Has my daughter got more chance of getting into Oxford or Cambridge for Law?

OP

mod edit: xxx merged thread xxx

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 2

user 42005

18

As you've said Oxford look at GCSE's more than Cambridge, although for certain subjects like Medicine and (as in your case) Law both unis do take this into consideration as competition is so high. Cambridge also look at AS UMS to differentiate candidates, taken as an average of your top three subjects. I wouldn't apply if your average is below 90%, although many applicants will have higher (in the 95-100% range). Both have tests and interviews so don't let this affect your choice. The 72 UMS unit in law could be problematic for Cambridge, particularly as its in the subject you wish to apply for, although universities tend not to care for law A level too much anyway.

Visit both and see which one you like the most, but I'd be tempted to go for Oxford in your situation simply due to the UMS requirement of Cambridge. In general though this difference will be minimal, as your offer is pretty much based entirely on your admissions test and interview performance.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 3

Topo15

8

Original post by MJ6987

Hi,

I'm posting on behalf of my daughter, who doesn't really do forums...

Assuming her A-Levels are in the AS subjects listed, I would apply for Oxford. Government & Politics and Law are considered by some Cambridge colleges to be of 'more limited suitability', and want at least two facilitating subjects for Arts applicants. Trinity College details this on their website - http://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/admissions/ug/apply/a-level-combinations

Whether or not this attitude is widespread at all colleges I don't know - it may be worth emailing them.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 4

OP

Original post by Topo15

Assuming her A-Levels are in the AS subjects listed, I would apply for Oxford. Government & Politics and Law are considered by some Cambridge colleges to be of 'more limited suitability', and want at least two facilitating subjects for Arts applicants. Trinity College details this on their website - http://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/admissions/ug/apply/a-level-combinations

Whether or not this attitude is widespread at all colleges I don't know - it may be worth emailing them.

Hi, thanks for that.

We've actually looked into this before and Trinity seem to be the only college that are this fussy. We also emailed the college she wants to apply for (if it's Cambridge) with the subjects she is doing and they said it was fine.

Reply 5

ilovegoats

6

"I wouldn't apply if your average is below 90%, although many applicants will have higher (in the 95-100% range). Both have tests and interviews so don't let this affect your choice. The 72 UMS unit in law could be problematic for Cambridge, particularly as its in the subject you wish to apply for, although universities tend not to care for law A level too much anyway."

I got in for History at Cambridge with an average of 84% UMS, and also I got a B in one of my History modules. It didn't seem to be much of a problem.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 6

ilovegoats

6

Hello there :smile:

First of all, I think your daughter has done incredibly well especially given her circumstances so you should be a very proud parent!! Well done to her and to you.

Personally I would recommend Oxford. There are a number of reasons.

1) It is easier to get AAA than A*AA

2) Oxford has had the admissions test for a long time whereas Cambridge just introduced it this year. This means (I think) that Oxford will have more past paper examples which she can practice with.

3) MOST IMPORTANTLY - she seems to like Oxford more. Above all, remember that she will be spending the next 3 years of her life there so liking the place is important.

However, I would recommend maybe she visit both places again just to make sure.

Anyway, good luck and I hope she has a bright future (whether that's at Oxbridge or not)

Reply 7

OP

Original post by ilovegoats

I wouldn't apply if your average is below 90%, although many applicants will have higher (in the 95-100% range). Both have tests and interviews so don't let this affect your choice. The 72 UMS unit in law could be problematic for Cambridge, particularly as its in the subject you wish to apply for, although universities tend not to care for law A level too much anyway.

I got in for History at Cambridge with an average of 84% UMS, and also I got a B in one of my History modules. It didn't seem to be much of a problem.

These two bolded parts seem a bit contradictory, unless I've missed something?

Reply 8

ilovegoats

6

Original post by MJ6987

These two bolded parts seem a bit contradictory, unless I've missed something?

Sorry, the above paragraph is something another user commented on this thread. That is what I was responding to in my post.

