LSE Anthropology

LSE

But you haven't even started yet, so you can't possibly know!

Has anybody got any advice about how to choose between UCL, LSE and Goldsmiths for Anthropology?

You pick UCL if you want to do Biological Anthropology & Material Culture aswell as Social Anthropology.

You pick LSE if you only really want to do Social Anthropology.

And without sounding too harsh I don't think it would be wise to pick Goldsmiths over LSE/UCL.

Thanks But why not Goldsmiths - the offer is much the same as LSE for example.

Hi all,

Just graduated in Soc Anth from LSE.

Firstly, don't worry about grades. If you meet the requirements, then apply. It may be competitive, but a real desire to do the course, and that transmitted through your PS should see you fine.

When I asked a department member specifically about what s/he looks for in PS, they said a clear passion for the subject. That's, above all, what you need to convey.

Also, the course requirements are misleading. Never judge the value of a course by the grades it requires to get in. I spoke to members of the department about why LSE's requirements for Soc anth were so low given that it is considered to be 2nd best in the world for this subject (and you can't really compare it to the American stream of anthropology (cultural anth) anyway!) and the idea is that they are interested in giving a wider selection of people a chance. What you would expect from an anth department! Basically they know that sometimes people get lower grades than they wanted/expected or are perhaps not in an environment where they can achieve AAA but they may still be the best at anthropology.

Also, regarding UCL, LSE or Goldsmiths... I do not consider Goldsmiths a rival to either of these. In fact, I haven't heard it talked about as such. UCL is fine, and good for those preferring certain areas of interest, but LSE is incomparable in terms of teaching. AFter all, it was pretty much where social anthropology was created. You could put this down to my opinion, but having spent my time there, I've heard a lot about what the people who know think, and you get a sense from the readings about where is cutting edge. To my knowledge, i've not read an article or book by someone out of Goldsmiths. And only a few from UCL. Sussex is brilliant and so is SOAS. And these, for social anthropology, are much better respected than Goldsmiths (and even UCL). Of course, you may not be after 'the best degree' or 'the most respected course', and lifestyle factors should come into your decision.

Anyway... there's my two cents!

Hi, i just got an offer for soc anth at LSE, and would love to go there. However, isn't living in London ludicrously expensive? How do you cope with it if you don't have rich parents?

It is more expensive than anywhere else in the UK, but the government recognises this and you get a larger loan amount. If you budget and stay on top of your spending, I think it's fairly easy to live on the loan. I managed fine but a couple of friends got some part-time jobs for some extra cash to play around with.

Considering LSE's the home of soc anth and generally considered the best degree for that subject, it's worth it. If you're not so bothered about the social anth in particular (i.e. you want to study bio anth as well etc.) and you are less concerned with the prestigiousness of the degree and want to look more at uni experience and lifestyle than def keep the other options open.

Good luck with your other offers! And if you want me to do a quick breakdown of the costs of living in london so you can cross-reference with the loan amounts, let me know.

Oh yeah im mostly interested in social anthropology, so LSE's course looks incredible. I would be interested in switching to anth and law - when would the best time to find out about this be?

Also, if you have time to do a quick breakdown of costs that would be a massive help. Thanks!

Ahhh Keep this thread going!
I bet I'll get a rejection soon though...

Hi, i just got an offer for soc anth at LSE, and would love to go there. However, isn't living in London ludicrously expensive? How do you cope with it if you don't have rich parents?

hey! I've applied for social anth. at LSE as well and still haven't been rejected or accepted yet... don't know if this is good or bad news but I'd really love the opportunity to go study here! the problem is, is that i was only predicted 36 points in my IB and am worried that since the the requirement is 37 points that they'll reject me, however there's a chance that my predicted grades will be revised and boosted up to 37 points and if so hopefully I can let LSE know before they make a decision, I'm not sure if this will make a huge difference on my application but it's worth a try.