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Carr Saunders Halls, LSE
London School of Economics
London

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Original post by abcd_19
Hey,I'm a Year 12 student aspiring to study BSc Economics at LSE.
GCSE: 6A*s and 4A's
A-Level subjects: Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Economics, as well as an EPQ
A-Level predictions: A*A*A*A*
Work Experience: A week each at Rothschild & Co and Cambridge Associates.

How would you rate my chances of getting in given that LSE is really unpredictable in offering places?
Thanks


It's impossible to quantify anyone's chances of getting an offer. All I can say is that your grades are definitely good enough to put you in contention for an offer - what will determine whether or not you get one is the quality of your personal statement. I've posted PS advice at the start of this thread, and am happy to look at your personal statement once you've written it and offer advice.
Carr Saunders Halls, LSE
London School of Economics
London
Original post by ShrutiKhandelwal
Hello.

I have recently graduated in BA Economics from India. I will be applying for Masters in Economics Fall 2019. My cgpa as 9.5/10 and final grade is O- Outstanding and have scored Outstanding grades in all three Economics special subjects for two consecutive years. I am preparing for GRE now and will give the exam in sept first week. Are my cgpa scores and grades decent enough for Msc Economics at LSE


I'm afraid I'm an undergraduate student, and don't know anything about postgraduate applications. If you're looking for advice, you could consult the 2018 LSE postgrad applicants' thread, or start a new postgrads thread for 2019 :-)
Original post by nishupreathi
Hi I am currently in my final year of high school, I have the following grades

A* Maths
A* Economics
A* Business
B English

I also have a 4 on AP macro economics
I did an inturnship for 6 months at a share brokerage firm, I was the president of the business club at my school, I was the house captain, with this can u please tell me my chances of getting accepted in LSE


I don't know. LSE don't look favourably on both Economics and Business, as they regard them as overlapping A-levels, so they'll probably regard you as having 3 A levels - Maths, Econ and English. You also don't seem to have done Further Maths - if that wasn't an option at your school, then get your teachers to state that explicitly on your UCAS reference so that LSE know it wasn't your choice not to take it.
They don't do a "September pile", "October pile" etc.

I applied on the 30th September, and didn't get my offer until the 23rd March - so applying early in September doesn't mean you won't have to wait over Christmas.

It will probably be Oxbridge candidates submitting their applications earlier, but that doesn't affect your chances of getting an offer then - they hold back applications for 8 weeks, and then sometimes for an extra 4 weeks (or longer), so that they can compare fairly applications received at different stages in the cycle.
Reply 84
Hi, i'm an international student from the Netherlands studying the dutch VWO system.

My predicted grades are a 9/10 overall with a 10/10 in Mathematics, Economics and English, which is about equal to A*A*A*A* I think.

I am planning on applying to LSE Economics and LSE Finance, as well as Economics at Cambridge, UCL and Warwick.

I have a question regarding the personal statement for both Economics and Finance. The head of studies of Finance told me at the open day that she understood that most students applying to Finance were also applying to Economics, and thus they wouldn't mind that my personal statement would be mostly about Economics. However, from your stories I can derive that it is extremely important to have a subject specific personal statement to be successful.

Do you guys recommend me to drop Finance and focus my PS completely on Economics?

Thanks a lot in advance!
(edited 5 years ago)
Reply 85
Hi, I am an international student in Year 13. My iGCSE grades were 8A*s and 2As and my subject choices are Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Pre- U Philosophy. Our teachers didn’t give us predicted grades for AS but I believe I may be able to get an A*A*AA at the very least. Do I have a chance of being made an offer if I apply for the International Relations and Politics course at LSE or will my subject combination put me at a disadvantage? I am aware LSE places a lot of importance on the personal statement. Also, isn’t writing your personal statement to cater specifically for LSE a bit of a gamble?
Reply 86
Hi, I am an international student in Year 13. My iGCSE grades were 8A*s and 2As and my subject choices are Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Pre- U Philosophy. Our teachers didn’t give us predicted grades for AS but I believe I may be able to get an A*A*AA at the very least. Do I have a chance of being made an offer if I apply for the International Relations and Politics course at LSE or will my subject combination put me at a disadvantage? I am aware LSE places a lot of importance on the personal statement. Also, isn’t writing your personal statement to cater specifically for LSE a bit of a gamble?
Hi! I'm an international student from Hong Kong under the HKDSE (A level equivalent) system. I'm applying through UCAS 2019 entry.

