Mature Cambridge Law Student advice

[jeffy29]

So, thinking of biting the bullet and doing what I should of done at 18, studying Law. I have the advantage of living in Cambridge, so have the ability to apply to CU or ARU. Aiming for Cambridge, but the application process is a tad confusing to say the least (or I am being a bit of a div). So from what I understand, I can apply to any college but four are mature student friendly. How do I know what makes a particular college more attractive than others? Can I apply to more than one on one UCAS application? The Law Faculty looks fantastic but the collegiate side of things is throwing a spanner in the works when it comes to getting my head around things. Any help/hints/tips would be great! Also, anybody got in on an Access to HE course? Thanks!

No you can't apply to more than one college.

Cambridge from an Access course is highly highly highly unlikely sorry, even with straight Distinction stars.

Tidy up your grammar, and don't use the word 'div' - it's offensive.

You can only apply to one college. As you say, some are specifically interested in mature students (and one of these, Lucy Cavendish, is women-only). You could also put in an open application, in which case you'll be assigned a college.

Given you live in Cambridge, you'd presumably not want to move into college accommodation? There isn't honestly much in college choice, IMO. You could weigh up considerations such as whether a college with more mature students would feel more friendly, or whether you'd like to be somewhere easily accessed from home. But your lectures would be centralised anyway, and though you'd be taught in college, it's usual that the people teaching your college group would come from all over the university.

I'd just pick one of the mature colleges and go with it.

I admit I don't know the statistics for access to HE, but I do know that mature students are assessed slightly differently from those who are coming straight from school or FE college, especially if you've been out of education for quite a while and have other positives to talk about in your application.

thanks LRD

I went to uni as a mature student (not Oxbridge but top 10) and my offer was lower. They do make adjustments for mature students and take life experience into account. I don't know how Cambridge assess things like access courses though, your best bet is to go talk to them. You'll also need to take the Oxbridge exam which is not easy.

This link may help

www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/find-out-more/faq

Not got my grades yet, and I'm English, not law, but I recently got an offer from one of the mature colleges on the back of my Access course. Wouldn't say it's highly highly highly unlikely, particularly, at least not for English - a friend and I both applied to Cambridge mature colleges from our Access course, for English, and both got offers.

Don't forget there's a later application round for applicants to the mature colleges, so you don't have to get everything sorted by October.

(Law didn't used to be included in the subjects that you could apply to in the March application round, but it is now.)