Hello, I am a Candian high school senior studying in the US. I have already submitted my UCAS application on the 15th, but I would still like to know my chances to prepare myself mentally. I am applying to the LLB programs at Oxford, UCL, KCL, Bristol, and Manchester.
My main worry is my lack of achieved 5s for APs.
My stats are:
Achieved: SAT: 1520 (R&W 780), AP English Composition 5, AP World History 4,
AP Chemistry 4
Predicted: APUSH 5, APES 5, AP Psychology 5, AP Literature 5
I believe my LOR and PS are both very good as I got help from Oxford law students.
I’m sorry to say that without 3-5 AP 5s your chances are remote at best.
(AP exams are so much easier than most ALevels that not getting a 5 means you’re not prepared for a 3-year UK curriculum, let alone Oxford’s.)
Your choice of APs is missing math and a foreign language, and instead has some less challenging subjects (APES, psychology). It’s also somewhat limited in only having done 3 so far and only one 5 to date.
Without the right to work in the U.K., many universities will wonder why you want a law degree, which is designed to lead to a job as a lawyer. I suppose that if you intend to go back to Canada, it’s at least a more similar legal system than the US. But still a bit of a stretch. Having said that, some U.K. universities are keen on overseas tuition fees.
I’d expect Oxford and UCL will say no, KCL and Bristol will be a highish reach and Manchester might be a low reach. Any offer you do receive will probably be conditional on a couple more 5s in English and history.
Thanks for the realistic answer. I’m actually originally from Hong Kong so I do plan on returning there once I graduate. I guess I’ll just wait and see then.
I suppose you’re applying to US and Canadian universities - your test scores and GPA would matter and your AP scores would not have the same emphasis.
I also found this on the Oxford website: With my predicted APs, shouldn’t I be competitive enough according to their guidelines?
**For courses requiring A * A * A:
Either Four APs at grade 5 (including any subjects required for the course you are applying to)
OR
Three APs at grade 5 (including any subjects required for the course you are applying to) plus a score of 33 or above in the ACT or 1480 or above (out of 1600) in the SAT. We do not require the optional essay for either the ACT or the SAT.
Applying to Oxford is the same kind of thing as applying to Harvard - there are many more qualified applicants than places. Just meeting the minimum is probably not enough. By all means apply - but be realistic about it.
Those are the minimum qualifications for Oxford to read your application, as opposed to immediately discarding it. It doesn’t make you “competitive”. They are looking for you to have statements in your recommendation like “this is the best student I’ve taught in the last decade”.
Think of it this way: Oxford admits about one US student from each US state each year. Are you clearly the best student in your state?
My S18 was not as qualified as some applicants (10 APs with 8 5s, with 5 5s after junior year, plus 4.0UW and a single sitting 1540). He got an interview for PPE at Oxford but not an offer (was also rejected by UCL and LSE). He stayed in the US and was top in his year at a T20 (4.0 GPA and won the prize for the best student in his department).
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Ok, thanks. That puts it in perspective for me. I’ll wait and see then.
Isn’t there an admissions test for Oxford to read law? The LNAT? How did that go?
Yes, I took it last week on the 10th. I thought it went well, but can’t be completely sure. I did the official practice tests and got 26 and 31. I also got a 32 on an arbitio test.
I thought my essay was quite well developed, but I ran out of time while writing my conclusion.
Update: I have just received a conditional offer from Manchester as of today. I am required to get 3 more AP 5s.
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Congratulations! 
You need to secure Canadian/US admissions first though - EA deadlines are generally Nov 1, sometimes Nov 15, and don’t forget the Honors college app where applicable.
Indeed, you won’t know till July whether you secured your 3 5s, so you’ll need to choose and deposit at a US college by May 1 in case UManchester doesn’t work out.
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Oxford admissions is a series of hurdles. Now that you have taken the LNAT, the next hurdle is getting shortlisted for interview. Agree with @Twoin18 that only having a single AP 5 in hand is going to make getting shortlisted a challenge. However, a strong admissions test score can overcome that.
I’m not sure on this year’s interview dates, but my son heard about his shortlist right around Thanksgiving. But the mathmos are always the last wave of interviewees, so maybe you might hear sooner.
For what it’s worth, my son had all of the required AP scores in the bag already at the time of application/shortlisting.
If in person interviewing is an option again, I would encourage you to do that if you can.
Unlikely to be sooner than that. My S heard on Thanksgiving day too and his interview (PPE) was for one of the earliest subjects. Interviews this year are the weeks of Dec 9 and 16.
I agree that in person is hugely better for giving you a sense of what attending would be like. But booking a last minute flight is expensive. We booked cancellable miles tickets well in advance.
I wouldn’t be worried about the chemistry, but the 4in World History would be a concern.
Congrats on getting the Manchester offer. If you don’t achieve your conditional offer contact them directly then and you may still get in.
Update: I have just received an offer from Bristol, subject to me getting one more AP 5.
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We have a family friend who is a fresher at Bristol reading accounting & finance. First term seems to have been a success.
Did you get shortlisted for oxford?
I did, but didn’t want to say anything until I actually got the offer. I’m not sure on how to feel about how my interviews went, so I’ll just wait patiently until Jan 14th. I think it’s safe to assume that I did quite well on the LNAT.
My son received his email from Worcester College promptly at 0900 GMT on decision day. He did get up in the middle of the night to check.