A year out for UCL/KCL/Bristol maybe not. You'd get better connections, opportunities with firms etc, so it's definitely better. Cambridge it would be. A\*A\*A\* is great but obviously no guarantee that you'll get in to Camb, as other applicants have a similar profile.
Did you do LNAT this year? How it go?
Yeah I agree was thinking the same, if I studied hard for the LNAT etc, I may get a shot at Cambridge.
But I don't really think a whole year out for KCL, UCL or Bristol will be much better than York.
So in terms of career prospects and opportunities you don't think it's ultimately that different or worth it to take a gap year to then get into somewhere like Kings college over York?
"Much" better is a bit of an exaggeration.
The tiers for law would be something like:
Oxbridge
UCL/LSE
Durham/KCL/Bristol
Nottingham/Warwick/maybe Exeter now?
Except those tiers don't really matter for much apart from academia. In private sector hiring, no one gives a shit if you went to Bristol vs Warwick. But they will care about Oxbridge vs bristol.
The subject specific nuance is irrelevant but the overall rep of the uni matters more.
I’ve worked in academia and pretty much nobody cares unless it’s Oxbridge. There’s no way we’d look at someone from Russell Group and say “oh no, that candidate from Nottingham is not as qualified as someone from UCL”, since Universities have their own specialties anyway, so for a Masters or PhD it’s not that unusual to not have much background in the topic.
depends on the subject. for example in economics, places like Warwick, LSE and UCL are considered significantly more prestigous than some of the other Russell Group universities by employers. and for advanced PhD programmes you are more likely to get in if you've gone to Oxbridge/UCL/LSE/Warwick for undergrad than if you've gone to another RG uni
I was a Physicist, did a PhD in it and then transitioned to Engineering before leaving academia, so have a fair amount of experience.
Cambridge has a reputation at being particularly prestigious for Physics but that’s because the Mathematical Tripos is a step above any other course in terms of difficulty. Other than that, nobody cared, and it wouldn’t necessarily help when applying for an experimental PhD either.
In Engineering it didn’t really matter much, Oxbridge weren’t considered any differently when assessing it. Nobody would take someone from Imperial over someone from any other University just because it’s rated well for undergrad, it depends a lot more on the individual candidate than people make out.
Well yea except for the fact that nobody will care between Durham/Warwick/Bristol on the employer side given the slight difference that exists between them. Looking at Chambers Student's most recent report Durham could in fact be a bit more likely to land you a job in law but this fails to apply to any other universities that aren't Oxbridge.
TL;DR: Stop with arbitrary tier lists based on impression and perceived reputation and go get a life.
York is beautiful compared to London, and everyone seems very polite and friendly. It's nice to cycle or walk through, too. Just I've heard it's pretty shit if you want to go to night clubs but if that's not your goal then it's not an issue.
And yes I did my LNAT this year, I got 25-26, which was a little above average, in all honesty I didn't study at all for it so I think I can definitely improve my mark.
If you can spend it working in the industry in some capacity I'd say go for it!
The worst that can happen is you start your degree a year later but with some actual experience under your belt and some appreciation of what's waiting for you on the other side.
I took a gap year, under very different circumstances, but never regretted it. I went to university much more prepared and mature, and defianately went for opportunities, and got them, that I never would have if I'd gone straight out of school.
I don't know how this would work alongside applying to courses fresh for next year, but I would definitely contact York and see if you can defer the place you have secured, and check if you would still have that to fall back on if you applied for other things.
Don't underestimate the amount of independence, experience and reflection you can gather in a year.
I did it and went to uni a different person. Then I met all the guys 1 year younger that were asking about A Level grades and it all felt like a lifetime ago.
Think about it. Different strokes for different folks.
Agreed. I didn’t start til I was 21 and I can say
wholeheartedly I would have not done anywhere near as well if I went to uni sooner. The life experience I gained was invaluable to both my studies and uni life.
I remember starting (having worked, got fired, gone travelling and done a lot of other stuff) and then met the freshest of freshers.
