Law Application Oxford+others
I’m currently in Y12 and will be applying for Law for 2026 entry,I’m likely going to be predicted A*A*A or lowest A*AA in English Literature,History and Maths respectively.I intend on applying to Oxford,UCL,LSE and Kings.I’d much appreciate any advice on how best to strengthen my application as well as realistic acceptance likelihood.Any resources or plan of action regarding LNAT prep would be SUPER helpful thanks🙏🙏
If needed I could also attach some of my extra curricular stuff if anyone would want to see.
If needed I could also attach some of my extra curricular stuff if anyone would want to see.
Reply 1
Original post
by shijoamal1I’m currently in Y12 and will be applying for Law for 2026 entry,I’m likely going to be predicted A*A*A or lowest A*AA in English Literature,History and Maths respectively.I intend on applying to Oxford,UCL,LSE and Kings.I’d much appreciate any advice on how best to strengthen my application as well as realistic acceptance likelihood.Any resources or plan of action regarding LNAT prep would be SUPER helpful thanks🙏🙏
If needed I could also attach some of my extra curricular stuff if anyone would want to see.
If needed I could also attach some of my extra curricular stuff if anyone would want to see.
Hey there, I'm a year 13 student who got 5/5 offers for Law, and I am planning on going to Durham which was my top choice. Firstly, I would definitely advise checking out their law course and consider applying, it's an amazing university for law. Secondly, LNAT is so so important, if I were you I would start revising over summer before year 13 workload starts. I purchased 'Mastering the National Admissions Test for Law by Mark Shepherd' and 'The Ultimate LNAT Guide 2025 Edition'. These books have great essay advice and honestly so many MCQ that I would suggest you complete all of. The average for my cohort was 21/42, so I wouldn't underestimate how difficult this test is. The essay subjects will be on current affairs and ethics, so read up and read past essays. Please let me know if you have any other questions and good luck!
Reply 2
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Original post
by riley1500Hey there, I'm a year 13 student who got 5/5 offers for Law, and I am planning on going to Durham which was my top choice. Firstly, I would definitely advise checking out their law course and consider applying, it's an amazing university for law. Secondly, LNAT is so so important, if I were you I would start revising over summer before year 13 workload starts. I purchased 'Mastering the National Admissions Test for Law by Mark Shepherd' and 'The Ultimate LNAT Guide 2025 Edition'. These books have great essay advice and honestly so many MCQ that I would suggest you complete all of. The average for my cohort was 21/42, so I wouldn't underestimate how difficult this test is. The essay subjects will be on current affairs and ethics, so read up and read past essays. Please let me know if you have any other questions and good luck!
Well done Durhams a fantastic uni😁😁,I’m actually going there on an open day next weekend,though I still prefer London for the location and links to Magic Circle firms.May I ask what score you got on the LNAT and any structures for the essay section?
Reply 3
Original post
by shijoamal1Well done Durhams a fantastic uni😁😁,I’m actually going there on an open day next weekend,though I still prefer London for the location and links to Magic Circle firms.May I ask what score you got on the LNAT and any structures for the essay section?
Thank you, still have to get in though!! I totally get the appeal for London, I'm from somewhere tiny so I just didn't want to apply at all, but give Durham a chance! Yes so I got 31 in the MCQ which I was super happy with, but it was definitely harder than some of the online tests I took. I think my essay would have helped my application more, Durham take it into account more than some other unis, so that's something to keep in mind if your writing is a strong point. The structure I used was 1. Intro defining terms and stating view, 2. First persuasive para, 3. Potential rebuttal to my para, 4. Response to rebuttal, 5. Conclusion with strong finish. Keep in mind they are looking for how well you can understand legal structures and arguments, but also want to know you can work through problems by understanding different viewpoints. It is short and typed, so practice in exam conditions and often. I had my english and philosophy teachers mark my essays to try and get some differing viewpoints.
Reply 4
5
Haha you’re right,31’s also a great score if average is 21.I really appreciate the help what other subjects do you do besides English and Philosophy and how important would you say Personal Statement is?
Reply 5
Original post
by shijoamal1Haha you’re right,31’s also a great score if average is 21.I really appreciate the help what other subjects do you do besides English and Philosophy and how important would you say Personal Statement is?
Yes I was very happy with it. I did Economics as my third A Level and I also took EPQ which was very important for my personal statement, as my project had a legal focus. The personal statement is massively important to some unis and completely disregarded by others. For example, Bristol Law admit that they do not even open personal statement files. I must admit I am not sure how far I can help with you that, as I believe you will not have personal statements this year? I thought it changed to the 5 question format, but I may be mistaken.
