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Chances of getting an interview

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Priya: amen to that. I was at York and would wholeheartedly recommend it (not necessarily for law, but as a university). Being ‘old fashioned’, I’d probably recommend Durham, UEA, Sussex, Hull, Warwick and any number of others (that were ‘good’ in the early 1970s… :smile: ). But, for the time being, her heart’s set on Oxford… Until we’ve jumped that hurdle, I don’t think she’s thought of anywhere else. Musicboy: I hear you, although I think there may be some adjacency between enjoying teaching someone, and them being well-rounded. I think Calumc and Alvira have it about right: human nature being what it is, it’s going to be as much a case of whether the interviewer ‘likes’ you as it is anything else: the question then becomes, will she be ‘likeable’ to the person who interviews her? Well-roundedness may give her a better chance. Geogger: I think you’ve hit on it there – to apply to Oxbridge is setting yourself a major challenge, but to apply to Oxbridge to do something as competitive as law is really stretching it. Tomcoolinguk: I took a look at the sample LNAT test, and I’m not sure how she’d do. To me, it was all pretty intuitive – but they don’t teach kids like they used to… :smile:
The ABC was largely down to a lack of application rather than a lack of native intelligence, so she will almost certainly do better, her AS results having been something of a wake up call. Elles/IC125: valuable input – thanks. Cheers, Ian.
ian-in-northamp
Musicboy: I hear you, although I think there may be some adjacency between enjoying teaching someone, and them being well-rounded. I think Calumc and Alvira have it about right: human nature being what it is, it’s going to be as much a case of whether the interviewer ‘likes’ you as it is anything else: the question then becomes, will she be ‘likeable’ to the person who interviews her? Well-roundedness may give her a better chance.


Well of course if there is a choice between two candidates then ceteris paribus well-roundedness may come into it but especially in something like law unless you are really on the ball with your academic work there will be many who are better than you and being able to talk about the plot of fidelio or knowing paradise lost off by heart really won't come into it.

ian-in-northamp
The ABC was largely down to a lack of application rather than a lack of native intelligence


But again oxbridge will look at work ethic. You can be good at your subject and they won't take you because you are cocky/lazy. I am not trying to put you off but just trying to give fair warning from my (very limited) knowledge.

MB
musicboy

But again oxbridge will look at work ethic. You can be good at your subject and they won't take you because you are cocky/lazy. I am not trying to put you off but just trying to give fair warning from my (very limited) knowledge.

MB


While I agree with you on the point that a C grade will do her no favours at all, if her GCSEs are good enough and Ian said that it was due to lack of work, then at interview and the LNAT it will become aparent to them that she is a bright girl.
However, I would say that a very strong performance both at Inerview and LNAT will be needed to give her a chance against the many AAA applicants that they will have for a subject like law.
Where else is she thinking about - just out of interest?
Ian, surely your daughter can talk to us direct. Would this not be better? :tongue:
Musicboy: good points, although knowing Paradise Lost off by heart stood me in good stead. But then again, a) I read English, and b) I didn’t do so at Oxford… You’re so right about the work ethic thing, though. IC125: I think that’s the hope – that she does indeed come over as being very bright. And yes, she and I are under no illusions that if her grades are only as good as – or, heaven help us, worse than – her ‘competitors’, then she has her work cut out to shine. In all honesty, I’m not sure what else she’s thinking about: the only other thing I’ve ever heard her mention is doing English at York (like her father – and as I used to play football at York with its chancellor-elect, she must stand a chance… :biggrin: ) Ndgaarondi: you are, of course, exactly right – and I pointed her at the site yesterday evening. Shall we just say that there are questions that a father might ask, in his own way, that might be slightly different to those his daughter might ask, and how she might ask them… Thanks again guys for the excellent and helpful input. Cheers, Ian.
Reply 25
Avatar for Mib
Mib
As others have said, she'd have to do very well on the LNAT to get an interview. If she's predicted AAB she'll have to be outstanding at interview and do very well in the LNAT, as others will be predicted AAA in "proper subjects" and as I've said before, Law is very competitive.
Reply 26
Avatar for Dreama
Dreama
13
Damnit I got AAAC at AS and I'm petrified. :frown:
Reply 27
Avatar for Mib
Mib
Heh, well AAAAA here, average of 280.
Mib
Heh, well AAAAA here, average of 280.

Mr Humble. :rolleyes:
Reply 29
Avatar for Drogue
Drogue
19
All he did was say what he got, same as others have. The fact his might be better than others grades doesn't mean he shouldn't be able to say them, while others are, IMHO.
Drogue
All he did was say what he got, same as others have. The fact his might be better than others grades doesn't mean he shouldn't be able to say them, while others are, IMHO.

Indeed.

Maybe I'm trying to muffle the guy because I fall short of his standards, by five average UMS points...
Reply 31
Avatar for Mib
Mib
I didn't mean to be arrogant, but sorry if it sounded that way!
Mib
I didn't mean to be arrogant, but sorry if it sounded that way!


How were you arrogant?
deianra
Lots of the prospective lawyers and medics I know are extremely worried about not getting an interview.

