Oxbridge and GCSE results

[Despinetta]

Hello

Is there any point applying to Oxbridge with 6 9s and 4 8s at GCSE? Or do they always want straight 9s?

If it makes a difference, DD is at an academic school and not low income so won't get any contextual adjustment as far as I know. She is currently taking her GCSEs so doesn't have any at all yet but this is what she has been predicted. We were talking about uni plans last night and she said she was keen on looking at Oxbridge- just wondered if I need to manage her expectations?

MLAT is a modern languages aptitude test, by the way, which the student has to arrange to take in the autumn term. If she wants to do a ‘beginners’ language, she’ll need to take an aptitude test for that consisting of phrases from a made-up language, which DD seemed to find good fun.

There will also (probably) be a requirement to send in some school essays, marked but not rewritten afterwards. Worth knowing, as she may only have a few decent ones by the time they’re needed.

If she wants to do French and Spanish (as she’s doing them at gcse) it makes sense to do these two languages at A level. As essays do have to be submitted it’s really important to do an essay subject alongside the languages. It’s true DD won’t have many to choose from!!

As essays do have to be submitted it’s really important to do an essay subject alongside the languages.
I don't think it's essential to do a third essay-based A level. DD is doing MFL at Oxford having done two languages and maths at A level. However, she has mentioned that having done A level English literature would have been an advantage, as obviously A level English literature gives you experience of writing essays on literature, including a knowledge of the relevant literary terminology.

Languages plus maths gives you linguistics options, though, doesn’t it, BoosterQuery? If that floats your boat, anyway.

DD similarly didn’t do English Lit A level on the reasonable grounds that it sounded like two years of Misery Studies. Mind you, there’s little cheery happiness about the foreign literature she’s currently battling through. It seems to be mostly despair, dysfunction and funerals with dark undercurrents.

Well that’s why Oxford recommends English lit as helpful. Prepares for the MFL lit at Oxford. There’s more lit than linguistics.

Yes, I’m sure it does. But DD had never originally contemplated doing a languages degree. She went into A levels planning to do History at university and slowly changed her mind.

Just for completeness, C states "There are no GCSE (or equivalent) requirements for entry to Cambridge. GCSE results are looked at as a performance indicator, but within the context of the performance of the school/college where they were achieved."

DD - now at Oxbridge, in one of the most competitive courses - took GCSEs at a state comprehensive, but would I think have had no other contextual flags. Her results were all 8s and 9s, but were a mixture, and weren't the highest in her year at her school.

DN has an offer from Oxford (MFL) with a mix of 7s, 8s and 9s. More of the latter than the former but still a mix.

Sorry about excavating this subject. Do you think it would be better to have top grades with less subjects than mixture grades of slightly more subjects even if the averages are same? eg 8 or 9 for 9 GCSE than mixture of 7 -9 for 12 subjects?

MurphyM - at a guess, I would recommend he / she doing the standard number of GCSEs at the school - so if this is 10, do that, if it's 9, that should be fine. 9 x 9s /8s will probably look better than 12 GCSEs with 7s in there.

Schools have a profile page which basically summarises for unis what they advise curriculum-wise in that school - eg. "Our students take 10 GCSEs and three A-levels plus EPQ - in the last 5 years our results have been x% 9, x% 8 ... and so on...."

Oxbridge look for students who are at the very top of the cohort in their particular school - so not a good idea to do less GCSEs than they timetable / advise in the school - however, doing 12 will not be necessary as A-levels far more important anyway.

Found this thread interesting. I did MFL at Oxford having done French, Spanish and Maths A Levels. Most, but not all, of my peers had done an essay subject for their third A Level, but I don't remember it being an issue. I loved the emphasis on literature, and also really enjoyed the linguistics module I did.

I am (many!) years out of date, so sharing in a chatty way rather than believing it's useful information!