want to have a career in law but I got bad alevel results

want to pursue law career but got bad alevels

i got my Alevel results today and they were a far cry from what i was expecting. i was hoping for an A*AB based on my year 13 mock results but ended up achieving BCC (i also did have some family issues regarding my parents and brother during may so that was distracting me a lot).

(also half of the papers will be remarked because of the small mark difference but regardless).

i am hoping to have a career in corporate law but i'm unsure if i should resit because i'm not sure if BCC would get me into any decent firm (i live in london and aim to hopefully work here too).

i did get accepted for Law at Royal Holloway but i can't make a decision.

• should i resit and get better grades and then reapply for an offer from a better uni?

• should i just go to Royal Holloway and work towards getting a 2:1 or a First? but then will my alevel grades hold me back?

i am conflicted between the two because:

i'll get filtered out by some firms anyway (either for bad grades or for being a resit student)
do firms really look at alevel grades? i mean obviously most do, but i searched online and people were debating their significance saying alevel grades are only necessary for a foot in the door and what you do at uni is what matters.

please help me make a decision.

Reply 1

University of Kent

Official Rep

Original post by pineapplesssssss

want to pursue law career but got bad alevels
i got my Alevel results today and they were a far cry from what i was expecting. i was hoping for an A*AB based on my year 13 mock results but ended up achieving BCC (i also did have some family issues regarding my parents and brother during may so that was distracting me a lot).
(also half of the papers will be remarked because of the small mark difference but regardless).
i am hoping to have a career in corporate law but i'm unsure if i should resit because i'm not sure if BCC would get me into any decent firm (i live in london and aim to hopefully work here too).
i did get accepted for Law at Royal Holloway but i can't make a decision.
• should i resit and get better grades and then reapply for an offer from a better uni?
• should i just go to Royal Holloway and work towards getting a 2:1 or a First? but then will my alevel grades hold me back?
i am conflicted between the two because:
i'll get filtered out by some firms anyway (either for bad grades or for being a resit student)
do firms really look at alevel grades? i mean obviously most do, but i searched online and people were debating their significance saying alevel grades are only necessary for a foot in the door and what you do at uni is what matters.
please help me make a decision.

Hi @pineapplesssssss !

Firstly, I want to reassure and challenge you, your A level results are not bad! I totally understand you being disappointed with your grades, but BCC certainly isn't bad, especially because things sound like they were a little tricky before your exams.

Secondly, I firmly believe that your A levels won't hold you back. Think of A levels as a stepping stone to getting to university rather than having any other significance. There's a chance firms will look at your A levels but in my experience employers look more at what you achieve at university.

This is two fold, because employers look at your university grades (so definitely focus on getting that 2:1 or first!), but also what you do with your time at university, whether that be volunteering, work experience or holding leadership positions on society committees etc.

A levels are just the beginning and you get to decide where your story goes next. It sounds like you are really passionate about law so I am confident you will go far whatever happens next.

I can't tell you what to do next, because both options can help you on your journey. I would ask yourself whether you would be happy to wait some extra time to resit or if you want to head straight to university, and whether you think you would be happy at Royal Holloway (huge congrats on your offer!) or if you would be happier somewhere else.

If you are interested, here are the details for law via clearing at Kent - https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/177/law

I hope this has helped to reassure you, don't hesitate to reach back out.

Good luck on your journey wherever it goes next :smile:

Gabby

Reply 2

UniofLaw Student

Official Rep

Original post by pineapplesssssss

want to pursue law career but got bad alevels
i got my Alevel results today and they were a far cry from what i was expecting. i was hoping for an A*AB based on my year 13 mock results but ended up achieving BCC (i also did have some family issues regarding my parents and brother during may so that was distracting me a lot).
(also half of the papers will be remarked because of the small mark difference but regardless).
i am hoping to have a career in corporate law but i'm unsure if i should resit because i'm not sure if BCC would get me into any decent firm (i live in london and aim to hopefully work here too).
i did get accepted for Law at Royal Holloway but i can't make a decision.
• should i resit and get better grades and then reapply for an offer from a better uni?
• should i just go to Royal Holloway and work towards getting a 2:1 or a First? but then will my alevel grades hold me back?
i am conflicted between the two because:
i'll get filtered out by some firms anyway (either for bad grades or for being a resit student)
do firms really look at alevel grades? i mean obviously most do, but i searched online and people were debating their significance saying alevel grades are only necessary for a foot in the door and what you do at uni is what matters.
please help me make a decision.

Hi @pineapplesssssss

It is important to start with stating not all firms use the same marking criteria when choosing who to give a training contract to or employ. Also, there is often a long process for applications for things like Training contracts which will involve a written application but also interviews and assessment days. When considered collectively, your grades will only make up a proportion of this criteria regardless of what metric the firm uses.
Having said this, most firms will ask for your A level grades as well as your university grades and want to see high grades across the board. Therefore, having slightly lower grades at A level will be a slight chink in your application but it won't be devastating. Equally, your university grade will bear more weight than your A levels. If you were to get a first, for example, your A level grades probably won't contribute much to their end decision.

I think you need to consider whether you want to attend Royal Holloway and go from there. Do you like their course? their societies? their campus/location? If you like all of these things and want to go to university this year then perhaps go for it. Equally, if you think you would enjoy somewhere else more and want to take a year to resit and get some other experiences under your belt such as legal experience then that could be an equally good decision.

Sorry I could not give a more conclusive answer but this decision has to be yours and, whatever you decide, I am sure it will be the right one.

Good luck!

(edited 1 month ago)