Btechs and University?

Former Member

I've just started my A-levels and I've chosen to do;
History, English Literature, Psychology and Business Studies...
However I want to drop Psychology and thought about doing a Btech instead...
But I'm really worried if this will affect my chance of going to university.

I'm going to drop Psychology whatever I do but I want to pick up a fourth - and just think at this stage a Btech would be best for me?

Former Member

A BTEC ND is equvilant to 3 A levels, is that what you plan to do? I just did the one BTEC national diploma got a triple distinction and got into uni.

What makes you think a BTEC would suit you?

Former Member

A BTech as I understand it is equivalent to more than 1 A Level (as Miss Riot says) so might be a lot more work.

Do you think you could bear to stick out Psychology AS and then drop it? Most people do 4 AS and 3 A Levels.

If you were to take up another A Level instead of psychology, what would you do? What do you want to do at uni, and where?

Former Member

It may limit your options as to where you want to go for uni.

Former Member

That totally depends on the subject, it actually opened up my options.

Former Member

Right, sorry was meant to reply to this earlier but been busy!
I spoke to head of sixth form about dropping Psychology (which was his subject.. awkward!) And he said there was no point doing a Btech and just to focus on the 3 subjects I've got now and to also pick up a extended project (Which contributes towards UCAS)
I was a bit iffy about that idea because I wanted to do 4 subjects then drop 1 next year.. But somehow he managed to convince me to do 3 so I'm no longer going to do a btech anymore.
I suppose it makes sense as there isn't really any point me doing an extra a level if I dont want to do it, espcially a btech.

I wanted to do a Btech because it is the easier option and there isn't a exam so there wouldn't be the extra pressure of an exam.

I wanted to study Sports Media and Plymouth University College

- Thanks for the replies

Former Member

It's only the beginning of term, why can't you pick up another AS? Even something like General Studies?

Former Member

BTec qualifications, like most NVQs, don't have examinations but that doesn't really make them easy.

In terms of university applications, it depends where you want to go and what you want to study. You can look up on the UCAS website what any qualification is worth on the UCAS tariff scale. However, being honest, academic universities won't accept students with vocational qualifications on to their courses.

Former Member

Our sixth form is tiny.. We dont do general studies :L
The problem with picking up another course is that there isn't anything else I can do, well there isn't anything I'd like to do, theres only;
Chemistry, Biology, Food Technology, Product Design, Maths, Sociology... Thats pretty much it along with the btechs - Perfoming arts, T&T, Health & Social care and Science.

I did really well in Geography GCSE so I would do that, but they're not running the course and the only reason I did well was because I had an awesome teacher but she's left now.

But 3 A levels would be OK for uni wouldn't it? Surely if I got say.. 3 As, that'd be better then say 4 Bs? I just want the best chance for uni and I'm worried 3 won't be enough..

Former Member

3 A levels is fine.

Former Member

I'm pretty sure 3 A-Levels is fine. If you're unsure - phone a few of the admissions departments at universities you are interested in and ask them.

I was in a similar position in year 12 (I did the IB, so slightly complicated, but basically I wanted to do easy Maths, whereas teachers etc were telling me I had to either do normal Maths or hard Maths ) and it turned out that all the universities I talked to didn't have a preference and it worked out better for me because I could concentrate on everything else

Former Member

If you want to up your UCAS points have a squint at the UCAS website to see what sorts of things count; if you play an instrument, for example, grade 6 and above are worth a bit, or key skills.

Former Member

Three A-Levels should be okay, I got accepted into all of the universities I applied for (3 different ones) and I did a Btec National Diploma which is equivalent to three A-levels.

Former Member

My old best sixth form friend is off to Leicester University to study, I think, Maths and she only did three A-levels and didn't have a 4th AS, she did biology, physics and maths and dropped chemistry in the first month of year 12. She got accepted by all her choices, so it's not a problem unless the course is particularly competitive or the 4th AS is particularly important. I think as long as you've got at least 3 full A-levels, you're fine.

Just for the OP here, moreso in the interest of anyone else that might read this, seeing as your circumstances have changed: BTEC National Diplomas (or higher) are widely accepted into most universities, including many red bricks like Manchester, Liverpool, etc. and if you go on TSR you'll see that quite a few BTEC students have got places in good universities and even their own websites, you'll see you can definitely get into uni with a BTEC. In fact I know of someone who was recently accepted into Cambridge with a BTEC for Engineering, albeit with the addition of A-level Maths (anecdotal, I know).

It does definitely depend on the course you're doing, though. I think Law and definitely Medicine and other highly competitive/academic courses would prefer you to do A-levels or the IB or at least your BTEC with an additional A-level in a science/maths/foreign language.

By the way, don't think of them as "easy" or "back door" routes. Its people with that mentality that tend to flunk whatever they study, be it BTEC, A-level, Access, or whatever, because I can tell you from a BTEC Level 2 course in Science, which is only GCSE level, I did last year, they're not as easy as you think. I was flooded with assignments week after week after week, the Pass criteria is easy, but the Distinction criteria was way harder than anything I did in Double Award GCSE Science at school, and I got a BB in that (before you ask why I did it, I did it to fill time in and I missed the enrolment to resit my A-levels because I was in hospital) . According to my tutor, they've bumped up the academic rigour in some BTECs because of the criticism from the government, media, etc for being "too easy".

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