What am I looking for when I read a Cambridge Law application?
Dr Stuart Davis, Admissions Tutor (Arts) at Girton College, explores what he looks for in a candidate for Cambridge Law.
As an Admissions Tutor for 18 different degree subjects at Girton, I get to see a huge variety of applicants and work with a range of colleagues to guide and support their admissions decisions in their respective subjects. Law is always an exciting, and sometimes surprising, subject for admissions; unlike, say, Economics where Maths is essential, or Music, where a high level of performance proficiency is already present, Law applicants come in many shapes and sizes, spanning A-level subjects in “hard” sciences, social sciences and the arts. While it’s fair to say that applicants who have an essay-based subject in their profile may be more accustomed to writing at length, that doesn’t necessarily give them an advantage when it comes to thinking like a lawyer; Girton’s lawyers come from a range of subjects, educational backgrounds and from all over the world.
So, what am I looking for when I open a candidate’s file? First and foremost, academic excellence in whichever subjects the candidate has been recently studying. That doesn’t mean A*s in every GCSE — nobody’s perfect — but an excellent profile of high grades, commensurate with the success of the school, which we can compare by using publically available information for English schools.
If the candidate is taking AS levels then I want to see further proof of excellence in at least three subjects, which will be confirmed in the school or college’s reference. With the current changes in post-16 education not everyone will have UMS marks for their AS levels, but where they do I’ll be able to judge how far they are above the minimum threshold for a grade A in those subjects, a measurement that, as with the GCSEs, can be set against the school’s overall performance. Many Law applicants are studying for a wide range of qualifications, inside and outside the UK, so we also have clear guidance on how to assess performance in some of the less frequently seen qualifications.
So far it’s all rather mechanical and numerical, since my first aim is to ensure that the applicant has the academic record to cope with the demanding Cambridge course, and that’s best expressed through examination performance. Reading the Personal Statement starts to open up the candidate to a more human perspective!
I leave assessment of the details of the Personal Statement to the Directors of Studies in Law, but for me, an inspection of this section of the application should reveal a motivated and enthusiastic student of Law who has a good understanding of the demands of studying the subject at degree level. The few who are studying Law A-level already will most likely comment on the aspects of the course that have most excited them.
It’s really important that all applicants demonstrate reading or activities outside the school curriculum; if you’re going to study Law for three years of your life in a challenging and academically demanding environment then we need to know you’re up for it!
The last section of the Personal Statement will usually tell us something about the applicant’s non-academic activities, which, for me, are proof that he or she is human and can manage their time smartly; we have no preference for the type of activity or the level at which the candidate participates in it. The Personal Statement, alongside all the other information on the UCAS and Cambridge Supplementary Application Questionnaire forms, gives us a really good idea of what kind of student we’re dealing with. Throughout all this, it’s worth stressing, we’re looking at the information through an academic lens.
This is all before any further assessment takes place! My colleagues in Law will assess the written assessment responses, will conduct the interviews and after their initial discussion and comparison of all the candidates will discuss with me who they should make an offer to.
Law at Girton is always oversubscribed with applicants to the number of places available (usually 8 per year), but not every applicant meets the standard required for Cambridge. Where we wish to be sure, we moderate via the Winter Pool and will often fill our last few spaces with excellent candidates who missed out on places at even more oversubscribed colleges. When they get to Girton nobody knows the difference between those who applied directly to the college and those who came via the Pool, and with all the excitement of settling in and new academic challenges, nobody really cares! By that time, my work is over with this cohort, and I’m already looking forward to seeing next year’s applicants.
You can find more information on Cambridge University admissions guidelines, the Cambridge Law Test, and the Winter Pool online.
The information in this article is considered correct at the time of publication.
