Do I have a chance at getting into Oxford Law?
I've been stressing for ages about if I have decent shot at an offer for their Law course. For context I got Five 9s, Three 8s and Two 7s at GCSE. I am predicted 3 A*s but I know I'll be up against students better then me. Plus I go to state school. Is the application worth it?
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Reply 1
Hello 
Your A-Levels and GCSEs look great but they are of limited importance. What matters is how well you do in the LNAT and in possible interviews. The fact that you come from a state school may put you at a disadvantage in how well your school can prepare you, but Oxford do account for that and give priority to state students over private school kids.
Speaking from experience, I go to a state school and come from a low-income background. My mother had to use her savings to get me tutors for the HAT and interview. Ultimately, I did get an offer for HisPol. What I am trying to say is that it IS possible but it requires more effort. Maybe I could have gotten in without the tutors, but that is in the hypotheticals now. If you want a decent shot, be COMMITED to that goal. Here's some tips:
At the end of the day, you don't lose much if you apply and don't get in. You're not investing your life's savings in this application. If you get in, you get in. If you don't, there's other amazing unis. The only reason you might not want to not try, is if you don't want to waste one of your options or don't want to put yourself through the admissions process. I think that if you are serious enough about going to Oxford, these aren't good enough reasons to not apply. It's worth a shot!
Your A-Levels and GCSEs look great but they are of limited importance. What matters is how well you do in the LNAT and in possible interviews. The fact that you come from a state school may put you at a disadvantage in how well your school can prepare you, but Oxford do account for that and give priority to state students over private school kids.
Speaking from experience, I go to a state school and come from a low-income background. My mother had to use her savings to get me tutors for the HAT and interview. Ultimately, I did get an offer for HisPol. What I am trying to say is that it IS possible but it requires more effort. Maybe I could have gotten in without the tutors, but that is in the hypotheticals now. If you want a decent shot, be COMMITED to that goal. Here's some tips:
•
Oxford tutors value interest in the subject - in your PS and in a prospective interview. Show it by doing a lot of background reading and also, if you're eligible apply for the UNIQ summer school. It's a great opportunity to not only see what the course and city looks like, but also to have really interesting lectures to write about in your PS. You also get to meet new people so it's always worth it. Deadline is, however, in TWO DAYS. Here's the link: https://www.uniq.ox.ac.uk/
There are similar summer schools for other unis that are also worth it (https://summerschools.suttontrust.com/)
•
You NEED to score well on the LNAT to even be considered for an interview. Make sure you do a lot of practice, ask your teachers for help (maybe ask them to mark an essay or two?), get a tutor if you can.
Reply 2
Original post by Anonymous #1
I've been stressing for ages about if I have decent shot at an offer for their Law course. For context I got Five 9s, Three 8s and Two 7s at GCSE. I am predicted 3 A*s but I know I'll be up against students better then me. Plus I go to state school. Is the application worth it?
Definitely
Reply 3
Original post by iamalive
Hello
Your A-Levels and GCSEs look great but they are of limited importance. What matters is how well you do in the LNAT and in possible interviews. The fact that you come from a state school may put you at a disadvantage in how well your school can prepare you, but Oxford do account for that and give priority to state students over private school kids.
Speaking from experience, I go to a state school and come from a low-income background. My mother had to use her savings to get me tutors for the HAT and interview. Ultimately, I did get an offer for HisPol. What I am trying to say is that it IS possible but it requires more effort. Maybe I could have gotten in without the tutors, but that is in the hypotheticals now. If you want a decent shot, be COMMITED to that goal. Here's some tips:
At the end of the day, you don't lose much if you apply and don't get in. You're not investing your life's savings in this application. If you get in, you get in. If you don't, there's other amazing unis. The only reason you might not want to not try, is if you don't want to waste one of your options or don't want to put yourself through the admissions process. I think that if you are serious enough about going to Oxford, these aren't good enough reasons to not apply. It's worth a shot!