Reply 6
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Original post
by riley1500Yes I was very happy with it. I did Economics as my third A Level and I also took EPQ which was very important for my personal statement, as my project had a legal focus. The personal statement is massively important to some unis and completely disregarded by others. For example, Bristol Law admit that they do not even open personal statement files. I must admit I am not sure how far I can help with you that, as I believe you will not have personal statements this year? I thought it changed to the 5 question format, but I may be mistaken.
Yes they’ve changed the format into 3 long questions but they’re essentially the same thing as the questions are why you want to study the subject,what have you done in school and what have you done outside.Yeah I’ve also heard some unis aren’t fussed about PS but I know Oxford heavily use it as they only interview 31% of applicants,do you any book recommendations I’ve already chosen one or 2 I may use.I really wanted to do an EPQ but I was getting absolutely cooked in maths so I wasn’t allowed💔💔
Reply 7
Original post
by shijoamal1Yes they’ve changed the format into 3 long questions but they’re essentially the same thing as the questions are why you want to study the subject,what have you done in school and what have you done outside.Yeah I’ve also heard some unis aren’t fussed about PS but I know Oxford heavily use it as they only interview 31% of applicants,do you any book recommendations I’ve already chosen one or 2 I may use.I really wanted to do an EPQ but I was getting absolutely cooked in maths so I wasn’t allowed💔💔
Oh ok I see, I wonder what the universities response to the change will be. My best advice would be to ask their admissions teams and see how they view the questions or how much they influence their decisions. Yes Oxford do use it, check out their youtube channel, I think its Christ college specifically, they do great videos about applications, interviews, and LNAT. I read a lot about law and morality because of philosophy, so thats Blackstone, Kreeft, Aquinas etc. I would definitely advise you find two key areas of law to include in the PS, and then read from there. This ensures you appear interested but not simple, for example, everyone loves to write about criminal law. Avoid the generic readings that you see online or hear about from friends. You could choose to do an EPQ in year 13 and simply complete it this summer, anything to set you apart helps.
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Thanks I’ll be sure to check that out,I’ve read Math on Trial which ties in some together my some of my Maths work,as it discusses how data was misinterpreted or distorted leading to wrongful convictions.I also plan on reading a book about the ancient Roman legal system as I know that’s one of the modules in Oxford first year but it’s so hard to find one I can actually get through as most books about the subject are big stodgy textbooks that I struggle to get through.
Reply 9
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Original post
by shijoamal1I’m currently in Y12 and will be applying for Law for 2026 entry,I’m likely going to be predicted A*A*A or lowest A*AA in English Literature,History and Maths respectively.I intend on applying to Oxford,UCL,LSE and Kings.I’d much appreciate any advice on how best to strengthen my application as well as realistic acceptance likelihood.Any resources or plan of action regarding LNAT prep would be SUPER helpful thanks🙏🙏
If needed I could also attach some of my extra curricular stuff if anyone would want to see.
If needed I could also attach some of my extra curricular stuff if anyone would want to see.
Your PGs( particularly if you get A*A*A) are competitive for these universities. Your personal statement should be a highly academic one, maintaining a focus on reading law in an academic sense, instead of practicing it. References need to be as strong as you can make them, and your teacher referencing skills relevant to law will be useful. Potentially adding work experience at a law firm/ shadowing a barrister may be useful, but by no means essential, alongside other super curriculars including essay competitions. Don’t worry about EPQ, as these unis don’t credit it in their entry requirements, beyond helping to show an interest in law, which you can do with books. You take 3 rigorous A- Levels, so far better to focus on attaining top grades in those 3.
However, as mentioned in previous comments, these are all fairly standard features of an Oxford/ London law application, and thus the LNAT is the pivotal deciding factor.
Alongside the ‘Complete LNAT guide’, it may be worth using ‘Arbitio’- this is a website that designs questions intentionally harder than the real thing, but in a similar format, which often makes the real thing appear far easier than for those who haven’t practiced on there. Their average scores for subscribers are higher than for those who don’t use it. They also have practice essays, so I’d recommend developing a clear structure and premise above anything else, and keep it simple, but heavily analysed, offering counter arguments for each point you make, but then rebuking them by offering another counter reason to this as to why you’re argument holds stronger. There isn’t much scope to perform weakly in any area for these unis, so perhaps think about adding a RG with AAA entry grades and no LNAT requirement as your 5th choice.
I hope this is useful.
