Hi everyone,

I have a question for Camebridge LLM students and people that are going next year: how are your results? Do they really want you to have a first class degree? or do they make exceptions?

I don't have bad points, probably a 2:1 honours degree, but i'm not sure if it is enough...

Thank you all!!

I think the general consensus is that you would need a 2:1 with a 67-68% average and above.

on the same boat.
a high 2-1 should get you through easy i suppose.
did you apply to other schools?
i dont wish for complacency to set in but i suppose we hAVE to work hard. Cantab is what it is. Unparalleled .

Hi,

Thanks for your answers.
I still need to study for a year at home before I have my degree in Law. So i'm just looking around to see which uni's I find interesting. So maybe I can apply in october or november...

I'm looking for an LLM in Internation Criminal Law (or something with criminal law) or in Family Law.
So if you know some universities that offer thes LLM's, feel free to tell me about it :-)

Thank you all!

Karenw.
Depends on what your grades are.
Cantab Oxon and the london unis obviously rank up there.
but for CJ. Do think about Manchester Uni.
Andrew Sanders and Co's work on integrating a victim perspective in trials i believe is unparallelled in this country.

irishguy, just one thing the 67% thing is not a misleading figure. I got in with exactly that figure and i didn't do my undergrad at Cambridge.

irishguy i believe cambridge's selection criteria is based on overall merit, research inclinations etc.
70% or a first is not something that is cast in stone and we should certainly avoid over-generalisations.
If you are averaging over 65% and have more than just grades to back your application, I believe you should give yourself the chance to go through the attrition process.
Don't lose hope!

I find the 67% figure misleading. Where I come from that is a terrible grade if you want to get into graduate study (it constitutes a B minus) - most people would have an 80% average at least I'd say. But I understand that in the UK anything above 60% is pretty good and very few people get above 70%.

i am an indian and dreaming for llm in inter. law from cambridge..,, i ll be passing out by next year; what do they really want- in terms of % , curricular activities(i had already done 4 internships, probably 4 this year),, having an average 64-65%..what else ....please suggest/guide me

hey figgie,
i have nothing to to add other than that it seems you, like me, have:
1)given up on this board, and
2)started to return to it a little of late.
I also agree with your observation about grades. In Cnada a 67 percent would mean no graduate school and likely no articling job, at least not anywhere decent.
Did you decide on Cnatab or Ox for the PHD??

I could be wrong but my feeling is that Oxford and Cambridge are largely only interested in your grades and references. Little emphasis is place on extra-curricular activities compared to the US universities. I come to this conclusion based on the fact that Ox and Cam don't require personal statements etc like the US universities and the sorts of people who got into the UK universities but not the US ones and vice versa from my school.
Correct me if I am wrong.

Hey ED! Yup, I gave up on this board because all this thinking myself inside out was getting me down. We decided on Oxford but I think Cam is better for me so I am trying to pressure my husband to switch...heh heh. He prefers Oxford.
Btw, did you see the Cambridge law website has a link to a Word document with funding options. I thought of you and was going to post it but figured you aren't online anymore.

thanks for the reply,,,so what do you suggest tat should i start planning about US univ.ies ,,inspite of UK one's..
will they(curricular activities) be paying in case of US admissions only,,i have been concentrating much on my internships at good organisations, please don thwart my expectations ,,byy

Sorry I am not intentionally trying to thwart your expectations. I just thought you wanted an honest answer.
I am sure the internships help but I imagine you'd have to have some sort of solid academic record to back it up. After all, you would be applying for an academic course (the BCL, for example, and I imagine the CAM LLM are both highly theoretical).
If you want to develop your work experience to make yourself more attractive to the universities then I would focus on doing one job/internship really well and learning it in depth as opposed to lots of internships at different organizations.
You may as well apply. You never know until you try.
No harm applying to the US as well. That is what I did.
I don't really know what they are looking for so am just speculating, of course, and if anyone else knows further information feel free to contribution.

