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Higher education

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

Original poster

A level options - too soft for top unis?

101 replies

ALevelDilemna · 26/10/2019 10:23

My dd is in Y11 and is making her choices for sixth form. We seem to be going round in circles discussing the best options for her but she has finally plumped for:

English Lit
Textiles
RE / Philosophy and Ethics
French (reserve choice)

Is this combination OK? She is bright and aiming for unis such as Bristol / Manchester / Bath / Leeds etc...

OP posts:
converseandjeans · 26/10/2019 18:03

blauelagune MFL are hardest to get decent grade in at both GCSE and Alevel. The universities know this and will accept for example B in MFL but want As in things like history/English.

clary · 26/10/2019 18:29

Converse is that true? No one seemed interested in accepting DD's C as equivalent to a B in another subject :(

Original poster
ALevelDilemna · 26/10/2019 18:30

@clary that’s what I’ve heard too Sad

Thanks Converse. Yes she could drop one at half term.

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Original poster
ALevelDilemna · 26/10/2019 18:31

Thanks Daisypond. Well done your dd 👏

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Original poster
ALevelDilemna · 26/10/2019 18:33

I can’t tell you how helpful you’ve all been. I now think dd should definitely follow her heart and do Textiles Smile

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Alevelnonmum · 26/10/2019 18:48

I'm not a mum but I had the same dilemma in Year 12 last year (as my school did A Level trials to help students picking their A levels) over whether Drama would be a good subject or not for a joint honours in English Lit and History or if the university I want to attend would prefer English Language. Best advice would be to call the admissions office and ask them if she has a particular course and/or university in mind, but can say for me they were of the opinion that if I had English Lit and History the last option was not the end all be all (and this was a Russell group university I was talking to) but obviously things can change.

politics10 · 26/10/2019 19:53

Informed view. Universities have dropped the facilitating subjects list, ignore that. Most institutions and courses are subject agnostic, let her enjoy and excel in these subjects. Grade outcomes are more important than subject choice for most degrees.

daisypond · 26/10/2019 21:07

If it helps, a friend’s daughter did English at Bristol with 3 A levels in Art, Drama and English.

KenziM · 26/10/2019 21:30

I think if your daughter wants to go into fashion, business studies could be a good choice. It would certainly help her if she was in a smaller business or started a fashion company like so many are doing nowadays. Also, whilst being essay based, business is not the hardest A level there is.

FGTM · 26/10/2019 23:46

I work with students applying to university all the tume. Unless she knows what she wants to do at uni and knows the uni's requirements for the course, please allow her to study what she is good at and what she enjoys. This gives her the best chance of getting good A level results which should give her more choices. Also universities do not give preferential treatment to students who take four A levels. She only requires three, so don't let her spread herself too thinly! If she REALLY wants to do an extra qualification, she should consider an EPQ (equivalent to half an A level).

OatyGoaty · 27/10/2019 04:58

My DC did an 'iffy' subject as a fifth choice (other options were STEM and a bit overlapping) despite our better judgement and that of her teachers. Ultimately she wants to work in that area. Just because they are bright doesn't mean they can't work in textiles or another 'iffy' area.

OatyGoaty · 27/10/2019 05:00

PS: Oxbridge reject, but Warwick counted iffy subject alongside the others with grade requirements.

OatyGoaty · 27/10/2019 05:03

Only just read the rest of the thread, what a refreshingly un-Mumsnet response! Grin

Xenia · 27/10/2019 06:42

It depends where she wants to end up and if she will have someone looking at her CV in a few years' time concerned about textiles.

These are good subects to do. I did English, History and German. All my children including the two at university now (Bristol) did at least 2 from this list:

Mathematics and Further Mathematics
English Literature
Physics
Biology
Chemistry
Geography
History
Languages (Classical and Modern)

She could certainly do philosophy as her third but I would ditch the textiles. If she is in a pretty bad school for A level results and likely to get a contextual (low)university offer may be that would make up for textiles.

Xenia · 27/10/2019 06:43

www.clare.cam.ac.uk/subjectchoice-alevelchoice/

Also have a look at the A level choices at the most academic day and grammar schools as they are a pretty good choice and the school's requirements for what you can take in the sixth form.

