Deferred entry to Durham law

[skeggycaggy]

My DD wants to go to Durham to study law, and wants to take a gap year. The Durham website says they only allow gap years in exceptional circumstances. Would you apply this year on the off chance they might say yes, see what other offers you get & decide whether to apply again next year, or just scrap the whole idea and apply with grades in hand? There are no exceptional circumstances, she just wants a gap year.

I wouldn’t apply until she can actually accept the place. Durham is steeped in tradition and they have made their rules clear.

I wouldn’t say their rules are clear, in fact it would be easier if they were clearer!

It states exceptional circumstances and you say they have none.
It’s extremely clear they do it on a case by case basis, just apply grades in hand whilst on gap year.

Edinburgh Uni (elder DD’s uni) takes the same approach.

This is a difficult one. It is good to apply during Y13 because the school should be able to offer helpful advice and support for the process and for things like her personal statement.

Even if Durham doesn’t offer, it may be that she gets deferred offers from other universities that she likes the look of. If she still prefers Durham, she could re-apply with results in hand and see if they offer second time round. So on balance, i would say it’s still worth doing this year.

Just bear in mind that applying with results in hand won’t necessarily accelerate an offer because Durham will also want to review that year’s cohort’s applications. However, it does mean that any offer made would likely be unconditional.

No
And if the aim i to be a lawyer be aawre AI is hoovering up lawyers careers

LNAT needs to be taken year they applying for as far as I know. So sit LNAT Autumn 2026 for 2027 entry.

It does mention deferral so perhaps it is an option subject to university policy.
lnat.ac.uk/information-for-schools-and-colleges/

35% acceptance rate so whilst it’s great she’s got vision do be realistic and have other strong contenders.
www.durham.ac.uk/media/durham-university/study/study---undergraduate/Applications-Receiving-offer-2023-24.pdf

Beat in mind that over 80% don’t achieve their predicted grades. So applying pre-exams means you’ve got best chance I do an offer as predicted likely to be better than achieved grades. For popular courses, offers often go to those looking like getting beyond the standard offer.
If they apply post exams with lower grades in hand, the offer might go to a pre-exam candidate with higher PGs.
This doesn’t deal with the deferral issue but can be v relevant for those considering applying pre or post exams.
I know a no of students who wish they’d applied pre exams as their better PGs would have got them an offer. Some would have met the offer even when not achieving their PGs and others missed the offer but still were accepted. Conversely, some applying post-grades just didn’t get an offer even when their achieved grades equalled the standard offer - because the course was over subscribed and in reality only offering to those whose achieved it Pat exceeded the standard offer.
Few exceed their PGs. Most don’t achieve them.