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Higher education

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

Original poster

Oxbridge advice

29 replies

Waitlist1234 · 18/09/2025 15:09

Hi all,
My daughter is in Y9 in a good private secondary school and I was wondering if anyone had any advice on extra curricular activities, number of gcse or other that she should be starting to look out for this year. My husband and I are both foreigner and have no clues where to start, what would help and what requirements are. She is interested mostly in humanities (english, histories, theology) and is taking about maybe studying law or business or economics but also sometime about sciences and medicine.
Thanks a lot

OP posts:
Muu9 · 20/09/2025 03:45

Waitlist1234 · 18/09/2025 15:43

I would say she is a very high achiever and an avid reader since a very young age. The mandatory GCSE for her school are English litt, English lang, maths (and further maths as she is in the higher set), one MFL (she will have two languages as she is sitting one early this year), 3 sciences. She then has the option of 3 additional GCSE (school advised to take one humanities and 2 other). Her school offers the choice of IB vs A level. Is there a way that is more difficult / easier to apply to those 2 universities? Outside of school, she enjoys hockey (but not at a competitive level), playing guitar, swimming, a lawyer club. She also registered for DofE bronze this year.

IB is easier for students who are academic all-arounders, while A level is easier for students with focused interests. In terms of academic preparation (not university admissions), I think A levels are a little stronger for STEM, especially the difference between A level further maths and IB AA HL.

She could check out some debate programs to work on her public speaking skills - that's always going to be useful.

Zanatdy · 20/09/2025 18:37

What they care about is super curricular. So if your subject is maths, enter maths competitions etc. They don’t care about extra curricula's as it’s all about the subject. DD is applying this year, stiff competition but someone has to get a place right?

Lalalaila · 21/09/2025 14:13

Kindly, OP - you need to calm down a bit. I have a DC who is off to Cambridge in a couple of weeks - she didn’t start thinking about it until the lower sixth! Went to various open days, including Cambridge, was clear what she wanted to study and decided to apply.

Several friends of hers did also. They all had great GCSES/A-level predictions and passions for their chosen subject. Not all of them got offers, unfortunately- it is so competitive and it does become a bit of a lottery beyond a certain point. So it’s crazy to get so set on Oxbridge at such an early age, particularly when for so many very able kids, it ends in disappointment.

on extra curricular stuff, they will take note of unusually high accomplishments (eg post grade 8 on an instrument, Gold D of E) but it’s the least important thing.

ClaireBlunderwood · 21/09/2025 15:32

DD is applying, just finishing off her UCAS and only decided to apply in mid August when she got her A level results. As far as I can see these are the only things that matter anyway (her subject has no admissions test) at this point, then the interview. She did go to an open day lecture for her subject where the interviewer said, to be honest, we don't much go by interview either as it's such a snapshot, we go on as much information we can gather about their academics.

In other words, she should just work hard and do well in her GSCEs at this point, at least 8 of them, probably 10 from a private school.

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