Number of GCSES

[gcsedilemma]

My DD (15) is in year 11 and will be doing 10 iGCSEs in the summer.

She is currently floundering under the sheer weight of it all.

Her school is academically selective and there are a lot of super bright kids heading for straight 9s. She used to be fine, but covid took its toll and she's now near the bottom of the cohort.

I suppose I just want some perspective. I understand that the top/top universities will require straight 9s at GCSE, but what about those in say the middle range like UEA/York/Bath/ some of the London universities?

I know this is obviously course dependent and say Bath might be top for some subjects but not others.

But in general terms, would say eight GCSEs at grade 6/7 be ok at a mid range university?

Sorry appalling not appealing, I can't edit for some reason

Not sure who told you 9's were required - apart from the super selective universities (oxbridge, imperial maybe) they are interested in all good passes not perfect (no failures) plus your a level predicted grades. My dd got 3 9's, 2 8's, 2 7's, 3 6's and a 4, got into a highly competitive university course considered the best in the U.K. for that subject and the best in the world on some league tables! The a*aab at a levels mattered far more

These 9s put so much pressure on them, it's ridiculous. And I have yet to find a single thing you actually need a 9 for, anywhere. Maybe Oxbridge look at 9s, although they say they count 8s and 9s. Other than that, it just seems to be extra pressure and opportunity for self flagellation.

Maybe I was being a bit hyperbolic when I said all 9s.
I suppose I was referring to pupils who achieve ten GCSEs with a mixture of 9s, 8s and 7s.
I realise that they have a lot more choice when it comes to university applications.
But what is the university choice for those who attain a mixture of mainly 6s, a couple of 7s and maybe one 8 and possibly a 5 for good measure? Is it just "former polys" or are there medium range universities out there?

Lots of universities barely look at GCSEs but most will need maths and English. They may not differentiate between getting a 5 or a 9, just a progression to the next stage of consideration for anyone that gets (for example) at least a 5 in both. Humanities/arts courses may not want above a 5 in maths as loads of people only sit foundation maths but excel in humanities/arts.

Universities who do look at GCSEs usually only look at the top 8. It’s to not disadvantage applicants who come from schools where 8 is the norm.

Most universities don’t discriminate between an 8 and a 9 because there is no 9 alternative in Scotland (not sure about the other nations) as an A* is 8/9.

In short, if she gets 6677788888 she will “rank” the same as someone who got 77788888 and someone who got 77799999 - if she is ranked at all.

There will still be a good range of options and as PPs have said and show from experience, it’s A level PGs and actual grades that matter most.

I am not really aware that any unis apart from Oxford, Cambridge and some of the very popular London ones (UCL, Imperial, LSE) look at GCSEs and even then not for all courses. Some unis will specify a grade - for example, I recall seeing an ask of a 7 in maths GCSE for an economics course – but IIRC that was for people with no maths A level.

The vast vast majority of uni courses will be open to her. GCSEs are to some extent a predictor of A level grades but not totally as others have pointed out. You can do well and bomb at A level or vice versa.

DS2 has three 6s in his (frankly excellent) GCSE list and got offers from RG unis and is doing a STEM masters at an RG+. DD got two B/6 grades and had offers from some top unis too. I promise that apart from the very highly sought-after unis and courses (I am thinking things like CS and econ and even then, not everywhere) unis will be fine with those GCSE grades. Who has told you different? Hoping they haven’t also told your DD.

Lots of people have told her she needs to be getting 7s or above to get in anywhere decent.
But the likelihood is that in nine GCSEs she'll get
776666655

OK well my dc with 6s had offers from Warwick, Birmingham, Loughborough, Newcastle, Leeds, Nottingham, all pretty decent.

Obviously it depends on PG for A level and uni subject but lots of people are wrong tbh.

For clarity my son got 8 7 6 6 6 5 at GCSE.

Was interviewed by Oxford but didn't receive an offer. Is now at UCL but also received offers from KCL, QMUL and Royal Holloway all 'decent' universities.

As others have said her predicted GCSEs might be an indicator that she will not be getting top grades at A Level (or they might not).

The number of GCSEs she is taking, which is the purpose of the OP, won't be a consideration but then nor will the grades for many courses.

Predicted/ Achieved A Levels much more important.

I know a few kids who got top GCSEs 9 or 10 at 7-9 who didn't achieve at A Level.

I think people make out that degree courses are more competitive than they sometimes are, at least to achieve offers. Most universities are actually recruiting for bums on seats in courses. There are obviously exceptions for some courses, computer science/ medicine/ economics spring to mind here from what others tell me.

Sounding a different note
My son got 776655554 (4 for history, teacher was very poor and retired that year, they hadn't even covered the full syllabus), achieved this at a decent comp not a high attaining selective school where you might expect high teaching standards.

He found A levels hard and got CCC - one of which was in psychology, which was a miracle, but he spent so long revising psychology that he rather neglected the other 2 subjects.

Anyway he is very happy in a decent ex-poly and absolutely thriving there, on line for a high 2:1 or first class Hons and looking at a masters in his subject.

The point being that if your DD is in an excellent school with excellent teaching but still only in line for decent GCSEs, not stellar, it would be worth putting the work in on opening her up to a wider range of unis. I have actually been extremely impressed by my son's uni (Nottingham Trent) - completely unaffected by lecturer marking strikes, for example. I also hear very good things about other "mid tier" unis such as Edge Hill, Man Met, Sheffield Hall am, Liverpool John Moores. The point being - it will all be ok in the end. Not getting into Oxbridge or UCL is very unlikely to matter except in rare law-type subjects.

That's brilliant @SukumaWeeki!

@SukumaWeeki that's really good to hear.
At my work over the past few years we have recruited several graduate applicants from our local ex-poly uni (standard offer BBC in my subject) over those from more prestigious unis like Warwick (Astar Astar A), Bath and Bristol. Just straight wins in a standard competency based interview. And they are really competent people - good hires.

Good to hear all is not lost then!
I think when one is surrounded by stellar academics, one feels that is the only route available

@SukumaWeeki I very much agree that those are some excellent unis.

NTU is localish to me and I know lots of YP who have done really well there and afterwards. Sheff Hallam also; and Edge Hill I think is a real unknown that deserves more notice. Especially if you enjoy athletics. But it is also known as good for pastoral support on a close-knit campus. I'd add Leeds Beckett to your list as well.