Reply 9

OP

Original post by JRKinder

As you've said Oxford look at GCSE's more than Cambridge, although for certain subjects like Medicine and (as in your case) Law both unis do take this into consideration as competition is so high. Cambridge also look at AS UMS to differentiate candidates, taken as an average of your top three subjects. I wouldn't apply if your average is below 90%, although many applicants will have higher (in the 95-100% range). Both have tests and interviews so don't let this affect your choice. The 72 UMS unit in law could be problematic for Cambridge, particularly as its in the subject you wish to apply for, although universities tend not to care for law A level too much anyway.

Visit both and see which one you like the most, but I'd be tempted to go for Oxford in your situation simply due to the UMS requirement of Cambridge. In general though this difference will be minimal, as your offer is pretty much based entirely on your admissions test and interview performance.

Thanks very much for the reply 😀

Reply 10

OP

Original post by ilovegoats

Sorry, the above paragraph is something another user commented on this thread. That is what I was responding to in my post.

Ah right! I thought it was a bit weird!

Thanks, your other reply is what we think (her parents) as well.

Reply 11

user 42005

18

Original post by ilovegoats

"I wouldn't apply if your average is below 90%, although many applicants will have higher (in the 95-100% range). Both have tests and interviews so don't let this affect your choice. The 72 UMS unit in law could be problematic for Cambridge, particularly as its in the subject you wish to apply for, although universities tend not to care for law A level too much anyway."

I got in for History at Cambridge with an average of 84% UMS, and also I got a B in one of my History modules. It didn't seem to be much of a problem.

Well obviously there are exceptions to the rule, you're living proof of that haha, but Cambridge themselves don't even advise applying if your UMS average is below 90%. Anything is possible but the lower your scores, the less competitive your application is. If you performed exceptionally on the admissions test and interviews then I'm sure they'd favour that over A level UMS, but the OP asked which one their daughter has more chance of getting into and because of the UMS requirement of Cambridge, Oxford appears to be the more attractive one to apply to. Both are incredibly hard to get into though and perfect A levels are no guarantee of anything.

Reply 12

nulli tertius

Original post by Topo15

Assuming her A-Levels are in the AS subjects listed, I would apply for Oxford. Government & Politics and Law are considered by some Cambridge colleges to be of 'more limited suitability', and want at least two facilitating subjects for Arts applicants. Trinity College details this on their website - http://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/admissions/ug/apply/a-level-combinations

Whether or not this attitude is widespread at all colleges I don't know - it may be worth emailing them.

Please don't use the term facilitating subjects when referring to the Trinity list. Although there is some overlap the Trinity list includes subjects that are not facilitating subjects. It is introducing confusion when you run together lists designed for wholly different purposes.

Also the OP's daughter was applying for law and if you have read the Trinity list you would have seen that both government & politics and law are acceptable for law at Trinity.

Reply 13

OP

Original post by nulli tertius

Please don't use the term facilitating subjects when referring to the Trinity list. Although there is some overlap the Trinity list includes subjects that are not facilitating subjects. It is introducing confusion when you run together lists designed for wholly different purposes.

Also the OP's daughter was applying for law and if you have read the Trinity list you would have seen that both government & politics and law are acceptable for law at Trinity.

I specifically emailed Trinity with her A Levels and they said that they are not acceptable subjects for them. She was looking at Trinity previously because she read that they have had a lot of Nobel Prize winners!

Reply 14

nulli tertius

Original post by MJ6987

I specifically emailed Trinity with her A Levels and they said that they are not acceptable subjects for them. She was looking at Trinity previously because she read that they have had a lot of Nobel Prize winners!

Thank you, I stand corrected. I wonder if it is because they consider the government & politics to overlap too much with the law. Academics can be nervous when they think that there is only one skill-set or body of knowledge.

Sorry, they want two list A subjects; that is the reason.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 15

Helg

8

A very real chance I would say.

Reply 16

Doones

Original post by JRKinder

but Cambridge themselves don't even advise applying if your UMS average is below 90%.

Source?

I ask because you can see from this chart they do give a significant number of offers below 90% average UMS even for Law.

Although, for sure, the chances improve with higher UMS. But note, not everyone who gets >95 gets an offer...

UMS averages are actually not important for Cambridge. They look at the application in a lot more detail than just an average.

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(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 17

Abstract_Prism

20

Seems like there'd be a pretty even chance either way. I'd say apply to whichever one she prefers.

Reply 18

Doones