Are these A level choices ok?

[GCSE123]

I'm a bit concerned that dds A level choices might close doors in future. Can anyone advise?

She was interested in working in the medical field for a few years and picked Geography, Biology and Chemistry. This was granted by her school.

She then decided she didn't want to do Chemistry and wanted to do Government and Politics after a taster session instead. I asked her several times if the school had agreed to this swap and she said they had. She's usually quite switched on so I accepted that. She said she no longer wanted to work in a medical/scientific field.

After she got her GCSE results this week
(4 x 7 Chemistry, Geography, Physics, Eng lit
6 x 8 Biology, Maths, Eng lang, French, RE, Sociology)
she went to enrol online and found she couldn't add the subjects she wanted and contacted a teacher and was told because of the blocks, she can choose Biology or Politics, but not both. She was upset but really wants to do politics and said she was having doubts about Biology. So she's now picked Sociology, Politics, Geography.

She doesn't know what she wants to study or work as after 6th form. My question is, are these subjects too narrow and might they close doors or are they OK? Another thing to add is that she has good people skills which might be relevant to career. She can get on with a wide range of people.

I agree with @Piggywaspushed I have never understood the MN obsession with science A level at all costs.

Yes of course those A level choices close doors. All choices will. The only question is, are they doors DC want to keep open? Choices of biology, chemistry and maths would close doors (pretty much) on a degree in Eng lit or a career as a French teacher.

The key thing is @GCSE123 will your dc enjoy those subjects and achieve their best grades? Yes? Then that's all that matters. Maybe take a look at possible uni courses. But no uni will say "we don't accept sociology as an A level".

Thank you

General Studies, Critical Thinking and "Applied" Science A levels all disappeared in the A level reforms that occurred between 2017 and 2019.
The subjects that your dd has chosen are all respected choices that go well together.

They still appear in university entry requirements, though, because not just the current / very recent year's school leavers are applying?

It is likely that they are still listed by universities because a number of students don't go to university at 18/19.
But it is confusing for those choosing A levels now to have subjects listed that are no longer possible.

Dd did geography, biology and product design and school were funny about her doing one science, said it wasn’t enough to lead to a science type degree and you’d normally do two or more or none. So I don’t think dropping biology was a bad move.

for someone who doesn’t now want to do science it sounds like a good range /fit to me. Most unis kind of care more about ucas points than subject. Obviously some things matter, so if you want to do a biology type degree you need biology.

Oh and btw I did disagree with the school on the one science thing, agree that subject enjoyment and chance of a good result is more important and it’s striking that balance. Your Dd has good results all round at gcse so she should pick what she is interested in.

She doesn't know what she wants to study or work as after 6th form.

If she doesn’t know what she wants to do then she should do what she enjoys.

Thanks. Glad I posted now. The replies have all been very helpful.

Piggywaspushed (I always thought he was pushed!)

Thank you for that. It looks really interesting.

It's a very cool looking course!

Yes, definitely given a good old shove. Poor true and wise Piggy.

Piggywaspushed
I had a thing for the actor who played Ralph in the black and white film.
Think I was 12ish at the time.

Oh yes, he was quite handsome!

I suspect even more of us had a 'bit of a thing' about the grown-up Mr J Aubrey in the TV adaptation of A Bouquet of Barbed Wire in the 1970s

Sorry@GCSE123 , bit of a derail...

Oh wow! A child actor that made it!

She did well in Maths, English Language and French GCSEs. Would she be happy to do any of those academic subjects at A level?

If you look at the new Cambridge uni Social Sciences course, for example, they suggest no subject is required but suggest History, English or a language are helpful.

So I would look up the courses at the red brick unis she might be interested in and see what they suggest for any of Geography, Politics, International Relations type degrees and work back from there, given she seems to have shifted from being a natural scientist to more of social scientist (in fact, this is quite typical for all rounders). Which is all good but I would check that she isn’t closing doors on the various types of courses and unis she may want to go to.

My DS got an interview for that Cambridge course with sociology as one of his A levels btw.

I don't mind 🙂

Thanks. I think that's a good idea for her to do that.

Dd has decided to swap from Geog, Politics and Sociology to Geog, Politics and Economics now. Seems like a useful combination I hope.

Think A levels chosen are very complimentary, as others have said it has probably closed off natural science routes and engineering but those don’t seem to be career paths she’s particularly interested in pursuing. Most important thing is she enjoys and performs well in those subjects. Sounds like a human geographer/political scientist in the making.

Just saw update @GCSE123 . Agree think that economics is likely to give her an even stronger profile as demonstrates aforementioned quantitative skills :) either way I’m sure she will be successful but economics probably means she’s apply to a wider range of course/disciplines

Thank you Hotsauce