Elaborate on entry requirements?

I've researched on the websites of the universities I wish to attend in 2011 as to what they require in terms of grades to do my required course of law LLB.

I have found some mixed results as some universities such as Durham require AAA however, on looking at the times good university guide states that the entry standards are 488 UCAS points for law. Is this because the universities are more flexible on the entry requirements and the guide is just taking an average of all the student's UCAS points?

Many thanks.

Reply 1

F1 fanatic

willtang3000

Well, AAA = 360 UCAS points so it's actually saying that the average of those accepted is higher than AAA, probably because the minimum is AAA but many applicants will have more than 3 A levels. Anyhow, AAA is the one to go by in this instance I think.

Reply 2

willtang3000

Thank you! I just found this out using an online calculator and I'm quite bewildered that 3 A's are only worth 360 points. Looks like I'll be taking a fourth subject onto A-level then :smile:

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Do the AS points contribute at all to the total amount of points you get at the end of the two years?

Many thanks.

Reply 3

F1 fanatic

willtang3000

Thank you! I just found this out using an online calculator and I'm quite bewildered that 3 A's are only worth 360 points. Looks like I'll be taking a fourth subject onto A-level then :smile:

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Do the AS points contribute at all to the total amount of points you get at the end of the two years?

Many thanks.

If it's an AS level that you take to full A-level then it doesn't count, you only get the A2 points. If you drop it and only have the AS then it does count (so basically you can't count a subject twice). Don't feel you have to do a 4th A-level. If their minimum offer is AAA then that is the minimum they want, it's just that a lot of people have more than the minimum. Getting A*AA would probably be seen in a better light than doing 4 A-levels anyhow.

Reply 4

willtang3000

Say I got AABB from taking 4 subjects in A2, would I still have a reasonable chance of getting into Durham? I'm just assessing my options as I would rather when choosing universities next year with one risk and 3 safes as my January exam results arern't due till March so its still a bit vague until that point as to which direction I'm heading at.

Thank you for all your help :smile:

Reply 5

ParadigmShift

willtang3000

If you think you'll get AAA with 3 A-levels, and AABB with 4, most definitely stick with 3. Don't feel under pressure to take more than 3.

Reply 6

willtang3000

I know I definitely won't get 4 A's by doing 4 subjects next year. I think I'm likely to get A in Law, Business Studies and Biology but when history is thrown into the equation I think the maximum I will get is a B and as a result may affect my biology as they're my weakest subjects when done together. Ideally I'd like to keep biology as my back up incase I change my mind on law but then the lack of history in A2 may affect my suitability for law in university. Sorry for ranting on but I would like your opinions :smile:

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Many thanks.

Reply 7

F1 fanatic

willtang3000

No, AAA is better than AABB which is the point I was trying to make when I said about A*AA. They want AAA, below that is unlikely to be enough unless they lower their typical offer (possible but unlikely). If you have AAA+something else then that is a bonus.

Reply 8

willtang3000

Thank you for your thoughts.

Do you have any suggestions as to which subject I should drop? I'm currently doing law, history, biology and business studies. I would like to drop history as its the least likely I'll get an A in but will the universities think I'm less suitable as a future candidate because of this?

Reply 9

Good bloke

willtang3000

For someone with aspirations to study law, the history A level is probably the most relevant and useful of those you are taking, so don't drop that. I'm not sure you've chosen well, particularly if you hope to go to top universities like Durham. In order of relevance, your subjects are history, biology, law (which is often not seen as helpful for budding law students, and is sometimes even seen as damaging) and business (which is not usually seen as a good academic A level). Hence you are only offering two well-regarded A levels. The one to drop would probably be, in my view, business studies.

It strikes me that you have compromised your marketability for both law and science by sitting on the fence with your subject choices. Another science like chemistry would have improved your chances for a biology-related degree, and law does you no good for either of your possible routes.

Reply 10

willtang3000

I thought that taking law at A-level was just a myth stating that it would affect your university choices. Surely it can't do any harm developing my knowledge of law before doing it at university. I've also heard that apparently universities like you to have a clean mind on law as a-levels can influence you negatively. I don't know how knowing the basic facts is doing me any harm at all.

Reply 11

Revolution is my Name

willtang3000

From looking at similar tables, those are just "entry standards" rather than "entry requirements". So they're the average UCAS points a person doing that course will have; obviously there's a correlation between them and entry requirements, but, as with all averages, there'll be people who got less than the average entry standard, and some who got above, and so the actual entry requirements are the ones to go by in terms of what is needed.

Reply 12

Good bloke

willtang3000

I thought that taking law at A-level was just a myth stating that it would affect your university choices.

It isn't relevant for any other degree than law and is not helpful in terms of getting in for law at most universities. It is, therefore, not a judicious choice for one of your three or four A levels, particularly if you are trying to maximise your flexibility. You would have been better off choosing, say, English or another science.

Reply 13

Good bloke

Revolution is my Name

From looking at similar tables, those are just "entry standards" rather than "entry requirements".

Quite. They also include such irrelevances as general studies and tariff points for music qualifications and horse-riding, which the top universities have no interest in.

Reply 14

willtang3000

Revolution is my Name

What do you think the least Durham is likely to accept?

Thank you Good Bloke, if only you were there when I had to choose my subjects. :s-smilie:

Reply 15

Good bloke

willtang3000

What do you think the least Durham is likely to accept?

Don't expect them to accept less than AAA (the published typical offer), and check before applying that they are happy with your subjects (and that applies to any of your likely choices). Of course, next year's typical offers may have risen slightly from this year's so check such things just before you apply and make choices that are appropriate to your AS results.