For those who have been offered a place at Oxford or Cambridge to conduct a PhD, perhaps you can make suggestions as to how to increase chances of getting accepted and give tips concerning the application process in general.

I completed an LLM at the LSE two years ago with a merit, which makes me eligible for conducting a PhD at this school, but I would like to try my luck with Oxbridge...

I'm not absolutely clued up on this yet but do you definately meet the admissions requirements? I thought I saw a post the other day saying you needed LLB 1st class and LLM distinction. Presumably, if you are eligible to study for a PhD at LSE, you received something like a 68% avg for your LLM? As, if I remember rightly, that is what they request.

Admissions requirements aside, the best advice I can say is construct a solid and well researched proposal before approaching any suitable supervisors. That way, they will be impressed and more likely to help you refine or agree to supervise. Have you had any thoughts about potential supervisors yet? Talked to people from your time at LSE about potential supervisors that they may know? et cetera. Although it is Oxbridge, with research study, it is more about the eminence and expertise of your supervisors. With that in mind, and I am sure you are, be aware that the best supervisor may be at a completely different institution.

Hi there,

My hunch is that the formal requirements in terms of quantitative grades/standing in previous degrees take something of a back seat to qualitative assessments of scholarly research potential. I've just started my DPhil at Ox and in neither my LLB or LLM did I attain a 1st or distinction (although in neither case did the conferring university's grading scheme contemplate such awards). Also, I completely agree with the previous poster's emphasis on finding the appropriate supervisor. There are happy DPhils and unhappy DPhils, and 9 times out of 10 the difference seems to be their relationship with their supervisor.

Best of luck!

Paddy

Hi there,

My hunch is that the formal requirements in terms of quantitative grades/standing in previous degrees take something of a back seat to qualitative assessments of scholarly research potential. I've just started my DPhil at Ox and in neither my LLB or LLM did I attain a 1st or distinction (although in neither case did the conferring university's grading scheme contemplate such awards). Also, I completely agree with the previous poster's emphasis on finding the appropriate supervisor. There are happy DPhils and unhappy DPhils, and 9 times out of 10 the difference seems to be their relationship with their supervisor.

Best of luck!

Paddy