her year in her chosen subjects.

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Molio · 18/08/2015 22:14

It's possible that Alice went to Oxford a little while ago though OP, if she's talking about the entrance exam and 2E offers. Grade inflation has been rampant since the days of the entrance exam. Not that I think a B at AS or GCSE is either here nor there, just as Atia says, but if it's in her chosen subject then it is possible that it may be an issue. Does your DD have no GCSEs or equivalent at all? That would be very, very unusual.

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star2013 · 18/08/2015 21:56

Alicekeach

Thank you so much for your warm post. This made my daughter's day. We know the possibility of negative outcome. But from an insiders' point of view, your encourging words do lift some weights off her shoulders. She feels she's not alone. Thank you! x

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Molio · 18/08/2015 09:46

maybebabybee I think your post is a little alarmist. In this year's round my younger DS was 'only' predicted A*AA and got offers from Oxford, Durham, Bristol, Edinburgh and York, all of which are very well regarded for History. He also got only AAAB at AS. I think the more material thing is to look at where the B at AS is and if it's in the subject a DC wants to read at uni, then there may be a problem. If a remark doesn't work the school may decide to flag up the blip and offer explanations in its reference. It's probably best to address the blip rather than ignore. Some of the marking in humanities subjects recently has just been bizarre and no gifted child should give up their plans for an errant B.

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NarrativeArc · 18/08/2015 09:29

Oxford seem to be more forgiving of AS results ( providing GCSEs and pre tests are good).

Cambridge more forgiving of GCSE results ( providing very good UMS on AS). I wonder if Cambridge will make any changes when a lot of applicants don't take AS?

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Molio · 18/08/2015 09:28

students

Weird morning, computer wise.

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Molio · 18/08/2015 09:27

current student will be nursing a B or Bs or worse. It's obviously not a problem.

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Molio · 18/08/2015 09:25

Congrats Gasp0de DS - I'd been wondering :)

I completely echo Atia. Of course a B here or there doesn't matter. Lots of

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Molio · 18/08/2015 09:14

I have a DS who got into Oxford recently with AABB for a relatively competitive humanities subject. He went to a very good school and had no extenuating circumstances (other than messing around with friends to an alarming degree in the lower sixth). But he did have good GCSEs and had always been top(ish) of the year in his chosen subject. Are you able to explain what your DD has in place of GCSEs? Or was she unwell during that period? If the latter, then she's in a different ball park in any event. I honestly wouldn't overthink the AABB for Oxford - she'll have the opportunity to show her aptitude in the pre-test.

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spinoa · 18/08/2015 08:46

AABB for humanities with A*AA predictions would be well worth a shot.

AABB for sciences with AAA would be on the low end. I can't find any statistics on this but I would be surprised if most successful candidates for sciences didn't have AAAA+ at AS and end up with at least two As at A2 - Cambridge's standard offer for sciences is now AAA and many candidates will have four A2 and exceed this offer.

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NarrativeArc · 18/08/2015 06:30

Oxford look more closely at GCSEs than Cambridge. But that's not to say they need be a perfect round of As.

I think more As than other grades is the most reasonable generalisation to give ( and there will be exceptions to that).

This is one reason I advise able students not to take too many GCSEs.

I think 3 out of 13 probably would be a struggle for talkin DD but still worth a punt?

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AtiaoftheJulii · 18/08/2015 00:19

Sorry, left out a rather vital THREE best/most relevant AS grades!

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AtiaoftheJulii · 18/08/2015 00:17

B's just don't cut it I'm afraid.

Oh for goodness sake. Dd got a B in her GCSEs, and then AAAB for her AS's. Got an offer from Oxford, and has just got A A A so will be going. The odd B does not matter.

NewLife if the local Oxford-bound kids really are getting such perfect grades, I suspect it's because their school only encourages absolute superstars to apply.

To the OP - with good GCSE grades, and good predictions, she's got as much chance as anyone for Oxford (as long as she accepts beforehand that most people won't get an offer). Cambridge say they like an average of at least 90 ums in the best (for humanities)/most relevant (sciences) subjects at AS - obviously can't tell from your post whether your dd has achieved this.

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Alicekeach · 17/08/2015 22:33

Hi OP, I got into Oxford with AAB at Alevel (had a two E offer after sitting the entrance exam) so it is possible. These threads always bother me slightly because they tend to give the impression that there is down secret inside knowledge you need to even have a chance of Oxford and I don't think that's true. Oxford just want people who are bright, motivated and (most of all) passionate about their subject. If that's your daughter, she should give it a shot. Otherwise, she'll never know.

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JeanneDeMontbaston · 17/08/2015 22:11

Ah, ok! Gotcha.

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TalkinPeace · 17/08/2015 21:27

no worries - its been a pretty constant topic of conversation in our house for several months strangely enough!

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JeanneDeMontbaston · 17/08/2015 21:22

Oh, I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to lecture you, just was worried she was feeling she couldn't apply, when she'd be fine if she wanted to do that. I totally understand her just not fancying it.

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TalkinPeace · 17/08/2015 21:18

Jeanne
True, if she really wanted to we could jump the hoops, but she's not wild about the course
and wants to go to a town that will be "hers" rather than where other family members have already been to uni.