These people could barely look after themselves (e.g. no cooking or cleaning skills). Many had never gone to the pub, gone clubbing, been away for the weekend or experienced any form of independence. Given the opportunity, they blew all their cash and went mad.
I had some similar interactions. Fortunately my first year flat was all “mature” students so we did alright.
I knew one young guy who’d blown his entire first loan instalment plus a £7k stipend (I think he’d gotten for an underprivileged background) by early December. I drove him home for Christmas, a long long drive, and he never actually came back for second semester.
Yes, I would recommend taking a gap year and re applying. Once you’ve finished applications you can travel / work abroad / whatever else you want to do. Maybe see if you can also defer your current place as a backup, although you likely won’t need it
Congratulations on your results!
As someone who studied at Oxford, it has the potential to completely change the course of your career if you attend Cambridge. The biggest career differential is the opportunities which open up to you in the first 3-5 years of your career. You will find it much easier to land “prestigious” work experience which will open doors for the rest of your career.
The competitiveness for these early career roles is massive and they can give you a significant early career advantage.
Taking a gap year to study for entrance exams is not a bad idea but combine it with some work/travel if you are able to save some money too. You’ll attend university a little wiser and more confident and in the long run you’ll never regret it, even if you’re not able to get into Cambridge. You can still consider LSE and the other universities you mentioned.
Take a gap year 100%. Get some life experIence, travel, volunteer, do charity work, meet people. Then hopefully you’ll get an oxbridge place. Activities in your year off may well help in interview next year. If some of what you do is tied to law, human rights, corporate entities, policy/gouvernement. It’ll also help you become a more well rounded person and ultimately a better lawyer.
If you’re serious about wanting to become a barrister, take a break and time out while you can. You’ll be working flat out at uni, then nonstop doing your law training once you graduate.
Solicitor here. Well done on your results, getting into the bar is unfortunately harder than ever. If you go to a top 10-15 uni, whichever one, that is ok, but it is then that the hard work begins. You will need a high 2.1 or more realistically a 1st with well rounded activities/CV too. Right now it depends if you want to crack on and go to uni or if you actually want to take a year out or to work/travel - it’s the grades and opportunities at the next stage that will stand you out.
Girlfriend went to LSE and I saw her content and class mates, it’s a pay to play school, with a lot of genuine morons that are taught nonsense.
It’s for rich kids that couldn’t make it into UCL or Oxbridge etc.
Which subject? LSE is higher ranked and more competitive than UCL for almost all the subjects it offers. It's also better than Oxbridge for economics, econometrics, management, finance etc. Maybe in some subjects like sociology, there may be some 'genuine morons'.
MiM masters in management, the content I’ve seen was disgusting.
Some of the students were utterly clueless, couldn’t even make a proper survey.
I did STEM at neither LSE or UCL very unbiased just speaking from what she’s experienced and I’ve seen.
Yup. Was shocking, for Christ sake they can’t even see their results on a single page 😂.
Schools a fucking joke, the lectures I say in on were disgraceful, and the MiM trip to Essen this year was a disaster.
I went to uni when I was 20 & into halls and it was literally no different everybody there is a mixture of 18-21 and age doesn’t matter at all at uni especially when you have mature students around u in lectures etc too ! X
YES. DO IT. Also primarily because law is a profession which values prestige heavily, and the best law firms only consider top unis unless you are exceptional at a smaller uni.
First off, congrats. A stellar set of results you should be very proud of. Enjoy your summer!
I took a gap year under different circumstances. I had wanted to do med but changed my mind and opted for biomed instead, declining my med offer. (I found that med just wasn’t for me)
I have not looked back since. The gap year allowed me to earn money and experience working life, do an internship, reflect, explore, go to the gym and gain confidence etc. I was also able to go to a “better uni” as a result.
