Good enough for Economics at LSE, Cambridge or any other top 5?

GCSEs are not important to most places and LSE is the place which is most likely to care. I understand the desire to go to a really top uni, but the quality of jobs open to you with an LSE or Cambridge Econ degree compared with a UCL it Warwick degree is no different, and how much you like the place should be the deciding factor. I'm currently holding an unconditional offer from UCL for Econ with a year abroad despite having 0 relevant work experience, being a drop our from a Maths degree (at Warwick) and never having studied Economics before. What I did offer was strong Mathematical ability and (imo) an extremely honest and strong personal statement. I didn't apply for LSE because I don't get a good vibe from it and prefer UCL, and I got rejected from Cambridge post-interview. If you apply to a bunch of the top unis you'll get a few of them if you apply and have a personal statement I think

Yeah I totally agree with you. My point was however I didn't want to apply somewhere which might just be a wasted application. Cambridge economics is more ocmpetitive than even medicine so I have to be very picky.

I'd be more than happy with UCL or Warwick, the study abroad at UCL, as well as it being in the capital, is very appealing to me too.

I hope UCL works out for you

Yeah I totally agree with you. My point was however I didn't want to apply somewhere which might just be a wasted application. Cambridge economics is more ocmpetitive than even medicine so I have to be very picky.

I'd be more than happy with UCL or Warwick, the study abroad at UCL, as well as it being in the capital, is very appealing to me too.

I hope UCL works out for you

I'm afraid with 83% in further maths and 89% in Economics and with (by Cambridge standards) poor GCSEs Cambridge is not worth trying for.
LSE is also pretty impossible-the going rate appears to be around 8A* at GCSE although this only applies to their pure Economics course.
UCL asks for maths UMS and so whilst a long shot (the GCSEs won't help) it may be worth one line.
Most other good Economics unis ask foe A*AA which you will satisfy so I think you will get several other offers.

100% in maths is much better than 8A* in GCSE. Cambridge is unlikely cos everyone else will have 95+% on all 4 AS. There is a chance at LSE with a very good PS cos they love good maths/ further maths grades. The 83% won't help too much.

I'm afraid with 83% in further maths and 89% in Economics and with (by Cambridge standards) poor GCSEs Cambridge is not worth trying for.
LSE is also pretty impossible-the going rate appears to be around 8A* at GCSE although this only applies to their pure Economics course.
UCL asks for maths UMS and so whilst a long shot (the GCSEs won't help) it may be worth one line.
Most other good Economics unis ask foe A*AA which you will satisfy so I think you will get several other offers.

I hope you are very confident when you say things like this. As an Economics undergrad at one of the aforementioned unis with friends at all of the others, just because you don't fit the "ideal profile" of 8A* at GCSE, 95% average UMS or whatever, it does not mean that you won't get an offer. There are exceptions to this everywhere, and telling someone not to bother applying because it's going to be impossible is silly.

OP, if I were you and I really wanted to get into one of the top universities I'd apply to as many of them as possible and hope for the best. Your AS scores are very good and should make up for lacklustre GCSE's if you can show passion in your personal statement. Just be warned that it is a lottery with these universities and if you take a high risk strategy you should be prepared to take a gap year and try again.