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Original poster

Should my dd give up on Cambridge?

58 replies

dinomirror · 19/02/2025 09:42

She wants to do law and potentially apply to Cambridge but i think her gcses are too low?
997777766. Predicted two a star and one a.
However contextual due to postcode, being an ethnic minority (afghan) , first to finish education in family and potentially extenuating circumstances in that she has a profoundly disabled brother. Not sure if i should encourage her to look at other unis instead

OP posts:
orangebook321 · 19/02/2025 17:24

It's very likely she'll get an interview with those predictions - as I mentioned before, Cambridge interview quite a large percentage of applicants. The only kid I know who of didn't get an interview from my DCs school wasn't studying particularly relevant subjects for his preferred course....

Original poster
dinomirror · 19/02/2025 17:48

Chickoletta · 19/02/2025 17:04

Those GCSEs would definitely not rule her out, given the contextual background and a prediction of AAA is fine. I work with Oxbridge candidates in an independent school and I would be telling them to give it a shot with those grades, let alone with the factors you’ve outlined.

Does she definitely want to study Law as an undergrad? It’s very competitive and quite a dry subject. My DS (y11 currently) would like a career in law or civil service, but he’s keen to do a law conversion after an undergrad degree in one of the subjects he loves. It’s a way off for him at the moment, but he’s thinking of Theology, History or Languages.

She actually loves her law society, but thinking maybe history ( does bio, history, psychology)

OP posts:
TattooGuineaPig · 19/02/2025 18:19

@dinomirror what are her GCSE grade subjects where she got the 9s?
My DD applied to Oxford with 3 x A grades at A level in hand. It turned out she scored a 56 on the TSA (part one only) exam and they told us later on that they only invited those scoring 66 or higher to interview for her particular subject. So when people say the LSAT is important, it really is. I know Ox and Cambs do things differently but they seem to regard the applications holistically, not leaving any element unnoticed. I suspect your DD has a good chance if she gets her predicted grades and does well in the LSAT but if there's a very similar candidate with all 9's in their GCSEs then that kind of thing might bump her down the pecking order. It's sort of impossible to say really, without the insight into who else is applying. But I would guess she has a shot at it and should have a go.

Original poster
dinomirror · 19/02/2025 19:54

TattooGuineaPig · 19/02/2025 18:19

@dinomirror what are her GCSE grade subjects where she got the 9s?
My DD applied to Oxford with 3 x A grades at A level in hand. It turned out she scored a 56 on the TSA (part one only) exam and they told us later on that they only invited those scoring 66 or higher to interview for her particular subject. So when people say the LSAT is important, it really is. I know Ox and Cambs do things differently but they seem to regard the applications holistically, not leaving any element unnoticed. I suspect your DD has a good chance if she gets her predicted grades and does well in the LSAT but if there's a very similar candidate with all 9's in their GCSEs then that kind of thing might bump her down the pecking order. It's sort of impossible to say really, without the insight into who else is applying. But I would guess she has a shot at it and should have a go.

History and english lit. She is very good at reading/writing/comprehension- got something like 92/96 on one of the lit paper so hopefully the lnat will come naturally for her

OP posts:
sageGreen81 · 19/02/2025 20:36

Please ask her to give it a go. I'm from a similar background and I gave it a go many moons ago now. It was for Oxford. At that time there was no support for people like us, I was at an inner city school, lived in a deprived area and a lot going on at home.

My parents were illiterate and didn't speak English. I got an interview for Law at Oxford. I recall I applied to Mansfield College, I came from a Northern town and got the coach there. In turn I was up against lots of young teens from Private Schools, who had done lots of prep/been prepped for the interview. I don't think my school even knew I applied. In my cohort of candidates being interviewed I think 10? I was the only one from a Northern state school comp!!

I didn't get a place. I did end up at an excellent Redbrick reading Law, I made amazing friends. It transformed the trajectory of my family.

I wish the support that is available now was available back in 1998/1999, but in other ways I loved my University experience.

Dery · 20/02/2025 08:39

Another here saying - please encourage her to apply. I think her story and her predictions give her a very good chance of at least an interview and, hopefully, a contextual offer. Clare College also has a great outreach programme so may be worth a look.

My DDs weren’t candidates for Oxbridge but I’ve got various friends whose DCs have had Cambridge offers over recent years. One thing to note: not one has had an offer from the college they applied to but they’ve been pooled after interview and had offers from another college. They’ve all been very happy with where they’ve ended up.

As PPs have said: it’s just one choice out of 5; applying to Cambridge doesn’t deprive her of any opportunities elsewhere. She should go for it.

