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Where can I go to do law through clearance?

I know this sounds rather pessimistic, but I think I've had a really bad exam run, and feel that I've almost certainly not met my grade requirements for Oxford to do law! (Need 3 As - highly unlikely after recent English exams, in which I did appaulingly!!!!).

I am keeping in mind that I usually underestimate how I've done, but I feel a lot more certain this year that I won't get the grades. However it seems as though all red-brick law unis want 3 As, and even my firm insurance (Liverpool) wants AAB! So, if I don't get the grades, how likely is it that I'll still get into a red-brick, or at least a reputable uni to do law through clearance?

Please be honest! I'm really at the point where I'm debating other courses (which I'm no where near as enthusiastic about! :frown:

), so I'd really appreciate people letting me know what they think! thanks! xxxxx

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Reply 1

Lauren18

It's highly unlikely that any good unis would have places available for Law at Clearing, but not impossible! I hope you've done better than you think; I'm worries about my exams too - there's way too much pressure put on us young'uns these days! :smile:

However, such unis may well have places on other courses; and maybe you could then transfer when you get there?

I googled Clearing 2004 to see what was available then; but apparently it's 'illegal' to publish the list after Clearing has closed, so I had no luck there! Generally though, I think you're looking at the bottom end of the league tables for most courses in Clearing; not trying to seem unsympathetic, but there's no point in telling you a load of b*ll*cks.

Whatever happens, good luck! x

Reply 2

caighli

yeah appreciate your honesty. i hate these exams - starting to wish i'd never applied to oxford now!

Reply 3

Aj2003

Don't worry mate, i know how you feel. I feel like i've cocked up this year as well.

Reply 4

Khalsa1846

last yr i was in the opposite situation and the highest ranking university (according to Le Times!) was Brunel University - which was ranked 22 or something.
Guess wot? Im happily (i think) on a Gap yr.....it MIGHT be worth forsaking university for this yr if u get lower than AAB......also may be worth ringing up your Oxford Law tutors and getting their feelings on it (and if they will accept you if u had a HIGH 'B' grade).
Very few decent uni's do clearing for law, why not try another degree in the humanities areas (plenty of uni's that r good here).
Hope that helps!

Mandeep

Reply 5

caighli

yeah it does, thankyou. Jus wonderin, cos I've taken on an AS in Philosophy, and I think it went well, that even with AAB at A2 and an extra A at AS, do you think they'd be more likely to let me in?

A gap year is an option, as is resitting some modules. It means though that I'd lose my place at Oxford and it seems unheard of to be able to reapply and get in, not only at Oxford but at other top unis. Do you think it is at all possible to do so?

Reply 6

paulfg

Last year, when I checked clearing, there was one uni with places on offer and that was APU

Reply 7

caighli

this sucks. i think i'll look into hairdressing.

Reply 8

Lauren18

caighli

this sucks. i think i'll look into hairdressing.

Lol.. don't knock it!

Down my way, you're looking at £50+ for a 45 minute cut with a nasty cup of complimentary coffee and a head massage from a spotty 14 year old. And if you want highlights, you're talking £120+. Certainly not the worst career in the world - and it's something people will always need!

Anyway, I'm sure it won't come to that, what happened to optimism?!

To have got a place at Oxford I'm assuming your AS grades were flippin' fantastic; so you really would have to drop at least a grade (more like 2 grades even) to get anything less than an A overall probably!

And, at the end of the day, what's done is done. I'm a firm believer that things happen for a reason, you just can't always see what that reason is. Anyway, enough spritual ramblings from me, and best of luck - I'll be thinking of you on August 18th when I'm shaking with nervousness in the envelope queue at College! :smile:

Oh... just remembered why I wrote this post... hehe - about doing the extra AS - it can't harm you if you get an A - I mean if say you and another Oxfordian misses their grades, you may will be the one to get a place if you've got another A to add to that long list of ASs! x

Reply 9

ryan342

Don't be too worried. Although Oxbridge is very selective, if you really (REALLY!) impressed them at the interview they might be more accommodating that you might think. A friend's cousin rejected Oxford and chose Warwick and they still rang him on results day to re-offer the place. Okay, I admit that's probably highly exceptional but, hey, you never know.

