Another AS results question

[Serac]

Here we go, another person coming on to seek validation on his results. I apologise, but I know no one in my own life to annoy.

I just want to know how likely i am to get interviews for university.

In my AS results, I got:

Chemistry: B
Biology: A
Physics: A
Maths: A
Further Maths: A

As you can see, the chemistry is a problem. It was only coursework that pulled me down though, I got an A in both of the exams. I understand the importance of chemistry for the application, but will the A in Biology help me, and render the Chemistry result redundant. And, will the fact that I have taken five help me? As in, I have got 4 As at AS. Will the Chemistry be ignored?

My GCSE results were: 7A*s (Including Science (separate), English and Maths) and 5As.

I'm taking the UKCAT in a few days, and I'm not sure what I'll get, as exam stress can render me useless.
The universities that I hope to apply to are:

Keele
Durham
Birmingham
Cardiff
East Anglia, or Dundee

What do you think my chances are, people who have experience?

Thanks for reading,
Looking forward to response.

[hayleyr]

Heyy
Your AS results and your GCSEs are actually really good.. you should DEIFINTELY apply! Providing that your UKCAT is good and you really work on things like personal statement and all that extra stuff that unis like then I don't see why not.

Even if you get all 4 rejections, if you still get As or A*s at A2, then you still have a very good chance at clearing - it can happen! So even if it seems like all is lost, you never know when an offer can turn up! You just email admissions as soon as you receive your results and see what can happen.

Hope this helps! and good luck

[Serac]

Thank you.

It was just the Chemistry that was worrying me. My predicted grades for A2 are 4A*s and 1A. I'm just worried, like a little baby. :P

[hayleyr]

No worries!
I can imagine that you are! Its always better to give it a go and anyway you ve got good grades and very good predictions too! xD
Feel free to ask anything else about the application!

[jcak]

You've got the grades for it, and hopefully the UKCAT, but we don't know about your extra curricular activities such as volunteering which is what the universities will know. From those grades alone, no, but as long as you've got all the other stuff such as having a caring role and an understanding of what a life in medicine entails, you should stand a good chance.

Bear in mind that most medical applicants will have outstanding grades like yours, and a brilliant personal statement. The only think you can do to set yourself apart from them is non academic, such as the years of volunteer work to make yourself shine when they're handing out interview dates.

Good luck in your pending UKCAT!

[Serac]

I understand. My extra curricular is lacking, somewhat, as I am not a sporty person. It's the source of a lot of worry to me. I play instruments, and was involved in secondary school plays and the such, but have never got grades in them.

Volunteering wise, I am involved in two placements: one is a home placement (going to a patient's house), and the other is work in a hospice. I have also taken care courses, but I don't know if that will help me.

I've done work experience at hospitals, nurseries and care homes. And plan to get some more placements.

My extra curricular, so to speak, is Physics. I have had some of the things I written sent off to Oxford. Do you think this will help? How much should I stress that? Is it worth my applying to Oxford (I am much better at the BMAT than the UKCAT)? As, it has always been my dream to go.

Is it looking better? What else can I do?

Thanks for replying, and helping.

[jcak]

The amount you've done doesn't seem too bad, however its the length of time volunteering most take into account, and what you've taken from them. Places want to see a lengthy commitment to show you can be committed to their course. You also must be able to say what you've learnt from these placements rather than just listing what you did.

Just because you're not sporty doesn't detract from a glowing personal statement, I'm pretty sporty but I couldn't play an instrument to save my life! My acting, god lets not go there, the fact you've been in school plays and such is also a selling point. It shows diversity. I was always relegated to choir. Where I mimed.

What sort of things did you write and send off? Why did you send off to Oxford? I'm not sure stressing it will help too much. If I was an admissions tutor at somewhere such as Keele and the personal statement kept mentioning essays submitted to Oxford (a competing med school) I wouldn't think this person chose my school as a first choice. If you don't mind uploading an abstract we could all have a look and tell you its relevance?

Don't apply to somewhere because you think it will be easier, especially not Oxford as it most certainly won't be. If you feel better at the BMAT then that's a factor, but you should at least see your UKCAT score before you make that decision. If you fail at the UKCAT tremendously then maybe the BMAT, but I would recommend the UKCAT first. You should really apply to somewhere because you've clicked with the course and the uni. If it's been your dream, it might not live up to what you want, check it out first and if the course is what you want, go for it.

Best of luck!

P.S. why have you said that you want to apply to Oxford but haven't put it in your first post's "universities I wish to apply to" list?

[Serac]

Just to answer your last bit first; I didn't put Oxford straight away as, if my results weren't good enough, I didn't want to get laughed at.

The Oxford thing was irrelevant to medicine, as I said. It was to do with Physics, and was thinking that it could be used to show diversity. I do get your point though, the university might not like it if you imply they're not as good as another.

I guess it all falls down to the UKCAT, and my predicted results, now. And my personal statement, of course.

Thanks for your help.

[jcak]

I wouldn't say don't apply to Oxford, that's not what I meant to imply, you are more than good enough to cope with what I think their course would be like by the looks of things! However, everyone else applying is just as good so it looks like more than a lottery than most.

[Serac]

Sorry, I hope I didn't come across as hostile; that wasn't my intention.

You're right. It's getting to the interview that I'm worried about the most. Though, I will probably freeze up at the interview. haha

Thanks for your help.