Your A-Levels and GCSEs look great but they are of limited importance. What matters is how well you do in the LNAT and in possible interviews. The fact that you come from a state school may put you at a disadvantage in how well your school can prepare you, but Oxford do account for that and give priority to state students over private school kids.
Speaking from experience, I go to a state school and come from a low-income background. My mother had to use her savings to get me tutors for the HAT and interview. Ultimately, I did get an offer for HisPol. What I am trying to say is that it IS possible but it requires more effort. Maybe I could have gotten in without the tutors, but that is in the hypotheticals now. If you want a decent shot, be COMMITED to that goal. Here's some tips:
•
Oxford tutors value interest in the subject - in your PS and in a prospective interview. Show it by doing a lot of background reading and also, if you're eligible apply for the UNIQ summer school. It's a great opportunity to not only see what the course and city looks like, but also to have really interesting lectures to write about in your PS. You also get to meet new people so it's always worth it. Deadline is, however, in TWO DAYS. Here's the link: https://www.uniq.ox.ac.uk/
There are similar summer schools for other unis that are also worth it (https://summerschools.suttontrust.com/)
•
You NEED to score well on the LNAT to even be considered for an interview. Make sure you do a lot of practice, ask your teachers for help (maybe ask them to mark an essay or two?), get a tutor if you can.
Wow! That is wonderfully helpful information! I'm so grateful for the effort you've put into this, I will definitely practise for the lnat and try to follow your advice 🫶 I did apply for uniq so fingers crossed that works out
Reply 4
Original post by wjg05
Definitely
Thankyou!
Reply 5
Original post by yourmywnderwall
Wow! That is wonderfully helpful information! I'm so grateful for the effort you've put into this, I will definitely practise for the lnat and try to follow your advice 🫶 I did apply for uniq so fingers crossed that works out
Absolutely no problem 😊 good luck and if you do get into uniq, have fun! I had such a lovely time there, I hope you do too. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask
Reply 6
Original post by iamalive
Hello
Your A-Levels and GCSEs look great but they are of limited importance. What matters is how well you do in the LNAT and in possible interviews. The fact that you come from a state school may put you at a disadvantage in how well your school can prepare you, but Oxford do account for that and give priority to state students over private school kids.
Speaking from experience, I go to a state school and come from a low-income background. My mother had to use her savings to get me tutors for the HAT and interview. Ultimately, I did get an offer for HisPol. What I am trying to say is that it IS possible but it requires more effort. Maybe I could have gotten in without the tutors, but that is in the hypotheticals now. If you want a decent shot, be COMMITED to that goal. Here's some tips:
At the end of the day, you don't lose much if you apply and don't get in. You're not investing your life's savings in this application. If you get in, you get in. If you don't, there's other amazing unis. The only reason you might not want to not try, is if you don't want to waste one of your options or don't want to put yourself through the admissions process. I think that if you are serious enough about going to Oxford, these aren't good enough reasons to not apply. It's worth a shot!
Your A-Levels and GCSEs look great but they are of limited importance. What matters is how well you do in the LNAT and in possible interviews. The fact that you come from a state school may put you at a disadvantage in how well your school can prepare you, but Oxford do account for that and give priority to state students over private school kids.
Speaking from experience, I go to a state school and come from a low-income background. My mother had to use her savings to get me tutors for the HAT and interview. Ultimately, I did get an offer for HisPol. What I am trying to say is that it IS possible but it requires more effort. Maybe I could have gotten in without the tutors, but that is in the hypotheticals now. If you want a decent shot, be COMMITED to that goal. Here's some tips:
•
Oxford tutors value interest in the subject - in your PS and in a prospective interview. Show it by doing a lot of background reading and also, if you're eligible apply for the UNIQ summer school. It's a great opportunity to not only see what the course and city looks like, but also to have really interesting lectures to write about in your PS. You also get to meet new people so it's always worth it. Deadline is, however, in TWO DAYS. Here's the link: https://www.uniq.ox.ac.uk/
There are similar summer schools for other unis that are also worth it (https://summerschools.suttontrust.com/)
•
You NEED to score well on the LNAT to even be considered for an interview. Make sure you do a lot of practice, ask your teachers for help (maybe ask them to mark an essay or two?), get a tutor if you can.