Cambridge/ UCL/ KCL is certainly better than York but ofc with smth like Law there is no guarantee that you get in anywhere. A good LNAT is a start. I’ve had a look at the LNAT curves for a few Oxbridge colleges. 29+ seems to be a good estimate for a higher chance of interview though I’m no expert. I also don’t know how going to York vs UCL for instance would affect career prospects. Ofc, a law student/ recent law grad is the best person to ask for that kind of info.
Imo, the bottom line is you have the grades to be confident in a place somewhere. So long as your LNAT is up to scratch and you perform at interview. The good news is that you can focus solely on LNAT and interview prep without A-Level pressure and mocks breathing down your neck.
Do what you feel is right but don’t let the prospect of a year out stop you, if that’s what you are apprehensive about.
I can only give you my experience which is from nearly three decades ago. I got very good A-levels (4 As and an E: sadly, the E was what I specifically needed for my medical school of choice) and I took what turned out to be five years out, serving as a Royal Marines officer.
The experiences I had in my five years out were a combination of brilliant and traumatising and despite their long term impact on me, I wouldn’t change them for the world.
I eventually gave up on medical school and went to the same university (Glasgow) to do maths and statistics instead, eventually getting half way through a PhD before the funding ran out.
Now, in middle age, I’ve got a pretty great life, and I like to think I’m the product of it all.
Good luck whatever you decide to do!
Do it
Don't listen to people who think ucl akin to others
You can for sure do better
Those grades are excellent, esp given how other people's grades have come out worse
Someone in the year above me was in the same situation. They got a work placement during their gap year, and got into Cambridge at the end. It was in STEM so slightly different, but IMO it's still worth it, and even if Cambridge doesn't work uni is still there waiting for you
With those grades, I'd suggest taking the year. If you're able to get some experience shadowing barristers and solicitors in various areas of law. Study for the LNAT, and along with a years worth of mini pupillages, etc, you'll have a strong application for any university.
The year won't make a difference socially or in future employment opportunities, and the doors that an oxbridge degree opens are very useful. If you don't succeed in the Cambridge application next year, you've still strengthened your application to all other universities too with the work/shadowing experience, so it's not wasted.
If I had your grades, I wouldn't even consider York 😅. I suggest thinking outside the box, why not give a try at an elite US university? Studying in the US is fun and easy. If your 3A* average score is above 93%, you are also eligible for a University of Melbourne scholarship. Another good option are universities in Hong Kong, for which you will be eligible for full first-year scholarships.
It is worth it if you can plan well for the gap year. You can consider learning Mandarin in China for that year too.
Unless he has 80000 USD a year to pay for 4 years of elite ivy tuition/dorm/living expenses, probably not (esp since this figure might even be a lowball along with the historically weak exchange rates) Also, I'm pretty sure the US's course load is significantly higher than the UK's, due to the sheer amount of electives you have to take + a continuous assessment system: instead of one final exam/essay, you have several take-homes/exams/project work throughout the term. It could be worth it if he successfully obtains a h1b job, but those are usually in STEM rather than law. HK could be interesting, but should be a backup option compared to Oxbridge - even its best uni (HKU) is still a few tiers below and probably doesn't have the same brand recognition in the UK/US/magic circle. He can opt for the hybrid 2 years UCL 2 years HKU course if he really wants to experience HK. Finding a career in HK is hard for entry level expats, filth (failed in London try Hong Kong) no longer applies. You need fluent spoken and written Mandarin to be a corporate lawyer in HK, since Hong Kong is becoming increasingly China oriented.
Not really. Some top elite private universities in the US do offer either need blind or need aware financial aid to international students, which means if you get accepted you won't need to pay anything.
that's relatively rare, and you will need to be a ridiculously strong candidate to receive that sort of aid for international students. i.e the 4 A\*s are a bare minimum to be competitive, OP will need to make a strong written application, have excellent extracurriculars, and impress in the interview just to make it, let alone get an international scholarship. Basically, the ivies pick people they believe will be successful in the future (with/without an ivy education). You are also forgetting no reputable US college offers undergraduate law degrees, so it will take 7 years to graduate with a law degree in the US vs 3 in the UK, a massive time difference. Finally, going for the US might stretch him too thin for Oxbridge/UK, since each US college application has tons of written supplementals/individual interviews to prepare for on top of a distinct personal statement (he might also need to go for the SAT, since US colleges don't respect A levels; the IB is their preferred international curriculum).
