u/BrilliantHuman2224

Results came out and I got A\*A\*AB. Really happy with Maths and FM, Physics A was fine, CS B was a bit disappointing but it is what it is.

I have a place at Warwick for Physics with Maths which I could take now. But I’ve been going back and forth on whether to take a gap year and apply for straight Maths at Oxbridge (undecided which one) and other unis instead.

A bit of background on why I’m considering it: I qualified for BMO this year, got a silver in BPhO, and a Diamond in Isaac Physics SPC, so I feel like my competition background is reasonably solid. I also did a scholarship research project over summer on mathematics in medical screening which I enjoyed a lot. The issue is I sat the TMUA, ESAT and TARA last year and got 4.5 in the TMUA, which I know is too low — I’m putting that down to format unfamiliarity and not having done proper Paper 2 preparation, since I had two other admissions tests to prepare for, but I’d obviously need to do a lot better in October.

Reasons I’m leaning toward the gap year: I genuinely want to do straight Maths more than Physics with Maths, I know the Maths content is better for what I want to do long-term, and I feel like my TMUA score doesn’t reflect where I actually am mathematically. I’d also potentially apply to some US universities (Harvard/Princeton REA + a few others regular decision).

Reasons I’m hesitant: Warwick is a good offer and it’s in my hand right now. The TMUA is genuinely hard and going from 4.5 to a competitive score in the time I have is not guaranteed. And I’m aware that even with a strong TMUA, Oxbridge is still very competitive.

Has anyone been in a similar position? Did anyone take a gap year specifically to reapply for a more competitive course? And does anyone have experience with UK to US applications with A-levels?

Would appreciate any honest opinions, especially if they’re not just “go for it, you’ve got nothing to lose”, I’m trying to make an actual decision here