Which A level would you drop?

[EachandEveryone]

If you were 17 and didnt have a clue what you wanted to do. Medicine is out because she knows it would be too stressful. She wants to earn money and has had part time jobs since she was 14 so she likes to spend😃. No interest in computing. She is quite argumentative and much more woke than me. Typical teen really. She is desparate to do a course which means she cannwork abroad for a year.

Todays halfway results Geography A Biology B Sociology A and Chemistry C (which she is gutted about) Apparently they dont have to drop one but it would make sense to.

Sorry, my post was confusing! A B in Chemistry would be more useful than a A in sociology for most of the graduate schemes that I recruit for

Really? How utterly behind the times and strange.

And also that your recruitment process is looking for a 'certain type". This sounds very biased and exclusive which I find hard to believe is an instruction from any large firm these days.

At A-level it is not well regarded by many of the top graduate recruiters. Banks, Accountancy Firms and Law Firms are generally not interested in A Level Sociology,

I may be misreading the OP's DD completely, but a pathway involving such Top graduate recruiters doesn't sound a terribly close match?

What is interesting is the same subject snobbery often isn't applied to politics and economics. I have always suspected a degree of sexism in that. Likewise graphics is often talked up over textiles.

Also, it's not true. Fair enough, financial services want Maths and possibly further Maths, so if you do those A levels you probably also do Economics or Chem. But Sociology/History etc would be great as a third.

@Piggywaspushed

What is interesting is the same subject snobbery often isn't applied to politics and economics. I have always suspected a degree of sexism in that. Likewise graphics is often talked up over textiles.

God yes, absolutely.

Mind you, the relentless obsession with Stem doesn't help.

Preach!

Mind you, dd3 has already decided she wants to go to Bristol to do a film and TV degree. So she's looking at English lit/history/art history/sociology/psychology/RS/PE/drama and other non Stem a levels, so I'm steeling myself from my nephews/ILs comments!

*for

Sometimes I think on these threads posters should put their 'qualifications' to have opinions on A level choices to help the OP decide who might be more informed.

(Went to uni late 80s, neither DC doing A levels, not involved in education or recruitment, interested bystander only ).

I'm: two kids done and dusted with A. Levels and either at uni or gap year. One doing GCSEs next year. I've read endless amounts of university entrance requirements and have a few years real world experience of various A levels getting various offers. My grammar school relatives have a very Mumsnet view of A levels, still obsessed with facilitating subjects and 4 a levels, meanwhile ime teens are gaily off to Bristol Leeds Exeter Durham York UCL etc with 3 A levels and one or two not 'facilitating'!

I too am very very saddened to see Talkwhileyouwalk who I have seen before posting, and know that she recruits graduates for top Investment banks etc, dismiss sociology so much and say that a B in chemistry is better than an A in sociology.

@Oblomov21

I too am very very saddened to see Talkwhileyouwalk who I have seen before posting, and know that she recruits graduates for top Investment banks etc, dismiss sociology so much and say that a B in chemistry is better than an A in sociology.

Perhaps by a "certain type", she means men.

Of the same ilk as the person who posted on TSR that their Fairy Ring - sorry, Magic Circle - law firm would only recruit from a handful of universities in the UK, because

• they had a lot of US clients
• who wouldn't accept a lawyer if they hadn't heard of the university s/he had attended
• and they hadn't heard of many UK universities

Still, as long as HR remembers to put it in the person spec, I suppose it's okay (or at least, will be with some folk).

@MarchingFrogs

Also, the assumption that every student wants to work in a fairy ring magic circle law firm, work for a company of dishonest swindlers a bank/finance or work for another city firm.

@RampantIvy

*@MarchingFrogs*

Also, the assumption that every student wants to work in a fairy ring magic circle law firm, work for a company of dishonest swindlers a bank/finance or work for another city firm.

Yes! Other careers are available!