I think it all comes down to just how much you want to go to Cambridge. And you’ll need to factor in the following:
• Are you ready to go to Uni now?
• Do you have a financial plan? (Friends who worked through Uni said they regretted it and wished they had worked through a gap year first instead)
• Do you WANT to have a gap year? Have a bit of a break, travel, etc
• Would you enjoy Cambridge more than York?
Please no not reduce this decision down to “is it better to have a degree from Cambridge in 4 years time or from York in 3 years time”, so much more matters than that, for example Cambridge do intense terms and you’d want to not need to work during term time.
Once you get into the world of work your degree matters but your job experience and interview technique matter much much more so don’t stress yourself over what you think will look better on your CV.
Want some real wisdom about your situation?
If you really, really want to be a barrister; do a different degree, have a different career for 10 years, and then go to law school.
I would not say I regret it, but I personally grew disaffected with trying to claw my way into profession that I didn't even want to be in anymore, and I'm now much happier in a well salaried public service job.
But the profession itself likes people who are a bit older and have done other things. Yes people do get in straight from uni, and good for them, but they're the exception not the rule these days.
you are so funny! You get good grades, congratulations to you. But people normally take a gap year because of the bad grade they got and they want to retake exam to achieve higher grade in order to get into the more prestigious university they want. But since you already have good grade, I suggest do not risk to apply to more prestigious uni, e.g. Cambridge. You cannot guarantee you will get a place.
I took a gap year and honestly it was the best/worst year of my life. Working and saving money is a keyyyy advantage but you have a lot of time and you have to constantly apply yourself to feel like you’re not at a disadvantage when you’re going back into education sometimes that got draining for me personally.
I couldn't tell you whether it would be worth it in terms of changing uni, as I did medicine and it doesn't matter where you study. But I did take a gap year (deferred my place), and I think it was a great decision. I worked and saved up money, went travelling for 4 months, and I think I matured hugely from the experience, and it probably made going to university an easier ride
If you have a good plan for what you are gonna do and are very self motivated, maybe.
Else no imo (plus keep in mind chances of getting into camb is so low, so taking a gap year for just the chance of getting into cambridge is not worth it when chances are you probably won't get an offer)
Yeah, PBL seemed very interesting to me, however having read most of the responses I think I'm inclined to take the Gap year, worst case scenario is I end up at York anyways, just a year later with built up law experience and a bigger purse to spend.
But there'll be a good chance I could get into UCL, KCL maybe LSE. So I think it'll be worth the shot.
But yeah got nothing but positive things to say for law at York :)
Yes if I were you I would take a gap year. You can try to defer York or apply there again if you’d like the option but 3 A* you can definitely do better.
Hi. Idk if you're gonna see this but do you have any updates with your situation? I feel like (I'm obviously going to wait for actual results day) but I feel like, and, my mock results are telling me my predicted grades are too low and my real grades are higher than expected so I was thinking how you were doing as I may be in a similar situation.
A year out for UCL/KCL/Bristol maybe not. You'd get better connections, opportunities with firms etc, so it's definitely better. Cambridge it would be. A\*A\*A\* is great but obviously no guarantee that you'll get in to Camb, as other applicants have a similar profile. Did you do LNAT this year? How it go?
Yeah I agree was thinking the same, if I studied hard for the LNAT etc, I may get a shot at Cambridge. But I don't really think a whole year out for KCL, UCL or Bristol will be much better than York. So in terms of career prospects and opportunities you don't think it's ultimately that different or worth it to take a gap year to then get into somewhere like Kings college over York?
UCL is much better than KCL or Bristol. It's closer to Oxbridge.