I'm currently doing Physics, Geography, History and Maths. My school hasn't issued the official predicted grade yet, but I'm pretty sure it'll be about A*A*A*A*-AA*A*A.

I'm still not sure whether to apply for BSc Geography with Economics or BSc Economic History and Geography. I'm really interested in both but not really sure what my chances are for these two programmes, and therefore I've not yet started on my personal statement yet. However, I've already started working on the preliminary reading list and had a few ideas for linking the reading to my extracurricular experiences (international exchange, volunteering trips etc.) Aside from LSE, I will also be applying for Economics and Geography BSc at UCL, but I don't really have a third/fourth/fifth choice (if I can't get an offer from LSE or UCL I might be staying in Hong Kong for uni). Will it be sensible if I apply for both programmes at LSE? If so, how should I balance my personal statement to both programmes so it doesn't lose focus?

I am also considering a deferred entry for a gap year to work as an intern for worldwide NGOs and travel. Will this affect my chances of being accepted? If yes, is it still feasible to do a gap year? Besides, how should I alter my personal statement to justify my deferred entry?

Thank you so much for helping me out!
I'm applying for Politics and History.
I will also be applying to UCL & KCL for History, and Oxford for History & Politics.
I've got 5 5's On AP Tests Already-In US Hist, Euro, Comp. Gov, U.S. Gov, and Human Geo.
I'm going to take 5 more this next year-World Hist, Macro, Micro, Physics I and Lit & Composition.
I do a lot of volunteering. I'm the head of my school's Harry Potter Club. I'm also in the NHS
and the NHAS, and I'm the captain of my school's Academic Challenge team. I may also start
a history club this year and join bowling.
I'm applying from the United States.

Also, since we're both doing Gov/Politics and History, I'm a bit worried about LSE's history program.
I read on the website it's completely modern history, and while modern history is by far my favorite, I'm also really into
ancient human history and other parts of history in between. Since Oxford is my first choice, if I don't get in,
I imagine I may have to choose between LSE, an exclusively modern history & politics degree, and a
degree with just pure history that's also a lot more expansive at UCL. Do you think it'd be worth it to sacrifice pre-modern
history in exchange for the politics part of the degree?
Reply 89
Does not having economics A level put me in bad stead for applying for economics BSc?... i do maths, further maths, chemistry and biology
Reply 90
Original post by a.rib
Does not having economics A level put me in bad stead for applying for economics BSc?... i do maths, further maths, chemistry and biology


I don’t think LSE requires an A level in economics for a BSc in econs though they do prefer subjects which show analytical and writing skills, which I’m not sure chem and bio fall under (especially the writing part)

EDIT BY MODERATOR - LSE do not require writing skills for BSc Econ. The most common subjects combination by far is Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Economics.
(edited 5 years ago)
Reply 91
Original post by venusinthedark
Hi! I'm an international student from Hong Kong under the HKDSE (A level equivalent) system. I'm applying through UCAS 2019 entry.

I'm currently doing Physics, Geography, History and Maths. My school hasn't issued the official predicted grade yet, but I'm pretty sure it'll be about A*A*A*A*-AA*A*A.

I'm still not sure whether to apply for BSc Geography with Economics or BSc Economic History and Geography. I'm really interested in both but not really sure what my chances are for these two programmes, and therefore I've not yet started on my personal statement yet. However, I've already started working on the preliminary reading list and had a few ideas for linking the reading to my extracurricular experiences (international exchange, volunteering trips etc.) Aside from LSE, I will also be applying for Economics and Geography BSc at UCL, but I don't really have a third/fourth/fifth choice (if I can't get an offer from LSE or UCL I might be staying in Hong Kong for uni). Will it be sensible if I apply for both programmes at LSE? If so, how should I balance my personal statement to both programmes so it doesn't lose focus?

I am also considering a deferred entry for a gap year to work as an intern for worldwide NGOs and travel. Will this affect my chances of being accepted? If yes, is it still feasible to do a gap year? Besides, how should I alter my personal statement to justify my deferred entry?

Thank you so much for helping me out!


I’d suggest checking out the acceptance rate of both programmes on the freedom of information website and choosing the one with the higher acceptance rate since both courses you have stated are probably similar. Also do factor in which one interests you more as you will be spending 3 years studying this.

