Need help in choosing GDL/PGDL Providers

[ethmelon]

Hello everyone! I would appreciate any insight or advice from anyone, I still can’t choose a provider after doing a lot of research. I received offers from UoL, BPP, and City University of London, and I’m aiming to become a solicitor.
For UoL and City, I received offers for their GDL/PGDL course, meaning I would receive a graduate diploma in law upon graduation. Furthermore, they both have online open book assessments.
For BPP, I received an offer in their SQE Training for Non-Law Graduates, and I would receive a Masters of Laws and Legal Practice. Their assessments are written exams (closed book).

As I said, I am quite stuck, so anything helps.

 

[TC fiend]

I'm not sure what you are taking into consideration as regards the funding you may need (just based off the mention of the 'Master of Laws' in your second paragraph), but in terms of content of the course and support offered I was very pleased with UoL. I attended their Moorgate campus and I had an excellent experience. I found the open book assessments MUCH better than closed book exams as well - provided you are okay with taking notes, they honestly give you the exam structure during the course and just being able to have it beside you and flesh it out with your own notes makes it so much more relaxing to write your exam. I haven't attended BPP but a friend of mine did her GDL there and her experience is what ultimately sold me on UoL - she said there wasn't much support and they were not given physical textbooks (not sure if that has changed).

If you do the UoL GDL, a word of advice to avoid the Company Law module. You'll probably think "hey this seems like an easy way to get a better insight to the work of firms in the city" but frankly it doesn't really touch on anything of substance to the commercial world that you couldn't learn on Youtube, and the assessment was a hot mess.

 

[Jane Smith]

Are you sure the BPP course (which includes their PGDL (and preparation for SQE1 and 2 exams) is closed book? BPP's current PGDL and LPC are both open book exams.
Both UoL and BPP are fine but check whether each course gets you where you want to be eg does the UoL one as well as the GDL prepare you for the SEQ1 and 2 exams which BPP's course does. Also I believe the SQE1 and 2 exams which you sit via Kaplan whether you study at BP, UoL or anyone else will be the same as far as I am aware.
If I were you I would choose BPP as they are the institution chosen by the City Consortium and the course clearly prepares you for the SQE1 and 2 exams you will sit with Kaplan.

(By the way this year's LPC course with BPP has the exams taken online if you choose whereas UoL's are all in the exam hall so these things change a lot due to covid and what the SRA permits so if those issues are important to you do check and also check with Kaplan who are the body with whom you will take the SQE1 and 2 exams - I am assuming the SQE1 and 2 exams must be taken in the exam hall)

 

[G P]

Hello everyone! I would appreciate any insight or advice from anyone, I still can’t choose a provider after doing a lot of research. I received offers from UoL, BPP, and City University of London, and I’m aiming to become a solicitor.
For UoL and City, I received offers for their GDL/PGDL course, meaning I would receive a graduate diploma in law upon graduation. Furthermore, they both have online open book assessments.
For BPP, I received an offer in their SQE Training for Non-Law Graduates, and I would receive a Masters of Laws and Legal Practice. Their assessments are written exams (closed book).

As I said, I am quite stuck, so anything helps.

I really wouldn't recommend BPP. I'm studying the PGDL/LLM there at the moment. The organisation is appalling, as is the communication with students. It really feels as though they want your money more than anything else, certainly not to make great future lawyers. Considering their links with some of the top commercial law firms in the country, this is disappointing. The only way to ask for help is via an online support ticket, which is just a way they can avoid getting to your query. When my classmates and I have had urgent technical difficulties, we had no way of resolving the issue and dipped out on a week's worth of course materials (which, when they are available, are ridden with typos). However, I would add that the exams are online and open book at BPP too.
I obviously have no experience with UoL, but I have heard they are more organised than my experience at BPP seems to have been.