GCSE options - Russell Group uni

[tostaky]

Hi, my DS is going into Y10 in a new school so need to choose his options now.
Can i check if he is not taking computer science and not geography/history, he will still be able to go to a Russell group uni?
The school assures me so but im not too sure...

Course he will.

Yes.

There are a lot of very good unis that aren't RG such as Bath, St Andrews, Lancaster, Royal Holloway and Loughborough. RG basically means that they are research based unis that pay a fee to be in a big club.

Didn't he take his options in yr9? Surely he would have started the new year with the options already established?

But yes he will be fine with good GCSEs as long as Maths and English are highly graded.

OP- why are you focussed on Russell Group?

They are not the only good universities out there, but damn they have a great marketing team.

Yes of course.

Agree with others tho, RG uni just for itself is not a target. Warwick uni for maths, history at York or any other permutation is fine, but RG uni and no other is a bit short sighted.

Yes - and on the 'Why is it called the Russell Group?' front (not that anyone smitten by the hype has ever stopped to ask, I suspect), were it to be setting itself up today, the guys concerned would either have to find somewhere else to have their coffee mornings, or it would be the Kimpton Fitzroy London Group.

Not quite the same ring, somehow.

I had never heard of the Russell Group until I started reading about them on MN...turns out I went to one 🤣

@tostaky yes he should be fine getting into any top university, there are lots that aren't RG that are great places to learn. RG does have an amazing PR department and I say that with a child at an RG uni but that wasn't why he chose it.

This really comes down to a good set of GCSE grades and good A level grades. If he already has a love of a subject or two look now at what the universities want in terms of grades. You can google top UK universities for X subject which will give you a starting list. Entry grades are the lowest grades that students are admitted in on and most are above it. Also check GCSE requirements because some uni courses will specify either maths or English language grades or both, usually a 6 or above.

What subjects is he looking at taking for his GCSEs? Does he have a humanity or essay writing subject if not history or geography? At the end of the day this is about the highest numbers on a piece of paper, so hopefully subjects he has good grades in but also subjects he loves. But also great to be looking ahead to know that choices may affect future options.

It us absolutely fine - schools push for a humanities and language as it looks good for them - it allows the individual students to qualify towards something called the "EBacc" and the school can then say x amount of students achieved the ebacc when they're getting ranked in terms of schools.

However it is really not a big deal at all on the student themselves at ALL. Not a single uni asks for those subjects at GCSE, they only ever ask for minimum grades for maths and English. Occasionally they may ask for a minimum grade in a language too but that's very much dependent on the course, and would be a language focused one.

So... he's 14yo? Are you sure he'll want to go to uni in 4 years time? Chill out.
And RG unis are no better than non-RG *see pp.

The important question is more: what are the 6th form choices if he does certain GCSEs?

When DD did her options we checked UCAS and hardly any looked at GCSE options, they were more interested in the A-Level courses.

Most schools will have some form of mandatory options, DD had to do either history or geography and computer was a separate option. Look at potentioal 6th forms as they will ask for certain grades at 6th form to allow an A-level and go from there.

RG like Oxbridge are not the best of all. DD changed her plans midway Y10 and went from Vet medicine to a history degree.

Yes ive heard kids have to take computer science (he is not remotely interested in) and either history or geography. He asked for geography but was given photography instead. He has had two lessons in photography this week and he says its not too bed + it is coursework based so easier. He has had good grades in geography in the past so i think id rather have him do a more academic GCSE but at the same time, why not photography if it is easier and coursework based....
he is taking business, media studies and PE
He will also take a language as GCSE independently so he will have 5 GCSEs in total... maybe that can compensate for geography?
He wants to go to Loughborough uni to work in sports/sport business

Same, actually two! One for undergrad and one for postgrad. And I got into the first with a btec! 😆

Is he not taking any maths, English, science?

Check whether he needs a science gave and/or biology A level. Current entry requirements for each course will be on uni websites.

Eh? Why would GCSE's matter. A'levels yet, but not GCSE's. I don't understand why you are even concerned.

He wants to go to Loughborough uni to work in sports/sport business
Yeah you're worrying wayyyy too much, no comp sci, history or geography will be fine. Courses set their own entry requirements and I've never seen one that needed GCSEs in anything other than maths and English (occasionally science, actually), they focus a lot more on A-levels, so pick GCSEs that mean he can do the A-levels he needs.

Is he also doing maths, English, science @tostaky ? Surely he must be.

He’ll need top grades at A level to study sports science at Lboro

The key is to find the university that has a good reputation/results/interesting course etc for the degree your DC is thinking if studying, Sometimes this will be RG uni, sometimes it will be a 'lesser' known unit that has built a reputation IN THAT SUBJECT.

Mumsnet is pretty obsessed with Warwick, Bristol and Bath (leaving out Oxbridge as I consider that a completely different conversation). It's silly because it depends on the course/subject.

All unis want bums in seats - this year especially I've heard if some amazing offers for the above 'amazing' unis. Plus the amount of contextual offers is also telling imo.

There are now no 'facilitating' subjects - photography for example is the same as history or French or Maths at A level evidently although obvs you can't do a maths degree without maths A level. So just ensure your DC has the subject they 'may' need for their chosen degree and it'll all work out :-)

I assume the OP means 5 in addition to maths, English (lit/Lang) and at least double science.

OP - if your DS knows what sort of degree he'd like to do then just look for the course requirements on a few uni websites.

In general as others have said, it's nearly always just the maths and English that matter. Some specific subjects may have additional gcse requirements but this is often if a preferred A level hasn't been taken. Obviously if a course has required A level subjects then the GCSEs need to be chosen to allow that progression.

Just about Every 15 year old boy I know, who plays football, wants to study sports at Loughborough! They can't all, can't all walk straight into a job as a physio at Chelsea!

And they change their mind as well.

My colleague's DD wanted to be a sport physio when she did her GCSEs.

Now she is in Y13 and jumps between a gap year because she doesn't know what she wants and a career at the policy in either their firearm or K9 division.

DD went from anything animal science related at Y9 to looking at a history degree at the start of Y12.

Just chose what he enjoys at the moment, surely?!

Thank you thats very helpful.
Apologies if my question seemed basic but we are not from the UK so not very familiar with the system.
Yes i meant GCSE options. Of course everybody is doing maths/english/science...

I will look at the courses in Loughborough Uni and work backwards, good idea - thanks

Maybe every 15 yo boy who plays football wants to go to Loughborough uni, i don't know... My son is really good at his sport - not football - and he is on track to play professionally when he turns 16. He is also interested in business and media so hey, why not Loughborough...? unless you have a better suggestion?!
My question was more about should i push for him to do geography instead of photography? will photography, a less academic GCSE, affect his chances later. Thats all.