Hi guys,

I'm wondering about the admissions standards for Eastern Europeans to the Oxford LL.M. programme. I'm a Georgian national and quite recently I passed the first state law exam in Germany with a high second upper class degree (I guess it's a high one, I finished within the top 25%). So.. Do you think that I might be eligible for the Oxford LL.M. programme?

Thanks for any helpful answers,
Winnie

Hey Winnie,

I don't have an answer for U, but have the similar problem.

I'm from Hungary (ok, it's not that east but believe me, we're close :)) and it's hard to tell for me as well, whether I am good enough. In the case I get admitted, I'd have to almost completely rely on funding and loans, so it's another question, whether I'm good enough to get them. I have a 1st at my law faculty in Szeged, Hungary in the first 10% and loads of academic achievements, three internships in the Parliament and elsewhere. Now I'm working for a well recognized law firm in Eastern Europe with a Business Superbrand 2010 award.

I think you might have better chances than me, because since we joined the EU our students are "on a common market" with the ones from the EU countries although, the differences are much bigger than they recognize.

If anyone has a glimpse on what could be the answer, please help us! :)

But I hope that someday we'll meet @ Oxford. :)

Hey nemedimark,

your achievements sound very good to me and I do think that you should have a good chance to get in. I can't really imagine that there is one pool of continental Europeans (comprised of Germans, Hungarians, etc.) and that the LL.M. students get chosen from such a pool. It would rather make sense that people get chosen on a country quota-basis.Really, you should go for it. Of course, getting scholarships can be tough but maybe it will work out for you.

So, in my case the problem is basically whether I'd be judged as a student from Germany or rather a Georgian one. Being in the top 25% of the German state exam is definetely not enough for German nationals to make it into the Oxford LL.M. programme. And not having a law degree from Georgia, when applying for admissions to graduate studies abroad, is quite uncommon for Georgian nationals. So, in case somebody would apply from there they would hold a law degree with distinction. Actually, a law degree with distinction from Georgia is much easier to get than a decent result in the German state exam (around 30% don't even pass). So ... I feel kind of stuck....

Maybe it would be easier for me to get into a good American law school, but I could definetely neither afford this nor cover the costs entireley with a scholarship.

Well, anyway I'm quite pessimistic as far as I'm concerned.
I wish you the best of luck!

Winnie