The Student Room Group

bad lnat, gap year?

Hi,
I found out I got 25 on the LNAT, which wasn’t as expected, and i’ve received rejections from durham and kcl. whilst those are my only lnat options, and having 2 offers from notts and Leicester, and waiting for Warwick, should I just focus on my alevel and then take a gap year so I can try again? personally feeling severely disheartened, as I was stuck between history and law, and I’m not sure if I should take/wait for my current offers, take a gap year, or just change degree choices altogether :frown:
any advice would be nice
(edited 1 month ago)

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Reply 1

Nottingham and Warwick are top Unis for Law.
Stop worrying.

Reply 2

Original post by McGinger
Nottingham and Warwick are top Unis for Law.
Stop worrying.

thanks :smile:
Original post by McGinger
Nottingham and Warwick are top Unis for Law.
Stop worrying.

Yes, it's unwise giving up Nottingham for gap year. If LNAT was the reason of rejection given by KCL and Durham, you would need super high score next year (25/42 was already 4 marks above average!). All those taken LNAT are really very smart guys (including you) who have very good predicted grades, but still about half of them scored below 50%. LNAT is so unpredictable.

Focus on your studies. You already have a very good offer in hand which is not inferior to your fantasy unis.

Reply 4

Original post by cksiu
Yes, it's unwise giving up Nottingham for gap year. If LNAT was the reason of rejection given by KCL and Durham, you would need super high score next year (25/42 was already 4 marks above average!). All those taken LNAT are really very smart guys (including you) who have very good predicted grades, but still about half of them scored below 50%. LNAT is so unpredictable.
Focus on your studies. You already have a very good offer in hand which is not inferior to your fantasy unis.

thanks for the reassurance :smile:

Reply 5

Original post by laura!!!
Hi,
I found out I got 25 on the LNAT, which wasn’t as expected, and i’ve received rejections from durham and kcl. whilst those are my only lnat options, and having 2 offers from notts and Leicester, and waiting for Warwick, should I just focus on my alevel and then take a gap year so I can try again? personally feeling severely disheartened, as I was stuck between history and law, and I’m not sure if I should take/wait for my current offers, take a gap year, or just change degree choices altogether :frown:
any advice would be nice

Super closs!!!

What is ur GCSEs and a level grades

Reply 6

Original post by Ariale
Super closs!!!
What is ur GCSEs and a level grades

9887776654(4in French) A* AA -I realise they aren’t as good as other applicants, but I thought they may be lenient towards contextual applicants ig lol
(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 7

Original post by laura!!!
Hi,
I found out I got 25 on the LNAT, which wasn’t as expected, and i’ve received rejections from durham and kcl. whilst those are my only lnat options, and having 2 offers from notts and Leicester, and waiting for Warwick, should I just focus on my alevel and then take a gap year so I can try again? personally feeling severely disheartened, as I was stuck between history and law, and I’m not sure if I should take/wait for my current offers, take a gap year, or just change degree choices altogether :frown:
any advice would be nice


when did you get a rejection from kcl?

Reply 8

Original post by kianprbbb
when did you get a rejection from kcl?

December 16th ish, can’t remember the exact date thoughh

Reply 9

Nottingham has a great law school, and only recently stopped using the LNAT (in that the LNAT is used by the top unis), if you're going to take a gap year do it because you have plans and things to gain from a gap year - not just to get into a specific uni

Reply 10

Original post by Flame2
Nottingham has a great law school, and only recently stopped using the LNAT (in that the LNAT is used by the top unis), if you're going to take a gap year do it because you have plans and things to gain from a gap year - not just to get into a specific uni

ah I see, thanks, but surely if they aren’t using it anymore it suggests that their ranking/status is declining? sorry haha,

Reply 11

Ignore rankings and choose a university which you like. I have yet to meet a lawyer who pays any attention to university rankings when making recruitment decisions, and I've been a lawyer for decades.

If you would rather study history, do that, but, as noted above, only take a gap year if you have interesting plans for the year and not merely to chase a particular offer.

