Can I Apply for LSE Politics and International Relations with these grades?

eudokias

GCSE: A*A*A*A*AAAACCD
A level predicted: A*AA

Reply 1

Wikia

GCSE's are kinda weak, what are the 2 C's and the D's in?

London School of Economics

London

Reply 2

eudokias

Original post by Wikia

GCSE's are kinda weak, what are the 2 C's and the D's in?

Cs were in double award science, D was in geography

Reply 3

May-o2q

LSE focuses heavily on your personal statement. I don't think they'll pay much attention to your GCSE tbh, I didn't have any GCSE as I was an international student and I got accepted. :smile:

not saying that you're getting an offer but give it a go!

Reply 4

humanteaparty

Don't listen to the people who are saying your GCSE grades are weak, they aren't. Those grades are good enough to get into LSE.

LSE is extremely competitive so your personal statement needs to be banging.

You have 5 university choices, may as well apply.

Basically what May-o2q said.

Reply 5

eudokias

Original post by humanteaparty

Do you know what I could do to make my personal statement pop? I already attend lectures and further read, as well as being a part of Model UN, what else?

Reply 6

humanteaparty

Original post by eudokias

Do you know what I could do to make my personal statement pop? I already attend lectures and further read, as well as being a part of Model UN, what else?

Model UN, attending lectures and further reading is great. Make sure you put in your personal statement what was the part that interested you most.

Personal statement should be 80% about the subject you want to read. I'd say model UN is perfect for international relations and would help you stand out. Talk about your role in it etc.

Look at modules studied at LSE and talk about how your favourite one (for mine I talked about development economics for my economics personal statement in a book I read).

Your opening paragraph is the most important one! If I were you I'd be tempted to talk about your experiences in the Model UN and thats what convinced you to take international relations and politics in potentially your first paragraph.

To be honest I'd ask may-o2q as she actually attends LSE lol.

Reply 7

humanteaparty

"What does that have to do with anything?"
She was asking for personal statement help so I suggested messaging that person as that person actually attends LSE...
The grades she did worse on are largely irrelevent to what OP wants to do. 8/11 GCSEs being A*/A is definitely good enough.

Reply 8

LeapingLucy

Original post by eudokias

GCSE: A*A*A*A*AAAACCD
A level predicted: A*AA

Just some info worth knowing...
BSc Government (just politics) - offer rate 35%
BSc Politics & IR -offer rate 11%

With the Government course, you have 2 outside options in first year, 1 in second year and the possibility to do 1 in third year if you want to. So you could still do IR options all 3 years.

Given that your GCSEs and predicted grades are good, but not the best (lots of people will be applying with a majority of A* at GCSE and 3A* predictions, because their schools like to predict high), perhaps you should consider playing the system and applying for Government instead of the ridiculously competitive PolIR course.