I'm assuming also that, if you have a place at Oxford, you're very bright and that you have very good, high A grades at AS level and in any January exams? Consider that, then, along with the tendency for people to underestimate their performance and you could be fine. If it all does, however, go 'tits up' then hairdressing I'm sure is a most rewarding career, if not perhaps a bit bitchy.

Reply 10

missjelly

i think some of the good uni's will have places in clearing- med courses even had places! dont forget that you can withdraw from ucas, resit the rubbish subject plus get mega good work experience and reapply next sept.

for redbricks, you gotta get there fast. its worth calling your uni and asking if they will take your lower/slightly missed grades.then go through clearing ASAP. a good tip is to check your UCAS TRACK online vv early in the morning.

failing all that, APU always has places for law- the member magiccarpet went there, PM her for more info. i think she told me there was over 50% of applicants there through clearing.

Reply 11

caighli

hmmm suppose i jus better wait and see. i am surprisingly good at cutting hair, and i suppose my chit chat would be slightly more intellectual than your usual hairdresser.

if i do resit my crap subject, and i come out with an A, is it at all likely that i could apply to really good red brick unis next year and still get in? even at Oxford? I've never ever heard of anyone being able to do that.

Reply 12

caighli

hmm would i still be on their system from the previous year?

Reply 13

Lauren18

caighli

hmm would i still be on their system from the previous year?

Yes, you would, but the Unis you applied to next year would not necessarily know this. I see no reason why you'd struggle - some of my friends haven't applied to Uni this year and are going to for 2006 entry; so you'd be treated in the same way as them I would expect.

There might be difficulties applying to the same Unis as you did this year - because they would know you'd applied before and either rejected their offer or accepted it and not achieved it. However, you could re-apply to a different Oxford college - plenty of people have done this.

Anyway, best thing is to wait til results day - this might all be a waste of time! x

Reply 14

acey10

I thought as a rule there was no med clearing, there was a clearing vacancy for medicine!? So it's worth calling even for medicine? maybe dentistry i thought Med was for rule you can't get in if you don't obtain the grades automatically

Reply 15

domjohn

But if you were to resit a module or two to get your grades up to AAA, you would still be applying with lower grades than this, and the Universities would be able to see that you are resitting due to the date your results will have been achieved. How do you think places would treat a post- A level candidate with AABa??

Reply 16

ThePenguinMafia

I'll probably sound intensely ignorant here (I'm a med applicant, so in terms of law applications, I am intensely ignorant) but would they allow you to become a solicitor if you went to APU?

Reply 17

cottonmouth

caighli

), so I'd really appreciate people letting me know what they think! thanks! xxxxx

DDo what your gut tells you; if you love law, stick with it. I think that if you were truly up for doing law, at such a top- class uni, you wouldn't give up at the first hurdle and look for other courses. You obviously impressed the oxford lot, so you must have something special, and i take it you would be a good lawyer. Ask yourself whether it is law you truly want to do- and if it is, stick with it.
I don't think i'll get my grades either (but like you, i always underestimate), and if i don't, i will NOT go through clearing. Your chances of getting into a good uni are next to none, and when i say good, you know what i mean- highly reputalbe places. And from what i've read and heard, if you want to get into a very good law firm, you will need to go to a redbrick. I dont think you should lower your aim; if you got a place a oxford you have something that literally thousands of others don't (in general terms), so to waste all of your talent by going to an old poly would be horrible.
What i would do is reake the ones you need to, and just re- apply to uni next year. Choose different ones, but reputable ones. If you didn't put any of the london ones, put a few. Then you'll be in with a chance of getting a place. My advice- do not go through clearing!

Reply 18

goneaway56

domjohn

But surely you'd decline the grade of that A level anyway, so universities would only see AAa + whatever AS you got in that subject.

I'm sure you could get a reference writer to paint a sympathetic image of how you missed a grade due to one, abnormal module result anyway ...

I'd imagine that a couple of universities would be a little suspicious of you reapplying (LSE especially, they auto reject you, at least for economics, if you are resiting A levels, I assume it's the same for law). But the rest of them ... if you presented a strong enough in the rest of your application, I don't think they'd see a retake or two as a reason to reject you.

Speak to wings_cp, if my memory serves me correctly, he re-applied while retaking an A level (latin I think) and got an offer from UCL.