I wouldn't say A Levels and GCSEs are of limited importance - if you get 3C's but do amazing on the LNAT - you do not have a chance.
Reply 7
Original post by M-P-JxX
I wouldn't say A Levels and GCSEs are of limited importance - if you get 3C's but do amazing on the LNAT - you do not have a chance.
oh no definitely! This wasn't ideal wording on my part. They are more of a prerequisite. There's more people with high grades than there are places available and you could get 4A* and still not get in.
Reply 8
Original post by iamalive
Absolutely no problem 😊 good luck and if you do get into uniq, have fun! I had such a lovely time there, I hope you do too. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask
Hi, I've recently applied for uniq Oxford, I got quintile 1 for polar4 and acorn 5 putting me in most disadvantaged, for context at GCSE I went to a state school with low average grades, I got four 9s, two 8s, three 7s, and a 6 but I'm not sure whether those grades are good enough to get in because ik other applicants will have all 9s. I applied for law, and that's why I am worried since it's one of the most sought after courses. Do I have a good chance at getting in?
Reply 9
Original post by Anonymous #2
Hi, I've recently applied for uniq Oxford, I got quintile 1 for polar4 and acorn 5 putting me in most disadvantaged, for context at GCSE I went to a state school with low average grades, I got four 9s, two 8s, three 7s, and a 6 but I'm not sure whether those grades are good enough to get in because ik other applicants will have all 9s. I applied for law, and that's why I am worried since it's one of the most sought after courses. Do I have a good chance at getting in?
I want to preface by saying I'm not entirely sure about the weighting of their own criteria, so take my word with a huge grain of salt. A whole bucket if you will.
That being said, I think your socio-economic factors will outweigh your GCSE scores (still, your grades are pretty strong overall). This is purely anecdotal evidence here (because that is the only kind I have access to) but in my experience there was a lot of people who did not show utmost stellar performances academically but who had a place due to their circumstances. I'm not just talking for History (the summer school I attended), but for Engineering and PPE from which I met people, which are very competitive. I met people who had 6s and 7s in their GCSEs (as it came up in conversation, someone had managed to get onto the PPE course with such grades).
Oh, and don't forget that getting all 9s or a very high number of 9s is extremely rare to begin with. Even rarer if you take away all the private school and just generally more advantaged kids away. According to the 2023 data, only 1160 students received all 9 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/infographic-gcse-results-2023/infographics-for-gcse-results-2023-accessible). That's still quite a bunch (not accounting for everyone who got a lot of 9s, but not straight 9s), but not as many as you might think. And we don't know how many of those applied to UNIQ, and even then how many applied for Law specifically.
Therefore, I think you have a decent chance, but as with all things luck is always a factor. Good luck!
(please update when you get a decision. I have now been invested in this matter)
Reply 10
Firstly, thanks. I'll definitely update you, I also wanted to ask do you to Oxford currently, if you do, do you think my GCSEs will hinder me in getting an interview or potentially getting in for law at Oxford? I know I have to do well in the LNAT so I'm gonna practice all summer but that considered how much will my grades to do stop me or are they fine. I know it's contextualised but barely.
Reply 11
Original post by Anonymous #2
Firstly, thanks. I'll definitely update you, I also wanted to ask do you to Oxford currently, if you do, do you think my GCSEs will hinder me in getting an interview or potentially getting in for law at Oxford? I know I have to do well in the LNAT so I'm gonna practice all summer but that considered how much will my grades to do stop me or are they fine. I know it's contextualised but barely.
I currently hold an offer for HisPol at Oxford and will most likely be going as it is not too high.
