We reached out to our Stemettes to ask them to share their STEM & STEAM dilemmas with us, so we could ask our wonderful role models to answer. Here’s an important question we received:
“I had major surgery during year 11 on both my legs so I was not in the full year. This meant I self taught my GCSE’s, I got a 7-7 in science but a 5 in maths. This year I will be applying to universities where I really want to do molecular biology. My 5 in maths cuts me off from quite a few universities and I don’t know whether to resit to get into universities such as UCL or Kings and Leeds which require a 6 and above or let it be and focus on my actual grades for A-levels. I just don’t want to miss out on opportunities (lots of summer schools for biology require a 6 in maths) or impact my education. I just need some guidance on whether I should resit or how much it could impact my education.”
Here’s what our role models said…
- Hi! I would advise you to make direct contact with the admissions teams at your desired universities to explain your situation. Universities can, and do, make exceptions for students with difficult circumstances, but they can’t if they don’t know. If you can find an admissions tutor in the specific course you’re interested in, that would be even better. It may also be worth contacting your GCSE maths teacher and seeing if there are preliminary or mock grades that show your potential, or if they could write a note explaining things. Good luck to you! – Dr Megan
- Lots of universities would accept students with your GCSE grades so they won’t hold you back. However, if there’s a particular university that you’d really like to attend then contact them directly to ask about their requirements and whether you’d meet them with your current grades. Lots of times what it says on their website is different to what they’d actually accept if you speak to them directly. If you want to resit your maths GCSE then also speak to your school or college to see if they’d support you doing this. – Clodagh
- Hello, I’m so sorry to hear about your surgeries. Is there an official route via your school or college that you can use where they can verify that there are extenuating / special circumstances? The goal would be for the universities to which you want to apply to accept a 5, to consider you fairly, and not to reject you, given that you have had major surgeries. I would hope that if your school or college were to write an official letter signed by your headmaster/headmistress/Principal, confirming what happened, what schooling you had during that period, and that you did indeed have the surgeries, that they would not hold the 5 against you and would consider you anyway. – Purposeful
- First of all well done for getting through that tough situation and some how getting good grades by teaching yourself. That shows amazing determination. I think a 5 in Maths is a solid grade to get but I understand some of the universities say they need a 6 to let you in. I had a similar worry after getting a 4 in English at GCSE (and that was after 1 resit) but I still managed to get my degree from Newcastle University and now work as an engineer. The A-levels seem to count for more to the universities generally so if it was me, I would focus on those rather than trying to balance a resit too. I’d argue the universities although they want to see good grades they also like to know you are wanting to put the effort in to learning when you get to university. You could therefore maybe look to see if there was any free short online courses or reading you could do to show your want to do your subject and/ or improve your Maths skills. If you put this in your application they may look more favourably upon the Maths grade. Once you have your degree employers tend to just want to know you have a degree rather than where you got it and they generally will always look at your most recent, highest level of education so they wouldn’t look at your GCSEs so it shouldn’t hold you back there either. There is always a way, and clearly you haven’t let anything stop you so far so keep persevering and you will find a way to get where you want to be. Good luck with everything -Jade
- Hello – Pleasure to meet you! I’m Gemma – a Tech Consultant in Banking, but more importantly here a long-term tutor for competitive university applications and for many students considering resits to increase their university choices. Firstly, well done on self-teaching your GCSEs while recovering from surgery – that’s very impressive for any university and shows real initiative and drive. I do hope your recovery journey is going well! Many universities, like UCL, King’s and Leeds, often state a minimum GCSE Maths grade in part due to the need for maths on the course, but also as a filter as they receive so many applications. Once you hit this minimum, your A-levels will be much more important, alongside your personal statement and any interview performance, but without hitting that Grade 6 requirement, it may block your application entirely. And having activities like summer schools, lab placements, work experience etc are important for a strong personal statement – lots of applicants will have the required grades so it’s important to stand out. I’d strongly advise you to resit the GCSE Maths and aim for that 6, especially as it’s only a 1-grade jump (sounds like a 7 may be very achievable for you too!). You will need to dedicate time to focused exam practice alongside your 1st year A-levels, but the content should feel easier as you study, UCL and King’s usually accept GCSE re-sits, so doing so should be fairly low-risk too. I’d suggest aiming for the November re-sit, to not clash with any A-level mocks / AS exams you may have. That will not only allow you to gain that grade 6, but also show a commitment to your studies and desire to better your maths that unis really appreciate. I’d perhaps suggest doing 3 A-levels + your GCSE re-sit + (if you have time/capacity) additional activities that gain UCAS points like an EPQ. Wishing you all the very best! – Gemma
