dropping out of LSE

(edited 11 months ago)

Reply 1

Could you switch to history at LSE?

Some unis wont accept resits or if they do will expect all A levels to be sat at the same time. Not all do contextual offers either

(edited 11 months ago)

Reply 2

evelinner

Original post by VentureCommunist

So i study a pretty competitive course (law) at LSE and I want to drop out after completing my first year because of reasons. I want to reapply to study something more suited to my interests, such as History or English Literature, but I plan to retake one of my A-Levels.
I achieved AAB at A Level which, thanks to my contextual offer, was enough for LSE but I am personally not happy with the B and am pretty set on changing it.
The question I have is, when reapplying for university at Oxbridge and other high ranking unis a) will having dropped out make me look unreliable? and b) will having resat my A levels to meet entry reqs be held against me? I know there is a preference for getting the grades the first time, but I think the fact that I was eligible for a contextual offer from LSE + the fact that I was five marks off an A kind of mitigates that? Idk
Please any advice appreciated

Hello! Sorry im not going to give advice…But I’m really interested in what GCSE grades you got? I hope to study law at LSE too but im afraid my grades are average-ish, good luck though!

Reply 3

Anonymous #1

I would say, definitely reconsider your decision. Careers-wise LSE might be one of the best, and there's no guarantee you getting an offer elsewhere, especially with how competitive certain courses become at Oxbridge - even AAA might just not cut it. Personally I would suggest for you to perhaps consider taking more optional modules in your desired area, trying an internal switch, or continuing and doing a Master's in your desired field. You've to remember History and English Literature are different. Putting this off might give you time to understand if you actually want to do either, and if so, which.

If you're still set on applying elsewhere, try do it so that you have the LSE as a backup. As for how your single year of university would reflect on your profile, I'd say generally it's a good thing - because it's your chance to show them you can adapt well to the university workload (if you have good grades). I'm not sure to what extent would apply in this case as I'm not familiar with how much content overlaps between Law vs History/Eng Lit.

Do note you're definitely going to have emphasise your conviction behind why you want to switch, though.

Resits may not really affect your profile, especially if you get an A*, but you've to remember that people achieving similar grades to you first time will (generally) be preferred to my knowledge. Perhaps this is mitigated with people applying for Law (who have the LNAT to consider) such that someone who may be generally 'less preferred' with a resit, but then does amazingly well in the LNAT, could still be offered a place over someone who is sitting A-Levels the first-time but gives just an average LNAT score.

Hope this helps, just my 2 cents. Good luck with your decision!

Reply 4

Anonymous #2

Oxbridge tends not to accept people who have already started a course at a different university so just bear in mind that your chances of getting a place there are not high, especially given that your original grades don’t meet their offer.

Reply 5

SS378

Other programs will also probably consider your grades at LSE. Have you considered talking to your advisors or the admissions staff at LSE and seeing if it is possible to transfer to a different course at LSE or are you completely determined to leave LSE? If you did well in your original program, there might be some flexibility there. For other schools, reach out to the admissions teams or individual departments and ask the questions that you want answered. Certainly, as mentioned above, at some point in your application you will need to address your reasons for leaving from an academic perspective, so start preparing a clear case for yourself.