Mitigating Circumstances

[Gimmeatc]

Hello all, was looking for advice on filling in mitigating circumstances.


I have fairly low IB (33) and GCSE (mainly Bs) grades as a result of a learning disability (ADD) but after seeking treatment I completed a law foundation programme to get into university and scored quite well. I have been including this in my (completely unsuccessful) VS/TC applications. Is this a bad idea? Am I less likely to be accepted due to the grades regardless of the circumstance? Would having ADD turn law firms off my application?

In uni I consistently average a 2:1 with multiple firsts*


Thank you!

 

[LehmanBrothersRiskManagementIntern]

Hi Gimmeatc,

Your IB results are not low. 33 IB points it’s quite high and most people are on average scoring 24. Your 33 IB points are definitely around 170+ UCAS points, which would be the equivalent of 4 As at A level.

I did the IB too. I achieved 30 points which is the equivalent of 164 UCAS points. 164 UCAS points are more or less three As at A-Level.

When applying to law firms, always provide them with the UCAS equivalent. Most application forms include the option of including UCAS points. You can precisely calculate your UCAS points by using this link: https://www.ucas.com/ucas/tariff-calculator

Again, 33 IB points is by no means a low grade. It would be extremely unfair for firms to ask us to have 40+ IB points when we have 6 subjects to revise for and A-Level students get away with 3 subjects most of the time. That’s why you should use the UCAS tariff points calculator to calculate your equivalent to a levels.

With my 30 IB points, I got a vac scheme and was recently invited to interviews with a couple of US firms. And if you manage to achieve a first or even a 2:1, your credentials would be impressive!

Don’t be discouraged by your grades, they are not low.

Hope that helps!

 

[axelbeugre]

Hello all, was looking for advice on filling in mitigating circumstances.


I have fairly low IB (33) and GCSE (mainly Bs) grades as a result of a learning disability (ADD) but after seeking treatment I completed a law foundation programme to get into university and scored quite well. I have been including this in my (completely unsuccessful) VS/TC applications. Is this a bad idea? Am I less likely to be accepted due to the grades regardless of the circumstance? Would having ADD turn law firms off my application?

In uni I consistently average a 2:1 with multiple firsts*


Thank you!

Hey @Gimmeatc,

I really do think that @Gandalf could have not been more exhaustive in his answer and I also want to thank him for sharing his experience and for writing such a useful response.

As Gandalf said, never be disappointed by your grades, they will help you regardless. And you have an amazing IB score so I would not worry too much about it!

Having a learning disability should not be a discouraging factor in applying to law firms, so do not worry about it and disclose it as this will give them a better understanding of you and your ability, and what you had to overcome/live with whilst studying/working. Being transparent about these kind of issues will only be helpful to you, and it will not be a detriment to your success, never worry about this! So, to answer your question, it is not a bad idea to disclose it, on the contrary!

Good luck with the process and always believe in yourself!

 

[Gimmeatc]

Hi Gimmeatc,

Your IB results are not low. 33 IB points it’s quite high and most people are on average scoring 24. Your 33 IB points are definitely around 170+ UCAS points, which would be the equivalent of 4 As at A level.

I did the IB too. I achieved 30 points which is the equivalent of 164 UCAS points. 164 UCAS points are more or less three As at A-Level.

When applying to law firms, always provide them with the UCAS equivalent. Most application forms include the option of including UCAS points. You can precisely calculate your UCAS points by using this link: https://www.ucas.com/ucas/tariff-calculator

Again, 33 IB points is by no means a low grade. It would be extremely unfair for firms to ask us to have 40+ IB points when we have 6 subjects to revise for and A-Level students get away with 3 subjects most of the time. That’s why you should use the UCAS tariff points calculator to calculate your equivalent to a levels.

With my 30 IB points, I got a vac scheme and was recently invited to interviews with a couple of US firms. And if you manage to achieve a first or even a 2:1, your credentials would be impressive!

Don’t be discouraged by your grades, they are not low.

Hope that helps!

Hello!

This was very helpful, was worried that I was getting screened out especially because others in my uni have quite wildly impressive IB/GCSE grades. Thanks alot and congrats on getting invited to interviews!!

 

[Gimmeatc]

Hey @Gimmeatc,

I really do think that @Gandalf could have not been more exhaustive in his answer and I also want to thank him for sharing his experience and for writing such a useful response.

As Gandalf said, never be disappointed by your grades, they will help you regardless. And you have an amazing IB score so I would not worry too much about it!

Having a learning disability should not be a discouraging factor in applying to law firms, so do not worry about it and disclose it as this will give them a better understanding of you and your ability, and what you had to overcome/live with whilst studying/working. Being transparent about these kind of issues will only be helpful to you, and it will not be a detriment to your success, never worry about this! So, to answer your question, it is not a bad idea to disclose it, on the contrary!

Good luck with the process and always believe in yourself!

Hi,

Thank you, I was worried I was maybe sharing too much on my mitigating circumstances paragraphs, appreciate the support!