Choosing the right IB subjects for University...

Q. My daughter wishes to take French at University and she was looking at Oxford. Her worry is she is doing the IB and is taking French at Higher Level but she also has a science bent and so is taking Biology and Chemistry as her other two subjects at Hl. Her teacher advises she does English at Higher Level rather than 2 Sciences. Do you think it is advisable for her to have French and English at Higher Level since she has no other language in the rest of her subjects?

A. As you know, the IB Diploma requires students to take six subjects, (three at Higher Level and three at Standard level) for the full two years of sixth form study, giving students a broad academic profile and allowing their skills to develop over an extended period of time. Unlike A levels, there are no public examinations at the end of the lower sixth year.

In your daughter’s case, it is possible that doing only French at Higher Level may raise questions in an Oxford interviewer’s mind about the level of commitment to and interest in the study of languages. If you daughter wants to take 2 Sciences it does indeed suggest a considerable interest in that area of the curriculum. English at Higher Level (HL) might be a better option as it involves a substantial amount of literary study. One of our girls who went to Cambridge to study languages told us that she found the skills developed through literary analysis in English HL were invaluable to her on her Modern Foreign Languages course. Having only one language and no other Arts/Humanities at HL might put the candidate in a less strong position compared with others applying for French. Perhaps contacting a relevant Admissions tutor might throw further light on their attitudes? Having one Science, French and either English or a Humanities subject at HL might create a stronger profile.
Good luck!