Reply 12

Original post by laura!!!
ah I see, thanks, but surely if they aren’t using it anymore it suggests that their ranking/status is declining? sorry haha,

They removed it as they could not see any correlation between good law students and good lnat scores, at least that's what they told me at an open day. If they wanted to accept more students they'd just accept lower lnats I presume
Original post by laura!!!
Hi,
I found out I got 25 on the LNAT, which wasn’t as expected, and i’ve received rejections from durham and kcl. whilst those are my only lnat options, and having 2 offers from notts and Leicester, and waiting for Warwick, should I just focus on my alevel and then take a gap year so I can try again? personally feeling severely disheartened, as I was stuck between history and law, and I’m not sure if I should take/wait for my current offers, take a gap year, or just change degree choices altogether :frown:
any advice would be nice

Hi there,

It’s completely understandable to feel disheartened, but remember that one setback doesn’t define your future in law. You still have great offers from Nottingham and Leicester, and Warwick may come through as well, all of which are strong universities with well-regarded law courses. If you’re passionate about studying law, accepting one of your offers and focusing on getting the best A-Level results possible could be a great path forward.

That said, if you strongly feel that your current offers aren’t what you want and you’re confident you could significantly improve your LNAT score with a retake, a gap year could be worth considering. It would give you time to prepare more effectively for the LNAT, gain relevant legal experience, and refine your application for top universities. However, it’s important to think about how you would use that time productively and whether you’d be happy delaying university for a year.

If you’re unsure between law and history, it might be helpful to reflect on what interests you most in the long term. Some universities offer law with history as a joint degree, or you could study history and then do a law conversion course (PGDL) later. There’s no wrong choice, but whichever path you choose, make sure it aligns with your interests and goals rather than just focusing on university rankings. You’ve got options, and whatever you decide, you’ll find a way to make it work!

Reply 14

Original post by Stiffy Byng
Ignore rankings and choose a university which you like. I have yet to meet a lawyer who pays any attention to university rankings when making recruitment decisions, and I've been a lawyer for decades.
If you would rather study history, do that, but, as noted above, only take a gap year if you have interesting plans for the year and not merely to chase a particular offer.

ah okay, thank you. Would you say that there’s practically no difference between a someone who did a history degree, then a conversion, and someone who simply did a law degree, for an employer then?
also, i know you said that rankings don’t particularly matter, but does this still stand in this regard?

Reply 15

Original post by Flame2
They removed it as they could not see any correlation between good law students and good lnat scores, at least that's what they told me at an open day. If they wanted to accept more students they'd just accept lower lnats I presume

ah i see, thank youu :smile:

Reply 16

Original post by laura!!!
ah okay, thank you. Would you say that there’s practically no difference between a someone who did a history degree, then a conversion, and someone who simply did a law degree, for an employer then?
also, i know you said that rankings don’t particularly matter, but does this still stand in this regard?


An able candidate with a PGDL is as competitive as an able candidate with a law degree. University rankings are not a factor in recruitment decisions.
(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 17

I know this is a late reply, and you may have chosen, but without a shadow of a doubt you should accept Nottingham or Warwick( I had to take a gap year this year to re- apply to similar Universities to the ones you were rejected by( and others) and it’s been torturous-

It feels like I’ve had to do year 13 all over again, and relive that insufferable year- studying for/ resitting the LNAT that could easily go wrong again, edit personal statements, get teachers at a school you don’t attend anymore to sort references out etc… and then spend your year waiting for unis to reply to you-

If you wanted to do a gap year for personal reasons to develop yourself/ a good purpose, it’s a great idea, however if you’re doing so to re- apply to unis that could reject you again, as they’ve done this year, you’d be choosing to put yourself through this hideous system, that just doesn’t work if applying to such competitive unis for such a competitive subject( law)- whilst you already have an offer and a potential offer from two of the best law schools in the UK ( Nott and Warwick)

