GCSEs and beyond - advice please?

[SuzieHomemaker]

DD1 is now entering her GCSE years. She is doing mainstream academic topics including modern languages. She wants to go to university to study sciences but not sure what exactly yet which is fine.

What I need help with is how the whole AS, A2 thing works. How many AS levels should someone be aiming to take? How many A2s? I have seen so many stories of young people with bucket loads of qualifications failing to get in to university that I just dont know what is normal anymore.

Does anyone know of any good guides for parents on the next stages (AS, A2 and university application) please?

oh dear

York

I have already suggested he do an extra AS level this year (he has lots of free periods) but he is a lazy sod in many ways & has point-blank refused

Thanks for that, Pixie - I will try to use that as ammo (he is quite keen on York)

Ponders - that was on the UCAS site, in regard to the philosophy/history course - I haven't any more info, but I was going to call the admissions people about this. I don't know if it's a general requirement or specific to that course.

But it's worth looking closely at the York site for that info for your DS.

What I am starting to see is that we need to not try to second guess the university admissions process. Somewhere there is the ideal course for DD and with research I think we will find it.

DD is studying the extra language out of sequence because we lived in the Netherlands for a few years and DD went to the local school rather than an international school. She wanted to keep the language going so took GCSE, AS and soon A2. She is under no illusion that it will be taken into consideration measurably just that it might make her application stand out a bit.

According to my brother (the physicist) having mostly sciences/maths plus one 'interesting' can work to an applicant's advantage. So maths, further maths, physics and French as he put it gives the student and tutor something to talk about at interview once they have done the funny handshake.

It's useful to know that GCSEs matter so much. The school doesnt tell students this so I will use the knowledge to explain why I am standing over DD with a cudgel.

It's also worth talking to the admissions officers. I have found them really helpful and sympathetic.

Uaually $ As's then drop one subject and carry on with 3 A2's in the second year. Although my nephew didn't drop a subject so did 4 A2's.

Many thanks for all the good and useful thoughts here. I have now started the job of finding a decent sixth form. We do struggle as we are in a very rural county with not that many options.