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Rate the universities

As I have to self teach my A2s this year, I doubt I will get AAAA, more like AABB or AAAB, so I am planning to aim a little lower than originally anticipated, could you please give me your opinion on the following universities and rank them in the order you see fit, I currently have them ranked in entry requirement order. Could you also select the 6 you would apply for? I would like to be a barrister or solicitor working in a top firm after the degree :rolleyes:

AAA+
Durham
Warwick
Sheffield
Birmingham
Bristol
Leeds
Newcastle
SOAS

AAB
UEA
Essex
Exeter
KCL
Lancaster
Liverpool
Queen Marys
Reading
Sussex

ABB
City
Exeter at Cornwall (Why is this lower and are you given a degree from Exeter university?)
Hull
Northumbria
Kent

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Reply 1

Lush Law

kirstinx

If I were you I'd apply to:

Bristol (I thought it was AAB, not AAA for Bristol?)
KCL
QMUL
Leeds
Sheffield (if you go there I can put in a good word for you at NabarroNathanson Solicitors, good firm in Sheffield that I have connections with..I could pass you off as my friend).
Birmingham
Liverpool or Newcastle

^^ I think that's a good selection for the grades you are expecting to achieve. IMO they're all decent universities, obviously KCL and Bristol are more prestigious.

If you want to apply to an ABB university, I'd definitely apply to Northumbria out of the ones you listed.

DON'T apply to Lancaster, my friend goes and I went to visit her and it's full of geeks and ugly people and it's really boring and like in the countryside. eww. It's all about the city!

I didn't rank all of the universities you listed into a long list because I'm not sure, basically.

Reply 2

Purple

I currently live in the countryside :rolleyes:

Northumbria will definately be one of the choices.

On UCAS it said AAA-AAB for Bristol so I put it in the AAA section :wink:

Reply 3

Lush Law

kirstinx

I currently live in the countryside :rolleyes:

Northumbria will definately be one of the choices.

On UCAS it said AAA-AAB for Bristol so I put it in the AAA section :wink:

Hmm I'm just going by the offers people on TSR have received from Bristol, always seems to be AAB.

Reply 4

schmeeble

i would probably go for a mix of the AAA places and the AAB places.. this is just me and the places i liked the look of when i applied to uni (although i didn't do law, but you know what i mean).

Warwick
Durham
Bristol
Leeds/Birmingham

and one or two of the following as a backup option to make up your 6. ? (although you know, as an essex alum i should really say 'pick essex' :smile:

)
KCL
UEA
Essex

:smile:

Reply 5

mypaperheart

I'd go for Durham, Warwick, Bristol, KCL, QMUL and Northumbria out of those.

Reply 6

mypaperheart

Out of interest, why do you have to self-teach your A2s?

Reply 7

shady lane

SOAS is very well regarded for Law.

http://www.soas.ac.uk/news/newsdetail.cfm?newsid=109&deptid=13

Reply 8

Lush Law

Rosalily

I'd go for Durham, Warwick, Bristol, KCL, QMUL and Northumbria out of those.

That's too many top uni's unless the applicant has a string of A* GCSE grades. I'm not saying kirstin doesn't have the ability to get into a top uni, but you have to realistic.

Reply 9

mypaperheart

That's too many top uni's unless the applicant has a string of A* GCSE grades. I'm not saying kirstin doesn't have the ability to get into a top uni, but you have to realistic.

Durham/Warwick - AAA
Bristol/KCL/QMUL - AAB
Northumbria - ABB

I would've thought that'd be ok, no? :confused:

Reply 10

Lush Law

Rosalily

Durham/Warwick - AAA
Bristol/KCL/QMUL - AAB
Northumbria - ABB

I would've thought that'd be ok, no? :confused:

It's just that Durham, Warwick, Bristol and KCL are difficult to get into, and I think choosing 4 very competitive universities out of 6 is a bit risky, unless you have a glittering academic history.

