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Does LSE "Programme Availability" REALLY reflect the truth?

I handed in my LSE MSc Finance application in mid-Feb 09, but due to some tiny document missing (which LSE only informed about a freakin MONTH later), my application was awfully delayed... It was only passed on to the MSc Finance department towards the end of March.

Just TWO weeks later (yes, two weeks), in mid-April I received a rejection letter from my 1st choice programme i.e, MSc Finance. Now what's with the "we usually take 8-10 weeks time to make our decision"??? I know my profile might not be the best - but is it really fair to make a rejection decision just 2 weeks after reading my application? After all, I don't think I'm that bad. I got a 680 on gmat, a first class honors from a top university, and internship in the world's best IB and consulting firms.

Or is it the case this programme was already 'closed' but for some money-making reason, LSE still misleadingly say in their website that it was "open". ??

Here's what I got from another thread:
23-03-2009: 23rd March 2009 16:52 #34
mlsbbe
New Member Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 16
one of my friends knows the admission officers from LSE...
...i dont know why its still open..
Either they forgot to update or a i'm guessing a large number of applicants have been / or are working in the finance industry right now. LSE likes to admit people with "work experience".

Now my application is under consideration for my 2nd choice programme. I really hope I get in this time. Otherwise, I at least hope that my application is read seriously by the admission officers before they make a decision.

I may be all wrong about this, so please correct me if I am. Is LSE really like that? what do you guys think?

Reply 1

absolute

OP

no one at all?

Reply 2

Haksa

Pure speculation, but I would imagine that the course at LSE may be filled/close to filled. Therefore, any outstanding places may be reserved for exceptional applicants. Perhaps that explains the expediency with which they rejected your application? Or it might have been that your application was actually passed through to the department without the "tiny document" in mid-feb, so they might have taken longer than you think to consider it?

That said, programmes such as MSc Finance are ridiculously competitive. Even a top student with an otherwise impressive application may be pipped to the post by someone that little bit better.

Dont be too disheartened.

Reply 3

absolute

OP

Haksa

Pure speculation, but I would imagine that the course at LSE may be filled/close to filled. Therefore, any outstanding places may be reserved for exceptional applicants. Perhaps that explains the expediency with which they rejected your application?

That's the thing. The 'availability of programmes' page (http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/graduateAdmissions/apply/availabilityOfProgrammes2009-10.htm#FtoG) is updated frequently, but even 4 days ago (as of Apr 24), the status of MSc Finance programme is still a huge "OPEN". If it had been close to filled --> why didn't they put 'limited availability' like they're supposed to? I guess that's my point about the money-making part...

Haksa

Or it might have been that your application was actually passed through to the department without the "tiny document" in mid-feb, so they might have taken longer than you think to consider it?

They wrote me a personal email informing me that my application was only passed on to the programme at the end of March. My LSE online system also said the same thing. With thousands of applications coming in, I doubt that they would be decent enough to waive my tiny document and pass my app to the programme first.

So I still can't figure out the logic behind this whole thing...arghhh

Reply 4

Polish_star

absolute

So I still can't figure out the logic behind this whole thing...arghhh

Well, this is LSE and like it or not, there are many candidates with 680 GMAT, 1sts and super internships...What Haksa wrote seems to be very probable.

I'd add that such a quick negative response to your first application after they received that "tiny document" could mean that it was that document that to some extent made your file not reach the "yes" pile..

Naturally, I'm speculating and I wouldn't dare to explain the logic behind this process. They know what they are doing and you can always ask for some feedback from the admissions office, if that would "ease your pain". But what's happened, happened. Good luck with your second choice!

Reply 5

kil

Or maybe absolute's application got passed to the MSc Finance admissions committee just in time for their meeting, which is why absolute's application got processed so quickly.

Just speculating though, and I really don't know how the LSE MSc Finance admissions committee works.

Reply 6

Multiplexed

18

And I don't think it can be blamed on money-making either, £35 isn't really that much to them when you consider what the application goes through, first choice, second choice, how many times its considered, re-considered, the admin process etc. Plus if you think about it, the revenue they make from each course from admission fees is about £17,500 if there are 500 students applying. Comparatively that's less than one student's fees so I doubt they're that desperate and secondly, anything spare from that £17,500 is unlikely if you consider the costs of the admissions, department and track system.

Reply 7

europe2010

Multiplexed

And I don't think it can be blamed on money-making either, £35 isn't really that much to them when you consider what the application goes through, first choice, second choice, how many times its considered, re-considered, the admin process etc. Plus if you think about it, the revenue they make from each course from admission fees is about £17,500 if there are 500 students applying. Comparatively that's less than one student's fees so I doubt they're that desperate and secondly, anything spare from that £17,500 is unlikely if you consider the costs of the admissions, department and track system.

we'll there must be some economic incentive if you consider that for each place there are about 10 applicants which is £350 pounds. its about 2% of the 17,5k and even more if you consider the cheaper MSc and undergrad programs.

furthermore, I wrote a email to the coordinator of a course and she said that the course has already been completely filled even though the status was still "available". now, a couple of weeks lator they changed to "full"...
but if you want to be considered you should apply earlier anyway!

Reply 8

kittensmittens

8

That really is too bad :frown:

but it should be a really good lesson to you. Never assume anything about the status of your application after you send it. I am amazed at how many people mail their applications and then do nothing - things get lost/misplaced/delayed by mail etc. all the time. I know it is too late now but you really should have contacted them as soon as they received your application to make sure they had everything they needed. They have so many applications that really, they have every right to not even notify you at all if something is missing and just reject you automatically.

Does LSE "Programme Availability" REALLY reflect the truth?

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