Does DC really need A grades at A'level to study at a good uni?

[Helpuschoose]

Totally new to this uni application lark as eldest DC has just started Yr 12 and it's a million years long time since DH and I went to uni. So this is all very confusing.
DC has no idea what to study or where at the moment ("Ffs leave me alone Mum. I've only just finished GCSEs and I've got a party to be at") but is likely to end up doing some kind of humanities degree. I did a quick random trawl through various uni's admission requirements for some standard degrees, English, history, economics, geography etc and was shocked to see that standard offers seem to require at least 1 and sometimes 3 A's at A2. DC is targeted to achieve B's at AS and that's assuming she achieves her highest scores. By the way she thinks these predictions are teachers' kidology but that is a whole different issue!

So here's my question I suppose. Is it no longer possible to go to a "good" uni to do a standard subject with B's at A level. And by "good" I suppose I mean a place that was a uni in the 1980's ie not a former poly and by 'standard subject' I mean History, geography, English etc not law or medicine or something very competitive.

Please don't flame me on my definitions. Of course former polys are good, but I'm just trying to establish a yardstick and manage my DCs expectations.

I have heard of a couple of unconditional offers this year given to two students who have done an early entry, which I haven't heard of in a good old while. Dunno if it's a new trend or a reflection of the students.

Some units are offering unconditional places to high-performing students who put them as a first choice. It's a way of stealing them away from the more prestigious but then riskier choices.

Ahh, ok. That makes sense.

Very interesting article here regarding employability

"What I want to know is how many people who got matriculation offers from Oxford in the old days then really did succumb to the temptation to slack off for the next six months and actually ended up with (say) DEU?"

A friend of mine kinda did - she was struggling with anorexia and got something like CDE.

She was summoned to the college before term started for a meeting at which it was made very clear to her that if her work was that standard when she arrived she'd be gone by Christmas.

I actually don't know whether she told them about the anorexia. I'd suspect not.

"Some units are offering unconditional places to high-performing students who put them as a first choice."

DD's friend had one of these.

Rather unkind IMO, as it effectively meant she couldn't use them as her reserve. She didn't go there.

Most places offering unconditional offers for firm give an alternative offer for insurance.

cathyandclaire I was similar, my medicine offers were BBB, BBC & BCC (all London) - I went with the BBC and ended up with ABB. The grades required are terrifying now :/

This has all been brilliantly helpful. Thank you. Now just need to filter the info to DC without actually showing her this thread! It does make me wonder whether it might be better for her to just work flat out for 2 years and then apply for uni in a gap year based on actual A2's rather then being at the mercy of AS's and/or teachers' predictions. DC is definitely a child who to date tends to do better at the end of the process than teachers think she will which has always resulted in her being very under-predicted by her teachers. She's working pretty hard at the moment but I'm sure she will step it up even more down the line so could possibly end up with better grades than currently predicted or even achieved at AS. I know in an ideal world these kids are supposed to be working flat out over the two years but for some people it's just not possible to maintain that level of performance over a long sustained period. She was definitely a 'grower' over the course of GCSE's and I know A' level are different but that's just the way she is. Try as you might, you can't make a cat suddenly start barking!

By the way her current grade B predictions for AS are apparently based on some computer programme that has spewed out predicted those grades for someone of her 'profile'. She actually got A* and and A in 3 of her 4 A'level subjects so I don't even understand that process but that's a whole different thread!

Anyone have any thoughts on applying for uni after A2 grades are known?

cricketballs that link is pretty misleading.

It completely depends where one studies English, History etc.

There is a joke that the entire history cohort or Oxford end up practicing law in the city

Unistats gives employment data by subject and institution, but bear in mind the latest figures will come from graduates who started at least 5 years before your dc will - current stats are on those who graduated in the summer of 2013, so they would have started in 2010 at the latest.

Having got a DS who achieved mediocre AS results this year, my advice would be to encourage them to work flat out for the L6 year so their predictions for uni are decent!
It is very depressing to know that a very capable student will probably miss out on a chance to attend a great uni because they were too fim to realise a bit of work in L6 would pay massive dividends.

I've always wondered what the reason was in that case not to wait, take a year out, and apply once A2 results are known?

A gap year has its advantages I suppose, but the risk of stepping off the education treadmill is there also.

My DS clearly had his gap year last year - when he was supposed to be working hard in L6!

TheWord - not misleading at all as there are more universities than Oxbridge/RG whilst I agree these are the destination of last years leavers, it does highlight industry requirements and is something worth noting especially for year 11/12 students as they start to investigate courses

link to HESA here rather than a newspaper interpretation

I think there is also a very good reason to do a course at a University with industry links in year 3. For example Bournemouth does PR with a year out. These students come out better prepared for PR employment than someone coming from an RG university having studied Arch and Anth for example, or even Geography. If your DC is looking at BBB there are some good courses out there.

Students don't need to do any teaching to get onto MFL courses. The universities are very short of students. Just get the exams and show you have an interest.

It must be said I had a look out of interest at courses in the area I work in. There are what look like some excellent options leading to a BSc, that I'm sure would make people very employable & that are asking for CC or 160 UCAS points. Though I suspect they may also want work experience & the like, so I think they're probably competitive in other ways. Admittedly it's not a very lucrative area, but good for job satisfaction!

I also found this link just now:

university.which.co.uk/

With CCC you would be looking at courses such as Sports Science or Media

Sue - theres a big difference between sports science and Sports Studies - i don't think CCC will get you on a science course.....

"i don't think CCC will get you on a science course....."

Did I mention that DDD offer my DD had? Sports science. Not an ex poly.

Oops, sorry, yes - typically CCC for Sports Performance/Studies Foundation Degree, AAA/AAB for Sports Science at Bath. Sorry, new to this, I didn't realise there were different courses.

Watching the Sports Science discussion with interest - DS2 considering this as he wants to be a PE teacher.
He's keen on Durham, B'ham & Bath which are all requesting AAA-AAB.
Is Sports Science well respected? The HT at school didn't think so...

A friend of my dc has just started at York, her A levels were BBB. She is doing Modern Languages, I think. Dc is considering doing Psychology at a post-92 uni, and they want AAB.

Depends on the course, I presume, and how over subscribed it is.