Law vs PPE for Oxford/LSE/UCL/King's

9

Hi,
I'm a y12 student with gcses of 9999999977 with a 9 in maths and i think by the time I apply to uni i'll probs be predicted 3a*s in maths politics economics. I'd like to start preparing for my application as it's getting closer and closer but I'm split between doing ppe or law. for ppe i'd be thinking about Oxford, LSE, UCL, King's and for law the same but I'd be thinking about cambridge too, so i'd just apply to whichever of oxford or cambridge i'd be most competitive for (any advice on which I'd have a better chance for would be much appreciated). I pay very close attention to current affairs which maybe would help with ppe, as does the fact that the work experiences for ppe are more obvious to me (talking to bankers, politicians etc), and i'm going to have a conversation with someone who works at blackrock, and with someone who was the president of brazil's state owned bank caixa and later a federal deputy. however i'm not sure what work experience i'd do for law, and advice would be appreciated. ultimately if my grades mean i'd have a better chance for law i'm happy to go all in for it, as what really matters to me is the uni i go to, but any advice on which course i would have a better chance of getting into with my grades would be amazing, as admissions tests have to be booked in a few months so by then i'll need to know which course i want to do so that i can know which admissions tests to book!

Reply 1

UniofLawStudent6

Official Rep

5

Original post

by 183483279435829

Hi,
I'm a y12 student with gcses of 9999999977 with a 9 in maths and i think by the time I apply to uni i'll probs be predicted 3a*s in maths politics economics. I'd like to start preparing for my application as it's getting closer and closer but I'm split between doing ppe or law. for ppe i'd be thinking about Oxford, LSE, UCL, King's and for law the same but I'd be thinking about cambridge too, so i'd just apply to whichever of oxford or cambridge i'd be most competitive for (any advice on which I'd have a better chance for would be much appreciated). I pay very close attention to current affairs which maybe would help with ppe, as does the fact that the work experiences for ppe are more obvious to me (talking to bankers, politicians etc), and i'm going to have a conversation with someone who works at blackrock, and with someone who was the president of brazil's state owned bank caixa and later a federal deputy. however i'm not sure what work experience i'd do for law, and advice would be appreciated. ultimately if my grades mean i'd have a better chance for law i'm happy to go all in for it, as what really matters to me is the uni i go to, but any advice on which course i would have a better chance of getting into with my grades would be amazing, as admissions tests have to be booked in a few months so by then i'll need to know which course i want to do so that i can know which admissions tests to book!

Hi @183483279435829 ,

Congratulations on your academic results so far! Coming from a future trainee solicitor, I honestly think your current passion and skillset align perfectly with a career in law - awareness of current affairs and how businesses work ("commercial awareness", as it's called in the legal industry) is crucial to being a successful commercial solicitor, and based on your grades, it sounds like you have really strong critical analysis and problem-solving skills too.

However, this doesn't necessarily mean you need to study a law degree. Rather, lots of solicitors study non-law degrees first before converting to law via the PGDL (I studied Anthropology & Archaeology before my PGDL, for example). By studying PPE for your undergraduate degree, you would be able to apply your passions and gain certain skills and experiences that necessarily wouldn't be available through law. The PGDL would then provide you with the essential, practical legal knowledge you need to become a solicitor within a more condensed time-frame (9 months if you're studying full-time) - and it sounds like you'd certainly be capable of securing a scholarship or training contract to help fund this, if you wished. However, if you're passionate about studying law now and eager to explore the theoretical sides as well as the practical, then an LLB may be the better choice for you; it's worth bearing in mind, though, that this may come with additional entry requirements, such as sitting the LNAT.

With regards to work experience, the opportunities you have described for PPE equally apply to law - as I explained, any commercial awareness is highly valuable in the legal profession, so I'd highly encourage seeking out internships/a placement year/shadowing opportunities in whichever sectors take your interest (I did a marketing placement year in a reputable FMCG business, for example). Securing actual legal experience within a law firm/court, meanwhile, is often rarer - while lots of firms do offer first-year insight schemes and events (as well as the standard vacation schemes), it's also worth looking into doing pro bono work, volunteering or reaching out to potential lawyers who you could shadow. I'll also note that the power of ordinary part-time roles, such as in hospitality or retail, shouldn't be dismissed - these are equally helpful in strengthening your core communication, teamwork and problem-solving skills.

Let me know if you have any further questions and best of luck with your applications!

Holly - PGDL Student
University of Law

Reply 2

thegeek888

18

Original post

by 183483279435829

Hi,
I'm a y12 student with gcses of 9999999977 with a 9 in maths and i think by the time I apply to uni i'll probs be predicted 3a*s in maths politics economics. I'd like to start preparing for my application as it's getting closer and closer but I'm split between doing ppe or law. for ppe i'd be thinking about Oxford, LSE, UCL, King's and for law the same but I'd be thinking about cambridge too, so i'd just apply to whichever of oxford or cambridge i'd be most competitive for (any advice on which I'd have a better chance for would be much appreciated). I pay very close attention to current affairs which maybe would help with ppe, as does the fact that the work experiences for ppe are more obvious to me (talking to bankers, politicians etc), and i'm going to have a conversation with someone who works at blackrock, and with someone who was the president of brazil's state owned bank caixa and later a federal deputy. however i'm not sure what work experience i'd do for law, and advice would be appreciated. ultimately if my grades mean i'd have a better chance for law i'm happy to go all in for it, as what really matters to me is the uni i go to, but any advice on which course i would have a better chance of getting into with my grades would be amazing, as admissions tests have to be booked in a few months so by then i'll need to know which course i want to do so that i can know which admissions tests to book!

Oxford, LSE, UCL, KCL and even Cambridge all require high LNAT scores.

Often, it is the LNAT score which decides whether you're offered a place.

For Law work experience try to shadow a barrister and/or a solicitor. 🙂

Law vs PPE for Oxford/LSE/UCL/King's

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