Law random queries and the age old question: are my GCSEs good enough?
Posting because I don’t know what to do.
I want to go into corporate law (boring i know)
I cooked up my GCSEs (raging anorexia but my parents didn’t gaf so I never got conditional or anything) and ended up with 9888877777
I know the tiers are Oxbridge, then UCL/KCL/LSE, then Leeds/Notts etc
I reckon I could get A*AA prediction or something
and work super hard for the lnat
I would love to work Magic Circle, so here goes:
- if I get a million opportunities/work experiences/courses etc. would I have any chance at Oxford? (Ik occasionally people get in on a seriously long shot)
I know it sounds stupid with the grades but I want to go to the best uni possible for my grades so I can be as successful as possible
- is it worth going to a tier 3 uni if you still want to get to a Magic Circle firm?
- ignoring tier 2 as I don’t think I’d get in + went to KCL for a taster session and was the inky person of 16 who wasn’t planning on living at home (I want the uni experience and London is just too spread out)
sorry for poor grammar, on ipad and my horse chucked me off so my arm is killing me
thanks
I want to go into corporate law (boring i know)
I cooked up my GCSEs (raging anorexia but my parents didn’t gaf so I never got conditional or anything) and ended up with 9888877777
I know the tiers are Oxbridge, then UCL/KCL/LSE, then Leeds/Notts etc
I reckon I could get A*AA prediction or something
and work super hard for the lnat
I would love to work Magic Circle, so here goes:
- if I get a million opportunities/work experiences/courses etc. would I have any chance at Oxford? (Ik occasionally people get in on a seriously long shot)
I know it sounds stupid with the grades but I want to go to the best uni possible for my grades so I can be as successful as possible
- is it worth going to a tier 3 uni if you still want to get to a Magic Circle firm?
- ignoring tier 2 as I don’t think I’d get in + went to KCL for a taster session and was the inky person of 16 who wasn’t planning on living at home (I want the uni experience and London is just too spread out)
sorry for poor grammar, on ipad and my horse chucked me off so my arm is killing me
thanks
Reply 1
14
Original post
by mothsssPosting because I don’t know what to do.
I want to go into corporate law (boring i know)
I cooked up my GCSEs (raging anorexia but my parents didn’t gaf so I never got conditional or anything) and ended up with 9888877777
I know the tiers are Oxbridge, then UCL/KCL/LSE, then Leeds/Notts etc
I reckon I could get A*AA prediction or something
and work super hard for the lnat
I would love to work Magic Circle, so here goes:
- if I get a million opportunities/work experiences/courses etc. would I have any chance at Oxford? (Ik occasionally people get in on a seriously long shot)
I know it sounds stupid with the grades but I want to go to the best uni possible for my grades so I can be as successful as possible
- is it worth going to a tier 3 uni if you still want to get to a Magic Circle firm?
- ignoring tier 2 as I don’t think I’d get in + went to KCL for a taster session and was the inky person of 16 who wasn’t planning on living at home (I want the uni experience and London is just too spread out)
sorry for poor grammar, on ipad and my horse chucked me off so my arm is killing me
thanks
I want to go into corporate law (boring i know)
I cooked up my GCSEs (raging anorexia but my parents didn’t gaf so I never got conditional or anything) and ended up with 9888877777
I know the tiers are Oxbridge, then UCL/KCL/LSE, then Leeds/Notts etc
I reckon I could get A*AA prediction or something
and work super hard for the lnat
I would love to work Magic Circle, so here goes:
- if I get a million opportunities/work experiences/courses etc. would I have any chance at Oxford? (Ik occasionally people get in on a seriously long shot)
I know it sounds stupid with the grades but I want to go to the best uni possible for my grades so I can be as successful as possible
- is it worth going to a tier 3 uni if you still want to get to a Magic Circle firm?
- ignoring tier 2 as I don’t think I’d get in + went to KCL for a taster session and was the inky person of 16 who wasn’t planning on living at home (I want the uni experience and London is just too spread out)
sorry for poor grammar, on ipad and my horse chucked me off so my arm is killing me
thanks
Do you know what Magic Circle law firms do, and what the work involves? What attracts you to that career path?
Bear in mind that many law firms recruit "university blind" and have little regard for rankings.
On another thread I posted a link to a FOI request response, which showed the median A* grades for each college. You might find that useful.
(edited 2 months ago)
Reply 2
mothsss
OP
2
Original post
by chalksDo you know what Magic Circle law firms do, and what the work involves? What attracts you to that career path?
Bear in mind that many law firms recruit "university blind" and have little regard for rankings.
On another thread I posted a link to a FOI request response, which showed the median A* grades for each college. You might find that useful.
Bear in mind that many law firms recruit "university blind" and have little regard for rankings.
On another thread I posted a link to a FOI request response, which showed the median A* grades for each college. You might find that useful.
yes i do lol i’m not going into an incredibly demanding career with no idea of what i’m committing to
that kind of all consuming work is the kind of thing i need to keep myself running
a* thing is helpful thanks but i’m more thinking gcses and their standing
Reply 3
14
Original post
by mothsssyes i do lol i’m not going into an incredibly demanding career with no idea of what i’m committing to
that kind of all consuming work is the kind of thing i need to keep myself running
a* thing is helpful thanks but i’m more thinking gcses and their standing
that kind of all consuming work is the kind of thing i need to keep myself running
a* thing is helpful thanks but i’m more thinking gcses and their standing
I'm curious how you know at your stage (and this isn't a criticism or meant to be patronising) what MC firms actually do, and how that is attractive?