- I am really sorry that you were unwell. Your grades given your situation are a huge achievement. Resitting maths is a large commitment and will take a lot of your time, I am a former maths teacher of resitters, I know! Ultimately can you find the course you want to do at a university you want to attend that welcomes you with a 5? If so, that would be worth considering. You can also speak to UCL or Leeds and explain and see what they say, don’t be put off. You know your situation best, would A Level focus be the best thing for you or do you have capacity to resit maths as well? Remember you can always pay to sit as an external candidate at schools in a November series (costs £300+) if you wanted to get a resit done quickly, but that would mean less time to prepare. Good luck! – Sammy
- Hi, I recently graduated from Coventry University with a BEng in Motorsport Engineering with Honours (2:1), and I think my journey might help you make your decision. I was originally supposed to finish college in 2020, but due to COVID, my exams were pushed to May/June 2021. During that time, with online classes, I wasn’t taking things as seriously as I should have, and my results reflected that. I ended up with a C in Mathematics, a C in Economics, and a D in Physics — which, realistically, were not strong enough to pursue a degree in motorsport engineering. At that time, I was extremely frustrated with myself. I saw my friends and cousins moving forward with strong results and going to great universities, while I felt stuck. I was unsure whether to do a foundation year or retake my A-levels, so I decided to take a different route first — I did a 6-month internship at a local car restoration company. That experience changed everything. I was surrounded by skilled people who taught me so much hands-on knowledge. But after those 6 months, I knew I still wanted to pursue engineering properly, so I went back and retook my A-levels. This time, I achieved better results — good enough to get into Coventry University, one of the best universities for motorsport engineering. I won’t lie — starting university alongside people younger than me did make me feel a bit annoyed at myself at first. But once I got to know them, I realised something important: I wasn’t behind. In fact, I was ahead in many ways. I had real-world experience, practical skills, and a level of maturity that many of my peers didn’t yet have. Looking back now, I wasn’t late or behind — I was exactly on time for my own journey. So my advice to you is this: retake your Mathematics exam. A single grade should not limit your opportunities, especially when you know you’re capable of more. Retaking it can open doors to universities, summer schools, and opportunities that align with your goals in molecular biology. It’s okay to have a setback. It doesn’t define you — what you do after it does. And who knows? During that time, you might gain experiences or skills that actually put you ahead in the long run. You’re not falling behind, you’re building your path. Wishing you all the best, you’ve got this. – Rania
- Get in touch with the university admissions tutors. This would count as extenuating circumstances, and universities have scope to be flexible in these sorts of cases. – Kathryn
- If I were in your position, I would ask myself ‘in 10 years, will I regret having limited myself on potential career paths because I didn’t take a year out to resit an exam?’. I grew up being told by my parents that the luxury of choice is one of the biggest privileges of all, and so personally I would choose to resit. I know that this can seem scary (as it may involve taking a year out) and a lot of stress to go back and revisit an exam that you thought was behind you, but I wouldn’t want you to later wish you could go back and resit after all, to choose a different path. I don’t think you will ever regret re-sitting – the worst case is that you lose a year of speed, but the worst case of not re-sitting is that you can’t go to some of your top choice universities. Having said that, there are countless examples of inspirational people who achieve all their dreams no matter what grades they achieve, and it’s absolutely true that once you get into a university no one will ever ask you again what GCSEs you got. So, it goes back to that question – ‘in 10 years, will I regret having limited myself on potential career paths because I didn’t take a year out to resit an exam?’ – Joana
- Firstly, you have done incredibly well, especially considering you were recovering from major surgery and had to teach yourself. Getting 7–7 in science in that situation says a lot about your ability. On your question, if you are aiming for universities like UCL, King’s or Leeds, I would strongly recommend resitting maths if you can. Moving from a 5 to a 6 can make a real difference because many of these universities and summer programmes use it as a minimum requirement. It’s less about your potential and more about how admissions filters work. That said, your A-levels should remain your top priority, as they carry the most weight overall. If you do resit, treat it as a focused effort, work on key topics and exam technique rather than trying to relearn everything. Also, don’t underestimate your story. Make sure you clearly explain your circumstances in your application, universities do take context like yours into account. It’s also worth contacting admissions teams directly, as they can sometimes be more flexible than their published requirements, particularly in cases involving medical circumstances. If you are able to improve your maths without it affecting your A-level performance, it’s a worthwhile investment and will keep more opportunities open for you. Wishing you the very best, you’re clearly capable of doing really well. – Jessica
