Pupils may be unknowingly ruining their chances of getting into a top university by choosing so-called ‘soft’ A-levels including Law, Media Studies and Psychology.

The hard truth about ‘soft’ subjects reveals that the vast majority of leading research universities are admitting fewer ‘soft’ A-levels and more traditional A-levels in comparison with the national uptake of these subjects in schools. It warns that soft subjects are more likely to be taught in state schools, so that subject choice has become yet another hurdle that may prevent students from less-advantaged families achieving their full academic potential.