How competitive are REALLY masters courses at top universities, for most students?

With a 2.1 from Oxbridge, you should be able to get into WBS, LSE and Imperial for sure. However, the more competitive programmes at LSE require candidates to usually have a first. From what I gather, Cambridge's MPhil economics is quite competitive. Quite tough to get in.

I can't speak for the general situation, but in my MSc course at Oxford, around 80% already held a postgraduate qualification, at least 20% already held a master's degree somewhere, including from Cambridge, UCL, Edinburgh, and top regional universities, around 4% held a doctorate. There were people who were already university lecturers, there were people who were working/teaching at Oxford, and there were people who did undergrad at Oxford. On top of that, acceptance rate was around 5% lower than for undergraduate entry.

So can you say it's not competitive? Can you say anyone with a high 2:1 can get in? It's just like saying if you have AAA you will get into Oxford. No, that's simply not how it works.

The university doesn't matter as long as it's accredited. What you studied and what you did in the degree matter.

Many academics, including professors, at Oxbridge went to unknown universities before getting a master's and/or a doctorate from Oxbridge.

I don't know - that's why I am asking. I know substantial amount of people who got into Econ/Finance/Management/Business postgraduate programmes at top institutions with relative ease.

Indeed, I have noticed that in the UK people prefer to do another masters and in the US they'd do another bachelor (in 2 years I think because they have the prereqs or whatever this is called).

What course are you doing that's so competitive? Sounds intense.

So you're saying a 2.1 from Oxbridge carry as much weight as a 2.1 from some podunk town? Come on. Let's be realistic here. Brand name will carry you a little bit. That's what I'm saying. It's ridiculous to completely disregard the impact of brand names.

I have just graduated from Oxbridge (mid level-competitive BA programme) with a 67 median 2:1 and I have applied to many masters programmes, including the Ivy League, getting into many without hustle - probably the most challenging part was getting the references / writing tailored personal statements.

Funding, of course, is another story. I have received some partial scholarships, but only 1 scholarship which would cover my fees in their entirety (100%). The majority, however, offered no significant funding.

My question is this: How competitive do you think are programmes such as those really expensive MSc in Management at WBS, LSE, Imperial, or those relatively cheap MPhils at Cambridge in something like Economics or Engineering? What about all of those LLM and Social Sciences?

I get the impression that it's so much easier to get into those programmes - so many students have 1st class from so many different courses and universities, or a high 2:1. Like, could anyone go, if they wanted to?

Is not doing masters in the UK the trend resulting mainly out of financial reasons? What other obstacles could there be to doing masters?

I have just graduated from Oxbridge (mid level-competitive BA programme) with a 67 median 2:1 and I have applied to many masters programmes, including the Ivy League, getting into many without hustle - probably the most challenging part was getting the references / writing tailored personal statements.

Funding, of course, is another story. I have received some partial scholarships, but only 1 scholarship which would cover my fees in their entirety (100%). The majority, however, offered no significant funding.

My question is this: How competitive do you think are programmes such as those really expensive MSc in Management at WBS, LSE, Imperial, or those relatively cheap MPhils at Cambridge in something like Economics or Engineering? What about all of those LLM and Social Sciences?

I get the impression that it's so much easier to get into those programmes - so many students have 1st class from so many different courses and universities, or a high 2:1. Like, could anyone go, if they wanted to?

Is not doing masters in the UK the trend resulting mainly out of financial reasons? What other obstacles could there be to doing masters?