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Backup University?

Hello.

I'm an EU student applying for law in 2008 at the following unis:

UCL
KCL
SOAS
Durham

I'm pondering over which university I should put as a "backup".
What first stroke me was that Warwick would be really good, but now after seeing the vast amount of applicants having Warwick as backup I can't avoid but think that Warwick will have this huge pool of applicants (sometimes with very good merits), perhaps explaining why they decline people that get into Oxbridge.

Isn't the purpose of a backup university to give one a bit of insurance in case one gets rejected by the other institutions? Does Warwick work out as this if every and other person will put Warwick as fifth.. ?

I was also thinking of Leicester. They seem to have a very good Law faculty.

Does Anyone know how Leicester compares to Warwick regarding future career prospects?

I was initially intending to apply to Oxford but changed my mind, but doing LNAT 25:th october.

Can this be a disadvantage, lets say if I send my application in (it's finished) before 15:th october If I don't apply for Oxbridge?

Any views and feedback is most welcome

Thanks

Reply 1

Mr_Deeds

13

Warwick isn't really an insurance university. Overall it's been rated seventh best in the country and the entry standards are as high, if not higher than some of the ones you've mentioned above. I realise you're probably not studying A-Levels but the typical offer for Law is AAAc so alongside your other four it's not going to provide that much of a "back up". I'd say Leicester would be a good option; it does have a really good department and they ask for AAB, otherwise there are universities such as Exeter (require LNAT), UEA, QMUL and Reading, which are all good universities with lesser entry requirements. All of these universities would provide good graduate prospects but really, a lot of it is down to you, you can't just rely on prestige. It's probably best if you apply to the places you most like, if that's Warwick as opposed to Leicester then go for it, don't not apply somewhere because of the competition if it's where you really want to go.

Reply 2

Purple

18

Warwick isnt an insurance university.

Reply 3

Luine

5

You're applying to 5 top ones, that is too much. Even i am not doing that, apply to a university with AAB or ABB ideally as your insurance. Try Hull, Manchester Metropolitan or something like that. Your aiming way too high.

Reply 4

Mike_P

OP

1

Thanks for your input everyone. I'm probably going to choose Leicester after few days of thinking hehe.

Reply 5

TommehR

13

Only apply to an insurance university if you'd actually be happy going there. If you get rejected by your four top universities, would you still be happy to go your insurance. If you miss your firm university offer, would you still be happy going to your insurance. Don't apply for an insurance just because you feel you have to.

Reply 6

Mike_P

OP

1

TommehR

Only apply to an insurance university if you'd actually be happy going there. If you get rejected by your four top universities, would you still be happy to go your insurance. If you miss your firm university offer, would you still be happy going to your insurance. Don't apply for an insurance just because you feel you have to.

Thanks, yeah.

I would have nothing against studying at Leicester so now I have decided upon my fifth choice. :smile:

.

Though, what is the so called firm choice?

Not really acquainted with the expression.

Reply 7

Llamaaa

15

I would say Sheffield is better than Leicester personally, but it's your choice. The firm choice is when you have got all your offers in and you choose the one you really want to go to- that becomes your firm. So then if you get the grades, you go to that university.

Just as a side note, Exeter requires AAA normally, so isn't a place that offers lower grades as someone said, unlesss they have changed their requirements this year.

I applied to 2 good universities, 1 mediocre one and two rubbish ones, in case all goes wrong. My firm was Cambridge, and my insurance Sheffield, so I ended up with two pretty good ones, but thankfully I got an AAB offer from Sheffield for law with Spanish. The other ones I applied to were Queens Belfast (mediocre), and Kent and sussex (not so good) but in the end I decided there was no point in putting down an insurance just because they required low grades (Kent and Sussex both EE) if I wasn't going to be happy there, which is why I risked putting a decent university as my insurance.

Good luck with your applications

Reply 8

TommehR

13

Well, once you've got all your offers you pick a Firm and an Insurance choice. The Firm choice is the university that you really want to go to. So for example, if you apply to Oxford and they make you an AAA offer. If you want to accept that offer then you'd put Oxford down as your firm choice. So, if you get AAA in your A-levels you would be going to Oxford.

Contrasted with the insurance choice which is a university which has lower entrance requirements, should you fail to meet your firm choice's offer.

Reply 9

talespirit

15

I'd go for Exeter..as well (but i was looking at IB scores most of the time..i don't know about A level requirements) Can Birmingham also be a safety net?

Actually, now that i come to think of it, why don't you go take a look at last year's law clearing...and pick from there. Atleast you'll get an idea which unis have space.

Reply 10

Luine

5

I've gone for liverpool, but i don't actually want to go there. If i'm rejected by my other four, i'll take a gap year. I couldn't find an insurance i liked.

Reply 11

nayiseda

Then why have an insurance at all? I dont see the point of applying somewhere that you dont want to go to. Might as well apply for a better uni that you like

Reply 12

Rachel289

I'd pick Exeter as well, although Leicesters also a good choice as a back-up. We're taking the LNAT on the same day by the way :smile:

Reply 13

TommehR

13

Luine

I've gone for liverpool, but i don't actually want to go there. If i'm rejected by my other four, i'll take a gap year. I couldn't find an insurance i liked.

What a waste of a choice.

Reply 14

Luine

5

nayiseda

Then why have an insurance at all? I dont see the point of applying somewhere that you dont want to go to. Might as well apply for a better uni that you like

i made a mistake. no one in my family has even finished secondary school, nevermind been to uni. I had no one to talk to and consequently made a mistake.

I would definately say HAVE an insurance, i guess i'd force myself to go there in the end as it's a russell group uni, but try find one you like. I couldn't find any uni i liked.

Reply 15

Llamaaa

15

Yeah, I did a similar thing. I put down Kent and Sussex just in case any of the universities I really liked didn't want me. It's better to have that option than put entirely good universities down. In the end though I put Sheffield as my insurance even though that was AAB because I thought it would be better to go into clearing and do a different degree at a nice university than go somewhere where I wouldn't be happy.

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