LSE economic history (and geography)

My subjects are:
Economics
Business
Art (no as)
Psych

I’m not sure if my AS levels went well (especially psychology) I’d like to apply for LSE economic history and maybe with geography because of the grade requirement being lower. I’m thinking of dropping art but economics and business are seen to be overlapping. How much would I be disadvantaged?

Also what’s your opinion on talking about 3 subjects in my personal statement (econ, geography and history). And how much of each would I have to talk in my PS?

Geography - I did at GCSE and skl doesn’t offer it at A level
History - not done since yr8, still interested in it and about to attend a summer skl on it
Economics - current a level and interest

Reply 1

amberlily051

12

Original post by Skittles_beans

My subjects are:
Economics
Business
Art (no as)
Psych

I’m not sure if my AS levels went well (especially psychology) I’d like to apply for LSE economic history and maybe with geography because of the grade requirement being lower. I’m thinking of dropping art but economics and business are seen to be overlapping. How much would I be disadvantaged?

Also what’s your opinion on talking about 3 subjects in my personal statement (econ, geography and history). And how much of each would I have to talk in my PS?

Geography - I did at GCSE and skl doesn’t offer it at A level
History - not done since yr8, still interested in it and about to attend a summer skl on it
Economics - current a level and interest

What are your predicted grades? Honestly i would apply to the course you like the most, rather than choosing one because of the grade requirements, as in my experience it really comes across when someone’s passionate about their subjects. Also the grade requirements dont really mean anything at LSE, as they only take people with much higher grades anyway. For example, i have an offer for econ and geog at LSE, but everyone who got offers was predicted minimum 3 A*s, so therefore it doesnt really matter to anyone what the requirements are.
For the PS, i would recommended integrating all the subjects together and talking about something that includes all of them (eg i didnt do sep econ and geog paras, but instead talked about globalisation as it is part of both subjects). Also in regards to taking business and econ, not to be harsh but I would say you are disadvantaged by taking that combo, as most schools wont even allow you to take both due to the overlap.

Reply 2

Skittles_beans

OP

6

Original post by amberlily051

What are your predicted grades? Honestly i would apply to the course you like the most, rather than choosing one because of the grade requirements, as in my experience it really comes across when someone’s passionate about their subjects. Also the grade requirements dont really mean anything at LSE, as they only take people with much higher grades anyway. For example, i have an offer for econ and geog at LSE, but everyone who got offers was predicted minimum 3 A*s, so therefore it doesnt really matter to anyone what the requirements are.
For the PS, i would recommended integrating all the subjects together and talking about something that includes all of them (eg i didnt do sep econ and geog paras, but instead talked about globalisation as it is part of both subjects). Also in regards to taking business and econ, not to be harsh but I would say you are disadvantaged by taking that combo, as most schools wont even allow you to take both due to the overlap.

Based on gcse it’s a B in every subject right now. I’m not sure I’d get 3 A*s but I’ve seen that my course choices aren’t as competitive as others, do you know if that’s true?? Also would a strong PS make up for my AS grades being one grade below the required (which is AAB) but my predicted grades are EXACTLY as required?

What if I took art to avoid the overlap? But I don’t think it’ll look any better since art might be seen as a weak subject.

In addition I can’t really move out of London for a Russel university so I’m stuck to having LSE as my only Russel group choice that doesn’t need maths. Do you know any non-Russel unis that are respected by companies for economics and/or finance?

Also, thank youu

(edited 10 months ago)

Reply 3

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

21

Original post by Skittles_beans

Based on gcse it’s a B in every subject right now. I’m not sure I’d get 3 A*s but I’ve seen that my course choices aren’t as competitive as others, do you know if that’s true?? Also would a strong PS make up for my AS grades being one grade below the required (which is AAB) but my predicted grades are EXACTLY as required?

What if I took art to avoid the overlap? But I don’t think it’ll look any better since art might be seen as a weak subject.

In addition I can’t really move out of London for a Russel university so I’m stuck to having LSE as my only Russel group choice that doesn’t need maths. Do you know any non-Russel unis that are respected by companies for economics and/or finance?

Also, thank youu

As noted, LSE have specific guidance on the combination of business and economics at A-level so will likely not consider them as part of a combination of three A-levels (at least not competitively) - so you'd have to continue with all four or drop one of business or economics if you were planning to just do three. Art is a "non-preferred" subject for most departments at LSE (except anthropology I think), as is business studies I believe, but as long as you take two preferred subjects (economics and geography) they don't mind if your third is non-preferred.

Basically ensure you continue with economics, geography, and art. Continue business if you wish as a fourth only. Then you will be fine, subject-wise, for economic history at LSE.

I'd note that outside of investment banking and management consulting employers don't care where you studied. I'd also note that neither investment banking nor management consulting care what you study. Are you only choosing economic history because it has the word "economic" in it and you can't do economics elsewhere without maths and you are assuming economics is necessary to go into a career in those areas?

