Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Reasons for deferring an entry at LSE (postgrad)

Hi,

I've been made an offer at LSE, for a MSc in Global Politics (Department of Government).

I would like to defer my entry. I want to take a gap year, travel and gain some work experience abroad (probably in a humanitarian organisation). So it is still a vague project, and I don't have any solid reasons yet to support my request.

Is a gap year a valid reason for asking to defer? Are they very strict on deferrals? And should I first find what I'm exactly going to do and then apply for the deferral?

Thank you!

Reply 1

majkelecek

I am also very interested in the answer to this problem!

Reply 2

You!Me!Dancing!

I imagine in varies between departments and between programmes, so it's worth emailing them.

But remember, even if they refuse your deferral, you can 'reinstate' your application for the following year (i.e. you don't have to write a new one and you'll be top of the pile come October). Chances are, if you were accepted this year you also will be next year! Plus you won't have to give a non-refundable deposit if you reinstate rather than defer, which could be good just in case something unpredictable happens and you can't take up your deferred place.

Reply 3

Gabrca

Hi-

I actually just mentioned this in the master thread for LSE postgrad. I just received an acceptance to my deferral request. I was accepted to the Msc Global Media and Communication Programme, with a year spent at LSE and a year at Fudan in China.

I wrote approximately a one page letter explaining how I intend to return to China to spend a year working on my Chinese/Mandarin and how that extra year would benefit the programme when I returned.

It took about 5 weeks from submitting to receiving an answer...

I think it is important to explain how your "year off" would benefit the programme when you came back. Be specific, I recommend you get a volunteer position with an humanitarian organization and say "I am deferring to do this, which is directly related to this programme and will benefit my studies greatly when I return in the Fall of 2014"

Don't make it too vague! To be honest, I don't know how each department handles it. Some may be tougher than others!

Best,

Gabrca

Reply 4

VictorT

Thank you for your useful answers!