The Definitive 2011 Cambridge Thread


NZ Girl

I think it's very difficult to compare elite American and UK universities. They have a different approach to learning, curriculum, course structure, not to mention history and traditions. These institutions may also have a niche area for which they are famous eg PIL at Cambridge.

Where you go will probably be dictated by where your offers land, funding from the university or external scholarships (if financing is an issue), where you wish to work afterwards and generally what kind of career you wish to pursue. If admission as a barrister in the UK is your ultimate aim, the BCL at Oxford will probably bring you closer to achieving that than an LLM from the US.

I think it's very difficult to compare elite American and UK universities. They have a different approach to learning, curriculum, course structure, not to mention history and traditions. These institutions may also have a niche area for which they are famous eg PIL at Cambridge.

Where you go will probably be dictated by where your offers land, funding from the university or external scholarships (if financing is an issue), where you wish to work afterwards and generally what kind of career you wish to pursue. If admission as a barrister in the UK is your ultimate aim, the BCL at Oxford will probably bring you closer to achieving that than an LLM from the US.
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Also, what should one pick, if one ever has the opportunity, an ivy school or oxbridge?


What do you want to do with your degree? Without more, the question suggests that you are more focused on prestige than on a specific substantive focus for your degree.

Any "Anglo-American legal tradition" has long ceased to exist beyond the fact that the US and UK are both common law countries. Studying US law is very different than studying UK law. If you want to practice in one of those countries, you should be studying in the country you want to practice in, UNLESS you have a specific subject matter interest that is better fulfilled in the other location (comparative law, international law, etc.)

Side note: "US Ivy League" is completely the wrong way for you to think as a lawyer. Several of the top law schools in the US are not part of the Ivy League - names like Stanford, Chicago, and NYU, which are recognized to be among the top six law schools. Other Ivy League schools do not have law schools, like Princeton and Brown.

Also, the day-to-day experience of being at Harvard/Yale/etc is very, very different than being at Cambridge. If you'd like, I can comment more on that, but it would be helpful to know what you are looking for in your postgraduate degree first.

<blockquote>Also, what should one pick, if one ever has the opportunity, an ivy school or oxbridge?</blockquote>

What do you want to do with your degree? Without more, the question suggests that you are more focused on prestige than on a specific substantive focus for your degree.

Any "Anglo-American legal tradition" has long ceased to exist beyond the fact that the US and UK are both common law countries. Studying US law is very different than studying UK law. If you want to practice in one of those countries, you should be studying in the country you want to practice in, UNLESS you have a specific subject matter interest that is better fulfilled in the other location (comparative law, international law, etc.)

Side note: "US Ivy League" is completely the wrong way for you to think as a lawyer. Several of the top law schools in the US are not part of the Ivy League - names like Stanford, Chicago, and NYU, which are recognized to be among the top six law schools. Other Ivy League schools do not have law schools, like Princeton and Brown.

Also, the day-to-day experience of being at Harvard/Yale/etc is very, very different than being at Cambridge. If you'd like, I can comment more on that, but it would be helpful to know what you are looking for in your postgraduate degree first.
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cricket

I wish that the degree committee itself would be laminated and then shot into space...

I wish that the degree committee itself would be laminated and then shot into space...
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law lad

It's so frustrating! I just want to be put out of my misery now. Anyone heard news today?

Law lad.

It's so frustrating! I just want to be put out of my misery now. Anyone heard news today?

Law lad.
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Lawgeek

Nothing :( It's driving me mad!

Nothing :( It's driving me mad!
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cricket

If we bear in mind, that they make only one offer per week, we could actually relax: there won't be any new offers before next monday...

If we bear in mind, that they make only one offer per week, we could actually relax: there won't be any new offers before next monday...
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Anneka

No, nothing! I can't believe it - it's beginning to feel like we'll never get a reply...

No, nothing! I can't believe it - it's beginning to feel like we'll never get a reply...
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cricket

Maybe they send all the offers to students who haven't subscribed on LLM Guide, so we don't know of them ;-(

Maybe they send all the offers to students who haven't subscribed on LLM Guide, so we don't know of them ;-(
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fulloflaw

There are no such students....its only we 40 or so, which is why we are all bound to receive offers soon!

(signs off and sits back on the couch, where I ruminate on this happy fantasy)

There are no such students....its only we 40 or so, which is why we are all bound to receive offers soon!

(signs off and sits back on the couch, where I ruminate on this happy fantasy)
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NZ Girl

No change to my admissions status. I think I'm going to stop going to the self-service page - seriously. It is not doing my blood pressure any good. Besides, if I do get accepted (or rejected) by Cambridge, I'll get an email from them, right?

