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Do I have a chance of studying Law at Cambridge?

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Reply 20
Original post by TimmonaPortella
Out of interest, OP, in the context of your aim to get A*AA at A level, why is it that your GCSEs are as they are?


It is completely my fault that I didn't achieve very good grades at GCSE however at the time, when I was in the process of 'revising', and taking these exams, I was in a really bad and unhealthy relationship with a guy, and that distracted me and kinda put me off of wanting to work hard and achieve high, however, I am out of that relationship now and my motivation and aspirations are back :smile:
Original post by Marshall Taylor
Hey man, I am also looking at applying for Law at Cambridge next year!
My GCSE's are also very bad, so I guess we have that going for us both :smile:
I have been advised by my school that as long as we nail all of our mocks, get plenty of work experience (I have already 2 internships in law firms) and write a killer personal statement - we can get an interview at least. I have read on the Cambridge website that they do not love people who get 14 A*'s at GCSE or something, because it shows that they have peaked too early and won't necessarily go full study mode on at University. However, if you show them that during GCSE something happened (I had personal reasons) or if you weren't clever enough, but now have improved a lot at A levels - they would give us an offer assuming that we would peak at university and get a 1:1 or high 2:1. (going from low, medium and then high intelligence rather than high high high). (They like development apparently)


How did you get law internship plays?
Original post by Blancosdos
How did you get law internship plays?


Applied?
Reply 23
Original post by spud23
I'm not sure haha, my exam board is WJEC if that means anything??


Are you from Wales? Cause in Wales they still have AS levels that count towards A levels. (I'm guessing you are if you are doing the Welsh Baccalaureate)
Original post by TimmonaPortella
Out of interest, OP, in the context of your aim to get A*AA at A level, why is it that your GCSEs are as they are?


My brother got A's, B's and C's at GCSE and got A*A*A*A at A level, so GCSE's arem't linked to A level success, people peak at different times and Cambridge sees that
Reply 25
Original post by emduck
Are you from Wales? Cause in Wales they still have AS levels that count towards A levels. (I'm guessing you are if you are doing the Welsh Baccalaureate)


I am indeed :smile:
Original post by Marshall Taylor
Applied?


How did you apply ? Was it via email or just general application?
Original post by spud23
It is completely my fault that I didn't achieve very good grades at GCSE however at the time, when I was in the process of 'revising', and taking these exams, I was in a really bad and unhealthy relationship with a guy, and that distracted me and kinda put me off of wanting to work hard and achieve high, however, I am out of that relationship now and my motivation and aspirations are back :smile:


It is a good sign that it is because you were distracted. If your GCSEs represented what you could achieve after putting in real effort that would be a cause for concern.

I applied back when we had UMS scores from our AS Levels to apply with. I'm not exactly sure what the position is now. But if you are predicted the grades you need and have a good PS etc there's no reason why you shouldn't get an interview. That would go some way to demonstrating an upward trajectory, as others have alluded to.

If you don't manage it this time, if you're really committed to this particular course, you could take a gap year and apply after finishing your A levels. If you applied with A*s obtained at A level you would be in a much stronger position.
Original post by Blancosdos
How did you apply ? Was it via email or just general application?


So I took my CV, personalised cover letter to law firms and have since had multiple interviews. I often walk into law firms, ask to see their HR Director and book an interview. 1/1000 law firms accept lower sixth students (feels like it anyways) and the interviews are extremely tough. Good luck :smile: p.s. general emails to them ALWAYS get ignored unless they're personalised and show heavy research on the firm (which takes forever)

My internships were through connections, interviews and applicants though.
Original post by Marshall Taylor
My brother got A's, B's and C's at GCSE and got A*A*A*A at A level, so GCSE's arem't linked to A level success, people peak at different times and Cambridge sees that


I got poor GCSEs, excellent A levels and graduated from Cambridge with a law degree a couple of years ago.

I am well aware that not everyone peaks at GCSE level, but the reason why you underperformed at GCSE matters. If you got poor GCSEs after working really hard for them, I am afraid the most obvious diagnosis would simply be that you didn't have the capacity to get top A levels or cope with the law tripos.
Original post by TimmonaPortella
I got poor GCSEs, excellent A levels and graduated from Cambridge with a law degree a couple of years ago.

I am well aware that not everyone peaks at GCSE level, but the reason why you underperformed at GCSE matters. If you got poor GCSEs after working really hard for them, I am afraid the most obvious diagnosis would simply be that you didn't have the capacity to get top A levels or cope with the law tripos.


I wholly agree with you. It is also important to note that those who haven't come anywhere near to peaking at GCSE wouldn't have been studying correctly etc (e.g. not the best way, not as hard, not at a high enough level, but have since been improved)
Reply 31
I was advised by my school that my GCSE's were the bare minimum for any Oxbridge application. I got 6A*s, 4A's and a B at GCSE and was predicted A*A*AA at my A Levels in Maths, History, Chemistry and Economics. Everyone I met at interview had better GCSEs than me but I was still given an offer at Cambridge this year. My advice would be to write a killer personal statement in order to really make the fellows who would interview you want to talk to you! Also, when you apply, do so to a smaller college as the smaller colleges tend to interview a higher percentage of applicants. I don't know the stats on GCSE's for successful applicants but D grades are unlikely to go down too well, however, if you have space on your UCAS, certainly go for it. You have nothing to lose.
Reply 32
Original post by NMC1998
I was advised by my school that my GCSE's were the bare minimum for any Oxbridge application. I got 6A*s, 4A's and a B at GCSE and was predicted A*A*AA at my A Levels in Maths, History, Chemistry and Economics. Everyone I met at interview had better GCSEs than me but I was still given an offer at Cambridge this year. My advice would be to write a killer personal statement in order to really make the fellows who would interview you want to talk to you! Also, when you apply, do so to a smaller college as the smaller colleges tend to interview a higher percentage of applicants. I don't know the stats on GCSE's for successful applicants but D grades are unlikely to go down too well, however, if you have space on your UCAS, certainly go for it. You have nothing to lose.


Thank you :smile:
Original post by Marshall Taylor
Hey man, I am also looking at applying for Law at Cambridge next year!
My GCSE's are also very bad, so I guess we have that going for us both :smile:
I have been advised by my school that as long as we nail all of our mocks, get plenty of work experience (I have already 2 internships in law firms) and write a killer personal statement - we can get an interview at least. I have read on the Cambridge website that they do not love people who get 14 A*'s at GCSE or something, because it shows that they have peaked too early and won't necessarily go full study mode on at University. However, if you show them that during GCSE something happened (I had personal reasons) or if you weren't clever enough, but now have improved a lot at A levels - they would give us an offer assuming that we would peak at university and get a 1:1 or high 2:1. (going from low, medium and then high intelligence rather than high high high). (They like development apparently)

Yes apparently cambridge like to see an "upward trajectory"!:smile:
Original post by Marshall Taylor
I wholly agree with you. It is also important to note that those who haven't come anywhere near to peaking at GCSE wouldn't have been studying correctly etc (e.g. not the best way, not as hard, not at a high enough level, but have since been improved)


Well done!x :h:

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