Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Higher education

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

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

University Entry Requirements

62 replies

Nomoreplease23 · 26/07/2023 09:32

DD16 is awaiting her GCSE results and is due to attend sixth form college. So far she has chosen creative A'Levels but is now considering more academic subjects so as not to restrict her degree choices. Recently at school the sixth form admissions teacher was displaying software which showed the entry requirements for RG and other universities and I was surprised to see the pathway where creative subjects were accepted for 'academic' degrees.

DD is bright, but wants to invest her time into subjects she enjoys and I do believe that she will obtain better results where she has a passion as she can 'lose interest'. However she recognises that she doesn't want to limit her choices.

I would like to know what the software is - are there any sixth form tutors who are aware of this - I imagine it is by subscription but having DD16 look through this I hope would give her some confidence as to her pathway.

(I would contact her old school but it is closed for summer).

OP posts:

clary · 27/07/2023 20:23

@Nomoreplease23 I would suggest MFL as a better counterpart to music and (say) graphics than biology, which is a bit of an outlier there. Nothing wrong with an outlier as such, but another science A level probably makes the content more manageable. Also another science A level is a good idea for a biology degree (tho by no means essential).

MadKittenWoman · 27/07/2023 22:07

Sorry, but that is a weird combination of subjects. I can't see what degree they would be suitable for. If she doesn't know what she wants to do, then she needs to keep her options open and consider what used to be called 'facilitating subjects' and choose at least one essay-based subject.

Piggywaspushed · 28/07/2023 07:20

I don't think it's necessarily advisable but a combination of very creative subjects isn't weird! Would you call maths, further maths and physics weird?!

PhotoDad · 28/07/2023 07:43

OP, does your DD want to do an 'academic' degree, if her interests are all creative? There are plenty of creative degrees out there too!

@MadKittenWoman I can't see what degree they would be suitable for. Really? I assume you're only thinking of 'academic' courses. Look at any art school and you'll find loads (and yes, they're degrees).

sendsummer · 28/07/2023 07:52

If she likes biology and is a creative what about swapping one of those three choices for psychology? That would be a plus for any creative / marketing / media/ business degree and career. Also provides essays and the ability to understand data analysis.
Graphic communications does look very interesting BTW.

PhotoDad · 28/07/2023 08:04

Graphics Comms is a great A level and my DD would definitely have taken it if her school had offered it. (She had to settle for Art.) She's now doing one of the many Graphics Comms sub-fields at uni.

Piggywaspushed · 28/07/2023 08:38

Graphic Comms is the one I worry about though. Maybe it's specific to my school but the students I know who do it are crushed by the workload which carried on last year right through exam season.

MsElizabethBennett · 28/07/2023 08:43

Piggywaspushed · 28/07/2023 07:20

I don't think it's necessarily advisable but a combination of very creative subjects isn't weird! Would you call maths, further maths and physics weird?!

Exactly this. No one bats an eyelid at 3 sciences or 3 languages.

PhotoDad · 28/07/2023 08:45

Piggywaspushed · 28/07/2023 08:38

Graphic Comms is the one I worry about though. Maybe it's specific to my school but the students I know who do it are crushed by the workload which carried on last year right through exam season.

In theory it should be no worse than any other art/design subject! I think you might have an over-zealous teacher.

Piggywaspushed · 28/07/2023 09:28

It's multiple teachers and they're all the same! It might be a results based panic bug it has been borderline bullying. Tbh , art is similar and textiles! Not quite as extreme.

SideWonder · 28/07/2023 10:54

OP, does your DD wantto do an 'academic' degree, if her interests are all creative? There areplentyof creative degrees out there too!

"Creative" degrees require research and essays as well. This is my point upthread and it's a really important one for future coping.

I have over the years (teaching in a so-called 'creative' subject in a RG university) had many students who thought their creativity (such as it is at 18 ...) would make up for lack of practiced skill and interest in research & writing. It doesn't.

PhotoDad · 28/07/2023 11:02

@SideWonder Yes, they do, but at least in my DD's case they make up a relatively small component of each overall module. (Vocational design subject at an art school which is now part of a post-'92 uni.) She did 1.5 essay A-levels and so takes those in her stride (while grumbling about them).

So actually I think you're right that experience in essay writing would be good for pretty much any degree. What do you think of EPQs? OP, is that at option?

Flip

1 2 3