I don't think she really intended to take five. The fifth was a fun subject which she could have dropped after AS, and where Coursework marks count for a lot. However the breath was useful in terms of options had a medicine offer not come through, and will be, should she decide to intercalate. The real crunch came in March when she had three sets of coursework to complete and three University interviews. The other problem was that despite relatively long school days and Saturday morning school, she was only timetabled one free a week and had some additonal after school teaching, so had to be organised.
This term has been easier. Her offer is relatively low, and biology was an international A level and very early, presumably to avoid Ramadan. So though she did not need the fifith, there was no need to drop it. I think she has enjoyed studying a wider range of subjects, including something more practical. The other incentive has been that her brother owes his University place to keeping up a fifth A level, thus allowing him a disaster in a history paper.
She is doing science, where as long as you understand, revision is straightforward and mainly past papers. Five, even four humanities is a real slog, and A*s or high STEP grades are difficult to predict and anyone can have a bad day.
(Upthread esornep suggested "a number of such applicants come from top private schools and highly selective state schools, have Olympiad experience etc, so definitely have a head start in getting Ss." And they do, so it is not unfair to expect top performance. However the very best mathematicians we have come across are usually sitting on unconditional offers from American Universities as well. Its a small number but I wonder how often the reduced pressure during the summer, and more time to prepare for things like Olympiads, would tip the balance.)
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