Are these GCSE grades good enough for Uni

[TheGreekTaverna]

So, dear child got there GCSE results last week and unsurprisingly, given lack of revision until day before each exam, ended up with 2x8, 4x7, 3x6, 1x5.

They were predicted at least 7s but basically, said that teachers had told them that University doesn't actually look at GCSEs for entry. Dear child is very lazy so will try and get away with doing absolute minimum.

I went to Uni in the 1980s so know that things are different now.

Given dear child's total lack of work ethic, not sure Uni is right place for them. Very bright but doesn't want to work. When I suggest doing any they got very defensive.

Dear child has also chosen notoriously difficult A Levels. Maths, Physics and Computer Science.

So, really looking for Mumsnetters input. Do you think that they still have a chance to turn things around and secure a place at a good Uni???

Thank you.

That's fantastic goherbie.

I had a conversation and asked dear child if they wished to switch to slightly less demanding A Levels and re-think their chosen Uni subject. They were adamant that they wanted to stick with physics, maths and computer science.

Dear child said that they know they will have to work to get into a good Uni for their chosen subject but that they will do it. They seem determined. We will see. I think maybe achieving less than stellar (but still good) results might have been the wake-up call that they needed. 🤞🤞🤞

We are also looking at having a couple of dear child's GCSEs that are two/three marks away from the next grade boundary re-looked at. Know it is a long shot but still...

As others have said, A Level maths is a bit of a shock after GCSE. Some of DS's friends struggled despite getting As (last year of old system). It is a big step up and you have to work from the get-go, no warming up period.

Give your DS the benefit of the doubt though. If he actually enjoys his subjects, and his friends are all working hard, it may rub off on him.

@Givinghope
Getting top grade A levels does help with a weighted system. However it is off the mark with GCSEs for Economic at Oxford. So sim lower than that. Few university courses are more competitive than Oxford. Their worst is around 1:18 success rate. I don’t entirely believe 1:30 at unnamed RG. Publicity I think!

He likes some of the degrees at LSE @TizerorFizz and also UCL. Oxbridge was becoming more difficult even at his very selective private school. It would be highly unlikely from a less selective state 6th form college .His outcome will definitely be better where he is now . It was the completely wrong environment for him so I do still have hope.

Oxford is one of those that ranks pupils against their school peers for their GCSEs I believe. So a child with straight 7s from a selective school where others averaged 8s will have a more difficult time than a child with straight 7s from a school where their peers averaged 5s

@Dannexe
Yes. However looking at Oxford stats, they don’t have many with 7s and below. The GCSEs profiles will have some 8/9 grades from state school applicants. 7 is an old A. Not A*. Plenty of DCs get the highest grades in state schools. The Oxford profile doesn’t suggest a 7 or two and then most others below that is good enough. However plenty of universities won’t worry about it at all. Just pick 5 of those.,

Yes they are. I got similar results - 4 As 2Bs 2Cs, went to university and now work in a traditional profession (not prostitution, mind 🙂).

these are very good GCSE results - especially with no revision. I mean really good! I would almost thinking you were boasting. They are certainly a good base for A Levels and then a degree.

They are poor for my DS s school but I imagine that there is always a few even at the most academic schools . He will have to work very hard now , hopefully this will happen.He is studying subjects that he is very interested in for A level 🤞. His university options will be affected but he has only himself to blame. I do wish the school had been tougher on him but my bank balance will be happier.

Those are very similar to my GCSE results (including the B I got for the subject I studied at a top 10 uni in the end).

My son just achieved similar grades and was disappointed as many of his friends got loads of 8s and 9s. But that isn't the norm, even at his selective grammar school.

Unless your child wishes to study medicine/dentistry or is desperate to go to Oxford or Cambridge, the only thing that matters at this point is did she/he get sufficient grades to get into the sixth form/college? If so, great. I did much, much better at A Level as I actually enjoyed each subject I studied and began putting a bit of work in (did v little revision for GCSEs)! A Level results are what Universities look at, unless it is a borderline decision or a very competitive course.

@boysmuminherts apologies you probably meant that reply for @TheGreekTaverna
As I posted earlier in the thread my DS"s were fairly similar.

Nope - definitely not boasting.

Awful results. He's got a future of bin dipping ahead of him now. Nothing can save him.

@Roomba @Givinghope
It is not just Oxford that look at GCSEs. Bristol definitely do and I’ve attached two statements from LSE. One course is less competitive but those 8/9 grades at gcse are mentioned. Just scraping into A levels is not all you need to do. But is for some!

An 8 is actually equivalent to an A* not an A.

Not necessarily- if he does well at A level he could apply on the basis of those or go through clearing for a more competitive university. He’d still be in with a good chance of offers from most Unis.

This old money grade equivalents is misleading. There’s now so much grade inflation, there’s no real comparison any more. Someone with 10 A*s years ago was bright. They could not do any more. Or achieve higher. DC are not somehow brighter now. They just keep being told they are. Employers are not so sure!

Mine got a 9 in physics and I can't remember now if it was an 8 or a 7 in maths but decided against taking either for A levels because he was worried about the jump from gcse with maths

He'll have to work at it, which he might do if its what he really wants to do!

@TizerorFizz have you seen what's in the current GCSE curriculum? It's considerably harder than the old one was. But don't let me crack your rose tinted specs. I loathe people who only want to put down today's young people.

@pointythings
Loathe away. You are effectively saying that all the young petiole who previously got the highest grades were worthless as the curriculum was not as hard! Thanks for that comment putting down young people. I loathe people who do that! Seems there’s no difference in the qualifications in reality as you just change the grade boundaries!

@TizerorFizz I have two DDs. DD1 did the new Maths and English GCSEs, the rest were old style. DD2 did all new style GCSEs. So I've seen the content and the requirements for myself.

I'm not saying anyone's qualifications are worthless, just that you can't compare them. You're the one who started off by saying the people who are now getting all 9s are not as bright as the ones getting all A* years ago. You can't have it both ways.

I said there was grade inflation and boundaries change. The evidence is that plenty of people achieved highly in HE with the old grades. Trying to say that DC are now brighter is just daft. We know they are not. Schools still want a 7 for A levels and that’s a A in old money. My DDs were expected to get A at Gcse for A level study. So the only difference is the 9 grade. How you award a 9 grade varies. It doesn’t mean all DC taking the new GCSEs are brighter. When they get into employment they really are not any better. Certainly not brighter then the O level generation!

You can't compare O levels with GCSEs - that was a different world.

There are many things now in the GCSE syllabus which used to be in the A level syllabus - the maths curriculum is a good example of that. Someone getting a 7 in maths now will have had to master things which used to be taught at A level. Some of that achievement will be down to improved teaching and better availability of resources (Khan Academy springs to mind), some will be down to the individual student.

It's impossible to say one cohort was brighter than the other.

The number of very high grades awarded suggests otherwise. I don’t agree with it. O levels were a previous generation and they were hard!