Does which university you go to matter?

Hi everyone,

I recently finished college and I'm currently on a gap year. I started applying to university and I have applied to - University of Kent, University of East Anglia, University of Law, University of Royal Holloway and SOAS University. I finished college with A*BB. I got accepted by all my offers, thankfully.

I want to study Law at university.

Since I didn't achieve A*AA which is what most London-based Russell Group universities want (for example, UCL, LSE, Oxford and Cambridge), I applied to the above. Quite frankly, I'm not really a fan of moving out of London for studying either and would choose to stay in London anytime.

I did some research and it is all very negative. If I want to be accepted by the Magic Circle law firms (for example, Clifford Chance and Allen and Overy), I need to go to a Russell Group university or at least a university near the top of the leagues table. To become a barrister and guarantee pupillage and tenancy I also need to have attended a Russell Group university.

However, I don't want to leave London which leaves me with SOAS and University of Law.

This all just sucks and has stressed me out. I don't know what to do because I really want to become a lawyer and work within the Magic Circle/or become a barrister.

What do you guys think?

Too many people are graduating with university degree qualifications these days, and the supply for jobs for these people simply does not at all meet the demand for them. In addition to this, degrees are not good indicators of skill; they simply indicate how well you passed the test that was offered and graded by an examiner, but does not serve as an index of your efficiency or speed in doing so, etc. It is predominantly because of this that your contacts and links with those in the industry vis business networking, as well as pre existing work experience are more important than the degree, or what university you went to. Therefore, most employers do not care all that much about which university you went to, just so long as it does not have a well-known reputation of being total **** for pumping out **** students with **** skill sets. All they mostly care for is that you have contacts, applicable skills and experience in the field you are applying for.

Of course, you should do your best to go to the best university for YOU; not so much the best in terms of reputation or ranking. You do not want to go to Oxford for example, only to drop out, not because the course you were on was too hard for you to handle, but because you disliked the atmosphere down there. Go to open days, and decide which is best for you.

Personally I wouldn't choose UOL for an undergraduate degree as they're more geared towards postgraduate qualifications and wouldn't offer you the normal Uni experience. If you want to be close to London, there's nothing wrong with SOAS or Royal Holloway, just make sure you have visited them both before making a final decision. Neither Uni will prevent you from being able to access the Magic Circle etc, although your A level grades might be more of a problem, as your research will have already highlighted

Thank you for sharing your opinion. However, I don't completely understand what you mean by "although your A level grades might be more of a problem". As in? In terms of what?

Hi everyone,

I recently finished college and I'm currently on a gap year. I started applying to university and I have applied to - University of Kent, University of East Anglia, University of Law, University of Royal Holloway and SOAS University. I finished college with A*BB. I got accepted by all my offers, thankfully.

I want to study Law at university.

Since I didn't achieve A*AA which is what most London-based Russell Group universities want (for example, UCL, LSE, Oxford and Cambridge), I applied to the above. Quite frankly, I'm not really a fan of moving out of London for studying either and would choose to stay in London anytime.

I did some research and it is all very negative. If I want to be accepted by the Magic Circle law firms (for example, Clifford Chance and Allen and Overy), I need to go to a Russell Group university or at least a university near the top of the leagues table. To become a barrister and guarantee pupillage and tenancy I also need to have attended a Russell Group university.

However, I don't want to leave London which leaves me with SOAS and University of Law.

This all just sucks and has stressed me out. I don't know what to do because I really want to become a lawyer and work within the Magic Circle/or become a barrister.

What do you guys think?

Just resit. You want one thing, wont compromise/ inflexible, so be prepared to do what it takes..
I would absolutely take UCL over any of those.

You can get into Russell Group Unis with A*BB if that's what you want.

Pretty sure it's late to. However, I wouldn't resit because I worked hard for my A levels and I ended up with the grades that I did and honestly I don't think I could've worked any harder

Is there another reason?

Thank you for your response.
But, I don't think so...? Even if that was the case, I don't think I want to move out for university.

And the top law firms wouldn't like resits either, so no point

Your A levels are extremely good and the majority of law firms will be fine with them. I only gave that warning because you seem to be aiming for the most competive firms, and there are a select few who will insist on AAB (rather than the equivalent points) or AAA. When it comes to applying, you will be able to research what they all require and target your applications accordingly

Thank you for your response.
But, I don't think so...? Even if that was the case, I don't think I want to move out for university.