Jade Campbell, a 15-year-old student at Bethnal Green Technology College, recently had to make some significant decisions regarding her future. When filling in her A-level choices form, she had no idea what she wanted to do in life. However, universities are becoming increasingly selective about the subjects students study, making it crucial to think about which areas offer the best chances of obtaining a place.
Jade’s classmates are also feeling the pressure, particularly Amanda Cozer, who moved to the UK from Brazil. Despite being just 16, Amanda is anxious about making the right decision. Unfortunately, some universities provide limited information on their websites, making it challenging for students to know what A-levels to pick.
Furthermore, admissions policies have become more stringent due to an increase in demand for undergraduate courses. Some institutions have begun to eliminate general studies as a subject option, while others list preferred or less preferred A-levels. This has resulted in year 11 students struggling to find the information they need to apply effectively to universities.
According to Amanda, it’s challenging to know precisely what universities want from their prospective students. She spent a considerable amount of time researching the best A-level subjects to increase her chances of acceptance onto journalism or language courses. Unfortunately, information is difficult to find on many university websites, and there is often no clear list. This makes researching individual courses tricky, particularly for students who haven’t decided what path to take.
While university prospectuses and websites do provide information, teachers and Ofqual argue that the process needs to be more transparent. Teachers complain that admission requirements are shifting frequently, making it difficult for them to advise their students. Meanwhile, Ofqual believes that more needs to be done to make information readily available to students.
The Ucas Apply website does list individual course qualifications, but it’s not always helpful for year 11 students who are unsure of what field they wish to pursue. Teachers believe that universities need to provide guidance about the kind of A-levels required for various subject areas, making it easier for students to plan their future.
However, universities have a challenging task, given their varying course requirements. Medicine students, for example, need at least two science A-levels. However, for arts courses, admissions tutors often prefer applicants with a range of subjects, and in some cases, English A-level isn’t necessary.
Geoff Parks, the Admissions Director at Cambridge University, has stated that no student would be rejected based solely on one specific A-level subject. However, a combination of certain A-level subjects may mean that certain university courses are unavailable to them. Cambridge University recommends that year 11 students take A-levels in English Literature, History, Languages, Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Further Maths and Biology if they want to keep their options open. For arts students, A-levels in English Literature, History, Languages, and Maths are flagged as important. Students interested in Science are advised to take at least two out of three A-levels in Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Physics. On the other hand, UCL requires candidates to have at least two out of 76 preferred A-level subjects that include History, Maths and Biblical Hebrew. However, students often report that they find these lists confusing and sometimes contradictory, and request that universities should put up their exact requirements to avoid any confusion. It is advisable for year 11 students to avoid taking similar A-level subjects to avoid being locked out of their preferred universities. Similarly, General Studies is seen as a less preferred A-level, with most top universities culling it from their list of preferred subjects. Staffordshire University, however, sees it more favourably. Different universities interpret such qualifications differently, leading to confusion for a student looking to choose a course. Consequently, the best approach is to seek guidance from teachers and career counsellors to explore desired courses and universities thoroughly before making choices.
The Education Guardian publication sought guidance from more than 150 Higher Education institutions to gather transparent information on which A-level subjects are considered advantageous and which are not. A total of xx institutions provided their feedback, and we extend our gratitude towards them. You can check out the detailed responses on EducationGuardian.co.uk.
