Should I reapply to Cambridge??- feeling really lost (law)

Hi everyone,
This application cycle I applied with 27 in the LNAT and A*A*A in Economics, English Lit and Politics. I got into Bristol and Birmingham but rejected from Kings, LSE and Cambridge post-interview and I'm honestly feeling really lost on what to do next. I'm don't really see myself at the universities I did get into (I kind of applied to them as a sort of filler) and i've been rejected from the uni's I really wanted to get into.
This year when deciding to apply it was kind of a mess especially with Cambridge. For example I only decided to actually apply a month before the deadline and I feel like I didn't really prioritise it as much. Looking back there are many things I would want to do differently and I really do want to go there. So right now I'm deciding between just going to Bristol despite it not being where I really want to go or take a gap year and reapply.
The more I think about taking a gap year the more I like the idea of it ( learning more about law and my own interests within it, working to save up some money, a small 'break' before an intense law degree, another shot at Cambridge etc.) but I'm honestly really scared about the unpredictability of everything. For example, this year Kings rejected all home students without contextual offers below 30 in the LNAT and they've never done this before since 27 would usually be a pretty good score. Also, Oxbridge admissions is obviously really competitive and i'm honestly unsure if i'm good enough to get in despite really wanting to. Does anyone have any advice for me on whether I should take a gap year or not and what I should consider?

It seems like you understand what a gap year entails and have a plan for what you wish to do in that year. I would advise against putting all your hopes on Cambridge, as statistically you are more likely to get rejected than accepted. However, if you wish to take a gap year to apply to universities you feel would suit you better (Cambridge included) then go for it. Bristol is obviously an amazing university, but if you can’t see yourself going there, it might be worth exploring your options. Applying with achieved grades also takes some of the pressure off. You did apply to four very competitive universities this admissions cycle. If you’re going to take a gap year, I would suggest maybe having two non-LNAT choices to maximise your chances of getting an offer. What was the reason Cambridge gave for rejecting you?

Wait and see what your A-Level grades are first.

Do you think if I get 3 A*'s or 2A*'s and a A I should give reapplying a go?

What if you don't get an offer from Cambridge a second time round - how would you feel at that stage?
Equally you have to be mindful of the fact that you might not get offers from other universities either. Doing well academically and an improved LNAT will definitely help but I would also consider the possibility of still not getting what you most want uni wise. If you were to reapply unis now, where would you choose and would you genuinely be happy at any of those?

Hi everyone,
This application cycle I applied with 27 in the LNAT and A*A*A in Economics, English Lit and Politics. I got into Bristol and Birmingham but rejected from Kings, LSE and Cambridge post-interview and I'm honestly feeling really lost on what to do next. I'm don't really see myself at the universities I did get into (I kind of applied to them as a sort of filler) and i've been rejected from the uni's I really wanted to get into.
This year when deciding to apply it was kind of a mess especially with Cambridge. For example I only decided to actually apply a month before the deadline and I feel like I didn't really prioritise it as much. Looking back there are many things I would want to do differently and I really do want to go there. So right now I'm deciding between just going to Bristol despite it not being where I really want to go or take a gap year and reapply.
The more I think about taking a gap year the more I like the idea of it ( learning more about law and my own interests within it, working to save up some money, a small 'break' before an intense law degree, another shot at Cambridge etc.) but I'm honestly really scared about the unpredictability of everything. For example, this year Kings rejected all home students without contextual offers below 30 in the LNAT and they've never done this before since 27 would usually be a pretty good score. Also, Oxbridge admissions is obviously really competitive and i'm honestly unsure if i'm good enough to get in despite really wanting to. Does anyone have any advice for me on whether I should take a gap year or not and what I should consider?

If you do re apply to Cambridge I would reconsider the college you apply to this time round. Downing is the most competitive college for law, its renowned for it - it’s a little like Maths and Trinity, you might want to apply for a tier 3 college to improve your chances of getting in?

you're definitely right!! this time around I had very little guidance from anyone and had no clue how competitive downing was so applying there was a massive regret for me (i think it really psyched me out when i realised)

Hope you have great results next week, for what it’s worth Bristol is an amazing university everyone I know who started there last year loves it, and it’s got a very good reputation for law. Whereas another friend missed out on Oxbridge, took a year off to reapply because she couldn’t get over it and she didn’t get through the second time. It’s v tough on you if you go again and don’t make it, but good luck!

My advice would be to go to Bristol or Birmingham. Both are excellent universities although Bristol has a generally seen as being more prestigious. Provided you do well in your degree at either, failing to get into Cambridge will not materially affect your career outcomes.

If you do re apply to Cambridge I would reconsider the college you apply to this time round. Downing is the most competitive college for law, its renowned for it - it’s a little like Maths and Trinity, you might want to apply for a tier 3 college to improve your chances of getting in?

All three are lovely colleges, Kings, Trinity, Clare & Johns are tier 1 and most popular, the majority are tier 2 and then you have tier 3 like Fitz, google them if you want to be sure - Cambridge has a really good statistics webpage and you can filter by course and college to see application vs offer rates, literally one of the hardest colleges to get into for law is Downing because of its reputation so you will have been up against some v tough competition. Everyone seems to love the college they end up in so don’t worry too much about which one - if you want to play the stats game apply for a college with highest offer rate for your course, all the data is available for last 5 years by college - good luck