Durham reject people with amazing grades for Law. I'd go as far to say don't even apply if you have less than 4 or 5 A*'s. I don't know anyone who got a Law offer from Durham with less than 6 A*'s + an excellent LNAT score.

Reply 11

Purple

I agree with RR, applying to 4 universities where most applications have 4 As at A Level and 10 A*s at GCSE, is too risky, I do want to get a few offers :wink:

I was told SOAS dont look at GCSEs as much as other London universities and Birmingham isn't as competitive as other AAA universities, is this the case?

Reply 12

Purple

Rosalily

Out of interest, why do you have to self-teach your A2s?

The head of sixth form didn't like me so she phoned me one day, called me a liar and said I wasn't welcome there anymore. There aren't any other colleges/sixth forms that do the A Levels that I am doing.

Reply 13

mypaperheart

Wow! I stand corrected. I'm applying to Oxford, LSE, KCL, (not sure about other 3 - probably Warwick and then 2 lower offers, need help choosing!) and they're incredibly tough to get into, so I've heard. :frown:

I've got 8A* and 2A at GCSE, so hopefully I'll be considered as I don't really have a clue as to which other 2 choices to put down. :confused:

kirstinx

Thats awful! Good luck! :hugs:

Reply 14

flic_pearson

a partner at the firm i did work experience with has really talked up manchester. it is supposed to be the new legal centre of england. but also, have u considered a scottish uni, a couple of them are now teaching english law, but also, if u wanted to u can just opt to take a scottish law course without blocking the option of practising in england.

Reply 15

Dreama

Hmm I'm just going by the offers people on TSR have received from Bristol, always seems to be AAB.

But they're predicted grades seem to be higher...

Apply to UEA and KCL. :smile:

(Although many applicants will have AAA predictions even though the offer is AAB...)

Good luck!!!

Jo xxx

Reply 16

superdillon

I too would suggest that you leave out Durham as an option. They place a lot of emphasis on GCSE requirements and applicants are expected to have above 6A*s. Manchester also places a similar emphasis on GCSE grades.

I think that KCL should be your top choice, its a great university and you can still meet the academic requirements. A thing to bear in mind is that when applying to all these universities, they are going to want to be sure that if they make you an offer you can meet it. This is something that references would tell them, so you need to be sure that even though you are teaching yourself, you can find somebody who can say that you are on course for these grades.

Your other optional universities should be taken from lower down than KCL.
I suggest that 3 of your choices are safety choices i.e. ones that ask for mostly "B" grades.

Also, if you feel that you are good at the LNAT and are capable of scoring high on the test then you should fill your remaining places with for example Bristol, Birmingham and Nottingham. But that is only the case if you feel that you can do really well on the LNAT.

Reply 17

Lewisy-boy

Northumbria is a good one, no matter what anyone says. Its unique exempting programme which integrates the LPC/BVC into your degree gives you many skills that other candidates just wont have at an earlier stage, especially when you do their student law office. It was my insurance choice. Yea Manchester is good too, but I think Northumbria should definately be one of your choices. Also unless you really REALLY want to study in london and probably struggle financially (unless daddy has loads of money) then dont apply to london, you can get everything you need elsewhere. Anyway the only place in London I would consider would be LSE, just cos of its rep... im not saying UCL etc are bad or anything so dont turn on me UCLers but if I was going to London it would only be to LSE.

Good luck!

Reply 18

fuglyduckling

Bristol, KCL, Durham, (Newcastle/Leeds/Warwick), Exeter, Sussex. If you want to throw in a surefire one, probably Kent.

I'm surprised you didn't mention Nottingham, Bath and UCL - assuming you don't fancy your chances at Oxbridge or LSE. LSE shouldn't be out of reach with AAAB.

Note: Bristol and KCL > Durham and Warwick for Law.

Reply 19

seafairy

I used to do some part time work at this very large solicitors in manchester where quite afew members of my family worked. quite afew of the solicitors went to manchester uni and are in very high payed jobs in this excellent solicitors which has clients like boddingtons, afew footballers/famous people and other large known companies. im not doing law but Manchesters a good place to be i say..