[xjus-mex]

Hi im 17 and would like to be a barrister and im doing a one year btec in performing arts because i didnt get all the gcse's i needed to do my a levels. Next year im going on to do my a levels, the college im going to doesnt have a wide selection of a levels to do and i was wondering will unis frown on my choices when i apply for my law degree:

Law (im doin the gcse right now)
sociology
flim studies

im only going to do three because i cant see another good one. And can u get in to any gd unis to do law with a BCC.

Laura

[generalebriety]

I think they would much prefer you to have things like English language, English lit, history, languages... maybe law, but certainly not as a priority.

[Rainy]

Grade Requirements comparison. No idea if its still in date.

No expert, but I would have thought 'traditional' subjects will stand you in better stead both at the application stage, during your degree, and when it comes to finding employment. I would personally advise you to take a 4th subject to AS Level.

[Kerrigan]

Those are ALL non-traditional A-levels. You should ideally not be doing any of those. If you have to do one of them, you might get away with it. All 3 is pushing it if you want to study Law somewhere decent, which you will certainly need to do to be a barrister.

What about English Language, English Literature, History, Geography, a modern foreign language, Maths, any of the sciences, Religious Studies, etc?

[Nana_Julia]

(Original post by Kerrigan)
Those are ALL non-traditional A-levels. You should ideally not be doing any of those. If you have to do one of them, you might get away with it. All 3 is pushing it if you want to study Law somewhere decent, which you will certainly need to do to be a barrister.

What about English Language, English Literature, History, Geography, a modern foreign language, Maths, any of the sciences, Religious Studies, etc?

Is Religious Studies a well-regarded A-level over here?!

[Nana_Julia]

(Original post by Kerrigan)
All 3 is pushing it if you want to study Law somewhere decent, which you will certainly need to do to be a barrister.

Especially with BCC...

[TRB]

For the top 20 Law Schools (times) The lowest entry requirement was ABB (kent) then AAB (QMUL,Bristol) the rest were AAA or higher eg. AAAc

Obviously there may have been some exceptions but ^ is what I can remember off the top of my head

[rotor]

Im hoping to go into law and I do my alevels next year, I chose:

History
English literature
Economics
Politics

[Kerrigan]

(Original post by Nana_Julia)
Is Religious Studies a well-regarded A-level over here?!

It's an academic A-level. I'll admit it's not the greatest, but most universities will view it more highly than the OP's three choices. I got into Cambridge with it in 1998 to read Law.

[Kerrigan]

(Original post by Nana_Julia)
Especially with BCC...

Oh yes, and I hadn't read this bit. If the OP wants to be a barrister with those grades, they probably ought to think again. It ain't gonna happen.

[Nana_Julia]

(Original post by Kerrigan)
Oh yes, and I hadn't read this bit. If the OP wants to be a barrister with those grades, they probably ought to think again. It ain't gonna happen.

And I hadn't read the bit about the GCSEs properly either - realistically with fewer than 5 Cs at GCSE and BCC in any subjects, traditional or otherwise, the OP is not going to get a pupillage.

[Kerrigan]

(Original post by Nana_Julia)
And I hadn't read the bit about the GCSEs properly either - realistically with fewer than 5 Cs at GCSE and BCC in any subjects, traditional or otherwise, the OP is not going to get a pupillage.

Another good point!

To the OP: being a barrister is incredibly competitive. There are people with absolutely first-rate academics who don't make it. If you want to be a barrister you have to have great GCSEs, Grade As at A-level, and a 2:1 or preferably a First from one of the top universities. If you don't have these, then you are likely to be very disappointed. You are competing against some of the best students there are in order to become a barrister. Do you have any contacts at barristers' chambers who you could speak to?

I don't want to be really negative but at the same time I don't think there is any point giving you unrealistic advice, either. If you didn't get enough GCSEs to do your A-levels then the indications are that you are going to struggle to become a barrister.

[xjus-mex]

O gosh looks lyk im nt doing so well i dnt ave gr8 gcses infact my grades sucked as i only passed two but i could add another too on to that. oh ryt well would any of these options be better to pick ecionmics and business studies history of art the college im going to dnt offer much more than that and there arent many 2 go to. So is it easer to become a solicitor as u may not need the high grade profile from gcse because i really have my heat set on law just because i have been dossin 4 the past few years is it all over lol

lil old me lol

[xjus-mex]

oh and ill probs get a pass this yr on my performing arts 1st diploma

[TRB]

I wouldn't want to give you advice which gave false hope. Like the previous posters have said the Bar is abnormally competitive. Even law course's at degree level are, I know for SOAS (my first choice) there were 23 applicants per 1 place (according to the prospectus) and SOAS is v.good but its not LSE/Oxbridge, I went as a friends guest to QMUL and the head of the department said they had 3000 applicants for 150 places which is ludicrous but I take him at his word.

That being said I had a friend who did a national diploma in Public Services and then took A-Levels and got into Cardiff so its not impossible but it she got AAA in her A-levels. AAA is just so needed to get a good placement, even Magic Circle solicitors firms and regional firms like for example Burgess Salmon require AAB-AAA at A-level on top of 2:1/1st but MC is best of the best and BS is highly reputable regional so what I am saying is you will need to aim for AAA at A-level to make yourself competative.

[wajiha]

Most good universities will ask for ABB or AAB.
But they also say that you need to do some sort of exam, which indicates how well you may do if you were to do law at unversity.

[xjus-mex]

oh ok thenbut will my a levels of law sociology and flim studies be ok and should i either add a maths gcse or do a a level in goverment and politics or should three be enff. so if i was to go to a uni that accepts u at 280 points will that not give me good job offers after leaving uni. I just want to know where i need to be going with my life.

[TRB]

Maybe you should look at an ILEX http://www.ilex.org.uk/

And the university admissions test the the poster above you was referring too is the LNAT and it is by no means a cake walk, practice test here-


http://www.lnat.ac.uk/preparation/practice.html

Is required by

• University of Birmingham
  University of Bristol
  University of Cambridge
  Durham University
  University of Exeter
  University of Glasgow
  King's College London
  Manchester Metropolitan University
  University of Nottingham
  University of Oxford
  University College London

[Posh Portia Kabine]

(Original post by Nana_Julia)
And I hadn't read the bit about the GCSEs properly either - realistically with fewer than 5 Cs at GCSE and BCC in any subjects, traditional or otherwise, the OP is not going to get a pupillage.

Jesus - they look at your GCSEs for a pupillage too? I had no idea about that.

My GCSEs are pretty pish (comparatively to a lot of other people)... A*A*AACCCC. Do you think that'd hold me back at any point - with regards to City firms and/or Chambers?! (I did go to a rubbish secondary school.)

The Bar becomes even more unrealistic!

[Nana_Julia]

(Original post by Visiting_Babylon)
Jesus - they look at your GCSEs for a pupillage too? I had no idea about that.

My GCSEs are pretty pish (comparatively to a lot of other people)... A*A*AACCCC. Do you think that'd hold me back at any point - with regards to City firms and/or Chambers?! (I did go to a rubbish secondary school.)

The Bar becomes even more unrealistic!

I wouldn't worry about that VB, if you have a good degree and A-levels I doubt the GCSEs will be a big factor, if you have a great degree I doubt they will be a factor at all! I just know I had to put my GCSE equivalent results on OLPAS and I think if you have poor A-levels and poor GCSEs it's going to look pretty bad, especially if you then add an average degree...but in any case there's a big difference between 2 passes at GCSE and your results!