Letters to an aspiring law student
A personal letter to aspiring law students from the founder
Dear Aspiring Law Student,
I know what you are going through.
I was exactly in your position before I received an offer to study law at Cambridge University.
You managed to secure the grades and got your teachers to write glowing references for you.
It has been 6 years of hard work. You are almost there.
BUT….
Most of your peers applying to Oxford or Cambridge have the same grades as you. Some of them have even studied law at ‘A’ level.
You have heard about the challenging questions that an Oxford or Cambridge admissions tutor may throw at you during the interview. You are not entirely sure how to prepare for them.
Because unlike conventional exams, there is no fixed answer to a law interview nor are there textbooks to study.
Then there’s the personal statement.
What exactly should you write to impress the admissions tutor?
Sure, you’ve researched some aspects of law that you are interested in or maybe even did an internship at a law firm.
But is that what the admissions tutor is looking for?
You want to prepare for an Oxbridge law interview but don’t know where to start.
I have good news for you. I have been there. We have been there.
And I know from past experience that it all boils down to more hard work and preparation to succeed at an Oxbridge application.
You see…
Although you are not expected to know the law at interview…
There is a way to answer law interview questions that demonstrates your critical thinking skills.
There is a method to show your interviewer that you are the student they are looking for.
There is a way to write a great personal statement so that your interviewers want to take you on as their student.
The truth is, with so much competition, every part of your application needs to stand out.
This is where we come in.
If you decide to work with us, we will give you our very best to make you stand out as a candidate. Your success at getting into Oxford or Cambridge is our top priority.
We have been doing this for years with great success.
Why?
Because we are Oxford and Cambridge law alumni, not some general university admissions preparation agency. We started out exactly where you are right now.
Let us get to know you better so that we can prepare you holistically by dropping us an email at [email protected] or book a mock interview with us.
Wishing you the very best,
Timothy Liang MA (Law) Cantab, Advocate & Solicitor (Singapore), Solicitor (England & Wales)
Founder, Oxbridge Law Prep
Publications: https://www.hughes.cam.ac.uk/about/news/7803-2/
Strategise your application
Applying as an international student? Read this first!
If you are applying as an international student, you will definitely need a strategy when it comes to interviews and selecting a Cambridge or Oxford college in order to maximize your chances of getting an offer. Not all Oxbridge colleges are the same, and some are more competitive especially when it comes to taking in international students for law (or humanities subjects). Strategic planning = higher chance of getting an offer. It is that simple.
IMPORTANT: I highly recommend that you fly down to Oxford or Cambridge for an in-person interview at the college you are applying to wherever possible, rather than be interviewed by the international team in your home country (e.g., in Singapore or in Hong Kong). This is because the person interviewing you will not be the law fellow or director of studies in charge of admission, and your chances of getting in a limited if you are interviewed by a proxy interviewer.
Write a great personal statement
How do I write a great personal statement?
Quite simply, a great personal statement is short, succinct and to the point. It should focus on one aspect of the law that you are interested in and why. Focus on just one topic that you have thoroughly researched and are invested in. Do not try to list all of the aspects of the law that interest you in your personal statement – it will only be confusing and blunt your selling point.
My advice to prospective students is to be simple. Be direct. Don’t try to do anything fancy.
A personal statement is fundamentally a marketing letter about yourself. You need to show that you are able to articulate an issue coherently and why it matters to you. Pick one issue that is important for you – if you are in Hong Kong, you can talk about free speech laws. If you are from Singapore, you could talk about the death penalty and why it matters to you. If you are from the UK, you could even talk about the recent British Post Office scandal and why you think that litigation funding could be a good thing for those who cannot afford access to justice. These are unique issues that you can discuss with your law interviewer and make you stand out from the crowd.
Be specific, be concise, and focus on ONE topic that matters to you.
How to prepare
Preparing for a law interview at Oxford or Cambridge
You are not expected to know the law in an Oxford or Cambridge law interview.
So what are you expected to know or to show your interviewer?
The answer is that you are judged based on the way you think and ask questions. Your examiner is more interested in your thought process and the questions that you ask rather than you answers.
Why?
Because your answers would probably not be legally correct.
But there could be sound reasoning and principle behind your answers. Sometimes even judges don’t get the law right, which is why there are appellate courts.
Here you are showing your interviewer your capacity to think outside of the box. We will unlock this potential in you.
The human touch
Building a rapport with your interviewer matters
At the end of the day, your interviewers are human too. And the basic principle in life is that water takes the path of least resistance.
What do I mean by this?
You are most likely to receive an offer if you can provide intelligent and well-thought out answers, and have a good rapport with your interviewer.
Why?
Because they are effectively selecting their students. They will have to manage you and teach you for the next 3 years.
Most of them want to enjoy their teaching experience, and they want candidates that are teachable.
Your interviewer is also asking himself/herself if you are someone he/she would like take on for the next 3 years.
Building a rapport is also about soft skills – knowing when to let your interviewers talk, knowing when to listen.
This can make or break an interview.
We are here to teach you how to make the most of your time at the interview and establish a good rapport.
We are here to help
Don't leave things to chance. Take action today!
If you are ready to get started, we are excited to have you onboard with us.