[Tateco]

I'm planning on doing Economics at university and due to my relatively 'poor' GCSE grades (despite me hitting >90% in every AS exam) it is looking unlikely I'll even bother applying to LSE for their undergraduate programme.

So I was just wondering how accessible the masters degree in economics is to someone who has successfully completed an undergraduate course at a top 15 university? Is it equally as competitive as the Bsc or much less?

Cheers

[crazycake93]

(Original post by tateco)
I'm planning on doing Economics at university and due to my relatively 'poor' GCSE grades (despite me hitting >90% in every AS exam) it is looking unlikely I'll even bother applying to LSE for their undergraduate programme.

So I was just wondering how accessible the masters degree in economics is to someone who has successfully completed an undergraduate course at a top 15 university? Is it equally as competitive as the Bsc or much less?

Cheers

In the same boat as you my friend.

[Tateco]

(Original post by crazycake93)
In the same boat as you my friend.

It is annoying, I know it's not an excuse but many people under-perform in their GCSEs. Not everyone has private school education breathing down their necks telling them how important they are

Still haven't got through the undercover economist I see?

[SPMS]

Can I go to a mid table uni for undergraduate and then a top uni for an msc? (1)
At undergraduate level TAELT has 5 ridiculously ridiculously competitive (RRC) unis and 6 ridiculously competitive (RC) unis. At Msc level the picture would be very different. Instead there would be perhaps only 3 RC unis and no RRC unis. For example:
i) Warwick have places on their msc course every year and have students from places like Cardiff, Sheffield and Royal Holloway.
ii) Notts this cycle had a student from Kingston.

Why is there such a big drop in competitivity between Bsc and Msc?
Well:
i) Lots of Bsc Econ graduates are very employable and hence don't want or need more education.
ii)The Msc fees are higher. So unlike at BSc level prices are not artificially low and hence there is not excess demand.

Can I go to a mid table uni for undergraduate and then a top uni for an Msc? (2)
Getting into a top uni for Msc is one thing doing well is another. i.e. the material taught varies between top and mid table unis. And whilst there is a natural progression in the material taught between Bsc and Msc at top unis, there is no such guarantee at other unis.

So in conclusion. Yes you can move up from a mid to a top uni, but:
i)there are likely to be issues with the material.
ii)It is expensive and coming from a less good uni it is harder to get funding.

and

Msc Economics Admissions Guide

[Tateco]

(Original post by SPMS)
and

Msc Economics Admissions Guide

That's quite reassuring, thanks. When it says harder to get funding does that mean impossible?

[crazycake93]

(Original post by tateco)
It is annoying, I know it's not an excuse but many people under-perform in their GCSEs. Not everyone has private school education breathing down their necks telling them how important they are

Still haven't got through the undercover economist I see?

Haha, I'm gonna go with the, "I'm to busy", excuse. I only read about 5 pages before I sleep. I have to admit though, it's not a terribly good read, it's very repetitive, the only part worth reading is on Game Theory, even then it doesn't explain it in great detail, just gives examples.

Yeah GCSE's, you wouldn't believe how many people i know with wose GCSE's than me, applying to UCL/LSE for Economics, I try to explain to them... but they don't have any of it. Those people are so ignorant, if they do their research they'd know better..

Either way, Cambridge is still open to guys like us. They don't weigh alot of your academia on your GCSE, 90%> UMS on every paper would be more important to them, (hence why i'm retaking Biology Unit 1 89/100).