Save your year or use it for a good reason( not to re- apply) but I would strongly strongly encourage you to accept your Nottingham offer( also- you’re opportunities will be exactly the same whether you go to Nott or a London uni and even Oxbridge for the most part)- I would’ve snatched that offer had I received any in year 13, and I feel it’s important I warn you not to put yourself in this position, whilst you don’t have to( like I did),

Also it feels worth pointing out that people chose to do a gap year to re- apply do Durham, then achieved 3 A*s at A- Level, and were still rejected with an LNAT score of about 25( even though they were achieved grades) so it’s also hugely risky.
I hope this helps and good luck with your choice!
(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 18

I know this is a late reply, and you may have chosen, but without a shadow of a doubt you should accept Nottingham or Warwick( I had to take a gap year this year to re- apply to similar Universities to the ones you were rejected by( and others) and it’s been torturous-
It feels like I’ve had to do year 13 all over again, and relive that insufferable year- studying for/ resitting the LNAT that could easily go wrong again, edit personal statements, get teachers at a school you don’t attend anymore to sort references out etc… and then spend your year waiting for unis to reply to you-
If you wanted to do a gap year for personal reasons to develop yourself/ a good purpose, it’s a great idea, however if you’re doing so to re- apply to unis that could reject you again, as they’ve done this year, you’d be choosing to put yourself through this hideous system, that just doesn’t work if applying to such competitive unis for such a competitive subject( law)- whilst you already have an offer and a potential offer from two of the best law schools in the UK ( Nott and Warwick)
Save your year or use it for a good reason( not to re- apply) but I would strongly strongly encourage you to accept your Nottingham offer( also- you’re opportunities will be exactly the same whether you go to Nott or a London uni and even Oxbridge for the most part)- I would’ve snatched that offer had I received any in year 13, and I feel it’s important I warn you not to put yourself in this position, whilst you don’t have to( like I did),
Also it feels worth pointing out that people chose to do a gap year to re- apply do Durham, then achieved 3 A*s at A- Level, and were still rejected with an LNAT score of about 25( even though they were achieved grades) so it’s also hugely risky.
I hope this helps and good luck with your choice!
this helps a lot, thank you so much!
just wondering if your point still stands, as I just got rejected by Warwick lol, but would you still say to take the Notts offer over choosing a different course through clearing and then a conversion? thanks again

Reply 19

Original post by laura!!!
this helps a lot, thank you so much!
just wondering if your point still stands, as I just got rejected by Warwick lol, but would you still say to take the Notts offer over choosing a different course through clearing and then a conversion? thanks again

You’re welcome! I’m very glad it’s been of help!

I’m sorry about your Warwick rejection firstly, it seems this is yet another unbelievably competitive year with very strong students getting multiple rejections-

As for your question, I would 100% stand by my recommendation to accept Nottingham- as mentioned in my previous response, you really don’t want to put yourself into this situation, as the competition will be just as strong next year, and it seems that even with perfect achieved grades, things always have the potential to go wrong again.

Nottingham is a very difficult offer to get, and I’m certain it’ll provide you identical opportunities to any other Russell group law school in the UK- you should be very proud to have received their offer in such a harsh year too as lots of people will have wanted it and you came out above them!

It may also be worth noting that clearing doesn’t often/ if ever leave spaces for the better alternative courses at the better Universities, and if law is what you aim to practice after your degree, I’m sure the last thing you’re going to want to do is spend another year doing a boring conversion course with more exams etc… after a long 3 years of hard work- you’ll just want to get out there and practice- You’ll be able to do this with your Nottingham degree-

So definitely, if law is what you want to do after your degree, 1000000% accept your Nottingham offer- it will save you time, stress, and effort that isn’t needed at all, to receive identical opportunities- only ever think of taking the gap year if you have a genuine switch in interests for your course, or career goals, but if you stick with law-. Definitely Nottingham- trust me and save yourself from having to find out what these law gap years are like😭the best I can do is strongly warn you against it!
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(edited 1 month ago)

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