No change to my admissions status. I think I'm going to stop going to the self-service page - seriously. It is not doing my blood pressure any good. Besides, if I do get accepted (or rejected) by Cambridge, I'll get an email from them, right?
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cricket

You get an email, once you're accepted (and apparently the mail is coming before your status on your self service page has been updated). Nonetheless, if you're not accepted, you will only know it by looking at your self service page at the end of April ;-(.
So actually you're right, there's no use in checking the self service page, we should rather check our mails. (which I do every twenty seconds, by the way...I should stop on that as well as on posting useless messages on this blog)

You get an email, once you're accepted (and apparently the mail is coming before your status on your self service page has been updated). Nonetheless, if you're not accepted, you will only know it by looking at your self service page at the end of April ;-(.
So actually you're right, there's no use in checking the self service page, we should rather check our mails. (which I do every twenty seconds, by the way...I should stop on that as well as on posting useless messages on this blog)
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BlackWolf

Maybe they send all the offers to students who haven't subscribed on LLM Guide, so we don't know of them ;-(


I was thinking the same, how can that be the case...

On a rather "positive" note, I am still not aware of any applicants from my jurisdiction who has been awarded an offer yet...

<blockquote>Maybe they send all the offers to students who haven't subscribed on LLM Guide, so we don't know of them ;-(</blockquote>

I was thinking the same, how can that be the case...

On a rather "positive" note, I am still not aware of any applicants from my jurisdiction who has been awarded an offer yet...
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NZ Girl

I wonder if they (and other universities for that matter) make offers out geographically, in alphabetical order, in order of preference of students or just in order that applications have been reviewed. Or some other means.

On a slightly different subject, what do colleges look for when reviewing applications and deciding who gets a place? Are they looking beyond academics to things like a good fit in personality, sporting prowess etc?

I wonder if they (and other universities for that matter) make offers out geographically, in alphabetical order, in order of preference of students or just in order that applications have been reviewed. Or some other means.

On a slightly different subject, what do colleges look for when reviewing applications and deciding who gets a place? Are they looking beyond academics to things like a good fit in personality, sporting prowess etc?
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Good Gosh

depends on the college and the preferences of the individual fellows i guess. don't think sporting prowess comes into it at all though..at my alma mater there was no 'type' of llm student who kept on getting accepted

depends on the college and the preferences of the individual fellows i guess. don't think sporting prowess comes into it at all though..at my alma mater there was no 'type' of llm student who kept on getting accepted
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krof

Things will get worse before they get better

Things will get worse before they get better
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MikeLJ

the one-offer-per-week might ACTUALLY be true! This is ridiculous.

the one-offer-per-week might ACTUALLY be true! This is ridiculous.
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I got an offer by email on Monday :)
I had a first class undergrad degree, but not outstanding grades so there is hope for all yet
And it still does not say on my self service that I have an offer so don't bother checking on there

And in response to the question about what colleges look for, they only have the information from the application form so I don't know how much they can judge your personality/ interests from that. I figured it was mainly to with grades and subject chosen

I got an offer by email on Monday :)
I had a first class undergrad degree, but not outstanding grades so there is hope for all yet
And it still does not say on my self service that I have an offer so don't bother checking on there

And in response to the question about what colleges look for, they only have the information from the application form so I don't know how much they can judge your personality/ interests from that. I figured it was mainly to with grades and subject chosen
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Glennie

Now we've crept up to two per week. Congratulations, majorsloth!

Fingers crossed that the pattern continues next week and we see (at least) a doubling in the amount of offers made.

Now we've crept up to two per week. Congratulations, majorsloth!

Fingers crossed that the pattern continues next week and we see (at least) a doubling in the amount of offers made.
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cricket

Somehow I get the vision they only accept oversea students (because they can charge them a much higher fee) and British students (to have at least some nationals in their programme) this year... Bad prospects for us Europeans... ;-( (sorry, the weather outside isn't the kind making people feel very confident)

Somehow I get the vision they only accept oversea students (because they can charge them a much higher fee) and British students (to have at least some nationals in their programme) this year... Bad prospects for us Europeans... ;-( (sorry, the weather outside isn't the kind making people feel very confident)
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417148

what is usually the number of offers? their website says around 300-400 offers, but only 160-180 as class size, anybody with a more definite idea?

what is usually the number of offers? their website says around 300-400 offers, but only 160-180 as class size, anybody with a more definite idea?
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