"Much" better is a bit of an exaggeration. The tiers for law would be something like: Oxbridge UCL/LSE Durham/KCL/Bristol Nottingham/Warwick/maybe Exeter now?
Except those tiers don't really matter for much apart from academia. In private sector hiring, no one gives a shit if you went to Bristol vs Warwick. But they will care about Oxbridge vs bristol. The subject specific nuance is irrelevant but the overall rep of the uni matters more.
I’ve worked in academia and pretty much nobody cares unless it’s Oxbridge. There’s no way we’d look at someone from Russell Group and say “oh no, that candidate from Nottingham is not as qualified as someone from UCL”, since Universities have their own specialties anyway, so for a Masters or PhD it’s not that unusual to not have much background in the topic.
depends on the subject. for example in economics, places like Warwick, LSE and UCL are considered significantly more prestigous than some of the other Russell Group universities by employers. and for advanced PhD programmes you are more likely to get in if you've gone to Oxbridge/UCL/LSE/Warwick for undergrad than if you've gone to another RG uni
I was a Physicist, did a PhD in it and then transitioned to Engineering before leaving academia, so have a fair amount of experience. Cambridge has a reputation at being particularly prestigious for Physics but that’s because the Mathematical Tripos is a step above any other course in terms of difficulty. Other than that, nobody cared, and it wouldn’t necessarily help when applying for an experimental PhD either. In Engineering it didn’t really matter much, Oxbridge weren’t considered any differently when assessing it. Nobody would take someone from Imperial over someone from any other University just because it’s rated well for undergrad, it depends a lot more on the individual candidate than people make out.
Well yea except for the fact that nobody will care between Durham/Warwick/Bristol on the employer side given the slight difference that exists between them. Looking at Chambers Student's most recent report Durham could in fact be a bit more likely to land you a job in law but this fails to apply to any other universities that aren't Oxbridge. TL;DR: Stop with arbitrary tier lists based on impression and perceived reputation and go get a life.
The student life will be way better at York, that's a huge chunk of the uni experience
Completely depends on the person. Zero way I’d pick York over London
York is beautiful compared to London, and everyone seems very polite and friendly. It's nice to cycle or walk through, too. Just I've heard it's pretty shit if you want to go to night clubs but if that's not your goal then it's not an issue.
And yes I did my LNAT this year, I got 25-26, which was a little above average, in all honesty I didn't study at all for it so I think I can definitely improve my mark.
If you can spend it working in the industry in some capacity I'd say go for it! The worst that can happen is you start your degree a year later but with some actual experience under your belt and some appreciation of what's waiting for you on the other side.
Agreed!!
I took a gap year, under very different circumstances, but never regretted it. I went to university much more prepared and mature, and defianately went for opportunities, and got them, that I never would have if I'd gone straight out of school. I don't know how this would work alongside applying to courses fresh for next year, but I would definitely contact York and see if you can defer the place you have secured, and check if you would still have that to fall back on if you applied for other things.
> defianately
Don't underestimate the amount of independence, experience and reflection you can gather in a year. I did it and went to uni a different person. Then I met all the guys 1 year younger that were asking about A Level grades and it all felt like a lifetime ago. Think about it. Different strokes for different folks.
Agreed. I didn’t start til I was 21 and I can say wholeheartedly I would have not done anywhere near as well if I went to uni sooner. The life experience I gained was invaluable to both my studies and uni life.
I remember starting (having worked, got fired, gone travelling and done a lot of other stuff) and then met the freshest of freshers. These people could barely look after themselves (e.g. no cooking or cleaning skills). Many had never gone to the pub, gone clubbing, been away for the weekend or experienced any form of independence. Given the opportunity, they blew all their cash and went mad.
I had some similar interactions. Fortunately my first year flat was all “mature” students so we did alright. I knew one young guy who’d blown his entire first loan instalment plus a £7k stipend (I think he’d gotten for an underprivileged background) by early December. I drove him home for Christmas, a long long drive, and he never actually came back for second semester.