Original poster
ALevelDilemna · 27/10/2019 06:54

Thanks Xenia.
When dd picked History over P&E I felt a lot more reassured that she had two strong traditional ones backing Textiles. However she seems adamant that she doesn’t want to do History now! I am concerned that P&E will be harder work for less ‘recognition’. I’ve heard it’s harder than history from a friends whose dd recently did both.

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blahblahblahblahhh · 27/10/2019 06:59

If she decided she wanted to do textiles at university a post-92 university would probably be the best place for her rather than a RG uni (most don't do textiles). At post-92 uni's, practical subjects such as textiles and art etc tend to be judged on portfolio work rather than just a level result.

Original poster
ALevelDilemna · 27/10/2019 07:09

Blahblah, Textiles can be offered and there are a few ‘in between’ though! I know students who have studied Textiles at Leeds (RG) and Loughborough (not RG but also not post 92).

I think the op’s concern is that if her dd doesn’t take textiles, her choices will affect her chances of getting into an RG and studying eg. English Lit.

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Original poster
ALevelDilemna · 27/10/2019 07:10

Sorry, I’ll come clean. I thought I was posting under my usual user name and couldn’t be arsed to change back so sock puppeted (for the first time ever may I add) Grin

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daisypond · 27/10/2019 07:19

Two of my DC did Philosophy and Ethics at A level. My very academic child did it as one of their 3 A levels (others were History and English) loved it and went to Oxford - so they definitely were happy with it. My less academic child (as mentioned above) did it at AS level, just before AS was dropped, and failed it completely. I had begged her not to take it, but because she had got an A* in RS at GCSE, her only one, she thought it would be a good one to take at A level. It’s difficult, especially if philosophical thinking is not your thing.

MarchingFrogs · 27/10/2019 07:21

From the Clare College site:
Only a few of our successful applicants have offered just one facilitating subjects.

Just like the person responsible for writing that, presumablyHmm.

So, backtracking a bit, one should quite reasonably expect employers to go, First class degree in relevant discipline? - tick.Two A in what used to be called Facilitating Subjects - tick. Third A in an another essay subject - tick. Oh, hang on, plus an A* in Textiles / Fine Art / Product Design? Straight to reject pile...?

Howzaboutye · 27/10/2019 07:21

If she's into fashion etc and can speak French then she's an obvious fit for a business job. And it's not only marketing- there's purchasing, and operations too. Has she ever been round a factory or a big warehouse? They are amazing. Pm me if you want to chat more, there's so much she could do.

Fifthtimelucky · 27/10/2019 07:22

OP, I suggest you pick two or three universities you think your daughter might be interested in and phone to ask. My neighbour did this recently when she phoned Exeter to ask if drama would be considered a soft subject. I had already told her it wouldn't as my daughter is doing the course the neighbour's daughter wants to do, and she has drama A level, but the neighbour wanted to be sure.

Exeter said that drama used to be considered a soft subject, but since the A level reforms it no longer was. I wouldn't be surprised if the same was true of textiles, but the only way to find out is to ask.

Original poster
ALevelDilemna · 27/10/2019 07:35

@MarchingFrogs French is her reserve and given that it’s a weak subject for her HIGHLY UNLIKELY that it will be a fourth!

Concern is that the combo of P&E and Textiles is weak.

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Original poster
ALevelDilemna · 27/10/2019 07:41

@Howzaboutye thank you! Might well do that. Yes one of the reasons that she’s interested in learning French is bc she has a dream of working in the fashion industry one day - possibly in Paris (her fave city!). However, her performance so far at GCSE has been weak and while she’s now getting private tuition, will not be anywhere near A Level standard in time for next September. I’ve suggested that she learns French another way. Grin I learned my fluent language ab initio at uni without an a level in an MFL, just a GCSE in French, so that might be an option. She could do a placement abroad then too, like I did.

Thanks again all for your help, this is really helpful. Dd is following these threads now too (have also posted in Further) and is also really grateful! Flowers

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