As for applying to both programmes at LSE, it’s unlikely that you will receive two offers from the Uni, so there really isn’t a point. You’re better off finding another Uni to apply to, or maybe even try Oxbridge (there’s no harm).

I’m not terribly familiar with deferred entries but it would be useful to talk about what you will do on your gap year and how that relates to your course, interests and future goals. Relating it back to your course and using it to demonstrate your interest in it will probably be the best choice though.
Reply 92
[QUOTE="Ayza12;79157866"]Hi, I am an international student in Year 13. My iGCSE grades were 8A*s and 2As and my subject choices are Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Pre- U Philosophy. Our teachers didn’t give us predicted grades for AS but I believe I may be able to get an A*A*AA at the very least. Do I have a chance of being made an offer if I apply for the International Relations and Politics course at LSE or will my subject combination put me at a disadvantage? I am aware LSE places a lot of importance on the personal statement. Also, isn’t writing your personal statement to cater specifically for LSE a bit of a
Original post by Ayza12
Hi, I am an international student in Year 13. My iGCSE grades were 8A*s and 2As and my subject choices are Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Pre- U Philosophy. Our teachers didn’t give us predicted grades for AS but I believe I may be able to get an A*A*AA at the very least. Do I have a chance of being made an offer if I apply for the International Relations and Politics course at LSE or will my subject combination put me at a disadvantage? I am aware LSE places a lot of importance on the personal statement. Also, isn’t writing your personal statement to cater specifically for LSE a bit of a gamble?


You don’t have to write your personal statement to cater specifically to LSE as in mentioning the school, so it won’t be a gamble. It is wise to follow the guidelines they have set for writing a personal statement though, and the guideline gives a good idea on how to write a good personal statement in general.

As for your subject choices, LSE does prefer subject combinations that involve analytical and writing skills. I’m not sure if your subjects would qualify as hitting both those preferences but LSE does have a subject combination guideline on their website, so it would be advisable to check that.
Reply 93
Original post by a.rib
thanks for the reply, would you suggest applying for economics and maths instead of economics? would I be more likely to get a place that way?

Original post by sidneyylim
I don’t think LSE requires an A level in economics for a BSc in econs though they do prefer subjects which show analytical and writing skills, which I’m not sure chem and bio fall under (especially the writing part)

Do you think applying for economics and maths gives me a better chance of getting in?
Reply 94
Original post by Adnanjr
Hi, i'm an international student from the Netherlands studying the dutch VWO system.

My predicted grades are a 9/10 overall with a 10/10 in Mathematics, Economics and English, which is about equal to A*A*A*A* I think.

I am planning on applying to LSE Economics and LSE Finance, as well as Economics at Cambridge, UCL and Warwick.

I have a question regarding the personal statement for both Economics and Finance. The head of studies of Finance told me at the open day that she understood that most students applying to Finance were also applying to Economics, and thus they wouldn't mind that my personal statement would be mostly about Economics. However, from your stories I can derive that it is extremely important to have a subject specific personal statement to be successful.

Do you guys recommend me to drop Finance and focus my PS completely on Economics?

Thanks a lot in advance!


From what I’ve heard it’s not very advisable to apply for two courses at LSE as it’s unlikely you’ll get both the offers. Perhaps you could choose just one course or maybe a course that combines both econs and finance?

Regarding the personal statement, from my experience you shouldn’t completely drop the finance part but it doesn’t have to be your main focus. In my experience, I applied for politics and economics and focused my PS mainly on politics (econs literally got a sentence in my PS) and I still got an offer which goes to show that it isn’t quite necessary to have a balance of both in your PS.
Reply 95
Original post by maryyk
Hii!!

I am an international student from Singapore, our Alevels are a bit different from others(We donot have A* Grades, the highest is A)

Predicted grades

Economics A, Mathematics A, Chemistry A, Philosophy A, Physics A, and I took a H3 course on Mathematics (a bit difficult that further math) and predicted grade should be at least a Merit



My intended courses are Actuarial Science, management, economics, accounting and finance, but not sure which one I should go for.



My weakeness is on my extracurriculars, I donot have much related to economics because i wanted to study engineering previously. the only related are a business challenge and essay competitions, but I did not get any award for those. I have participated in many math competitions but I only got award for one. I have some significant awards for engineering but I think it is pretty useless to write in my PS for these coursesL so I am not sure what can I write in my PS since I only find my interest in economics this year

Also regarding PS, i am not sure about whether to include some other experiences as well. I do have a few leadership achievements and community projects etc, but not sure whether I can link that to management courses if I am applying to. Also, economy is part of my philosophy module, but not sure how is that relevant also because I feel that the course I am applying for are more of the applications of economics and theories instead of philosophy of it.