(edited 9 months ago)
Reply 10
Original post
by shijoamal1I’m currently in Y12 and will be applying for Law for 2026 entry,I’m likely going to be predicted A*A*A or lowest A*AA in English Literature,History and Maths respectively.I intend on applying to Oxford,UCL,LSE and Kings.I’d much appreciate any advice on how best to strengthen my application as well as realistic acceptance likelihood.Any resources or plan of action regarding LNAT prep would be SUPER helpful thanks🙏🙏
If needed I could also attach some of my extra curricular stuff if anyone would want to see.
If needed I could also attach some of my extra curricular stuff if anyone would want to see.
I will always and forever recommend this video if you're doing the LNAT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ENQwTVlhsI&t=2s
Good luck!!
Reply 11
Original post
by riley1500Hey there, I'm a year 13 student who got 5/5 offers for Law, and I am planning on going to Durham which was my top choice. Firstly, I would definitely advise checking out their law course and consider applying, it's an amazing university for law. Secondly, LNAT is so so important, if I were you I would start revising over summer before year 13 workload starts. I purchased 'Mastering the National Admissions Test for Law by Mark Shepherd' and 'The Ultimate LNAT Guide 2025 Edition'. These books have great essay advice and honestly so many MCQ that I would suggest you complete all of. The average for my cohort was 21/42, so I wouldn't underestimate how difficult this test is. The essay subjects will be on current affairs and ethics, so read up and read past essays. Please let me know if you have any other questions and good luck!
I'm in the same boat as you with Durham! I'm so excited. Which college have you been allocated? x
Reply 12
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Original post
by nwarI will always and forever recommend this video if you're doing the LNAT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ENQwTVlhsI&t=2s
Good luck!!
Good luck!!
Thank you!!
Reply 13
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Original post
by JE9Your PGs( particularly if you get A*A*A) are competitive for these universities. Your personal statement should be a highly academic one, maintaining a focus on reading law in an academic sense, instead of practicing it. References need to be as strong as you can make them, and your teacher referencing skills relevant to law will be useful. Potentially adding work experience at a law firm/ shadowing a barrister may be useful, but by no means essential, alongside other super curriculars including essay competitions. Don’t worry about EPQ, as these unis don’t credit it in their entry requirements, beyond helping to show an interest in law, which you can do with books. You take 3 rigorous A- Levels, so far better to focus on attaining top grades in those 3.
However, as mentioned in previous comments, these are all fairly standard features of an Oxford/ London law application, and thus the LNAT is the pivotal deciding factor.
Alongside the ‘Complete LNAT guide’, it may be worth using ‘Arbitio’- this is a website that designs questions intentionally harder than the real thing, but in a similar format, which often makes the real thing appear far easier than for those who haven’t practiced on there. Their average scores for subscribers are higher than for those who don’t use it. They also have practice essays, so I’d recommend developing a clear structure and premise above anything else, and keep it simple, but heavily analysed, offering counter arguments for each point you make, but then rebuking them by offering another counter reason to this as to why you’re argument holds stronger. There isn’t much scope to perform weakly in any area for these unis, so perhaps think about adding a RG with AAA entry grades and no LNAT requirement as your 5th choice.
I hope this is useful.
However, as mentioned in previous comments, these are all fairly standard features of an Oxford/ London law application, and thus the LNAT is the pivotal deciding factor.
Alongside the ‘Complete LNAT guide’, it may be worth using ‘Arbitio’- this is a website that designs questions intentionally harder than the real thing, but in a similar format, which often makes the real thing appear far easier than for those who haven’t practiced on there. Their average scores for subscribers are higher than for those who don’t use it. They also have practice essays, so I’d recommend developing a clear structure and premise above anything else, and keep it simple, but heavily analysed, offering counter arguments for each point you make, but then rebuking them by offering another counter reason to this as to why you’re argument holds stronger. There isn’t much scope to perform weakly in any area for these unis, so perhaps think about adding a RG with AAA entry grades and no LNAT requirement as your 5th choice.
I hope this is useful.
Thank you I’ll be sure to check out both the LNAT guide and Arbitio!!
