Preparing for University

A university application guide from the perspective of a law student. My tips and experiences - from choosing the right degree to admission tips.

Applying to University can be a stressful and confusing time. Finding the right univerisities for you, perfecting your personal statement, being scared to make that big jump to university life. I remember feeling overwhelmed at times when going through this during sixth form, so I thought I’d share some of my tips and experiences.

Finding the right universities to apply to

When applying to universities, I found that it was important to do a lot of research about them.

Firstly, decide on the subject you want to study (of course). Once you’ve decided this, I would suggest looking at university league tables (linked below), to find the rankings of universities that offer your subject.

https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings

Secondly, look at the grade requirements for each university, and determine whether you think you have a strong chance of getting an offer with your predicted grades.

Thirdly, check the syllabus of each university, to determine whether the modules they offer are ones that you think you’ll enjoy. Make sure the universities’ teaching is the right fit for you.

Lastly, check whether your desired universities require you to take an admissions test for your application. For example, if you apply to study law, some universities may require for you to take the LSAT exam.

You typically get 5 options in the UK. When choosing which universities to apply to, I would recommend choosing:

• 2 top ranking universities, that you have the grades to get into.

• 2 universities that are likely to give you an offer based on your predicted grades.

• 1 university as a ‘back-up’ option, in the occassion that your grades might not be as high as predicted.

From people that I know, this tends to be a good system to follow. You don’t need that exact ratio, but it’s good to choose your 5 universities that are included in each section, or definitely have ‘back-up’ universities.

Admissions

Personal Statement

Universities will ask for a personal statement as part of your application. Your personal statement is a chance for the universities to get to know more about you - your personality, your hobbies, your talents, etc. This piece of writing is an opportunity for you to stand out among other candidates. There is a lot of guidance on UCAS about writing your personal statement, and you should seek help from teachers at your school.

Admissions Tests

Some universities may require you to take an admissions test as part of your application. As I previously mentioned, if you apply for law, then you may need to take the LSAT, dependent on the university and their specific requirements. There are admissions tests for other degree subjects, so it’s important to check if this is required. If you are required to take the test then research where you can take the test and get this booked quickly, before spaces fill up. Once it’s booked, practice! practice! practice! This is the best way to prepare for it. Also, don’t put too much pressure on yourself for this test, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t do amazing.

Choose the right degree for you!

When choosing my degree, I was stuck between 3 choices - Law, Criminology, and Business. These were 3 degrees that I found to be very interesting, and it took me a while to decide what would be the right choice for me. I had studied business for my GCSEs and A-Levels, and it was a subject that I really enjoyed and excelled in. But I found criminology fascinating on university open days. It was a mix of crime and sociology, and sociology was my favourite A-Level subject. But then there was Law. A new subject I hadn’t touched on yet, but one I was intrigued to explore. It was an option that, for me, would create greater opportunities for me in the future. It would allow me to either work in a commercial setting, or get involved in criminal cases, etc. The different areas of law I could specialise in provided me with greater flexibility in my future, so I decided that was the one for me.

When choosing your degree, it’s important to consider both short and long-term goals. It’s important that you choose a degree that you’ll be studying for 3+ years, but you should also consider whether your degree will be relevant to what you want to pursue, career-wise, after university.

If you’re wishing to pursue a career in law, but wish to study a different subject at university, then law conversion courses are also available. So, make sure you research all options available to you.

What you should take from this…

When applying to university, it's important to tailor your choices and application to your preferences. Don’t do what your parents want, or what your friends are doing. You need to stay focused on YOUR future, and how you’re going to get to that stage. Pick the universities and degree YOU like, make sure you’ll have the grades to get in, and understand what those universities are looking for in your application. Also remember that university is one of the many pathways you can take after you finish A-Levels, so make sure you know your options, and pick the right one for you.