100A · 20/02/2025 21:12

OP, she can give it a go for sure. I think History is less competitive entry than law. She can boost her chances by getting a good score in the HAT but also, before that, entering some essay competitions. There is the John Locke Essay Competition that has Law and History categories. Even if she doesn't win or get commended, she can still write about it in the PS and it will give her a niche interest maybe? I'm sure there are other similar competitions too. She needs to show evidence of interest beyond the A-level curriculum. If she has a specific interest area in Law or History, build the PS around that. She should have an opinion in the PS - be critical, not just list things she is doing. Is there a school magazine she could write an article for? If not, she could maybe start up a school Law / History magazine or club herself? If you know any solicitors or anyone in law, maybe she could shadow them? If she was actually born in Afghanistan, she could maybe reference this as inspiring her interest in the importance of law from a human rights perspective.

UninterestingFirstPost · 20/02/2025 21:27

Would she feel more confident applying a year later with her grades in hand?
Either way, she needs to make a very informed choice of college. Perhaps look at the women’s colleges and Girton

TattooGuineaPig · 20/02/2025 21:46

100A · 20/02/2025 21:12

OP, she can give it a go for sure. I think History is less competitive entry than law. She can boost her chances by getting a good score in the HAT but also, before that, entering some essay competitions. There is the John Locke Essay Competition that has Law and History categories. Even if she doesn't win or get commended, she can still write about it in the PS and it will give her a niche interest maybe? I'm sure there are other similar competitions too. She needs to show evidence of interest beyond the A-level curriculum. If she has a specific interest area in Law or History, build the PS around that. She should have an opinion in the PS - be critical, not just list things she is doing. Is there a school magazine she could write an article for? If not, she could maybe start up a school Law / History magazine or club herself? If you know any solicitors or anyone in law, maybe she could shadow them? If she was actually born in Afghanistan, she could maybe reference this as inspiring her interest in the importance of law from a human rights perspective.

Edited

I believe the personal statement is being revised this year into three general questions, which don't leave as much room for saying all the things one might have said in the current format.

SleepQuest33 · 20/02/2025 21:57

I’m going to go against the grain and say that with those grades she is unlikely to get the predicted A levels she will need, so I would choose a 5th option that she has a realistic possibility of getting.

poetryandwine · 20/02/2025 22:05

Hi, @SleepQuest33

At all Colleges except Sidney Sussex the minimum offer is A star A A, below DD’s predictions. She has a good chance of getting the minimum offer because of her background, though this is not guaranteed - if she gets any offer at all, that is.

Most PGs are inaccurate, but if DD is at a state school in a deprived area they may be underestimated. I don’t see her PGs as a sticking point at this stage.

100A · 20/02/2025 22:17

i agree to maybe apply to Girton, Murray Edwards or Lucy Cavendish re- college choice.

Original poster
dinomirror · 20/02/2025 22:33

100A · 20/02/2025 21:12

OP, she can give it a go for sure. I think History is less competitive entry than law. She can boost her chances by getting a good score in the HAT but also, before that, entering some essay competitions. There is the John Locke Essay Competition that has Law and History categories. Even if she doesn't win or get commended, she can still write about it in the PS and it will give her a niche interest maybe? I'm sure there are other similar competitions too. She needs to show evidence of interest beyond the A-level curriculum. If she has a specific interest area in Law or History, build the PS around that. She should have an opinion in the PS - be critical, not just list things she is doing. Is there a school magazine she could write an article for? If not, she could maybe start up a school Law / History magazine or club herself? If you know any solicitors or anyone in law, maybe she could shadow them? If she was actually born in Afghanistan, she could maybe reference this as inspiring her interest in the importance of law from a human rights perspective.

Edited

Thanks , shes leaning heavily towards law. She does law society at school, did a week work experience in solicitors in year 10 and various online law work experiences. Hopefully can get more through a program shes in. Also read some law books. She has an interest in criminal law. She was not born there but both parents were and lots of family still there

OP posts:
Original poster
dinomirror · 20/02/2025 22:33

Oh yes and she really wants a womens college

OP posts:
Original poster
dinomirror · 20/02/2025 22:36

poetryandwine · 20/02/2025 22:05

Hi, @SleepQuest33

At all Colleges except Sidney Sussex the minimum offer is A star A A, below DD’s predictions. She has a good chance of getting the minimum offer because of her background, though this is not guaranteed - if she gets any offer at all, that is.

Most PGs are inaccurate, but if DD is at a state school in a deprived area they may be underestimated. I don’t see her PGs as a sticking point at this stage.

