Cambridge Law application whilst already at university
I won't be applying to Cambridge since I messed up my A Level grades so I plan on going to somewhere like Warwick/Leeds/Queen Mary/Manchester.
I was wondering that whilst I am already at one of the aforementioned universities can I apply for first year entry into Cambridge for Law?
I was wondering that whilst I am already at one of the aforementioned universities can I apply for first year entry into Cambridge for Law?
Original post by Da Di Doo
So nobody knows this?
Why on earth would you get impatient about not getting a reply on a UK website between 11:30pm and 9am?
Original post by Ronove
Why on earth would you get impatient about not getting a reply on a UK website between 11:30pm and 9am?
Because people were still obviously online since other questions were being answered and that post was a way to bump my thread.
Yes you can, but there are several points to mention regarding Cambridge:
Firstly, you will still be competing against people with better A-Levels, and they will still take this into account. The average applicant has 93% UMS overall, but this is much higher for Law, around 95% but with a much smaller spread of results. Post A-Level applicants are required to have achieved 2 A*s and one A to make a competitive application, as this is what the average successful offer holder achieves. This would make it much harder for you to achieve an offer, as they still will use a AS 'best three' UMS average to differentiate between candidates.
At the time you will be applying, it will only be several weeks into the start of term. You will, therefore, be asking someone who barely knows you, or even not at all, to write an academic reference saying how brilliant you are and how you are going to achieve a first, or whatever. Yet, you are expecting them to do this while telling them that you don't think their University is, for want of a better word, 'good enough'. While the reality is there are various reasons as to why one might want to study at Cambridge, it comes across as slightly arrogant or rude, and it may be reflected in your academic reference which is a big factor in the admissions decision Cambridge will make considering your achieved A-Levels.
Say you get an interview, you will have to prep for this during term, and then take time off to attend the interview itself. This will have an impact on your work, and must be considered. If you don't get into Cambridge and resultantly don't get a 2:1 at whatever Institute you are accepted at, that is a much greater problem with regard to getting a post practising Law.
If you are accepted into Cambridge, you will have to undertake the first year again, and so will add on another £9,000 in debt - just something to consider.
Similarly, if you are accepted you will have to be realistic about the fact that you will be a much smaller fish in a much larger pool. The grading of a degree is similar to that of A-Level; you are competing against your peers, and as such have to seriously consider whether you would be able to do as well as you would potentially do by going elsewhere. The rigour of the Cambridge course is significantly higher than any other Law degree in that there is no messing about, no retakes and no 'off-days'. Considering that you didn't get what you wanted in your A-Levels first time, I would have to question whether this would be an issue when competing in a harder, more rigorous environment, against much more well qualified candidates. In the current Legal market, there is little doubt that in most cases (but not all) achieving a First/2:1 from a top 10 RG University would trump that of a 2:1/2: respectively from Cambridge.
Cambridge is brilliant for so many reasons, but not going does not mean that you are a worse Lawyer, merely a less academic one. It really is rather a lot of bother, for a realistically very small chance. Avoid the disappointment and just be happy wherever you end up, get a solid degree and you can still achieve as much as someone who has studied at Cambridge or Oxford. Similarly, get a First and complete the BCL at Oxford or the LLM at Cambridge, and then get the best of both worlds. I seem to remember that you aspire to the Bar, where only 40% of pupillages go to Oxbridge candidates, and so going to a high class RG Uni (Ox/Cam, UCL, LSE, Durham, Bristol, Notts, Warwick, KCL, etc) isn't such an issue in reality if you had a chance to start with. As I also say, being a better candidate at a worse University is a much more comfortable position to be in.
I've pointed out all the negatives, but they're all valid and need to be seriously considered. Each year they turn down plenty of people who are clever enough to go, and they still manage to have fulfilling lives. You also need to focus on getting into the best University you can possible, before beginning to aspire to Cambridge!
Firstly, you will still be competing against people with better A-Levels, and they will still take this into account. The average applicant has 93% UMS overall, but this is much higher for Law, around 95% but with a much smaller spread of results. Post A-Level applicants are required to have achieved 2 A*s and one A to make a competitive application, as this is what the average successful offer holder achieves. This would make it much harder for you to achieve an offer, as they still will use a AS 'best three' UMS average to differentiate between candidates.
At the time you will be applying, it will only be several weeks into the start of term. You will, therefore, be asking someone who barely knows you, or even not at all, to write an academic reference saying how brilliant you are and how you are going to achieve a first, or whatever. Yet, you are expecting them to do this while telling them that you don't think their University is, for want of a better word, 'good enough'. While the reality is there are various reasons as to why one might want to study at Cambridge, it comes across as slightly arrogant or rude, and it may be reflected in your academic reference which is a big factor in the admissions decision Cambridge will make considering your achieved A-Levels.
Say you get an interview, you will have to prep for this during term, and then take time off to attend the interview itself. This will have an impact on your work, and must be considered. If you don't get into Cambridge and resultantly don't get a 2:1 at whatever Institute you are accepted at, that is a much greater problem with regard to getting a post practising Law.
If you are accepted into Cambridge, you will have to undertake the first year again, and so will add on another £9,000 in debt - just something to consider.
Similarly, if you are accepted you will have to be realistic about the fact that you will be a much smaller fish in a much larger pool. The grading of a degree is similar to that of A-Level; you are competing against your peers, and as such have to seriously consider whether you would be able to do as well as you would potentially do by going elsewhere. The rigour of the Cambridge course is significantly higher than any other Law degree in that there is no messing about, no retakes and no 'off-days'. Considering that you didn't get what you wanted in your A-Levels first time, I would have to question whether this would be an issue when competing in a harder, more rigorous environment, against much more well qualified candidates. In the current Legal market, there is little doubt that in most cases (but not all) achieving a First/2:1 from a top 10 RG University would trump that of a 2:1/2: respectively from Cambridge.
Cambridge is brilliant for so many reasons, but not going does not mean that you are a worse Lawyer, merely a less academic one. It really is rather a lot of bother, for a realistically very small chance. Avoid the disappointment and just be happy wherever you end up, get a solid degree and you can still achieve as much as someone who has studied at Cambridge or Oxford. Similarly, get a First and complete the BCL at Oxford or the LLM at Cambridge, and then get the best of both worlds. I seem to remember that you aspire to the Bar, where only 40% of pupillages go to Oxbridge candidates, and so going to a high class RG Uni (Ox/Cam, UCL, LSE, Durham, Bristol, Notts, Warwick, KCL, etc) isn't such an issue in reality if you had a chance to start with. As I also say, being a better candidate at a worse University is a much more comfortable position to be in.
I've pointed out all the negatives, but they're all valid and need to be seriously considered. Each year they turn down plenty of people who are clever enough to go, and they still manage to have fulfilling lives. You also need to focus on getting into the best University you can possible, before beginning to aspire to Cambridge!
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