Small rant over lack of speed in LSE application process.

(Context: This was in response to someone who was annoyed at the slow responses to Pol+IR applicants, but turned into a general complaint about the process and consequences that LSE fosters).

In the same position as you, as an early applicant it is extremely frustrating to have little (no) correspondence from LSE for well over half a year; I haven’t been put on a waiting list, haven’t been rejected, just been told , in October mind you, “Our application team is reviewing your application”. Apart from the obvious personal issues that a complete lack of communication can cause, i.e Anxiety, stress etc… there’s also a huge issue which lays in the fact that, people are firming choices now- I can’t, because I don't have a decision from LSE! Furthermore, people are choosing accommodation, I can’t! People are applying for Student finance, Ican’t! People are forming relationships with potential undergrads, I can’t! The extreme inefficiency from LSE causes wide rangingissues for undergraduate applicants, and as such being a Pol+IR to LSE applicant (And any applicant to LSE for that matter) is notan enviable position to be in.

An important aspect to this lamentation I hold is not holding this against the staff themselves- they are overworked and underpaidin poor working conditions. It is far more plausible that this stand-still gridlock is caused by a prioritisation of international students(please see the recent scandal involving top-level unis giving an “easier route” to international students due to the higher fees thatthey can charge), or, anachronistic bureaucracies which prevent staff from making an actually fast decision.

If these causes of slow decision making hold to be true: Negative externalities are going to be found by both international studentsand staff. International students, by no fault of their own will face discrimination from disgruntled undergraduates for not being able to get into LSE- please see the 2024 undergraduate spreadsheet and the rejected applicantexpresses his frustrations through heinous comments on the race of students found at an open day. Secondly, staff will be blamedby less cerebral students for the sluggish pace of their application, one doesn’t have to look intensely to find students expressingtheir alienation through less-than-savoury comments about those working in the applicants office.

So, by giving home applicants such little correspondence about the nature of their application, LSE:
•Causes great psychological anguish through alienation of applicants.•Causes interpersonal issues through a lack of ability to build relationship networks with potential undergraduates.•Causes monetary and “Future-anxiety” through giving applicants a lack of closure on their application.•Stokes xenophobic sentiment to international students.•Wrongly shifts blames those who work in the application sector for the molasses-like movement of applications.

Now, although my speculation for the reasons of a slow application process are just that- speculation: It is clear to see what the consequences of the reprehensibly tardy applications process are.

Reply 1

Anonymous #1

It's honestly and truly ridiculous that UCAS even allows unis to make decisions after A Level exams have already started: the fact that receiving a rejection on the day of an exam is a possibility is absurd.

Reply 2

certii_db

Its even more ridiculous that LSE doesn't seem to have a proper deadline for when they send out offers and will just willingly delay giving candidates a response, just to reject them :/

Reply 3

Anonymous #2

the ucas deadline for ALL UNIS to respond is May 16th meaning it is not only LSE that takes time in making decisions so idk why people get overly worked up by the wait, It is not like you don’t know you could be waiting a long time for a response and if you have offers from other places and lse is still taking a while then withdraw

although i understand how frustrating it can be for international students who probably wants to apply for a scholarship that has a set deadline

LSE does not interview or have an admissions test so ideally the only way to filter out applicants is with their personal statements and their grades , An admission selector can read a single ps around 8 times before making a decision. LSE even received around 25,000 applications for roughly 2,000 spaces last year so it’s not like it doesn’t make sense why it takes so long given the uni is so small

Reply 4

Talkative Toad

Volunteer Team, Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by certii_db

Its even more ridiculous that LSE doesn't seem to have a proper deadline for when they send out offers and will just willingly delay giving candidates a response, just to reject them :/