And rightly so!
Reply 34
Avatar for priya
priya
14
Mib
Heh, well AAAAA here, average of 280.


lol. AAAA average of 265 is what i applied with. :biggrin: i ended up with AAAA plus 2 AS's, average of 541 on the Alevels
Reply 35
Avatar for Drogue
Drogue
19
I did it a strange way. Got 290s-560s in the subjects I'm not doing at university, and 250-490 in the ones I am :redface: I really did have a weird couple of years at 6th form!
She should get invited to interview. 80% of applicants do. But, the university is currently so under strain with admissions that they're increasing the proportion of people who aren't invited.

Her work will be cut out for her when she comes up for interview! I got into Oxford by reapplying, having been turned down for PPE in my first year. I performed quite well at interview, but not well enough to compensate for my lack of a Maths A-Level. So having the right A-Levels is important. Having said that, lots of candidates without Maths A-Level did get in - they just had to give a virtuoso performance in both the exam and interview admission stages.

So - she should be well prepared for interview. I know someone at Oxford who went on a no-win no-fee interview training day paid for by his school for around £200 and he couldn't recommend it highly enough, though I don't know what you think about the ethics of that! Also she should make sure the written work she sends up is of the highest standard possible. If she can, she should write the pieces specially - good written work can make the interview a foregone conclusion, but so can bad. Also she should consider applying post A-level, when she (hopefully) has a solid set of excellent results behind her, and the added confidence a year out gives you. It worked for me.

Law is well competitive, but because few people study it at A-Level, much depends on the interview. So she should be encouraged...use this to her advantage.
hey, i have to say that whilst AS grades are important, it is devotion to subject that has a lot to do with it. No one gets called to interview until after the LNAT from what I can make out - it basically gives an insight into the students abilty to find logical answers in comprehension etc etc - check out www.lnat.ac.uk if you dont know what its all about! Then there is the interview stage, this is, like the personal statement, a chance to walk about and say "YOU NEED ME" - without being arrogant! There are no real demands on the AS front, as nothing really gives you that much of a boost - though the media and the english as analytical subjects give a huge help! prompt, coherent aplications make a good impression, and all that - totally obvious really. With the right grades and a good LNAT score (tell her to download the test), she will get an interview which is where the real assment takes place! its all about charisma!

Anyway, hope it helps (I'm applying to Law with AABB so I know all about it)
Lauren Hart :cool:
hey, i have to say that whilst AS grades are important, it is devotion to subject that has a lot to do with it. No one gets called to interview until after the LNAT from what I can make out - it basically gives an insight into the students abilty to find logical answers in comprehension etc etc - check out www.lnat.ac.uk if you dont know what its all about! Then there is the interview stage, this is, like the personal statement, a chance to walk about and say "YOU NEED ME" - without being arrogant! There are no real demands on the AS front, as nothing really gives you that much of a boost - though the media and the english as analytical subjects give a huge help! prompt, coherent aplications make a good impression, and all that - totally obvious really. With the right grades and a good LNAT score (tell her to download the test), she will get an interview which is where the real assment takes place! its all about charisma!

Anyway, hope it helps (I'm applying to Law with AABB so I know all about it)
Lauren Hart :cool:
Lauren Hart
hey, i have to say that whilst AS grades are important, it is devotion to subject that has a lot to do with it. No one gets called to interview until after the LNAT from what I can make out - it basically gives an insight into the students abilty to find logical answers in comprehension etc etc - check out www.lnat.ac.uk if you dont know what its all about! Then there is the interview stage, this is, like the personal statement, a chance to walk about and say "YOU NEED ME" - without being arrogant! There are no real demands on the AS front, as nothing really gives you that much of a boost - though the media and the english as analytical subjects give a huge help! prompt, coherent aplications make a good impression, and all that - totally obvious really. With the right grades and a good LNAT score (tell her to download the test), she will get an interview which is where the real assment takes place! its all about charisma!

Anyway, hope it helps (I'm applying to Law with AABB so I know all about it)
Lauren Hart :cool:


No- it is about CHARISMA+ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT+ ACADEMIC POTENTIAL

Now, I'm not saying this girl doesn't have the ability, but if there are two people next to each other, and both are fairly evenly matched but one has declared AS grades that college is going to pick them. Oxbridge admissions are so competitive to begin with that elminating those with below standard AS grades is an easy first hurdle, compared to other measures. I personally can't believe how many people without a realistic chance are going for Oxbridge- and Oxford in particular, where not asking for module scores is surely a policy waiting to be dropped.

Also, I find their is an annoying underlying assumption to this thread that this girl's performance at AS is meaningless and not indicative of her likely performance at LNAT and interview. If she scraped C and B grades in essay based subjects it is unlikely that her essay will be Oxbridge standard. She could get a good multiple choice score, but the essay directly correlates with the AS levels.

Personally, I think that in a subject as competitive as Law she should consider Oxford very carefully and possibly not apply, as there are around 15 universities just beneath Oxbridge asking for AAA-ABB. She might not even- with the severe intensity of competition across the board for Law- get places at some of these.

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