Durham or York- where do I have a better chance
Good evening ladies and gents
Im applying for Law
My predicted grades are A* A* B
My GCSEs are 9 8888 8888 6 Di
My personal statement is super strong, I spoke about my summer school at Cambridge, bar mock trial, work experience at a local law firm and I did articles for a schools magazine
My reference talks about my history AS where I scored 20/20 on one of the questions
I am contextual and I have got extenuating circumstances of housing instability and homelessness alongside illness
My AS grades are A B E ( E was in maths but I have extenuating circumstances for it)
My LNAT (from my Jindal method) was 19-17 which i found super disappointing but i was really happy with the essay and i thought my essay was super strong
I’ve already applied to Oxford Foundation Year, Bristol (currently on hold), Warwick and Exeter (I’ve already gotten an offer) and I’ve got one last remaining place.
I have equal preference towards both, slightly more towards Durham but I keep changing my mind between the two because I want to be realistic, and since my MCQ for the LNAT didn’t go as well as I wanted and the fact I am on hold for Bristol also worries me a bit. I’d also appreciate if someone would chance me for Bristol as well.
An honest opinion would be greatly appreciated.
Im applying for Law
My predicted grades are A* A* B
My GCSEs are 9 8888 8888 6 Di
My personal statement is super strong, I spoke about my summer school at Cambridge, bar mock trial, work experience at a local law firm and I did articles for a schools magazine
My reference talks about my history AS where I scored 20/20 on one of the questions
I am contextual and I have got extenuating circumstances of housing instability and homelessness alongside illness
My AS grades are A B E ( E was in maths but I have extenuating circumstances for it)
My LNAT (from my Jindal method) was 19-17 which i found super disappointing but i was really happy with the essay and i thought my essay was super strong
I’ve already applied to Oxford Foundation Year, Bristol (currently on hold), Warwick and Exeter (I’ve already gotten an offer) and I’ve got one last remaining place.
I have equal preference towards both, slightly more towards Durham but I keep changing my mind between the two because I want to be realistic, and since my MCQ for the LNAT didn’t go as well as I wanted and the fact I am on hold for Bristol also worries me a bit. I’d also appreciate if someone would chance me for Bristol as well.
An honest opinion would be greatly appreciated.
Reply 1
20
Being on hold at Bristol is fairly normal - most Universities do this and then will make gradual offers after January, but unlike Bristol, they just don't tell you.
York and Durham are very different Uni environments. In terms of academics and impact on your future career, neither will give you any significant advantage over the other. However, some people find the Durham college system, and the attitudes of some of the more privileged students, irritating. If you want to study amongst a more diverse student population, and at a more conventional University, York might suit you better - and York doesn't use LNAT.
York and Durham are very different Uni environments. In terms of academics and impact on your future career, neither will give you any significant advantage over the other. However, some people find the Durham college system, and the attitudes of some of the more privileged students, irritating. If you want to study amongst a more diverse student population, and at a more conventional University, York might suit you better - and York doesn't use LNAT.
Reply 2
Original post
by decorated-lateneGood evening ladies and gents
Im applying for Law
My predicted grades are A* A* B
My GCSEs are 9 8888 8888 6 Di
My personal statement is super strong, I spoke about my summer school at Cambridge, bar mock trial, work experience at a local law firm and I did articles for a schools magazine
My reference talks about my history AS where I scored 20/20 on one of the questions
I am contextual and I have got extenuating circumstances of housing instability and homelessness alongside illness
My AS grades are A B E ( E was in maths but I have extenuating circumstances for it)
My LNAT (from my Jindal method) was 19-17 which i found super disappointing but i was really happy with the essay and i thought my essay was super strong
I’ve already applied to Oxford Foundation Year, Bristol (currently on hold), Warwick and Exeter (I’ve already gotten an offer) and I’ve got one last remaining place.
I have equal preference towards both, slightly more towards Durham but I keep changing my mind between the two because I want to be realistic, and since my MCQ for the LNAT didn’t go as well as I wanted and the fact I am on hold for Bristol also worries me a bit. I’d also appreciate if someone would chance me for Bristol as well.
An honest opinion would be greatly appreciated.
Im applying for Law
My predicted grades are A* A* B
My GCSEs are 9 8888 8888 6 Di
My personal statement is super strong, I spoke about my summer school at Cambridge, bar mock trial, work experience at a local law firm and I did articles for a schools magazine
My reference talks about my history AS where I scored 20/20 on one of the questions
I am contextual and I have got extenuating circumstances of housing instability and homelessness alongside illness
My AS grades are A B E ( E was in maths but I have extenuating circumstances for it)
My LNAT (from my Jindal method) was 19-17 which i found super disappointing but i was really happy with the essay and i thought my essay was super strong
I’ve already applied to Oxford Foundation Year, Bristol (currently on hold), Warwick and Exeter (I’ve already gotten an offer) and I’ve got one last remaining place.
I have equal preference towards both, slightly more towards Durham but I keep changing my mind between the two because I want to be realistic, and since my MCQ for the LNAT didn’t go as well as I wanted and the fact I am on hold for Bristol also worries me a bit. I’d also appreciate if someone would chance me for Bristol as well.
An honest opinion would be greatly appreciated.
Hi @decorated-latene,
Huge congrats on the Exeter Law offer - that already says a lot about the strength of your application.
Exeter would be a great choice because it takes a genuinely holistic approach. Your strong personal statement, contextual status, and extenuating circumstances clearly mattered, and Exeter Law is known for being supportive and academically rigorous without being unforgiving. The course has a great reputation, strong graduate outcomes, and excellent careers support for students aiming for the legal profession.
You’d be studying in a focused, campus-based environment with a strong law community, plenty of opportunities for mooting, pro bono work, and employer engagement - all of which really help when applying for training contracts later on.
Most importantly, Exeter has already shown it believes in you. Having that security, alongside a respected Law degree, is a really solid position to be in.
If you want to know more about Exeter please let me know 🙂
Klaudia
University of Exeter Student Ambassador
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