LSE/Oxford PPE rejection

OP

Original post by SHARIFmarywm

Congratulations..my son got rejected from lse yesterday as well, he did not apply for Oxford for PPE , as he was not interested in Oxford PPE course. I would advise you to take it, by the way UCL, Oxford, LSE are one of the top universities ok the world for PPE. So when you apply for a job they will know exactly how hard to get in these universities. UCL got critical thinking In PPE. My son i still waiting for UCL offer for PPE as he only wants PPE. So congratulations this course is so competitive is unbelievable, all people around the world wants to study PPE in Lse, Oxford and UCL, so you might not have a chance next year.

Thank you very much, I will take this into consideration.
Fingers crossed your son hears back from UCL soon - good luck to him!

(edited 4 weeks ago)

Reply 4

Fxrzana

8

Original post by twinkleberryrose

I just got rejected from LSE today for PPE and I was rejected earlier this year from Oxford. I have an offer from UCL to do Economics and Philosophy.
I’m predicted A* A* A* and got 2a*s and an a in my y12 mocks. But I got A* B C in my early Feb mocks - which I did no revision for (like at all). I have pretty okay GCSEs for competitive unis 5 9s, 3 8s, 3 7s.
Do I go to UCL or do a gap year and reapply either for PPE oxford or history/english (I really love these subjects - my other A-levels) and honestly I just love Oxford and also I’d get another shot at LSE with achieved grades. I can’t describe it but every time I’ve been there for open days/taster events, Oxford has spoken to me like no other uni. Equally, I could see myself being happy at UCL.
I guess any help in terms of career prospects from UCL Econ and philosophy compared to Oxford (ppe or history/English), LSE, does it really make that much of a difference and how much does it matter?
Would it be best to hop on to UCL now and masters at Oxford/LSE, or shall I reapply.
I would also like to say, I am incredibly grateful for my UCL offer. I am just trying to decide what’s right for me and to get some other perspectives on how much these degrees/unis actually differ.
I’m also the youngest in my year (so have always felt a year behind in some ways) and have things I’ve planned to do on the gap year.

Id say wait for results day to see what you get. And if you reapply, ask yourself. Do you think you'll get an offer from LSE or Oxford? There's a risk you get rejected again. But you may also perform better in the application as you'd have had more time on your PS or practicing for interviews.

If you don't mind going UCL, go for it. But if its either Oxford or LSE for you, I'd say reapply.

Reply 5

Picnicl

17

One thing's for sure - take LSE out of the equation. Many would rather go to UCL than LSE anyway.

(edited 3 weeks ago)

Reply 6

JE9

9

Original post by twinkleberryrose

I just got rejected from LSE today for PPE and I was rejected earlier this year from Oxford. I have an offer from UCL to do Economics and Philosophy.
I’m predicted A* A* A* and got 2a*s and an a in my y12 mocks. But I got A* B C in my early Feb mocks - which I did no revision for (like at all). I have pretty okay GCSEs for competitive unis 5 9s, 3 8s, 3 7s.
Do I go to UCL or do a gap year and reapply either for PPE oxford or history/english (I really love these subjects - my other A-levels) and honestly I just love Oxford and also I’d get another shot at LSE with achieved grades. I can’t describe it but every time I’ve been there for open days/taster events, Oxford has spoken to me like no other uni. Equally, I could see myself being happy at UCL.
I guess any help in terms of career prospects from UCL Econ and philosophy compared to Oxford (ppe or history/English), LSE, does it really make that much of a difference and how much does it matter?
Would it be best to hop on to UCL now and masters at Oxford/LSE, or shall I reapply.
I would also like to say, I am incredibly grateful for my UCL offer. I am just trying to decide what’s right for me and to get some other perspectives on how much these degrees/unis actually differ.
I’m also the youngest in my year (so have always felt a year behind in some ways) and have things I’ve planned to do on the gap year.

Well done on your UCL offer- Oxford and LSE can reject quite literally anybody, so it’s no reflection on you.

I’d definitely take UCL- in terms of career prospects they’ll be identical- all 3 are world leading- UCL more than LSE, and in the golden triangle in the UK. No employer will care or discriminate between these- just between different grades and application strengths.

Moreover, as you mention, Oxford is hugely popular for masters- if you really want to feel the experience of going there, it’ll be similar at post grad to under grad.

