How will my University Application work without GCSEs?

[lucyh2579]

I moved after doing 1 year of GCSEs and I now do the MYP. As I don't get along with the system and don't want to do the IB next year, I'll be going back to England to boarding school and I'll do my AS and A Levels. My worry is that I heard the MYP isn't a recognised/formalised qualification in the UK, and I won't have any GCSEs as back up. Most UK universities require a C for Maths and English at GCSE but I won't have that - I'll only have A Levels and the MYP.

 

So, what I'm wondering is how my university application will work if I have the MYP and A Levels but not GCSEs if the MYP isn't really recognised in the UK? Thanks

[Richard Bankole]

I think you should be fine. If I'm not mistaken, the GCSEs are mainly to show that you have the level of proficiency needed for your course in English, Maths and/or any other subject related to your degree. On the UCAS application you have to say which school you've been in during your secondary education, and which qualifications - if any - you attained at each school, so if they see you did MYP instead of GCSEs then they won't make a fuss about it. Also, the thing about entry requirements is that they're meant to apply to all prospective applicants so inevitably there are exceptions. For example, quite a few EU/International students don't have GCSEs anyway so in their cases the university only uses the A Levels/IB requirements when considering their offer. Even the EU/International students that do have GCSEs often only have a couple (I only have Maths Extended, English Lit and Biology; so I had similar fears about not having English Language or any modern/ancient language GCSEs) so only the relevant GCSEs from the ones they have taken are considered.

 

If you're still worried, you could always email the Admissions departments at the unis you're thinking of going to and ask them directly to make sure. Hope this helped

[afern98]

I had a similar panic moment last summer when it looked like my family would be moving back to the UK for what would've been my first year of sixth form, but it'll be fine. Most universities in the UK are familiar enough with the IB to acknowledge the MYP, plus it'll probably show on your transcript that you were overseas and that you didn't take GSCEs because of that.

 

In terms of the C requirements, I agree with the previous poster that you should just send an email to the universities you're interested explaining your situation, I know in my experience my equivalent maths and English will be judged based on the grade I had in the class sophomore year.