What do I need to stand a chance

[xdlukexo]

hi everyone, I'm new to this forum and not sure if this is the right place to ask so I apologise in advance.
I'm at the moment studying for my GCSE's, with eventually then intention to go to medical school (hopefully imperial or Southampton) and I know that these places are massively over subscribed and with all med school increasingly hard to get in to. so I was wondering realistically what GCSE grades and A Level grades do I need to get in. I'm aware they have their minimum requirements on the website but near enough all people who apply meet these targets. so what do I need to stand a fighting chance?

Thanks

[xdlukexo]

Anyone??? lol

[Chwirkytheappleboy]

Your best bet is to get straight A*s at GCSE and A level.
You should consider 7 A*s at GCSE and A*AA at A level to be a minimum aim really... there are Medical Schools which will consider you if your grades are below that, but you'll find you really have to wow them in other ways if your grades are less competitive than those of other applicants.

[xdlukexo]

If I'm 100% honest I don't think I can manage 7A*'s but I'm pretty confident of getting about 3A*'s and 5A's and probably a couple of B's. And as for A level I'm not sure. I will be moving to a very good (so I hear) sixth form college, so fingers crossed.

[Rippy]

I would say that saying a minimum aim of 7 A*s is perhaps a bit too harsh, but obviously, the higher the better. Just do your best - it shouldn't matter what you have to get as you should do the best you can regardless.

[House Jr.]

Your best bet is to get straight A*s at GCSE and A level.
You should consider 7 A*s at GCSE and A*AA at A level to be a minimum aim really... there are Medical Schools which will consider you if your grades are below that, but you'll find you really have to wow them in other ways if your grades are less competitive than those of other applicants.

lol saying 7 A*s to be a minimum is ridiculous. there are loads of people who get into med schools with far lower. My advice would be to try and get As in english/maths/science since some unis want a minimum of grade A at gcse for these subjects and it's in your best interests to not limit yourself. Having said that, unless if you want to apply to birmingham, you DONT need 7 A*s, but then again southhampton do not interview so obviously they'll place more emphasis on your written application than other unis. However a solid personal statement and good experiece will more than make up for a lack of 100 A*s which some people think is necessary <_<

[Chwirkytheappleboy]

Ok, I probably misinterpreted the true motivation behind the thread, which, judging by the other responses appears to be "What is the absolute minimum performance I can get away with and still have a vague hope in hell of being accepted into a Medical School" rather than "what should I ideally be looking to get to stand a good chance", which was what I understood by the term "realistically".

Absolute bare minimum: A bunch of A's, B's and C's. Even lower if you're willing to do access courses.

Realistically: Very strong grades, lots of work experience, and an excellent reference and personal statement. The grades that you say you can get (3 A*s, 5 A's and 2 B's) will probably be ok, but make sure you get loads of work experience - start now, and make long term commitments. Unis always prefer long term commitments over short placements/experiences

[Rippy]

lol saying 7 A*s to be a minimum is ridiculous. there are loads of people who get into med schools with far lower. My advice would be to try and get As in english/maths/science since some unis want a minimum of grade A at gcse for these subjects and it's in your best interests to not limit yourself. Having said that, unless if you want to apply to birmingham, you DONT need 7 A*s, but then again southhampton do not interview so obviously they'll place more emphasis on your written application than other unis. However a solid personal statement and good experiece will more than make up for a lack of 100 A*s which some people think is necessary <_<

Well, yes, you don't need 7 A*s and of course it's not the minimum. However... getting As in english/maths/science would probably not look great (I assume you mean ONLY As in those subjects). Most medical schools have an "academic score" they give you of which GCSE grades make up a (significant) part. With poor GCSEs, your options become limited with where you can apply to.

[House Jr.]

Well, yes, you don't need 7 A*s and of course it's not the minimum. However... getting As in english/maths/science would probably not look great (I assume you mean ONLY As in those subjects). Most medical schools have an "academic score" they give you of which GCSE grades make up a (significant) part. With poor GCSEs, your options become limited with where you can apply to.

didn't say that they should be the only As. I'm saying that those 3 subjects should have a hgher priority than others in terms of getting the grades due to the minimum requirements that some unis have. And of course, he should try and get as many A*s and As as possible but it certainly isn't the end of the world if he doesn't get 7 A*s since most unis will overlook mediocre/bad GCSEs if the rest of the application is good, particularly some UKCAT unis.

[xdlukexo]

Thanks for all your comments, you have really reassured me.