Applying for law degree the year after sixth form (with grades)

[70smillie]

I have a DD who has set her heart on studying law. She's currently in year 12 and a perfectionist. I'm concerned that she's heading for a meltdown as she's becoming obsessed with the process of choosing a university, reading background info on law for possible interviews (she's interested in Oxbridge) and getting the highest predicted grades. Plus she has a job. She's starting to not see friends etc which isn't healthy.

So, my question is whether universities such as Oxbridge and Russell Group frown upon applicants who do their A levels and then apply for law with their grades as they have an advantage in being able to focus on their application.

It all seems so far from my 1980s experience (admittedly not law).

I still have the letter listing the universities for the intake for my cohort to a Magic Circle firm in the mid 80's. It was certainly not exclusively Oxbridge but it was strongly weighted in that direction. I would say that from what DD1 and DS2 say, very little has changed. What has changed dramatically is the gender balance. When I joined it was very male heavy, strikingly so.

OP, your daughter sounds amazing and you should be very proud of her. I went to a state school and sixth form and worked really hard in my A levels to get into a red brick uni to take law. However, I probably only ramped it up in upper sixth and maybe your daughter has just started a bit too early? Neither of my parents had been to uni but I was single minded (and not the top of the class). I also worked in a job around school so I could save up for travelling. I have ended up working in a US law firm in London and working overseas and have had a long and successful career (and children). It must be worrying that you feel that she is pushing herself too much, maybe just try to get her out for walks, trips to cinemas or meals out and encourage her to spend time with her friends? She will be seeing friends at school too xx

Ps I personally don’t think that law firms would be too bothered if someone had taken a year out after sixth form, many many people had done so when I got to uni - albeit most of them were from weather families and had worked as chalet girls etc.l! I think that you could probably fudge something together to cover that year on her CV, like volunteering or working to raise monies for pay for Uni, most unis and law firms would be impressed with that xx

..wealthy not weather

goodbye, I was just surprised in that random sample of those with training contracts in the twins' LPC groups that so many had been to a fee paying school - that was all. I thought the current supposedly huge efforts to widen access might have meant fewer from better universities, fewer at private schools and more BAME and under privileged people. It made me think the contextualised supposed recruitment might just be for show - but hopefully not. I would like to see the list for the groups on the course entirely full of people from the very largest firms however as that would give me better data.

Thanks for that Xenia. Yes, the data from the top firms is the instructive stuff. There seems to be a tension between widening participation at Oxford and Cambridge and blind recruitment to the most competitive jobs. The figures for state school entry to Oxford and Cambridge has only showed a sharp upturn in recent years, so it needs time to bed down but it would be ludicrous if institutions turned against those two unis at the very time that the programme is showing real signs of success. Your sample was very small, to be fair. And what about my own DCs' experience at Magic Circle firms is also pretty casually related anecdote, so also probably to be taken quite lightly.

*what I say about

The interesting data down the line might be whether students from Oxbridge continue to apply for jobs in London at all. They might prefer to earn less but work for the state elsewhere.

"it would be ludicrous if institutions turned against those two unis at the very time that the programme is showing real signs of success. "

Yes although I suppose teenagers choose Oxbridge so could be "blamed" for such a elitist choice (I am playing devil's advocate here) whereas you don't choose your own school - your parents do so moral blame for going somewhere privileged perhaps should not attach to school in the way it might for Oxbridge. I was watching a US programme the other day with the interesting point raised by one black man that he would not go to university because it meant massive debt and was not essential and was playing into the hands of those in power who want debt slaves as it were and his black girl friend had the opposite view - that going to College was really important never mind the debt. I must say my own politics and views are with her not the boyfriend but I could understand his standpoint.

Tiger, it is certainly something we discuss at home. I have always worked full time as a primary wage earner but since 1994 that has been from home when not away on business etc and so for about 30 years have controlled my hours and work in a sense. One of my lawyer daughters is now a freelance solicitor so has the same freedoms and the other is in a big firm but with shorter hours to an extent and my older son drives a delivery van full time but can work 4 very long days / shifts rather than 5 and he chooses when they have too many drivers to bring it down to 3 days a week despite less pay whenever he can. So in a sense it does seem to be a privileged but perfectly normal human desire to take it easy if you can whether that is a husband paying to keep you or the state or an aristocrat who has never worked and lives off inherited money or a tribesman in the jungle sitting in the sun as much as possible until you need to go out and dig a few roots up or kill a fish. Never mind what the bible says about the lilies of the field not reaping and working and just sitting around and God provides (I never though that one was likely to work very well in practice).

My advice to younger people though remains pick high paid work as that gives you more choices. I have a book at home the 4 Hour Working Week the thesis of which is pick something that pays a lot and then you can do a bit of work and have all that leisure time. This is complex for women with children and men to an extent as there is the second shift too of house work etc. and woman's work is never done etc etc. until the children leave home.

A good part of going to London after uni for young graduates is about social life Tizer. I doubt that attraction will diminish anytime soon.

There's a lot to be said for working hard in the summer of your life and then taking it significantly easier.

The only advice I ever give my DC is to maximise their choices so that they can meander into whatever they think will create the best life.

I would tend to think that front loading the effort - even if that means hard work at Oxford - makes sense in buying opportunities for subsequent leisure.

Not convinced that institutions are apportioning moral blame to uni choices, they just seem to be behind the curve.

@goodbyestranger
I definitely know young people who do want London for social reasons and earning power but I also note, from quite a few discussions on here that, for example, teaching, lecturing and many other jobs can be what grads want elsewhere with cheaper living costs associated with that choice. I’m always slightly surprised that earning a good salary isn’t uppermost in posters thoughts. I therefore was wondering if that would extend to more Oxbridge grads.

Goodness, I think OP must be feeling rather confused by all these posts!

I personally think that your DD could follow either route. Really good of you to be thinking about her MH.

I don’t think your DD will be looked down for applying post A-level, providing she does something useful in her gap year. Continuing to do the coaching to earn money for university would be a perfectly respectable thing to do, I think.

The only downside of a post sixth form application might be that all her friends go off to university whilst she is still left in limbo. I know some young people find that hard.

I am impressed by your DD’s ambition and interest in the subject. I’m sure that will get her far, however she decides to apply. x