Your GCSEs do matter to a significant extent in your application. For the History department the weighting was 50% for getting shortlisted and something like 30% for offers, but of course, it might be different for law so it's worth checking for previous years (beware that weighting might have been different for the COVID years). That being said this is a CONTEXTUALISED score, so they only look at your GCSE results in the context in which they were produced. This is why it is paramount that you describe your circumstances well (or rather that your referee does).
With that said, I think your GCSEs are decent and should not hinder you. They probably won't give you an advantage either, but that's why you want to do well in the LNAT as you are aware. Do as much timed practice as you can. For my course, admissions exam results accounted for the other 50% of the shortlisting weighting and 30% for offers. That's as much as your GCSEs. I imagine that it's similar for the Law department.
At the end of the day, I think it's worth applying. You lose nothing but one option on UCAS and a bit of effort, which is nothing in the grand scheme of things.
Reply 12
Original post by iamalive
I currently hold an offer for HisPol at Oxford and will most likely be going as it is not too high.
Your GCSEs do matter to a significant extent in your application. For the History department the weighting was 50% for getting shortlisted and something like 30% for offers, but of course, it might be different for law so it's worth checking for previous years (beware that weighting might have been different for the COVID years). That being said this is a CONTEXTUALISED score, so they only look at your GCSE results in the context in which they were produced. This is why it is paramount that you describe your circumstances well (or rather that your referee does).
With that said, I think your GCSEs are decent and should not hinder you. They probably won't give you an advantage either, but that's why you want to do well in the LNAT as you are aware. Do as much timed practice as you can. For my course, admissions exam results accounted for the other 50% of the shortlisting weighting and 30% for offers. That's as much as your GCSEs. I imagine that it's similar for the Law department.
At the end of the day, I think it's worth applying. You lose nothing but one option on UCAS and a bit of effort, which is nothing in the grand scheme of things.
Your GCSEs do matter to a significant extent in your application. For the History department the weighting was 50% for getting shortlisted and something like 30% for offers, but of course, it might be different for law so it's worth checking for previous years (beware that weighting might have been different for the COVID years). That being said this is a CONTEXTUALISED score, so they only look at your GCSE results in the context in which they were produced. This is why it is paramount that you describe your circumstances well (or rather that your referee does).
With that said, I think your GCSEs are decent and should not hinder you. They probably won't give you an advantage either, but that's why you want to do well in the LNAT as you are aware. Do as much timed practice as you can. For my course, admissions exam results accounted for the other 50% of the shortlisting weighting and 30% for offers. That's as much as your GCSEs. I imagine that it's similar for the Law department.
At the end of the day, I think it's worth applying. You lose nothing but one option on UCAS and a bit of effort, which is nothing in the grand scheme of things.
30% is wild but it is what it is, ye I think my GCSEs will be somewhere around the middle so if I capitalise on the LNAT I should surely get shortlisted for interview, and then hopefully have a good interview. I've been wanting to get into Oxford for a super long time now so it'll be peak if I don't but we'll see. Anyway, I'll give an update on uniq when I find out. Thanks for your help
Reply 13
Original post by Anonymous #2
30% is wild but it is what it is, ye I think my GCSEs will be somewhere around the middle so if I capitalise on the LNAT I should surely get shortlisted for interview, and then hopefully have a good interview. I've been wanting to get into Oxford for a super long time now so it'll be peak if I don't but we'll see. Anyway, I'll give an update on uniq when I find out. Thanks for your help
30% is quite wild to be honest. I was really surprised when I looked at the admissions report. But yeah, you're chances aren't bad just because you don't gave straight 9s, so go for it.
I was like you. I've wanted to get into Oxford for years. I like to think I would've taken rejection well, but probably not 😅
Anyway, no problem, if you have any other questions, you can dm me.
Other than that, good luck!
Reply 14
Original post by iamalive
30% is quite wild to be honest. I was really surprised when I looked at the admissions report. But yeah, you're chances aren't bad just because you don't gave straight 9s, so go for it.
