A levels for a RG University

[Fazackerley]

Dd2 is very keen obsessed with going to a RG university. She wants to take English Lit, Classical Civilisation and Philosophy and Ethics A levels.

I understand that only English Lit is a 'facilitating' subject.

Will not having two facilitating subjects count against her? I suppose the only one she could do is History but she's not hugely keen on the periods studied at her school for History.

My DD is doing similar and hopes to apply to Oxford ! She is doing Eng Lit, Class Civ, and History with a view to applying for Ancient and Modern history at Oxford, and then probably/possibly either/or at other uni's depending on the course content. She is mainly looking at RG's but not exclusively as she doesn't want to travel too far, so will have to be less picky.

Oh, and she is doing Biology as an AS as well. In our school they can choose an AS or an EPQ. Perhaps your DD could do something else in her first year to broaden her curriculum.

Oh I wish they had the option to do an AS!

She is definitely going to do the EPQ

She'd love to apply for Oxford but I don't think she's quite academically strong enough. She's predicted 7s and 8s but might get a 6 in Spanish and maths but we aren't going there

The RG booklet can be downloaded from here: www.russellgroup.ac.uk/for-students/school-and-college-in-the-uk/subject-choices-at-school-and-college/
The simple answer is that it all depends what degree course she is looking to do. Two facilitating subjects are better, but not if she won't do her best work in them.

I think she'd far rather do Classical Civ than History and she's wedded to Philosophy and Ethics and English Lit.

I've read that booklet and it doesn't really say either way

Better she gets AAA than AAB I suppose.

Predicted 7's and 8's is good, the odd outlier doesn't necessarily count against you, especially as it has nothing to do with the course you are applying to. DD's German is absolutely awful .

Don't be put off applying to Oxford. I know a few candidates who got stellar results and didn't get an offer, and also a few who were not straight A*'s who got a place. You never know, and DD is very much of the opinion that if you don't apply you certainly won't get a place, and if you don't get a place after applying, at least you gave it a shot, and you still have 4 other choices to go for.

She is very biased towards Oxford BTW, because her older DD went there and loved it.

Wow she'd be absolutely over the moon at even applying to Oxford. I think we'll see what her results are like, I know she is hoping for at least 8s in the subjects she wants to do at A level. If she doesn't have a complete meltdown by June (perfectly possible ) she should do ok.

Your DD should consider History instead of Classical Civilization. This article sheds some light
A-level choices

My dd is keen on a top university and has picked EPQ, Psychology, Biology and Maths. She's aware that psychology isn't facilitating but she wants to read Psychology at university (Cambridge does Psychological and Behavioural Sciences) She's predicted a 6 in German and 7-9 in every thing else which I'm not sure is good enough. Plus for Cambridge she has a written exam which is something we've not looked into properly.

It totally depends what subject she wants to apply for. She won’t stand a chance with anything scientific but if she’s looking at something like English or Theology that’s a good combination.

Doing 2 facilitating subjects is only important if you don’t know what you want to study at university or might change your mind.

Otherwise look up the common requirements of the courses she is interested in.

Well, no, I thought it would be quite obvious that she wasn't interested in a scientific degree

She wants to do English Lit/English/Philosophy, Classical Civ/Philosophy type degrees

Nothing I've seen asks for specific A levels - except some Classics degrees require Latin or Greek so she'd need to look at Classical Civ instead.

tavannach thank you interesting article but still fairly cagey about whether one facilitating subject is enough - it sounds as though it is.

Taking a subject such as history of art, classical civilisation, economics, geology, government and politics, law, media studies, philosophy, psychology, religious studies and sociology in conjunction with at least one (ideally two) of the facilitating subjects listed above shouldn’t be an issue, if you get the grades

Did you download the full leaflet on Parkinsheets link that details the RG requirements subject by subject?

For English Lit degrees English Lit or combine Lang/Lit is essential. History, RS or a language can be useful.

For Philosophy degrees there are no essential A levels. Maths, Classics, Philosophy or RS can be useful.

For Calssics there are no essential A levels. There may need to be evidence of linguistic ability. Useful subjects are a language, English Lit, History or Classics

So that combination of subjects sound absolutely fine.

Yes thank you I have actually read it before with dd1.

I know my SIL seems to think it is essential to take 3 facilitating subjects and a 4th non facilitating if you want any chance of Oxbridge or Durham

Your sil is talking rubbish.

Take music for example.

It isn't a facilitating subject but it is an essential requirement for most music degrees at RG universities.

Basically facilitating subjects are a groups of subjects that most commonly appear on the list of requirements for various differnet degree courses. So if you are not sure what you want to study taking at least 2 facilitating subjects gives you a wider range of options than if you don't.

OP, your dd does know Russell Group is just a name for 24 universities who decided to call themselves that after the venue they had their meeting in, doesn't she? Whilst there are many excellent RG unis, there are also a fair number that aren't in the top 20, or even the top 30 and some very good universities such as Bath, Sussex and Surrey that are not RG but shouldn't be discounted because of that.

Yes she does know that as dd1 has applied to non rg. She's got a bee in her bonnet about it.

I suggest you make a few example choices of degree subjects and look then at A level choices suggested by some good unis for those courses. Finding three common to the likely courses and unis would seem to be logical. I’d suggest getting two fac subs in there if it makes sense.

I suggest you make a few example choices of degree subjects and look then at A level choices suggested by some good unis for those courses. Finding three common to the likely courses and unis would seem to be logical. I’d suggest getting two fac subs in there if it makes sense.

Good idea - another possibility would be for her to email two or three admissions tutors for courses she's seriously interested in. That's what my DD did when she couldn't do exactly the A levels she wanted and wasn't sure which to choose.

They'll be fine. Don't worry about it at all. They're all decent well regarded subjects. Facilitating just means 'needed for certain degree subjects', not ' needed for any degree'.

I don't really understand why history is regarded more highly than classical civ. Surely it's just a different period?

My daughter had offers from 5 RG universities and is now at one of them (Exeter) despite the fact that none of her A levels were in facilitating subjects.

History is facilitating because it keeps more doors open. Other subjects are just as demanding but they are considered of more specific use in supporting a degree application. Politics and Economics are good examples of these.

Just ensure, Fazackerkey, that should your DD get anywhere near Oxford, she won’t ever, ever, help to organise a ball! You know what happens if you do! Mama Faz won’t employ you! The hypocrisy of this thread regarding your DDs ambition and your ls for her is not lost on me!

DD took geography, RE and music, so only has one facilitating subject. She got offers from Durham, Birmingham, Warwick and Edinburgh, all RG. She also got a fifth from St Andrews.

Just ensure, Fazackerkey, that should your DD get anywhere near Oxford, she won’t ever, ever, help to organise a ball! You know what happens if you do! Mama Faz won’t employ you! The hypocrisy of this thread regarding your DDs ambition and your ls for her is not lost on me!

Oh cool your jets bubbles

I went to Cambridge, didn't go near the balls (actually I did crash one once in a dress made of bin liners) and have managed a fab career thanks.

I was half joking as I explained. It's absolutely pathetic you've got so cross about it, particularly as you love to dole out judgement yourself!