Should my dd give up on Cambridge?

[dinomirror]

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

Yes they do. But vast databases exist mapping gcse grades to a level grades eventually obtained.
Only 18% of those getting a 7 in Biology Gcse get an A or better at A level. So the odds are stacked against her.
Having said that, there is no harm in applying, if she does well in the entrance test that overrides everything!

Forgot attachment!

What's this from? I'd love the original link

I used to help Oxbridge students at my school.

The number 1 reason students don’t get in who could - is they don’t apply!

Cambridge should be 1 of the 5unis she is excited about, so in that sense absolutely look around. She should be happy to go to any of the 5 she puts down.

Applying to Oxbridge is always a role of the dice as they have many more excellent candidates than they have places. But put it this way would you buy a lottery ticket with a 1in 11 change of winning?

My advise to prepare is to look at the entrance tests LNAT, I think Cambridge use both papers. Then read/watch/listen around the subject and do some deep dives into areas that are interesting. Personal statements with a story thread running through them are so much better than a list of books/activities. Eg. I read Secret Barrister’s book, I found XXXX really fascinating so I watched a Ted talk by YYYY. I then went to the Crown Court and watched ZZZZ trials, to follow this us I XXXX. Every sentence needs I, me or my in it to show her enthusiasm.

I always say to students who are unsure to give it a go, you can only go to 1uni so it doesn’t matter if you get a No from one you apply for, that’s why you apply for 5. 1 can be a gamble.

I studied Law at Cambridge, from a state school. It was, however, 30 years ago and I actually applied to do languages then changed to law after my second year, which may not even be an option any more so am not advising on admissions as such. However I also wanted to say something about law being “dry” and the no doubt well-meaning suggestion to do something like history instead.

I had lots of peers who did arts subjects like history and English. My perception was that they were the kinds of subject that it was hard to do well in at Cambridge unless you were very comfortable having intensely academic /philosophical type discussions. I drifted away from languages because I was good at the language side but found the literary criticism/analysis for the literature papers too esoteric and, dare I say, pretentious. I think a student from a less privileged social or educational background would struggle with that.

Law, on the other hand, does have papers that focus on the more esoteric stuff for those who enjoy that, but you can also do well enough (I got a 2:1) by just learning the law and applying it to the facts, plus the cases you study are grounded in real-life problems. Some may call that “dry” but I didn't find it dull and it’s satisfying to be able to identify a straightforward right/wrong answer sometimes. I also felt that the academics who taught it were a bit less detached from real life than the ones teaching more pure arts subjects.

Coming back to the question in the OP she absolutely should apply because, despite my observations above, I absolutely loved Cambridge and even my mates who studied “pretentious” subjects didn’t come across as pretentious or snobbish in social situations. She has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Best of luck to her!

She isnt set on criminal law, just an interest.
@HotCrossBunplease wow a law degree would be perfect for her then. She loves the ethics but needs to have some solid facts once in a while. She doesn't just want Cambridge, she would also love to go to a london uni as she loves the city

Great. Can I ask what your concern is from your comment about “would she even get an interview”? I can’t see any downside in applying and not getting an interview, but she definitely won’t get an interview if she doesn’t apply!

Hi, OP -

As DD’s school has a good success rate with Oxbridge, the chances increase that they make fairly accurate predicted grades. Still, I think DD needs to acknowledge the statistic by PP about the relationship between a 7 at GCSE Biology and A level results (or you do, if you think sharing it would be a mistake) and up her game there.

As I am sure you know, with the exception of Cambridge her choices allow for one B. But counting on needing to use it isn’t the best strategy. I say that knowing your family have very full lives, so I don’t mean DD should be fanatical, obviously.

On a recent thread about Oxbridge admissions there was an excellent post from someone who has done admissions interviews for some Colleges. (I thought her user name was RareRobin but that is being flagged as an error) She pointed out that the interviews aim to determine who will be able to make the best use of the tutorial system, with its intense give and take. If DD gets an interview her post is well worth searching out. Tips on the interview system can probably be found through Clare, Caius or other College outreach materials also.