•

Also worth noting if you were to re- apply, you’d have to resit admissions exams for Oxford+ go through more stress waiting for unis, so wouldn’t feel like much of a gap year- they may also reject you again, meaning you’ve taken a year you don’t need

UCL and Oxford is a very impressive educational portfolio.

(edited 3 weeks ago)

Reply 7

SHARIFmarywm

6

Original post by twinkleberryrose

Thank you very much, I will take this into consideration.
Fingers crossed your son hears back from UCL soon - good luck to him!

Good luck to you as well. My son still waiting

Reply 8

boopitisme15

9

Original post by twinkleberryrose

I just got rejected from LSE today for PPE and I was rejected earlier this year from Oxford. I have an offer from UCL to do Economics and Philosophy.
I’m predicted A* A* A* and got 2a*s and an a in my y12 mocks. But I got A* B C in my early Feb mocks - which I did no revision for (like at all). I have pretty okay GCSEs for competitive unis 5 9s, 3 8s, 3 7s.
Do I go to UCL or do a gap year and reapply either for PPE oxford or history/english (I really love these subjects - my other A-levels) and honestly I just love Oxford and also I’d get another shot at LSE with achieved grades. I can’t describe it but every time I’ve been there for open days/taster events, Oxford has spoken to me like no other uni. Equally, I could see myself being happy at UCL.
I guess any help in terms of career prospects from UCL Econ and philosophy compared to Oxford (ppe or history/English), LSE, does it really make that much of a difference and how much does it matter?
Would it be best to hop on to UCL now and masters at Oxford/LSE, or shall I reapply.
I would also like to say, I am incredibly grateful for my UCL offer. I am just trying to decide what’s right for me and to get some other perspectives on how much these degrees/unis actually differ.
I’m also the youngest in my year (so have always felt a year behind in some ways) and have things I’ve planned to do on the gap year.

I don't know if this will make you feel better, but I also got rejected by both Oxford and LSE (today). Don't take it personally, I looked at the 2022 statistics on their website https://www.lse.ac.uk/study-at-lse/undergraduate/bsc-philosophy-politics-and-economics#entry-requirements (the ratio of successful applications were like 28:1) and the success rate was like 3.6%. It's a massive achievement to be able to apply for these universities, and UCL is amazing :smile:

Reply 9

Reefie100

12

Original post by David Naylor

if you reject UCL econ and reapply next year there is always still a chance u then get rejected by all the unis you want and then are left in a worse situation then you are now.
without being harsh, it doesnt particularly seem like you are on track to get an outstanding performancne in your A levels, so it might seem a bit like: how would it be any different next year? how are you 'stornger' candidate?
perhaps you get a better TSA score (for oxford), but aside from that what much else about your application will have changed? your gcse's would still be (relatively) low *unless to an 'underachieving' school*
maybe next year you will have shifted from 'predicted' to 'real' grades, but is that only an advantage if you get strong grades at the end of this year?
that would be my personal rationale

Out of interest what makes you think they're not on track to get an outstanding performance on their A levels? Is it just because of the Feb mock results? They did say that they did zero revision for them, I'm sure they learnt a lesson from that. Also 5 9s, 3 8s, 3 7s at GCSE are pretty decent results for any uni, they are far from "relatively low" as are the A*A*A* predictions! even for the more competitive ones! "Without being harsh" that was a very harsh post

Reply 10

OP

Original post by David Naylor

if you reject UCL econ and reapply next year there is always still a chance u then get rejected by all the unis you want and then are left in a worse situation then you are now.
without being harsh, it doesnt particularly seem like you are on track to get an outstanding performancne in your A levels, so it might seem a bit like: how would it be any different next year? how are you 'stornger' candidate?
perhaps you get a better TSA score (for oxford), but aside from that what much else about your application will have changed? your gcse's would still be (relatively) low *unless to an 'underachieving' school*
maybe next year you will have shifted from 'predicted' to 'real' grades, but is that only an advantage if you get strong grades at the end of this year?
that would be my personal rationale

Thank you for your perspective.
My TSA score was 72 (which was the mean of all those shortlisted for PPE, and the mean of all offer holders was around 73-74). In the statistical model Oxford use to convert these marks, this would suggest I would have only needed 1/2 more marks to be at the offer holder mean. Having not finished the paper on the day and achieving scores of 85 in preparation I am therefore confident I could achieve higher next year. Moreover, I know of many people with TSA scores of around 64 who received PPE offers. The mean of all those who applied for PPE was 61.