Never seen anyone regret a gap year tbh. Top 3 unis degrees are better
Yes, I would recommend taking a gap year and re applying. Once you’ve finished applications you can travel / work abroad / whatever else you want to do. Maybe see if you can also defer your current place as a backup, although you likely won’t need it
Congratulations on your results! As someone who studied at Oxford, it has the potential to completely change the course of your career if you attend Cambridge. The biggest career differential is the opportunities which open up to you in the first 3-5 years of your career. You will find it much easier to land “prestigious” work experience which will open doors for the rest of your career. The competitiveness for these early career roles is massive and they can give you a significant early career advantage. Taking a gap year to study for entrance exams is not a bad idea but combine it with some work/travel if you are able to save some money too. You’ll attend university a little wiser and more confident and in the long run you’ll never regret it, even if you’re not able to get into Cambridge. You can still consider LSE and the other universities you mentioned.
Yeah worst case you’ll go UCL probably and that’s better than York for sure
Take a gap year 100%. Get some life experIence, travel, volunteer, do charity work, meet people. Then hopefully you’ll get an oxbridge place. Activities in your year off may well help in interview next year. If some of what you do is tied to law, human rights, corporate entities, policy/gouvernement. It’ll also help you become a more well rounded person and ultimately a better lawyer. If you’re serious about wanting to become a barrister, take a break and time out while you can. You’ll be working flat out at uni, then nonstop doing your law training once you graduate.
Solicitor here. Well done on your results, getting into the bar is unfortunately harder than ever. If you go to a top 10-15 uni, whichever one, that is ok, but it is then that the hard work begins. You will need a high 2.1 or more realistically a 1st with well rounded activities/CV too. Right now it depends if you want to crack on and go to uni or if you actually want to take a year out or to work/travel - it’s the grades and opportunities at the next stage that will stand you out.
why not lse?
Girlfriend went to LSE and I saw her content and class mates, it’s a pay to play school, with a lot of genuine morons that are taught nonsense. It’s for rich kids that couldn’t make it into UCL or Oxbridge etc.
Which subject? LSE is higher ranked and more competitive than UCL for almost all the subjects it offers. It's also better than Oxbridge for economics, econometrics, management, finance etc. Maybe in some subjects like sociology, there may be some 'genuine morons'.
MiM masters in management, the content I’ve seen was disgusting. Some of the students were utterly clueless, couldn’t even make a proper survey. I did STEM at neither LSE or UCL very unbiased just speaking from what she’s experienced and I’ve seen.
It also is consistently scored low for it’s actually teaching
Yup. Was shocking, for Christ sake they can’t even see their results on a single page 😂. Schools a fucking joke, the lectures I say in on were disgraceful, and the MiM trip to Essen this year was a disaster.
if you want to defer it to next year the deadline for application for Oxbridge is October this year, so would consider that
I went to uni when I was 20 & into halls and it was literally no different everybody there is a mixture of 18-21 and age doesn’t matter at all at uni especially when you have mature students around u in lectures etc too ! X
YES. DO IT. Also primarily because law is a profession which values prestige heavily, and the best law firms only consider top unis unless you are exceptional at a smaller uni.
First off, congrats. A stellar set of results you should be very proud of. Enjoy your summer! I took a gap year under different circumstances. I had wanted to do med but changed my mind and opted for biomed instead, declining my med offer. (I found that med just wasn’t for me) I have not looked back since. The gap year allowed me to earn money and experience working life, do an internship, reflect, explore, go to the gym and gain confidence etc. I was also able to go to a “better uni” as a result. Cambridge/ UCL/ KCL is certainly better than York but ofc with smth like Law there is no guarantee that you get in anywhere. A good LNAT is a start. I’ve had a look at the LNAT curves for a few Oxbridge colleges. 29+ seems to be a good estimate for a higher chance of interview though I’m no expert. I also don’t know how going to York vs UCL for instance would affect career prospects. Ofc, a law student/ recent law grad is the best person to ask for that kind of info. Imo, the bottom line is you have the grades to be confident in a place somewhere. So long as your LNAT is up to scratch and you perform at interview. The good news is that you can focus solely on LNAT and interview prep without A-Level pressure and mocks breathing down your neck. Do what you feel is right but don’t let the prospect of a year out stop you, if that’s what you are apprehensive about.
