What % get 4 A* at A level?

[houselikeashed]

I was just wondering how manny kids actually achieve this? And do they all go to Oxbridge?

Good question. I’d be interested to see. My son is hoping to apply to Oxbridge depending how A levels go. He got 9x9 and 2x8 at GCSE

I know a boy from a top independent with 4 A* who was rejected by Oxford. Apparently he was exceptionally good at learning but lacked free thought and application of the knowledge (feedback from his interview).

The answer is increasingly few - except for mathematicians doing Further Maths. Schools are encouraging their brightest students to focus on three A levels, and perhaps an EPQ and other stuff alongside now that the fourth A level doesn't count for uni.

As someone who went to "Oxbridge", the key thing one needs to remember is that they aren't looking for people who get top marks in their A levels but people whose thinking can go on to the next level - which is why their offers are often A*AA rather than all A stars. That's why they interview and look at other metrics rather than A level grades.

Also wondering why you are asking???

It's an intriguing question and I'll look forward to someone coming along and telling us ... if I had to guess I would think it is less than 1% of A level students, but I could be way off!

90% of Mumsnetters’ children?

Lots don't do 4 A Levels.

My brother just got 3 A* (state school) and is going to Cambridge next month. There were two in his year that got this grade.

Just wondering, because I've heard that pupils do achieve this, and wondered if it was a rare thing or not these days.

One of my year 13 got 5! She's going to do a degree level apprenticeship.

Friend’s dd did last year but wasn’t interested in Oxbridge and went to Durham.

I got 3 A & an A in 2011 and chose to go to drama school to my school’s utter bemusement . (I realise that’s not 4 A but still would have got me into Oxbridge assuming I’d have passed the interview!)

K no o I lots of students get turned down from unis with 4 A OP, particularly for more competitive degrees such as Medicine or Computer Science. You could google the Cambridge admissions stats and see for yourself if you were interested in Oxbridge. I know a boy this year who had 4A and was turned down at Cambridge, St Andrews and Durham for Computer Science, but he got into Warwick.

It's more common in maths and sciences (it's just statistically more likely). In more hums, Arts subjects it is rare to do 4 subjects but even 3A* would be very rare for say a combo of English, French and history.

Some subjects (eg media) only have 1.5% of students gaining an A*.

And actually a couple of years ago we had a lad who got 4A* and turned down oxford for a full scholarship to a uni in America

Quite a few get 4 As, but, no, they don't all go to Oxbridge. Oxbridge don't even require a full house - usually 1 A and the rest A is fine for them. Lots don't want to try for Oxbridge for various reasons. Our son got a full house and is going to his first choice which was Lancaster because few Unis do the exact course he wanted which is very job orientated rather than academic/research.

DD got 4 A stars and 10 A stars at GCSE under the old
System. Oxford reject. Her problem was the entrance exam, the MAT. She had zero prep or guidance from her school.
She did some at home but it's no substitute for proper prep.
She went to Durham, and is about to start her Masters in a niche area at at another great institution. She rocks!

There are 2 girls in my DD's school got 4A* this year and they will be going to Cambridge.

In the local 6th form it's something like 10 to 20 per year group of 1500. Pretty sure you can only do 4 if the 4th is further maths. They don't all go to oxbridge, maybe half do.

In 2017, 2.5% of the intake got 3 A* or better. Not entirely sure what this year will look like but it will be higher given what we know about grades.

@MrsSchadenfreude

90% of Mumsnetters’ children?

Increasingly unusual but most common in maths/fm and related sciences. Grade boundaries very tight in mfl (now under review) and humanities has some element of subjectivity in the mark scheme. As others have indicated since AS went fewer take 4 to A level anyway.

I'm thinking of a friends child who got 4 A* this year - by the algorithm. He did maths, F maths, physics and Chemistry. Clever boy. (he's off to Cambridge!)

More common in STEM subjects and the offers from Oxbridge reflect this -common humanities offer for Oxford is AAA

I know young people with 4 A stars who have gone to Imperial, UCL, Durham, Harvard, also music conservatoires, and degree apprenticeships at top employers (as well as plenty of Oxbridge, too, of course).

Oh, and Manchester (the lure of Brian Cox, I think!)

I'm thinking of a friends child who got 4 A this year - by the algorithm. He did maths, F maths, physics and Chemistry. Clever boy. (he's off to Cambridge!)*

Probably a combination of high ability, good teaching and hard work. To do Natural Sciences or Engineering?

Bolding foiled by the A*