Preparing for law school applications amidst COVID-19

COVID-19 has caused a tremendous amount of stress and uncertainty on the higher education system in the UK. This blog post discusses the top tips for students applying to law schools in these uncertain times.

In the UK, students now in the ultimate year of their secondary studies were unable to take public examinations due to the pandemic. The UK government announced that the students would receive their grades based on the estimated grades provided by their teachers, subject to moderation by a computer algorithm. In August, students who took GCE A-levels finally received their grades. To a lot of students’ disappointment, many found their grades to be downgraded from the assessed grades provided by their teachers, which caused much controversy in UK politics. The Secretary of Education, Gavin Williamson, finally relented and made a U-turn by reinstating the original teacher-assessed grades.

Politics aside, it is clear that COVID has changed the education system and the University admission process for the foreseeable future. Not only have exams been replaced (presumably until students can congregate in a large regulated examination venue), students entering University will find their experience to be completely different from their seniors.

For those who are thinking about getting into law school in the Fall of 2021, here are a few important takeaways/reminders from recent events:

1. Start your preparations early

Now that the previous academic year is officially over and high school graduates are finally starting at the university of their choice (assuming they met their offers), it is time for students entering their final year to start preparing for their applications. Not only is it important for students and parents to thoroughly research each law school they are intending to apply to, they should also consider how COVID might affect their exam results, which may inform their application strategy. Our intensive prep course commencing 19 September 2020 would be the perfect place to start.

2. More changes may be coming

Whilst we all hope that life will return to “normal” at some point in 2021, students and parents should expect the existing arrangements in respect of applications and exams to continue. Indeed, now that the Department for Education in the UK have had their first round of experience with COVID planning, it would be sensible to expect reviews over the handling of the higher education admission/examination system shortly and more changes to come as a result. Despite the great uncertainty ahead, what prospective applicants can do is to prepare as much as possible. Specifically, students in Hong Kong can use the current circumstances to their advantage. We will explain in our course here what students in Hong Kong can do to take advantage of the current situation.

3. Understand how to stand out as an applicant

With public examinations now cancelled for the foreseeable future, it is even more difficult for applicants to differentiate themselves. Thus, it is of utmost importance for prospective law school applicants to understand how they can make the best impression and stand out from their competition. You can find out how through our course.

All in all, despite the great stress COVID has caused, the education system will proceed with the same timetable and applicants would be well advised to start preparing for the most important moment of their lives to date. We would be delighted to guide you through this process so that you can succeed with the least amount of stress.

Reserve your space now or contact us to find out more! (Limited spaces available on a first come first serve basis.)