Reply 4

Skittles_beans

OP

6

Original post by artful_lounger

As noted, LSE have specific guidance on the combination of business and economics at A-level so will likely not consider them as part of a combination of three A-levels (at least not competitively) - so you'd have to continue with all four or drop one of business or economics if you were planning to just do three. Art is a "non-preferred" subject for most departments at LSE (except anthropology I think), as is business studies I believe, but as long as you take two preferred subjects (economics and geography) they don't mind if your third is non-preferred.

Basically ensure you continue with economics, geography, and art. Continue business if you wish as a fourth only. Then you will be fine, subject-wise, for economic history at LSE.

I'd note that outside of investment banking and management consulting employers don't care where you studied. I'd also note that neither investment banking nor management consulting care what you study. Are you only choosing economic history because it has the word "economic" in it and you can't do economics elsewhere without maths and you are assuming economics is necessary to go into a career in those areas?

Is it common for students to continue all 4 subjects? And what is the work load like? If I did continue with all 4, hopefully it’s not as big of an issue since business and art are “okay” subjects to work with.

I still can’t get my head around on the fact that they do not care what I study, say I studied geography Bsc, how will it work when I try to apply for finance related jobs, do I do my own research on how things operate and where will my finance experience come from? Or do I just show up with just an interest in the job? Does this mean that it is acceptable for my career to be different from my degree

And I found economic history at first because I couldn’t find economics courses without maths, but I find it more interesting than economics alone but there’s no universities in London that offer a similar course (like history with econ) and I can’t go outside London.

Reply 5

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

21

Original post by Skittles_beans

Is it common for students to continue all 4 subjects? And what is the work load like? If I did continue with all 4, hopefully it’s not as big of an issue since business and art are “okay” subjects to work with.

I still can’t get my head around on the fact that they do not care what I study, say I studied geography Bsc, how will it work when I try to apply for finance related jobs, do I do my own research on how things operate and where will my finance experience come from? Or do I just show up with just an interest in the job? Does this mean that it is acceptable for my career to be different from my degree

And I found economic history at first because I couldn’t find economics courses without maths, but I find it more interesting than economics alone but there’s no universities in London that offer a similar course (like history with econ) and I can’t go outside London.

To answer your first question, especially with a subject like art in the mix, four subjects would be a very heavy workload. It's generally not advisable unless two are maths and further maths due to the synergy between those two making the workload more manageable. I'd also note, you do not get "bonus points" for doing an extra subject when applying to uni.

Most graduate schemes (including investment banking and management consulting) are not employing you for the specific content you learned in the degree, they're employing you for the transferable skills that you gained in the degree which they know will mean that basically, you will figure out how to do the job quickly and efficiently. I'd also note that economics does not teach you how to work in the finance sector whatsoever and most of the content is unrelated to those jobs.

To elaborate more on the last point from your second paragraph - the vast majority of graduates do jobs that have nothing to do with what they studied at uni. Plenty of people do history degrees then go into accounting grad schemes. Or study classics then go into the civil service. Or do zoology then go into law. Or whatever else. This is because honestly most jobs just don't have any degrees specifically related to them, and you don't need to have done a specific degree to be able to do that job - the degree is just a tick box exercise for the employer.

If you aren't interested in economic history for itself then don't do it. It confers no benefit compared to doing any other degree at LSE. You could happily do geography, or anthropology, or social policy, or whatever else at LSE and still go into the same kind of roles. Likewise at other unis. In fact as noted, outside of investment banking and management consulting graduate employers largely don't care where you studied either.

What matters for employability will be what relevant work experience and internships you do (if you spend your entire degree going to lectures, doing exams, then going home every summer and doing no work, you will be functionally unemployable wherever you graduate from, in whatever subject), and how well you prepare for assessment centre exercises and psychometric tests. As above - your degree is just a tick box. You have a degree at 2:1 or above in any subject? You've ticked that box, you have the "maximum" value from that area, and after that it's everything else that makes a difference.

Unless you are aiming to go into a specialist role that does require specific subject knowledge (mostly technical roles requiring various STEM degree backgrounds) or where you need to have done a specifically accredited course to join the professional body for that career (mostly healthcare roles, to a lesser extent some things like engineering), the degree subject doesn't matter that much as long as you understand the job and role demands well enough in general.

Reply 6

Anonymous #1

I think I have a useful insight here as I am an econ history offer holder. I was asking the exact same questions you were asking last year - particularly around econ courses without maths.

I would say in your situation to certainly keep economics to put it bluntly, if I had to foreshadow the LSE response will likely be 'your subject combination wasn't competitive enough' - have a look at this year's offer spreadsheet for the quality of applications that get rejected.

If I could point you to some other courses that might satisfy what you want 1. Exeter uni Business economics as well as Nottingham Economics.