I was like you. I've wanted to get into Oxford for years. I like to think I would've taken rejection well, but probably not 😅
Anyway, no problem, if you have any other questions, you can dm me.
Other than that, good luck!
I was like you. I've wanted to get into Oxford for years. I like to think I would've taken rejection well, but probably not 😅
Anyway, no problem, if you have any other questions, you can dm me.
Other than that, good luck!
Reply 15
Original post by Anonymous #2
Yo if you have insta or snap can you give it to me, just found out I got into uniq for law I'm super happy rn.
can you dm pls and i'll share my socials with you. I'd rather not share them on a thread that's open for anyone to see.
(edited 1 year ago)
Reply 16
Original post by iamalive
ooohh congrats!
can you dm pls and i'll share my socials with you. I'd rather not share them on a thread that's open for anyone to see.
can you dm pls and i'll share my socials with you. I'd rather not share them on a thread that's open for anyone to see.
Reply 17
Original post by iamalive
ooohh congrats!
can you dm pls and i'll share my socials with you. I'd rather not share them on a thread that's open for anyone to see.
can you dm pls and i'll share my socials with you. I'd rather not share them on a thread that's open for anyone to see.
Reply 18
uhh that's weird. Try using TSR both the desktop and mobile version? Reload? If that doesn't work, why don't you reply to this thread non-anonymously and I can try dming you. Because rn I can't message you when I don't have your username.
Reply 19
I add to the sensible advice given above the following:
Oxford looks for academic potential. Potential is measured partly by achievement, but not only by achievement. The tutorial system involves a lot of face to face contact with academics who are usually established or future leaders in their fields. Oxford tutors select candidates whom they think will be teachable.
Roughly one applicant in ten obtains an offer to read Law at Oxford. Oxford tries to obtain a rounded idea of a candidate by considering GCSE grades, predicted or actual A Level or IB grades, the LNAT score, the LNAT essay (marked by Oxford academics), the personal statement, the reference, and the interviews (if a candidate is invited to interview). Oxford does not take into account extra-curricular activities. In the 2023/24 admissions round, the average LNAT score of successful candidates was 31, but offers were made to candidates with LNAT scores of 27, and one applicant scored 37 but was not invited to interview.
OP, please do try for Oxford, and for other leading universities.
Bases of opinion: I am an Oxford graduate (Modern History). I went to State schools. I am a practising commercial barrister. I am in touch with my college's law tutors. My daughter applied in 2023 to read Law at Oxford (after taking her IB) and now has an unconditional offer - she will matriculate in October 2024. Her LNAT score was 33. Her IB score was 41. She did not apply to my college. She was interviewed twice by her chosen college and received the offer from that college.
Oxford looks for academic potential. Potential is measured partly by achievement, but not only by achievement. The tutorial system involves a lot of face to face contact with academics who are usually established or future leaders in their fields. Oxford tutors select candidates whom they think will be teachable.
Roughly one applicant in ten obtains an offer to read Law at Oxford. Oxford tries to obtain a rounded idea of a candidate by considering GCSE grades, predicted or actual A Level or IB grades, the LNAT score, the LNAT essay (marked by Oxford academics), the personal statement, the reference, and the interviews (if a candidate is invited to interview). Oxford does not take into account extra-curricular activities. In the 2023/24 admissions round, the average LNAT score of successful candidates was 31, but offers were made to candidates with LNAT scores of 27, and one applicant scored 37 but was not invited to interview.
OP, please do try for Oxford, and for other leading universities.
Bases of opinion: I am an Oxford graduate (Modern History). I went to State schools. I am a practising commercial barrister. I am in touch with my college's law tutors. My daughter applied in 2023 to read Law at Oxford (after taking her IB) and now has an unconditional offer - she will matriculate in October 2024. Her LNAT score was 33. Her IB score was 41. She did not apply to my college. She was interviewed twice by her chosen college and received the offer from that college.
(edited 1 year ago)
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