@Oblomov21

I too am very very saddened to see Talkwhileyouwalk who I have seen before posting, and know that she recruits graduates for top Investment banks etc, dismiss sociology so much and say that a B in chemistry is better than an A in sociology.

Personally I wouldn't dismiss it but it's not considered to be an academic A-level. I don't get to set the screening criteria unfortunately.

By certain type I don't mean men, I mean graduates able and willing to work in a highly demanding and competitive workplace - this starts with the most competitive A level results. I can tell you that I wouldn't want to work for a bank and I wouldn't encourage my children down that route either!! It can be a very intense and unpleasant atmosphere.

@RampantIvy

*@MarchingFrogs*

Also, the assumption that every student wants to work in a fairy ring magic circle law firm, work for a company of dishonest swindlers a bank/finance or work for another city firm.

I absolutely wouldn't want to do it!! I did once work in HR for a big bank and even in there the environment was unbearable. A lot of banks etc outsource their recruitment.

Did anyone watch the TV series Industry last year? It is about some deeply unpleasant drug taking, back stabbing individuals working in an investment bank.

I have no idea how much of it was based on real life, but it presented the kind of image that I imagine most people have of the sector.

So talk what you mean is a B in Chem is no good because you only recruit 3 x As, but an A in Sociology is no good because you don't rate Sociology. Perhaps you should make entry requirements clearer?

@RampantIvy

*@MarchingFrogs*

Also, the assumption that every student wants to work in a fairy ring magic circle law firm, work for a company of dishonest swindlers a bank/finance or work for another city firm.

Yes that's what I thought. The vast majority of us do not want to be in Suits. Plenty of people are teachers, nurses, engineers, IT experts, designers, retail managers, chefs, work in advertising, PR...I could go on. Luckily we don't all need AAA in specific subjects.

(uni mid 80s with ABB grades in MFL, two DC done A levels and uni, former teacher, now tutor, reasonable knowledge of uni requirements based on last two years).

"Top graduate recruiters" aren't going to care what the A level subjects are, only the grades. They care about degree. Humans aren't doing the sifting, algorithms are.

OP, I think your dd should drop the subject she likes least and thinks she will do least well in.

A lot of MNers are still in the 90s with their views on A levels and degrees and what matters.

Perhaps these top employers should acquaint themselves with the content of GCSEs and A levels since the overhaul of a few years ago?

Pretty much but it depends on what you are applying for. AAB might be ok if in very academic subjects. AAA or AAB where one of the subjects is sociology might be fine for HR or marketing roles for example. But if she wants a more technical role then yes, she will likely need the best grades in the most academic subjects.

Minimum requirements will usually be on their recruitment websites. They may be lower than straight A's at A level and they don't always specify preferred subjects, but remember that these tend to be high volume campaigns and there will be many candidates with perfect A level results from top universities, and even then most of them won't ultimately be offered a job.....

It's a very competitive market out there. Sorry to sound so negative, I actually think it's really sad and a difficult time to be a graduate.

I actually really rate some of the school leavers programmes these days. These are competitive too although grade requirements/subject preferences are sometimes a bit lower. Some also offer degrees and/or professional qualifications.

@Talkwhilstyouwalk

Pretty much but it depends on what you are applying for. AAB might be ok if in very academic subjects. AAA or AAB where one of the subjects is sociology might be fine for HR or marketing roles for example. But if she wants a more technical role then yes, she will likely need the best grades in the most academic subjects.

Minimum requirements will usually be on their recruitment websites. They may be lower than straight A's at A level and they don't always specify preferred subjects, but remember that these tend to be high volume campaigns and there will be many candidates with perfect A level results from top universities, and even then most of them won't ultimately be offered a job.....

It's a very competitive market out there. Sorry to sound so negative, I actually think it's really sad and a difficult time to be a graduate.

I actually really rate some of the school leavers programmes these days. These are competitive too although grade requirements/subject preferences are sometimes a bit lower. Some also offer degrees and/or professional qualifications.

Fair enough if they say minimum requirements.