Please be brutally honest

Hi everyone,
I am studying in India. In my second year of undergraduate study. I am expecting 680-720 in my GMAT. I got a 60% in my first year(fooled around a bit)...will get around 70% in my second year and hope to push it up to 75% in the third year. I got a score of 116/120 in my TOEFL which LSE asks for if your first language is not English. I will get 2 good references and will get my personal statement professionally done so it will be good. I am going to apply for Msc Finance/Management/related courses at the LSE, CASS, Imperial, Warwick and Exeter. What are my chances of securing admission? This is very important to me so I'd like you'll to be totally honest with me. If I have no chance, please tell me so. Thank you

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Reply 1

ma2k5

If you meet the requirements and got £££££, good chance as anyone else.

Reply 2

Angelil

It seems like you have a good record, but there's only one concern: getting your personal statement "professionally done"? What? Do you mean getting someone to write it for you? Or paying someone just to check it over? Either way this strikes me as being morally and/or financially dubious. Services that charge you to help you with your PS are often just out to con you. You'd be better off posting your PS in the Personal Statement Help forum on here (which offers help for free, by the way) once you've written it, rather than giving away all your money to a scheming enterprise that may not be much help.

Reply 3

Tom

You would be a fool to get your PS done 'professionally'. It's meant to be about YOU remember? And if you're not even capable of writing your own PS, what hope do you stand of actually completing a postgrad course!?

Reply 4

indianstudent

Well, in India, there are a lot of 'educational consultants' who help you write your personal statement and submit your application,help you with the visa etc. I think I may just post it on the forum and get it reviewed, that sounds like a better option. P.S.(no pun intended) : I am also going to get a summer internship this summer.

Reply 5

plokij101

Tom

i agree... wherever tey have PS advice, it always tells you to be honest, and you dont want to sound like a generic applicant. they should want u to come to the uni, for who u r, not just the £££

Reply 6

indianstudent

If I just meet the basic requirements and am willing to pay the 15k fee, I will get in?

Reply 7

tayesniggi

indianstudent

If I just meet the basic requirements and am willing to pay the 15k fee, I will get in?

So if somebody on this forum says yes, you'll get in, end you end up not getting in, what will you do?
Your grades are ok (it seems, but check each universities' requirements, as they usually list requirements for students from non-UK universities too), and you obviously meet English language requirements, but a lot is up to your PS and references. Nobody can tell you for sure. You can just try your best to get as high grades as possible and devote enough time to writing your PS. And given the list of universities you said you'll apply to, I'd expect you get an offer from at least one of them. But noone can give you a definite answer.

Reply 8

indianstudent

no tayesniggi but i was wondering whether it is worth applying that's all...how do i go about writing my PS?

Reply 9

Tom

The PS will need to tell them, roughly:

1)Why you want to study that course - specifically, which bits appeal, why you find certain areas interesting.
2)What academic skills and achievements you have that prove you can study it at that high level (i.e. drawing from your undergrad experience), plus relevant reading and study you have already done in the areas for 1)
3)What other skills + achievements you have that are relevant - this will be extra-curriculars in which you have shown useful skills, your internship, etc etc.
4)Probably a bit about studying in the UK, as you're an int'l student.

Reply 10

tayesniggi

indianstudent

no tayesniggi but i was wondering whether it is worth applying that's all...how do i go about writing my PS?

Well, if you ask me - if it's something you really want, then it's worth applying. If you don't apply, you'll never know and might keep wondering what could/would've been if you applied. If you apply and get rejected at all the unis, at least you know you tried. And... I think you have another year before applying, so you might consider getting yourself involved in some things to get relevant experience that could boost your postgrad applications.

Reply 11

indianstudent

[QUOTE=tayesniggi And... I think you have another year before applying, so you might consider getting yourself involved in some things to get relevant experience that could boost your postgrad applications.

Such as ? Internships?

Reply 12

tayesniggi

indianstudent

Such as ? Internships?

I wouldn't really know about possibilities cos I don't know much about finance/management, but yeah, internships is one thing. I was also active in one association where I supervised/coordinated some development projects and such, but I was applying for Development Studies. I am considering applying for management now, and I'm hoping that my experience would be considered (the part of coordinating at least).
It would also help if you get a paper published or attend a conference I believe. I don't really even know what you do as a finance graduate, so I can't give you more specific ideas.

Reply 13

indianstudent

anyone else with any tips?

Reply 14

plokij101

i'd only suggest you make your PS stand out... not just the same old "i want to study xyz because..." you want them to remember you...

Reply 15

angel156

It's better to write your PS yourself.
If your undergraduate degree is in English, that alone is enough to meet the English language requirement. That is what I read on the LSE and Warwick websites, I think.
Your marks are good, you should definitely apply.

Reply 16

indianstudent

All my education has been in english right from school to university. However, English is not the native language that people in India speak. Should I do the TOEFL/IELTS?

Reply 17

angel156

I don't know about all the Unis you are applying to, but I think that if your degree is in English, certain institutions do not require you to take TOEFL/IELTS.
However, should you get admission, you might have to take the IELTS for your Student Visa. You can check the British Council website regarding that.

Reply 18

indianstudent

I think it's best I take the TOEFL and IELTS. If I don't have to submit the scores, I won't. But if I do, atleast I'll have them. And they are very easy tests...