Are you going into sixth form soon, and wondering which subjects to do?
We've consulted some experts for advice.
Louise Tickle wrote an interesting piece in The Guardian on Tuesday 22 January 2013.
The following information is taken from this article.
It's that nail biting time of the school year when prospective sixth-form students must choose which Alevels to do. Those who plan to go on to university will be hoping to pick the perfect combination that will
ensure a place on their course of choice.
But it's hardly surprising if, aged 15, you don't have much of an idea what degree you want to do, let
alone the shape of your future career. So Guardian Students has asked university admissions departments
and sixth-form tutors to answer some of the questions pupils ask as they try to figure out which subjects
to take.
Which A-level subjects are blacklisted by the more prestigious
universities?
"An A-level subject blacklist does not exist, but certain universities do require particular subjects for
particular courses, and applicants applying without these subjects will often not be considered," says
Julian Skyrme, head of undergraduate recruitment and widening participation at the university of
Manchester. In some cases it's obvious: you need to take science subjects to apply for medicine and
dentistry, but in others, Skyrme says, the requirement "may be more subtle". A drama course might
require that you have at least one essay-based A-level, for example. It's time consuming, but to be safe
you need to look at the detailed entry criteria given by each university for individual degree courses you
think you might be interested in.
What are the Russell group "facilitating subjects" and what does the
term mean?
The Russell Group, to which some of the UK's most prestigious universities belong, publishes a guide
called Informed Choices. It tells you the most common subject requirements for different degree courses
at those universities. It also features a list of "facilitating subjects" and advises pupils wanting to be
considered for a Russell Group university to pick two of them as part of their A-level mix. The facilitating
subjects are: mathematics and further mathematics, English literature, physics, biology, chemistry,
geography, history and languages (classical and modern).
Do teachers put pressure on pupils to take "easier" subjects to keep
the school's results high?
Suspicion was voiced in comments on a Guardian Students feature last year that some schools advise
pupils not to risk getting lower grades by taking on "hard" subjects at A-level. But Ian Hunt, MD of
Gabbitas Education says: "I think what you'll find is that the pressure comes from the individual [school]
department wanting to pick the best students to do their subjects, not an overarching directive from
above."
At King Edward VI college, which last year saw 86% of its A-level pupils apply successfully to university,
"we'd be encouraging pupils to play to their strengths", says Cole. Pupils occasionally do have to be
guided away from a particular choice though – "there are some subjects, such as further maths, where
you would have had to get a very good GCSE result to be accepted for A-level". Cole says teachers would
make sure pupils understood that this was because you'd be unlikely to cope with the subject without a
strong aptitude for maths.
If you feel you're being pushed towards subjects you don't want to
do, what should you do?
"Teachers and parents can be a great source of advice to students; teachers especially can provide an
honest insight into students' academic strengths," notes Skyrme. "However, students shouldn't be
pressured into taking subjects they don't want to study, or that they don't feel confident about. Students
should remember that it is they who will be studying the course, and taking the exams at the end of it, so
it really must be a personal choice."
Should your GCSE grades dictate which subjects you pick at A-level?
For some subjects, you should take your GCSE grades very seriously, says Hunt. "Take maths: it's the sort
of subject that if you don't get an A* at GCSE, it becomes a really big leap at AS and A-level and you need
to consider that." But, he adds, this doesn't apply in all subjects – "for the humanities it's not nearly so
strict a rule."
Do universities look at your GCSE results?
"Performance at 15 or 16, and sometimes even 14 if you take a GCSE early, isn't necessarily a good
indicator of whether you'll be a good undergraduate and do well when you sit your finals," says Cole. But
GCSEs – together with AS-levels – are the first filters that universities will use, simply because of the
numbers they're dealing with. Most universities don't interview any more, Cole points out, so they've lost
a valuable way of making a judgment, and in turn must rely more on a pupil's past performance.
"GCSE results do have a great bearing on university acceptances in some subjects," says Hunt. "Certain
universities see GCSEs as great predictors. Oxford do, for instance."
How can you keep your options open?
Reality check: growing up is about making choices, and you can't keep every option open. But it may be
useful to ask yourself if you really need to. If you're pretty sure you want to do medicine or engineering,
then you can stop agonising: you need to narrow, not widen, your subject choice. But, says Lane, if you're
not set on a particular area, "play to [your] strengths, but don't specialise in one area too much".
You could consider not doing A-levels at all. "The International Baccalaureate doesn't suit everyone, but if
you're bright and want to keep your options open, that can be the best option," suggests Hunt.
Young people need to think carefully about what they enjoy and what they're likely to excel at, says
Louise Banahene, education outreach manager at Leeds university. "If you study at least two of the
facilitating subjects – ones you're interested in and good at – then the options are as wide as possible."
Skyrme says it's worth noting that by choosing facilitating subjects, pupils aren't restricted to applying for
degree courses that require those subjects. "Even if a student studies three facilitating subjects, they
would still be able to apply to study law, for which most universities do not require any specific subjects."
Should you always do maths A-level if you're capable of getting a
decent grade, even if your interests lie elsewhere?
Most of the experts said no to this question: unless you want to do a maths- or science-based degree, it's
not likely to be required. Skyrme suggests that students ask themselves a series of questions to decide:
Will I enjoy maths A-level? Do I need it for my chosen university course? Might it be useful for my chosen
university course? Will I get a good grade?
If the answer to most of these questions is yes, then clearly it would be a good idea, he says. If the answer
to most of them is no, then don't do maths.
Should you try to do a science A-level if you can, even if you prefer
arts and humanities?
It depends on the course a student is interested in. "A psychology course may prefer to see a science Alevel in a student's portfolio, but an English course wouldn't see this as a benefit," says Skyrme. If a
science A-level is preferred, it will always be clearly stated in the published entry requirements. If nothing
is specified, "then students should prioritise those subjects they enjoy and will do well in".
If you don't think you're getting good advice from your school,
where can you go for a second opinion?
"Ring up the universities – you're a customer, after all," says Hunt. "You'd be amazed how many humans
they have in their admissions departments. They're very friendly people!"
"Students should feel confident contacting universities they are interested in applying to, from year 10
onwards, to discuss A-level choices," confirms Skyrme. Contact details for all courses are listed on
university websites, so students can call or email admissions staff for the courses they are interested in to
get advice directly.
Don't be shy if a university comes to your school on a careers day – ask lots of questions, advises Lane.
Sheffield University encourages pupils to phone or email directly, and the applicant information team will
answer your query or find someone for you to talk to in the relevant academic department. Sheffield has
an online database of frequently asked questions – and so do most other university admissions website
pages.
As there are so many universities, a good initial approach might be to choose a dozen or so that you think
you might be interested in, and ring up the admissions offices for a chat, says Cole.
"But remember that whatever information you get, it's in principle, not a guarantee. There isn't a
guaranteed way of getting a place university, but [by following their guidance] there is a guaranteed way
of being considered for a course.