How to get into a top uni after failing 1st year of ALevel Maths? Is it possible?

[Ragatha]

DS is planning on History or Philosophy at University and looks set to get A or A* in History and Computing A Levels. He's academic, loves writing and wants to go to a top uni, and his Tutor agrees he should be aiming high.

But... he just failed his first year of A Level maths and has been chucked off the course. It was the wrong choice of A Level, he should have chosen something essay based.

What now? Does anyone have any advice?

The college are examining what's possible although they've said doing a third year with them is extremely unlikely. They seem keen on EPQs but an EPQ alone isn't going to open doors to Edinburgh, Durham, Bristol or UCL etc - is it?

I wondered if anyone else has any advice on what we should be looking at, or has been in the same position?

DS is really keen to go to a good uni, and seems happy enough about doing a third year to make it possible if needs be.

Surely @Ragatha means he will go into both the 1st and 2nd year class. Doing it simultaneously, which will be hard but still means being taught everything, and still takes the same amount of hours to complete, just in 1 year instead of 2

I have no idea how it works, I just know it has been done before. I'll be sure to update the thread when I do know!

Oops, that should say in multiple sittings, not settings!

Definitely talk to some universities you are thinking of applying to. If this means you can no longer go to a few it would at least help him focus on the rest. It is also worth remember that overall ‘top’ universities can be very mediocre for certain subjects and some surprising universities can be top of their field for that specialism.

What am I missing that keeps being deleted. How on earth is someone being offensive enough to have posts deleted on a thread about taking an extra A-level…

anyway to @Ragatha it could work if they let him do both years in one. Providing the classes are on at different times it would be ok from an organisational standpoint, but I guess the college will have to advise you around whether it is possible to do year 2 before doing year 1 or whether you’d need year 1 knowledge in order to understand.

They weren't offensive posts, I suspect that poster is a PBP or something so is getting blanket deletions.

DS’s experience of doing an EPQ has been very positive. The top tier uni he’s hoping to go to gives offers reduced by one grade for students with a high EPQ grade. I gather that this isn’t unusual - some do and some don’t.

For DS, it’s been a valuable experience in researching, developing and creating a project from scratch with very minimal support. He feels it’s set him up really well for working more independently. It’s well worth doing, especially if your son has gaps in his timetable if he takes the third subject a year later. Good luck with what he decides.

The college has been fairly explicit they've said doing a third year with them is extremely unlikely.

Well done OP. I found online places that will do a one year A level and also a FE college with that option for year 14. Some schools will allow an A level over year 13 and 14. Let us know - I read somewhere they need to be on a ‘full time’ timetable at school for funding, so curious what yours says.

@Ragatha I’ve attached what Bristol actually say. Note that not completed qualifications must be listed. I think there’s a danger in what’s happened to DS in that his application might not be as competitive as it might have been. That doesn’t mean he cannot apply but maybe look at slightly less competitive courses. Some unis might well say all A levels in one sitting so read the full admissions statement. Yes, he has an extra year available for one new A level, but you need to discuss how it will be taught as school won’t timetable the full A level in one year. How can they for one pupil? So discuss self study or another provider. It’s not easy is it?

Yes, I entirely agree with all of this. We're visiting university open days with an open mind. We do have some on the list which rank well for history and other aspects which DS is keen on, but which aren't seen as so prestigious necessarily.

And, I'm trying to get an answer about what they will accept for all the universities we've planned to visit this month, as - like you say - there's no point pursuing an unobtainable goal!

Thankfully there isn't a particular uni that DS has his heart set on at the moment so we can just drop the ones that definitely won't be interested.

I wouldn't be surprised if she's a PBP, she seemed on the wind up IMO, I felt she was trying to bait me. (Didn't report her though!)

I spoke to the college today, a follow up to ensiling with them next week.

Both DS's tutor and the head of A Levels are being very supportive and trying to see what can be done.

They've both made it clear they can see DS's potential and that they want to help - although they are bound by what's act possible of course

DS and I need to keep finding out what's possible, admissions wise, and they're going to find out what's possible 6th-form-wise.

I feel much less worried that I did yesterday, and a good part of that is due to helpful people on this thread helping me think through the options. Thank you all for that.

Unlikely isn't impossible though, is it?! Still a glimmer of hope there!

No one senior has said it's not possible, yet.

Yes, that's what the college said today. IF a third year was possible (big if!) then he would need to be full time this year, and that would be achievable by doing an EPQ in place of a third A Level, timetable wise.

And then in year 14, he would do 1st and 2nd year of an A Level side by side, plus something else to make it up to full time.

However, the college said that doing a 1st and 2nd year of an A Level concurrently is only possible in a very few subjects, since A Levels were devalued and linear A Levels brought in. (Another thing to "thank" Michael Gove for )

They're going to see which ones they run that you can do concurrently and let DS know.

(With the caveat that they haven't said DS could actually do a third year yet, but I'm taking it as a - cautiously - good sign that they're even willing to discuss it.)

That's good to hear. DS really likes the sound of the EPQ. The college have sold it as like a mini PhD (as you do your own original research and are allowed to express your own opinions based on that research).

If he is allowed to do an A Level in a year in year 14, he'll do an EPQ this coming year.

Yes, he'd have to list it. However, this is also what the website says:

• A-levels can be completed in multiple sittings, either taking A-levels in separate examination periods or via resits.
• We welcome applications with A-level resits and consider these on the same basis as A-level results achieved in their first sitting.

And the woman I spoke to in the admissions team said it was fine, outside of the most competitive courses like Medicine.

Also, you're right *MeetMeOnTheCorner *that there are timetabling issues, but the school does have a solution for that - pick one of the small number of subjects that you can Y1 and Y2 concurrently.

That solves not only how to do it in a year, but also helps with timetabling - since the same teachers teach both years, they can't be in two places at once!

Oh for goodness sake!!

That should say:

However, the college said that doing a 1st and 2nd year of an A Level concurrently is only possible in a very few subjects, since AS Levels were devalued and linear A Levels brought in.

Sorry to be so confusing, everyone!!

Depending on what he chooses as his third A level he may need to do an NEA as well (non examined assessment), which sounds pretty similar to an EPQ.

DD took geography as one of her subjects and her NEA involved a research project, collecting and analysing data, evaluating the results and writing a report with a conclusion. It had to be properly referenced as well. Her NEA was about 6,000 words long.

I wonder whether EPQs will be impacted by AI?

To give him a wider choice of new A level could he not do Y1 of the new subject alongside Y2 of his current A levels then do Y2 plus an EPQ and an AS level (do they offer any?) or another one year course (any BTECs or what about Core Maths?) in Y14. I'd really push college to come up with a decent solution. Is it a sixth form college or is it the 6th form of hos secondary school?

A few of DDs friends have done EPQs and really enjoyed them.

FYI University of York is also extremely flexible. Talk to admissions.