Is there a minimum GCSE score for Oxbridge etc

[Ooonafoo]

DD predicted AAA but wondering if her GCSEs are good enough to consider applying to Oxbridge, UCL, Durham, Bristol (2024 entry) - 6x9, 3x8, 1x7 - from state grammar.

Do each of these Unis state a minimum or is it subject dependent?

DD’s friend got Cambridge offer to study Modern Languages - going this year if she gets grades. At GCSE, she got 9s in 2 languages, Eng Lit and Lang, History and RE. But grade 6 in Maths and 5,5 in combined science. So not an all-rounder. She worried about her maths and science but her interviewers didn’t as she so talented at languages (and had to sit a languages admission test anyway. Not everyone who applies to Oxbridge is an all-rounder with perfect GCSEs!

@Balcony66 That is 6 grade 9s though. So hardly poor! Yes the science and maths isn’t stellar but somewhat irrelevant to MFL and the course at Cambridge.

My son is at Cambridge in the third year. He got 1x9, and then a mix of 7,s 6,s and a 5 for Maths.

@Cliff1975 To be fair, he would be an outlier at Oxford without 6 or more 8/9 grades. Cambridge I think is different. It can be a struggle to get from a 7 to an A or A star at A level too so he did really well.

I know it is slightly off topic but would they consider SEN when looking at GCSE results? DS1 is predicted As and A* for his A levels and got 7s, 8s and 9s in those subjects at GCSE but because of his dyslexia, dyspraxia and autism he only got a 4 in English. He is looking at a Maths degree but is concerned.

Ds has an offer for Cambridge and I was concerned his teacher assessed GCSE grades would let him down. They didn’t. He did have good predicted a level grades though and needs 3 A star to get in. (And he’s not revising…)

Essentially any adjustments given for ALN in their GCSEs and A levels are given to level the playing field anyway. If a diagnosis was made after their GCSEs I would expect that to be explained in their school reference.

For what it's worth my DD has a grade 6 and a grade D amongst her GCSE results. She is studying PPE and only had her ALNs assessed in her 2nd year.

I just realised that your DS is likely to have taken his GCSEs during Covid. They will take unusual circumstances into account.

Not a complete outlier! 13% of History students in last years intake had less than 6 GCSEs at grade Astar/8/9.

@3WildOnes
1x9 grade and not a single 8 is unusual. So it’s not under 6 (13%) it’s 1 so probably no stats! It also means 87% have 6 or more so the vast majority which is why schools tend to use it as a guide. That doesn’t mean 5 x 8-9 shouldn’t apply. Many schools would wonder about 1 x 9 and no 8s. However, as we are all saying, lots more to look at as well as GCSEs.

Yes only one grade Astar/8/9 at GCSE would be unusual. Only 5 out of 215 history students had one grade or 0 at Astar/9/8.

That sounds about right. The majority do have more!!