I have read the posts by equity's darling, flygirl and irishguy (who I must say have done so much to inject life into this eotherwise quiet board!) and I find myself in complete agreement with their observations.

The starting point is that the Cambridge LLM is equivalent or second only to the Oxford BCL. I think when it states on its Law Faculty website that a 1st class degree is required as a minimum, it means exactly what it says. Academic results and a good reference will always be the Board of Graduate Studies' main priority in making admission decisions.

No doubt Cambridge can afford to make offers to those with a high 2:1 (whether obtained or expected to obtain); after all they make 200-250 offers per year but only about 125 students end up taking the LLM. Having a 67% may get you an offer but it will not guarantee you a place. The fact that people have got offers with 67% does not and should not mean that Cambridge's admission standards are relaxed or below-par compared to Oxford. If anything, such generalisations only contribute unfairly to the impression that Cambridge treats its LLM students as cash cows. "67%? No problem as long as you can pay." That is simply absurd.

I would have thought that although one may be offered a place based on a 67% average, such grades will, with respect, only damage one's chances of obtaining scholarships from the Cambridge Trusts.

I may perhaps be forgiven for speaking from experience. I screwed up my A-level grades and had to settle for one of the modern UK universities (albeit the best one). I only felt that I stood a good chance at obtaining a place on the Cambridge LLM after obtaining a 1st and graduating top of my law school class of 05/06. I would not have even bothered if I scored a 67%.

Personally, I feel that the Cambridge LLM is being unfairly generalised as a sub-standard, profit-driven, couldn't-care-less-about-quality graduate degree. Cambridge deserves better than that. If anyone feels he or she has a decent shot at getting an offer, by all means do apply. But really, the message I'm trying to say is: please don't apply to Cambridge just because you think it's easier to get in. That is an insult to a lot of us.

Hi. I don't think anyone applies to Cambridge thinking that it is easy to get into! I have been offered a place in the LLM at Cambridge for this year. Before I was offered my place I really thought I had no chance of getting in. I read all the posts on this website trying to ascertain if I had any chance at all and came to the conclusion that I probably didn't, but thought I'd apply anyway just in case. I got an average of about 78 percent from an Australian university. I was only in the top 8 per cent of my class. I didn't get a 1st (got 2nd class division A). I just thought i would post this here because I would have loved to have seen this when I was wondering if I would get in! (I was also accepted into LSE). I've had about 7 years experience since Uni so not sure if that was taken into account. Do agree with flygirl though, that the figure of 67% sounds very low, but I guess it depends on what country you come from. So don't despair - I say apply even if you didn't get a first degree and then just hope for the best: you never know what might happen!

after reading all the posts i have submitted mine ,,so as to insure a good advice,,i know tat yur is the best one..esp. it's better to go with one organisations inspite of a long chain of small attachments,,,but what do i do.

people post tat they have 78% , n they got an offer from CAM..where do i stand,,nowhere probably..
yesterday i talked to my education councellor n she replied tat i should give stress on my % fr the last year..

let's see!!!

erm. its cambridge. no one's doubting how highly rated it is.
u could even stumble upone hawking who defined the universe if u stroll around the corner.
the law academics make me shudder in fear. probably will be an intimidating affair this oct hoho

Dear all,

No one is saying that getting into Cambrdige is easy or that is somehow inferior to other universities. But all I can do is share my experiences with you.

I had/have an average of 67% from a UK university, which equates to a high 2:1.I, like many, thought that I didn't stand a chance to get into Cambridge. I therefore emailed the LLM secretary, who in turn spoke to BGS and their response was that 67% was normally a "borderline" case. So from that you can assume what you like! All I know is that I have applied twice to Cambridge and each time I have been granted an offer. Both times with an average of 67% or in other words a high 2:1.

So I encourage all those applicant who think they don't stand a chance to apply because you just never know. Good luck to you all. And the rest i'll see you in October!!!!!!