Dropping out of university and reapplying

[alexfdz]

Hello,

I am currently a first year undergraduate doing LLB law at University of Exeter. I plan on dropping out at the end of this year as I don't enjoy the atmosphere and think I could be a more serious applicant in the future if I take a gap year and reapply. Over the gap year I am aiming to complete some work experience (in-person and online), volunteering (nationally and internationally) and complete the LNAT in September. I would like to apply to Warwick, Bristol or UCL.

My A-level grades are:
A* - Sociology
A - Law
A - Spanish

My GCSE's are weaker, with mostly 5s and 6s, but I will retake English and Maths to make myself more competitive.

I will likely achieve 2:1s and 1sts in all my first year modules at Exeter.

Does this seem 1) plausible to enter another university as a first year undergraduate and 2) a viable path to improve my chances of achieving a TC in the future?

 

[FM302989]

Personal opinion, and perhaps bias also as an Exeter grad, but no this does not seem plausible at all.

There is no added benefit to your academic or professional journey from dropping out out of a Russel Group university and effectively setting yourself back two years.

Equally, firms will not be scrutinising GCSE results, although some firms may have a minimum A-Level expectation which you've clearly smashed. Please do not re-sit GCSEs

None of what you're suggesting is sensible or adds any benefit to securing a TC in the future. I apologise if this comes across harsh but you've come so far in your first year that I don't understand why you'd choose to give up and have a gap year now?

Work and study hard to keep your grades high, understand the profession and practice areas you may want to work in, get involved in societies and sports teams if that's what is making the atmosphere less pleasant and continue building up your profile before applications open up for you

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Hello,

I am currently a first year undergraduate doing LLB law at University of Exeter. I plan on dropping out at the end of this year as I don't enjoy the atmosphere and think I could be a more serious applicant in the future if I take a gap year and reapply. Over the gap year I am aiming to complete some work experience (in-person and online), volunteering (nationally and internationally) and complete the LNAT in September. I would like to apply to Warwick, Bristol or UCL.

My A-level grades are:
A* - Sociology
A - Law
A - Spanish

My GCSE's are weaker, with mostly 5s and 6s, but I will retake English and Maths to make myself more competitive.

I will likely achieve 2:1s and 1sts in all my first year modules at Exeter.

Does this seem 1) plausible to enter another university as a first year undergraduate and 2) a viable path to improve my chances of achieving a TC in the future?

Hey!

I would be a little cautious about taking a gap year purely to make yourself a stronger candidate. It can be a great option if you need time to reset or if you are genuinely unhappy at Exeter and want a fresh start. However, in terms of training contract applications, you definitely are not in a weak position. You have plenty of time to develop your experiences, skills, and clearly articulate your motivations - and you might find it tricky to explain the rationale of a gap year if questioned in a TC interview.

You are already in a strong position academically, and if you are achieving good marks at Exeter, you can continue building a competitive profile alongside your degree through things like work experience, insight scheme, extracurriculars, and part-time roles. I actually did a placement year as part of my degree which was really valuable in my TC applications, and I know the firm I worked at routinely takes University of Exeter students for their placement year (so I'd look into those if you want to gain experience in a firm). In terms of your GCSE grades, I don't think there are any firms that take these into account when making decisions (although please do correct me if I am wrong!) - your A-Levels + first-year grades are strong, and those are what matters most.

There is also a practical consideration that reapplying and starting again adds an extra year, without any guarantee that it will significantly improve your TC prospects. University of Exeter is a very respectable university and plenty of students go on to receive TC offers! I personally went to a non-RG and received a few VS offers, so the university you go to doesn't matter quite as much anymore (though I appreciate it still has some impact!).

Therefore, I think it comes down to your motivation for wanting to take a gap year. If you are genuinely unhappy at Exeter and feel a different university would suit you better, then taking a gap year and reapplying makes sense and I would encourage you to do that. However, if the main reason is to strengthen your future applications, I wouldn't rely on a gap year to do that - you can absolutely become a stronger candidate from where you are now, and you have plenty of time.

Framing it that way in your decision-making should hopefully help you work out what the right next step is. Best of luck!