Separately, I don't see your GCSE grades being an issue provided you have strong predicted A-level grades, but others may have a different perspective.
Reply 4
Original post
by mothsssPosting because I don’t know what to do.
I want to go into corporate law (boring i know)
I cooked up my GCSEs (raging anorexia but my parents didn’t gaf so I never got conditional or anything) and ended up with 9888877777
I know the tiers are Oxbridge, then UCL/KCL/LSE, then Leeds/Notts etc
I reckon I could get A*AA prediction or something
and work super hard for the lnat
I would love to work Magic Circle, so here goes:
- if I get a million opportunities/work experiences/courses etc. would I have any chance at Oxford? (Ik occasionally people get in on a seriously long shot)
I know it sounds stupid with the grades but I want to go to the best uni possible for my grades so I can be as successful as possible
- is it worth going to a tier 3 uni if you still want to get to a Magic Circle firm?
- ignoring tier 2 as I don’t think I’d get in + went to KCL for a taster session and was the inky person of 16 who wasn’t planning on living at home (I want the uni experience and London is just too spread out)
sorry for poor grammar, on ipad and my horse chucked me off so my arm is killing me
thanks
I want to go into corporate law (boring i know)
I cooked up my GCSEs (raging anorexia but my parents didn’t gaf so I never got conditional or anything) and ended up with 9888877777
I know the tiers are Oxbridge, then UCL/KCL/LSE, then Leeds/Notts etc
I reckon I could get A*AA prediction or something
and work super hard for the lnat
I would love to work Magic Circle, so here goes:
- if I get a million opportunities/work experiences/courses etc. would I have any chance at Oxford? (Ik occasionally people get in on a seriously long shot)
I know it sounds stupid with the grades but I want to go to the best uni possible for my grades so I can be as successful as possible
- is it worth going to a tier 3 uni if you still want to get to a Magic Circle firm?
- ignoring tier 2 as I don’t think I’d get in + went to KCL for a taster session and was the inky person of 16 who wasn’t planning on living at home (I want the uni experience and London is just too spread out)
sorry for poor grammar, on ipad and my horse chucked me off so my arm is killing me
thanks
Hi, I’m really sorry you’re dealing with all of this at once, and I hope your arm is okay.
I wanted to respond because what you’ve written reflects a lot of pressure and self-doubt that many people aiming for corporate law feel, even if they don’t say it openly.
First, your GCSEs are not a failure. A profile of 9s, 8s and solid 7s, especially given what you’ve shared about your health and lack of support at the time, does not make you unsuitable for law. Many people who go on to work in corporate law did not have perfect GCSE profiles, and admissions tutors are not blind to context, even where it wasn’t formally flagged at the time. In Oxford, I want to give you some measured hope.
It is a highly competitive university, but it is not exclusively open to those with perfect records. What matters most is how you perform at A level and in the LNAT, and how clearly you demonstrate intellectual engagement with law. Every year, people get in who don’t fit the “perfect on paper” stereotype, including those with uneven GCSEs, difficult personal circumstances, or non-linear academic stories. It is genuinely possible, not guaranteed, but possible, if your predictions are strong and your LNAT goes well. What’s important is not to think of Oxford as something you can only reach through stacking endless courses or work experience.
Depth of thinking, clarity of argument, and how you respond to problems matter far more. If you apply and don’t get in, that outcome does not invalidate you or your ambitions. Plenty of exceptional lawyers never went to Oxford, and plenty of Oxford graduates don’t end up in the careers they expected. Where this really matters is the Magic Circle. It is a myth that only Oxbridge or a handful of London universities lead there.
I’ve seen people from universities often labelled “tier 3” go on to train and qualify at top commercial firms. Law firms recruit over many years, and what ultimately matters is your performance at university, your ability to build experience, and how you present yourself over time. Wanting a proper university experience is also valid. Not wanting to live at home or feeling that London isn’t appropriate for you does not put you at a disadvantage. Plenty of people build strong commercial law careers from campus-based and regional universities.
One thing I’d gently encourage you to avoid is thinking in terms of “tiers or nothing”. Law careers are long and rarely linear. People lateral, change firms, qualify in one place and end up somewhere else.“Your first university is a second chance. It is not a life sentence. It is an opportunity.
To end, I wanted to say thanks for the information about your health. To find the strength to carry on, let alone excel, is an attribute in itself. Those qualities matter far more in the long run than a single admissions outcome. For anything specific, always check directly with the universities you’re applying to and the firms you’re interested in, as they can give accurate and personalised information. Online spaces tend to exaggerate hierarchy and understate the actual movement. You don’t sound stupid. You sound ambitious, shaken, and doing your best with the information you have.
Oxford is not impossible, and even if it doesn’t work out, it would not close the door on the future you want.
Kind regards, Faith
MA Law Conversion Student, University of Law Student Ambassador
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