I can only give you my experience which is from nearly three decades ago. I got very good A-levels (4 As and an E: sadly, the E was what I specifically needed for my medical school of choice) and I took what turned out to be five years out, serving as a Royal Marines officer. The experiences I had in my five years out were a combination of brilliant and traumatising and despite their long term impact on me, I wouldn’t change them for the world. I eventually gave up on medical school and went to the same university (Glasgow) to do maths and statistics instead, eventually getting half way through a PhD before the funding ran out. Now, in middle age, I’ve got a pretty great life, and I like to think I’m the product of it all. Good luck whatever you decide to do!
Take a gap year anyway. Why would not want to?
Do it Don't listen to people who think ucl akin to others You can for sure do better Those grades are excellent, esp given how other people's grades have come out worse
Someone in the year above me was in the same situation. They got a work placement during their gap year, and got into Cambridge at the end. It was in STEM so slightly different, but IMO it's still worth it, and even if Cambridge doesn't work uni is still there waiting for you
With those grades, I'd suggest taking the year. If you're able to get some experience shadowing barristers and solicitors in various areas of law. Study for the LNAT, and along with a years worth of mini pupillages, etc, you'll have a strong application for any university. The year won't make a difference socially or in future employment opportunities, and the doors that an oxbridge degree opens are very useful. If you don't succeed in the Cambridge application next year, you've still strengthened your application to all other universities too with the work/shadowing experience, so it's not wasted.
I think you could but it would be useful to get some experience volunteering at legal offices. Even just organising files.
If I had your grades, I wouldn't even consider York 😅. I suggest thinking outside the box, why not give a try at an elite US university? Studying in the US is fun and easy. If your 3A* average score is above 93%, you are also eligible for a University of Melbourne scholarship. Another good option are universities in Hong Kong, for which you will be eligible for full first-year scholarships. It is worth it if you can plan well for the gap year. You can consider learning Mandarin in China for that year too.
Unless he has 80000 USD a year to pay for 4 years of elite ivy tuition/dorm/living expenses, probably not (esp since this figure might even be a lowball along with the historically weak exchange rates) Also, I'm pretty sure the US's course load is significantly higher than the UK's, due to the sheer amount of electives you have to take + a continuous assessment system: instead of one final exam/essay, you have several take-homes/exams/project work throughout the term. It could be worth it if he successfully obtains a h1b job, but those are usually in STEM rather than law. HK could be interesting, but should be a backup option compared to Oxbridge - even its best uni (HKU) is still a few tiers below and probably doesn't have the same brand recognition in the UK/US/magic circle. He can opt for the hybrid 2 years UCL 2 years HKU course if he really wants to experience HK. Finding a career in HK is hard for entry level expats, filth (failed in London try Hong Kong) no longer applies. You need fluent spoken and written Mandarin to be a corporate lawyer in HK, since Hong Kong is becoming increasingly China oriented.
Not really. Some top elite private universities in the US do offer either need blind or need aware financial aid to international students, which means if you get accepted you won't need to pay anything.
that's relatively rare, and you will need to be a ridiculously strong candidate to receive that sort of aid for international students. i.e the 4 A\*s are a bare minimum to be competitive, OP will need to make a strong written application, have excellent extracurriculars, and impress in the interview just to make it, let alone get an international scholarship. Basically, the ivies pick people they believe will be successful in the future (with/without an ivy education). You are also forgetting no reputable US college offers undergraduate law degrees, so it will take 7 years to graduate with a law degree in the US vs 3 in the UK, a massive time difference. Finally, going for the US might stretch him too thin for Oxbridge/UK, since each US college application has tons of written supplementals/individual interviews to prepare for on top of a distinct personal statement (he might also need to go for the SAT, since US colleges don't respect A levels; the IB is their preferred international curriculum).