Hi, she went to a middling school i think (that was how it was described to me) in that many passed but not with high grades. She now goes to a very very large outstanding sixth form with high oxbridge rates. But the sixth form is in a deprived area ( same as where we live) and school was in a better area

OP posts:
RatedDoingMagic · 20/02/2025 22:42

Her grades are good enough for Cambridge. She should definitely try.

There are about 10 times as many applicants who are "good enough" as can have places and it is not the highest grades within those that get the places. She has a chance. They are looking for people who demonstrate a real passion for their subject, who will be motivated to go the extra mile week after week without their parents checking up on them, and who can thrive under a high workload. Kids who get 4A* grades having never known life without a high level of comfort and privilege are frankly less qualified than your DD.

She should have 2 top-level non-oxbridge unis and 2 that typically make slightly lower offers to give a range of options. There is no harm done aiming high if there's a backup plan in place. No need to give up.

Purplepostit · 20/02/2025 23:01

Chickoletta · 19/02/2025 17:04

Those GCSEs would definitely not rule her out, given the contextual background and a prediction of AAA is fine. I work with Oxbridge candidates in an independent school and I would be telling them to give it a shot with those grades, let alone with the factors you’ve outlined.

Does she definitely want to study Law as an undergrad? It’s very competitive and quite a dry subject. My DS (y11 currently) would like a career in law or civil service, but he’s keen to do a law conversion after an undergrad degree in one of the subjects he loves. It’s a way off for him at the moment, but he’s thinking of Theology, History or Languages.

I’m a lawyer and just for balance really didn’t find studying law dry. (Though if you can afford two degrees and want to spend the time on them then great, why not!) There are some subjects within the LLB that the majority are likely to find bit more dry on the whole, though even within the dullest subject there are always bits of interest. But large parts of it are of broad application (history, ethics and morality, philosophy, social theory, the relationship between state and individual, rule of law, as well as how law is made. And you can participate in moots (mock hearings) and lots of universities have law clinics so you can be involved with helping real clients at an early stage too. Just my opinion.

BigSilly · 20/02/2025 23:10

I don't want to piss on your chips, but the likelihood of her getting 2 A* and an A from those Gcses is low.

Original poster
dinomirror · 20/02/2025 23:12

BigSilly · 20/02/2025 23:10

I don't want to piss on your chips, but the likelihood of her getting 2 A* and an A from those Gcses is low.

🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ has been getting those grades in assessments/mocks tho. Plus history was a 9 so why shouldn't she get an A* in the A level? Bio was a 7 so why cant she get an A?

OP posts:
BigSilly · 20/02/2025 23:18

Does she go to to a low achieving school?

Spirallingdownwards · 20/02/2025 23:21

TattooGuineaPig · 20/02/2025 21:46

I believe the personal statement is being revised this year into three general questions, which don't leave as much room for saying all the things one might have said in the current format.

Show quote history

The three questions are actually used to draw out what should have already been in the current style personal statements and are in the good ones. It is designed to help those students who don't get proper guidance from their schools as to what a good PS looks like so actually will help many students but be the same for others who already had schools that were well informed

ProfessorLayton1 · 21/02/2025 06:31

BigSilly · 20/02/2025 23:10

I don't want to piss on your chips, but the likelihood of her getting 2 A* and an A from those Gcses is low.

Lot of students go on to do well in A levels compared to GCSE's as they can choose subjects they love and are good at in A levels. Op's daughter goes to a high achieving state school now who send lot of students to oxbridge so she will have good guidance from school.

orangebook321 · 21/02/2025 09:57

No idea why posters are saying the GCSE results will impact A level grades here, OP. I could see it being an issue if she got, say, a 6 in maths gcse and was suddenly now aiming for an A star in further maths A-level 😂 but that’s obviously not the situation…

In order, Cambridge will care most about ability in the subject she most wants to study, then A level grades in 3 related subjects (my dd does 4 A levels and her Cambridge offer for a humanities subject excludes art - they don’t care about that!), and then the GCSE grades.

good luck to your dd, she should absolutely give it a go x

sageGreen81 · 21/02/2025 10:06

Hi OP, If she goes into Criminal Defence as a solicitor it is incredibly incredibly poorly paid.

On the prosecution side she would work in the CPS and that's poorly paid but with benefits. However she must must look into salaries.

It's been a while for me since I looked into things but in contrast a regional salary for a trainee lawyer might be about £18-£20k for a criminal lawyer and £40k for a trainee lawyer in a regional commercial law firm. Then upon qualification you're probably looking at £30k for criminal law but anything from £55k to like £150k in London if she trained with a London firm as an NQ.

I would not advise a career in criminal defence work.

100A · 21/02/2025 10:21

If she is keen on a women-only college, Murray Edwards would be a safer bet than Newnham.