Reply 14
I’m an Oxford law student and the only super curriculars I did was reading books off this https://www.ox.ac.uk/sites/files/oxford/media_wysiwyg/Introductory_reading_for_Law.pdf reading list and a few of the Open University free courses online (they take like an hour and are just reading stuff) and an EPQ. I didn’t really prepare for the LNAT other than the free practice tests on the LNAT website, wouldnt recommend paying for arbito or anything
Reply 15
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Original post
by Username123abI’m an Oxford law student and the only super curriculars I did was reading books off this https://www.ox.ac.uk/sites/files/oxford/media_wysiwyg/Introductory_reading_for_Law.pdf reading list and a few of the Open University free courses online (they take like an hour and are just reading stuff) and an EPQ. I didn’t really prepare for the LNAT other than the free practice tests on the LNAT website, wouldnt recommend paying for arbito or anything
If you don’t mind revealing what your stats were and how you’re finding the Oxford experience it’d be much appreciated😄😄
Reply 16
Original post
by shijoamal1If you don’t mind revealing what your stats were and how you’re finding the Oxford experience it’d be much appreciated😄😄
GCSEs: 99999999998, A levels: A*A*A (+ A in EPQ), LNAT: 27 (I think, it’s been so long 💀)
Gonna be honest I don’t personally enjoy Oxford but I think that’s more down to my personality and what suits me. I’m a very naturally introverted person and have found that a lot of people tend to carry the high school clique mentality into Oxford and I’ve found the experience to be pretty much the opposite of what I’d envision a uni experience to be. But on the plus side, you are taught by world renowned experts and the prestige that the Oxford name carries will give you a boost in future job hunting.
Reply 17
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Original post
by Username123abGCSEs: 99999999998, A levels: A*A*A (+ A in EPQ), LNAT: 27 (I think, it’s been so long 💀)
Gonna be honest I don’t personally enjoy Oxford but I think that’s more down to my personality and what suits me. I’m a very naturally introverted person and have found that a lot of people tend to carry the high school clique mentality into Oxford and I’ve found the experience to be pretty much the opposite of what I’d envision a uni experience to be. But on the plus side, you are taught by world renowned experts and the prestige that the Oxford name carries will give you a boost in future job hunting.
Gonna be honest I don’t personally enjoy Oxford but I think that’s more down to my personality and what suits me. I’m a very naturally introverted person and have found that a lot of people tend to carry the high school clique mentality into Oxford and I’ve found the experience to be pretty much the opposite of what I’d envision a uni experience to be. But on the plus side, you are taught by world renowned experts and the prestige that the Oxford name carries will give you a boost in future job hunting.
Wow those are great well done what A levels did you do and jobs are you considering?Oh damn,shame to hear you’ve not enjoyed you’re experience I’m a bit more outgoing but I’m worried about just the stereotypes of the posh snooty cliques😭also what college did you apply and why did you choose there?
Reply 18
Original post
by shijoamal1I’m currently in Y12 and will be applying for Law for 2026 entry,I’m likely going to be predicted A*A*A or lowest A*AA in English Literature,History and Maths respectively.I intend on applying to Oxford,UCL,LSE and Kings.I’d much appreciate any advice on how best to strengthen my application as well as realistic acceptance likelihood.Any resources or plan of action regarding LNAT prep would be SUPER helpful thanks🙏🙏
If needed I could also attach some of my extra curricular stuff if anyone would want to see.
If needed I could also attach some of my extra curricular stuff if anyone would want to see.
Hey, those are great predicteds, and I'm sure if you work for it and get a good lnat score/essay and have a good personal statement you could for sure get in! However, I would warn that you might want to consider having a safety in there, unless you would be ok with taking a gap year to reapply. I say this bcs a lot of people with great predicted grades (A* A* A* or A*A*A) and sometimes even with very good lnat scores, have been rejected from these unies. Unfortunately it can all be a bit arbitrary (not in the sense that unies pick people at random, but in the sense that you can never know exactly what they're looking for, and they all look for different things). Unless you know that no other unies than the ones you've chosen would interest you, then I would probably also add a non-lnat uni to your list as even if you practise a lot there's still the possibility you could mess up...
Also, before applying, do check what the different unies value most in an application (I would double check what I'm about to say bcs it might change and all but, I believe:
•
King's doesn't look at lnat essay, only lnat score, but values the lnat score a lot (and idk about personal statement/grades )
•
UCL: looks essentially at evth (lnat score & essay), grades, ps etc (but I do believe they care a lot about the essay)
•
LSE: Personal statement is crucial (I know people with excellent grades, not applying for law though, who got rejected bcs of their personal statement
•
Oxford: I'm not sure rly but pretty sure they look at evth (and I would imagine that they lnat essay and ps count for a lot, but probably grades and lnat score also...) (Also is there a reason you chose Oxford above Cambridge? if that's where you'd like to go then ofc apply there, but If I'm not wrong Cambridge gives out slightly more interviews than Oxford, but then I imagine that when it comes to the interview process they're possibly also going to be harsher... smth to think about ig)
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