Do you have any advice for me? Thank you :smile:)


Hey! I’m also singaporean (though I studied abroad so I’m not sure how helpful I’ll be hahah)

I’d say include your leadership achievements and community projects, as well as anything related to business or econs as it shows your interest in the course. You don’t have to win any awards for it, just make sure to link all extracurriculars to your interest in the course/why you would be a good fit for the course.

You shouldn’t worry too much about extracurriculars as you’ll have many other things to talk about, eg your subjects in school and how that relates to your course.

I do not quite understand the last part about econs and philosophy and what exactly your worry is about that so I’m afraid I’m unable to help, sorry :frown:
Reply 96
Original post by a.rib
Do you think applying for economics and maths gives me a better chance of getting in?


I know the econs course is Super competitive, not 100% sure about econs and maths. You should check the freedom of information website as LSE has published the offer rates for every course (albeit the info was from a few years ago). As LSE has stated that econs and econs&maths are both courses where further maths is considered a desirable subject, you’d be better off checking the offer rates to see which you’re more likely to get an offer for.
Reply 97
Original post by yactchguy
Hey Lucy,


I've been looking at the Politics with Economics course at LSE.

I was wondering how exactly does the personal statement need to be framed? Should greater importance be given to economics? Is any suggested reading recommended to show interest in the political sphere?

Furthermore, offers are usually given out at what grades? Lastly, is the course extremely competitive?

Thanks!


This is not addressed to me but I do hold an offer for the Govt and econs course (they actually recently changed the course name to politics and econs) so I might be of some help.

For me, my personal statement focused on the political aspect of the course far more than the economic aspect. I’d say the economics part was only included in 1-2 sentences of my PS. Following the LSE guidelines on what to include in your PS is always a good idea. Further reading is not necessary, but you should show some interest in the subject either through attending talks by well known professors, making some mention of watching recognised podcasts or videos (this is what I did), or maybe through community work.

I was predicted 3A*s and 1A, and the requirements given to me by LSE was AAA with an A in maths. Not sure what the average applicant’s grades are.
If anyone is applying for business maths/ actuarial science, I can send them my personal statement as I got an offer for both courses( initially applied for business maths but called them up and changed to actuarial science so they had to look at my application again). I would be happy to help.
Original post by LeapingLucy
Hi! The thread for 2018 applicants had started by this time last year, so I thought I'd get the 2019 one going.

If you're thinking of applying to LSE this autumn, then introduce yourself! Reply with...

Course(s) you're applying for at LSE
Other universities you're applying for
GCSE grades
Predicted A-level grades & subjects
Any extra-curriculars?
Home/EU/International student

I'm a current student at LSE studying Government and History. I'm happy to answer any questions you might have about my course, LSE generally, halls, LSE100, the application process, or anything else.




Also, just to explain the admissions process...

While LSE is considering your application, you will get a series of emails:

1) Initial Review - you will receive this email soon after submitting your application. It tells you that over the next 2 weeks, they will be
making sure that you meet the required grades for the course. Basically, they're checking that your predicted/achieved grades meet the
requirements and that you have the correct subjects. Pretty much everyone passes this stage.

2) Further assessment - this takes up to 8 weeks, and is when they start deciding who to make offers and who to reject. Some people
will receive offers in this period, some will receive rejections, and some will receive....

3) Gathered field - this email tells you that LSE is now considering your application as part as a gathered field, for up to 4 weeks (or
sometimes longer). Both offers and rejections are given out during this stage. You are more likely to get this email if you applied earlier
on (in September/October), than if you applied in January, as there's more time for them to decide.

You will definitely hear by 31st March at the very latest. Don't panic if you still haven't heard by late March - I got my offer on the 23rd March, and they were still giving out offers on the 30th.

Generally, offers come on Fridays and rejections come on Thursdays, but by February/March this starts to break down, and by the end of March there are offers/rejections every day.


Hi, I got my A level results yesterday I got A*AA(Maths, Econ, Chem, respectively). I will be applying to LSE during my gap year for Economics. Do you know what my chances are like because I just about meet the entry requirements. I have no idea what to write in my personal statement either lol... Please help... Thanks

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