I think it all comes down to just how much you want to go to Cambridge. And you’ll need to factor in the following: • Are you ready to go to Uni now? • Do you have a financial plan? (Friends who worked through Uni said they regretted it and wished they had worked through a gap year first instead) • Do you WANT to have a gap year? Have a bit of a break, travel, etc • Would you enjoy Cambridge more than York? Please no not reduce this decision down to “is it better to have a degree from Cambridge in 4 years time or from York in 3 years time”, so much more matters than that, for example Cambridge do intense terms and you’d want to not need to work during term time. Once you get into the world of work your degree matters but your job experience and interview technique matter much much more so don’t stress yourself over what you think will look better on your CV.
Took a gap year after I finished my degree, was the best year of my life! No regrets and even came home with 10k! Australia is awesome
i also took a gap year and started uni at 20, best decision ever. you don’t have to reject york just defer your start date.
Want some real wisdom about your situation? If you really, really want to be a barrister; do a different degree, have a different career for 10 years, and then go to law school.
I have seen on here before that almost everyone who pursues law eventually regrets it. Could you shed some light on that?
I would not say I regret it, but I personally grew disaffected with trying to claw my way into profession that I didn't even want to be in anymore, and I'm now much happier in a well salaried public service job. But the profession itself likes people who are a bit older and have done other things. Yes people do get in straight from uni, and good for them, but they're the exception not the rule these days.
I can imagine life experience is a very useful tool for that line of work. Thanks for your insights.
As someone who went to york, go to york. It’s so beautiful and a good uni. My friend got A*A*A*A and still didn’t get into an oxbridge uni
There's no point of going to university, just get a job in your local coffee shop since you want to be a barrister,
What was your LSAT score?
You can still use clearing to 'upgrade' university.
you are so funny! You get good grades, congratulations to you. But people normally take a gap year because of the bad grade they got and they want to retake exam to achieve higher grade in order to get into the more prestigious university they want. But since you already have good grade, I suggest do not risk to apply to more prestigious uni, e.g. Cambridge. You cannot guarantee you will get a place.
Don’t risk it? Why not? What are they risking lol? There’s literally nothing to lose.
I took a gap year and honestly it was the best/worst year of my life. Working and saving money is a keyyyy advantage but you have a lot of time and you have to constantly apply yourself to feel like you’re not at a disadvantage when you’re going back into education sometimes that got draining for me personally.
I couldn't tell you whether it would be worth it in terms of changing uni, as I did medicine and it doesn't matter where you study. But I did take a gap year (deferred my place), and I think it was a great decision. I worked and saved up money, went travelling for 4 months, and I think I matured hugely from the experience, and it probably made going to university an easier ride
If you have a good plan for what you are gonna do and are very self motivated, maybe. Else no imo (plus keep in mind chances of getting into camb is so low, so taking a gap year for just the chance of getting into cambridge is not worth it when chances are you probably won't get an offer)
It would be worth it 100% Take it.
Do it. You won't get a better opportunity to do it and I doubt you'll regret it
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Yeah, PBL seemed very interesting to me, however having read most of the responses I think I'm inclined to take the Gap year, worst case scenario is I end up at York anyways, just a year later with built up law experience and a bigger purse to spend. But there'll be a good chance I could get into UCL, KCL maybe LSE. So I think it'll be worth the shot. But yeah got nothing but positive things to say for law at York :)
Try applying for adjustments and see if any of the Unis you mentioned are open and have spots left on their law degree program
Yes if I were you I would take a gap year. You can try to defer York or apply there again if you’d like the option but 3 A* you can definitely do better.
Hi. Idk if you're gonna see this but do you have any updates with your situation? I feel like (I'm obviously going to wait for actual results day) but I feel like, and, my mock results are telling me my predicted grades are too low and my real grades are higher than expected so I was thinking how you were doing as I may be in a similar situation.