How many GCSEs needed for Oxbridge/ Russell Group Universities?

[2020again]

Current debate at my son's academic school about the ideal number of GCSEs students should take –some students are taking 8 GCSEs and others taking 11, and a couple 12!

Another parent has said to me that all universities, even Oxbridge, only look at the first 7 GCSE results and so even doing say 9 and getting slightly lower grades in some is a false move and better to concentrate on getting top grades in 7. Is that true? Even for the Russell group? Please can someone shed some light on what is actually looked at? Thanks very much.

Cowbells. I am equally puzzled by your email. I agree with all the other posters here as we were distinctly told that Oxford look at GCSEs while Cambridge don’t. Both unis told us that and my DCs schools. Both my 2 DCs have been to Cambridge over the last 8 years so I have some experience.

@Hoghgyni quoted what Oxford say.

I do think that at open days they use "shorthand". They obviously want students with a high level of interest in their subject but do not always go into full details about applications. I sat on these talks and I do think it is jot always clear.

However, when DD applied 11 years ago, Oxford defiitely took GCSEs into account so I do not believe they have changed. They have been clear, too, about GCSE grades obtained and numbers sat for some subjects. So they definitely have analysed them.

At DDs schools the ones with the slightly less top flight GCSE profiles tended to apply to Cambridge.

My son just asked me if his 9 were a problem as one law job wanted at least 10. I have never seen that before even with law firms. He has English lit, eng lang, maths, french, history, geography, 2 sciences, music. I think that's pretty good. If anyone wants 10 not 9 I think that's a bit unfair.

I agree @Xenia

I know our local girls' grammar took 9 and that was 15 years ago . So all of their DC would not be eligible? They are still 9 now but have a few exceptions like 2 x MFL and computer Science as a 10th.

That firm sounds a bit in the dark ages.

I have never heard of a law firm asking for 10. I asked him which one and he said he did not remember. Usually all they want is AAB or higher at A level and a 2/1

That A level requirement is standard but the GCSE one is not fair in todays climate of broader and fewer GCSEs.

Personally I would be looking closely at applicants with 9 studied over three years. Ther are some students with this profile who would not be good enough for a top flight legal firm. More breadth but studied over 2 years to show quick learning would be better but again the students have no choice over this so it is difficult to overcome. A levels, degree, GDL grade and university should also come into play though.

7 might be too few
8,9 or 10 probably perfectly fine
11 or 12 probably unnecessary

But the bigger issue here is that this isn't really going to be the deal breaker for Oxbridge/Russell Group anyway.
Best to concentrate on excellent scores in English/ Maths/Sciences and the rest is window dressing.

FWIW my son had 11 A* at GCSE but still didn't get into Oxbridge!

My DD had fewer than that and did. Getting into Oxford is not all about GCSEs because tests are also in the mix and the interiew but GCSEs forms part of the selection picture.

It therefore really could be the deal breaker at Oxford who rank GCSE results. 7 is too low for just about any school and aspiration to Oxford. Elsewhere, possibly not, but again some universities do take GCSEs into account and, if all else is equal, may not want a DC based on that profile. RG is not all equal at all and all courses are not equal. What Queen Mary's accepts on a less than competitive course might be very different to LSE for example. However for top ranking universities, 7 seems too low without mitigating circumstances.

@jeanne16

Cowbells. I am equally puzzled by your email. I agree with all the other posters here as we were distinctly told that Oxford look at GCSEs while Cambridge don’t. Both unis told us that and my DCs schools. Both my 2 DCs have been to Cambridge over the last 8 years so I have some experience.

I understand your puzzlement but our experience just two years ago was the opposite. And I was quite over invested , so paid careful attention to what we were told by the colleges and departments on both places on open days.

Whsat you were told does not correspnd with the web site though. So human error I think at the colleges. Or crowd pleasing.

Yes, that was my point to my son - that usually it is the people who have done loads notched up love 3 years who are negatively viewed as not all done in one sitting. Their cousin at a comp got 16 that way! Most in the family. He did work very hard and got to Durham but usually about 9 or 10 i s fine. I did 8 (english lit, lang, maths, french, german, history, geog, and physics/chemistry combined which was counted as one when I did it (our school was not very good for sciences and I gave up biology) and then I did a 9th in upper sixth when I put myself in for music GCSE without any lessons.

I think now plenty of schools have dc only taking 9 over three years. Possibly all one sitting although DN did one early and got a 6. Could have done better with another year one suspects. Then 8 taken the following year (Year 11). Three years of narrow study for 8/9 GCSEs is not the same as 9 studied over 2 years and around 16 subjects giving breadth until y10.