UK MSc Admissability: Low GPA but High GMAT

Call them up and ask. In all honesty, you're a foreign student and as such you will be paying the same as three or four UK students. They're going to want to accept you. Its not unheard of that 2.2 students will get a place on courses that ask for 2.1s and 3rd class students get places on courses that ask for 2.2s. Its a completely different story as soon as funding comes in but in the case where you're the one paying, if they can accept you they most likely will.

It depends on the university - LSE shafts everyone on fees (their standard MSc charge is 14k p/a for all students) so there's no real advantage to being non-EU.

I am a US undergraduate business student looking at MSc courses including LSE, Imperial, and Edinburgh.

My graduating GPA will be in the range of 2.5-2.8/4.0; these cumulative marks due to some laziness in earlier years are my greatest weakness.

I have not taken the GMAT, but I know I can score at least a 650 with a goal of 695.

Will these two balance each other out in the eyes of admissions?

The reputation of my undergraduate degree is ranked well in the US, with some sources placing my specializations in the top 10 while others rank it in the top 25.

I know a strong personal statement can help too...


I also was interested how my degree would convert to the UK system. Would mine be considered a 2:1 or is there no way to make a comparison?

Thanks!

If he was lazy in early years, but had a 3.3 or so in the later years, why wouldn't they let him in? Upper year courses are more challenging and if you prove yourself there, then he should be grad school material.

Universities go by the final classification. I don't know about Imperial and Edinburgh, but certainly LSE only accept 2:1 and firsts.

Yea, but his degree isn't from the UK, so he doesn't have a classification.

A GPA can vary wildy between years, especially if someone started a slacker in years 1 and 2, but finished very strong in years 3 and 4. I am saying, if he did well later on, he should have a pretty good chance, assuming they look the transcipt and an upward trend is there.

But the has a final GPA. Someone with a 2:2 in the UK wouldn't have a chance so I don't see why it should be different for an American student. LSE is very competitive.

It isn't - many UK universities grad based either solely or primarily on the last year. Very few of the top universities have the first year counting more than 10% towards the final grade. Hence they may look at GPA, or they may look at GPA in the last year, or they may do a weighted version, all of which happen in the UK.

To give three examples, at LSE the first year counts for 1 of 9 exams; at Oxford only the last 2 years count; at Cambridge they grade each year, with the degree having no classification overall, therefore the last year grade is usually taken. Hence having a 3rd in the first year doesn't necessarily have any impact on final grade. Just as having a bad GPA in the first, and to some extent second, year may not matter if you have 3.5+ in the final year or two.

So the first and second years of an American degree counts towards the final GPA? As I said its course are very competitive, there's plenty of people applying with high GPAs.

So the first and second years of an American degree counts towards the final GPA? As I said its course are very competitive, there's plenty of people applying with high GPAs.

Yea, and theres plenty of people applying with middle and low GPAs. If he got a 3.5 GPA in his final year, I say he has a better shot than someone with a 3.5 overall but with a 3.2 in his final year courses.

Has anyone ever told you don't judge a book by the cover.