Hope this helps

Reply 7

Tommy2344534

Hi, I currently am studying Pure Econ History at LSE (going into my second year). From my first year, and the general intensity of LSE as a whole. I wouldn't do this degree unless you are actually interested in it. I for one, did not do Economics at A-Level (although I did do physics). The course itself isn't super maths heavy, although its given that you will understand up to a certain level. Whilst its an interesting course and I wouldn't want to discourage you from applying (you might as well), its a pretty competitive course and I had one of the lowest predicted of anyone I know at A*A*A. If you heavily focus your PS it might help you (I feel as though I definitively benefited from a highly Econ-History centric PS) it depends on the degree to which that may harm your chances at other universities you are applying for, as few unis do Econ-History degrees.

Regardless, I would apply, I for one really enjoy the course. If you are interested in related topics, I would recommend reading: 'the ascent of money by Niall Ferguson', 'The origins of value by Goetzmann' and 'War and Gold by Kwazi Kwarteng'.

Ultimately, if you are looking for a career in consulting or high-finance, there are many ways of getting there, and I would be wary of doing an entire degree purely for the purpose.

Reply 8

amberlily051

12

Totally agree with what you said. I was predicted A*A*A too and also thought i had one of the lowest predicteds for my offer in econ and geog, suggesting i was extremely lucky to have gotten in, probably due to my strong personal statemmnet and geniune passion for the course.

Reply 9

Robin Costache

1

Guys I'd like some advice.
So I received an offer for LSE to do a BSC in Economic History. But there is some serious conflict in my family about it. My parents are saying that the accommodation, travel, living costs are too high for them to afford. Thing is we're not poor, my dads on 75k , about 50k after tax which would kinda suggest I could do it. But this is the thing, my sister also has to go to uni next year (she's in year 12) so the cost almost doubles for both of us. On top of that he has a mortgage to pay and yk lots of other costs. So we really don't have any disposable income. But because of his salary, (mum is a stay at home mum) I'm not eligible for more than about 4 grand maintenance, if that, even in London. Also I'm currently on A*A*A

This has been really depressing me because its been my dream to go to LSE and I just don't know what to do.
Any info on how much costs actually are, like a final figure would be helpful to help making my case to my parents. And overall any other advice would be really helpful :smile:

fr if anyone wants to split accommodation let me know ong

Reply 10

amberlily051

12

Original post by Robin Costache

Guys I'd like some advice.
So I received an offer for LSE to do a BSC in Economic History. But there is some serious conflict in my family about it. My parents are saying that the accommodation, travel, living costs are too high for them to afford. Thing is we're not poor, my dads on 75k , about 50k after tax which would kinda suggest I could do it. But this is the thing, my sister also has to go to uni next year (she's in year 12) so the cost almost doubles for both of us. On top of that he has a mortgage to pay and yk lots of other costs. So we really don't have any disposable income. But because of his salary, (mum is a stay at home mum) I'm not eligible for more than about 4 grand maintenance, if that, even in London. Also I'm currently on A*A*A
This has been really depressing me because its been my dream to go to LSE and I just don't know what to do.
Any info on how much costs actually are, like a final figure would be helpful to help making my case to my parents. And overall any other advice would be really helpful :smile:

fr if anyone wants to split accommodation let me know ong

you can get some cheap accommodation for about 5 grand a year at LSE if you're willing to share a room, if not, the cheap single rooms are about 8 grand. I would say you could live off £100 a week and theres about 25 weeks of term at LSE so that's like bare minimum about 2.5k in living costs. its definitely feasible if you get a job in the summer which you could get a couple of grand, and then do a few hours of tuition during term time. I do 4 hours a week of tuition just to top my money up which makes me 120 quid a week for quite minimum effort. I would say in total living costs would cost you about 11 grand a year, so you would collectively have to come up with the extra 7 between you working and money from your parents.

Reply 11

Anonymous #2

Original post by amberlily051

Totally agree with what you said. I was predicted A*A*A too and also thought i had one of the lowest predicteds for my offer in econ and geog, suggesting i was extremely lucky to have gotten in, probably due to my strong personal statemmnet and geniune passion for the course.

I am thinking of applying to do that course, but if you don't mind me asking- what sort of extra curricular did you put on your PS, or how did you really show that you are passionate about geography and economics? I have read prisoners of geography and attend geography and economics club, but how do I really show to the admissions office that I really want to do that course?

Reply 12

amberlily051

12

Original post by Anonymous

I am thinking of applying to do that course, but if you don't mind me asking- what sort of extra curricular did you put on your PS, or how did you really show that you are passionate about geography and economics? I have read prisoners of geography and attend geography and economics club, but how do I really show to the admissions office that I really want to do that course?

I went to lectures at unis (I did one on geopolitics and the arctics resources at royal Holloway), I entered an economics essay competition, I did a finance qualification. I then picked two topics that I felt were at the core of geography and economics- sustainability and globalisation- and then picked books that were relevant to these topics. I think I read three books in total.

Reply 13

Anonymous #2

thank you so much! what a levels did you do?

LSE economic history (and geography)

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