Additionally, I had extenuating circumstances at the time of GCSEs (hence they are contextualised) and am at a state school.
I did go into my February mocks with no revision due to dealing with personal issues which took a toll on my focus at that time, but before this (my report in January my most likely outcomes were A* A* A).
If I chose to reapply, I would of course, be reapplying with a completely different personal statement and undertaking a further a level as well as relevant experience. Of course that would be a given and nobody would reapply to Oxford with the same application hence I did not mention it in the main post.

Also, (as Oxbridge have stated - you should be able to contact them to confirm this if you may be unsure) once an applicant reapplies their A-Level portfolio rather than GCSEs are looked at more closely as they are the most recent piece of academic achievement. Just informing you in case you say this to another student as it is not necessarily accurate information,

It seems as though your post may have been guided by misinterpretations so I hope this should clear it up :smile:

(edited 2 weeks ago)

Reply 11

OP

Original post by Reefie100

Out of interest what makes you think they're not on track to get an outstanding performance on their A levels? Is it just because of the Feb mock results? They did say that they did zero revision for them, I'm sure they learnt a lesson from that. Also 5 9s, 3 8s, 3 7s at GCSE are pretty decent results for any uni, they are far from "relatively low" as are the A*A*A* predictions! even for the more competitive ones! "Without being harsh" that was a very harsh post

Having just skimmed through his posts he has also responded to another student with most 9s a few 8s and 1 7 to tell them their GCSEs are ‘low’ which suggests his reply is typical of that mindset.

It is important we let the statistics speak for themselves (in which evidence disproves the majority of his comments), rather than a stand out opinion, but it was pleasant of you to call this out, thank you.

(edited 2 weeks ago)

Reply 12

Reefie100

12

Original post by twinkleberryrose

Having just skimmed through his posts he has also responded to another student with most 9s a few 8s and 1 7 to tell them their GCSEs are ‘low’ which suggests his reply is typical of that mindset.
It is important we let the statistics speak for themselves (in which evidence disproves the majority of his comments), rather than a stand out opinion, but it was pleasant of you to call this out, thank you.

Tbh I find his posts very odd, your stats are amazing and your intelligence shines through in your posts which are very well put together unlike David's which are full of grammar and spelling mistakes! I wish you the very best in whatever you decide to do as I am sure you will make the right decision

Reply 13

OP

Original post by Reefie100

Tbh I find his posts very odd, your stats are amazing and your intelligence shines through in your posts which are very well put together unlike David's which are full of grammar and spelling mistakes! I wish you the very best in whatever you decide to do as I am sure you will make the right decision

Thank you very much! I don’t wish to put him down/compare as I understand our perceptions will ALL be different and particularly our views on topics such as uni will be very much a product of our environment. That environment may only represent the top 1%, or be very competitive and even stifling and therefore one cannot judge another mans ignorance or own subconscious fears, I also wish him the best. Once again, thanks for your faith in my abilities!

Reply 14

0

Original post by Reefie100

Out of interest what makes you think they're not on track to get an outstanding performance on their A levels? Is it just because of the Feb mock results? They did say that they did zero revision for them, I'm sure they learnt a lesson from that. Also 5 9s, 3 8s, 3 7s at GCSE are pretty decent results for any uni, they are far from "relatively low" as are the A*A*A* predictions! even for the more competitive ones! "Without being harsh" that was a very harsh post

I will admit it is ofcourse being judgemental, but generally if you didnt bother to revise for your mocks then you are unlikely to pull of the level of revision that would (probably) be needed to get all A stars. typically good grades arent pulled out last minute, but thats my perspective. Also, regarding GCSEs: reality is sort of harsh. For Oxford it is standard pretty much to be getting all 9s and 8s so a lack of this will make it hard to be competitive! Oxford (accord to some admission report) have commented that they found GCSE performance is a STRONGER correlator than TSA score

Reply 15

0

Original post by twinkleberryrose

Thank you for your perspective.
My TSA score was 72 (which was the mean of all those shortlisted for PPE, and the mean of all offer holders was around 73-74). In the statistical model Oxford use to convert these marks, this would suggest I would have only needed 1/2 more marks to be at the offer holder mean. Having not finished the paper on the day and achieving scores of 85 in preparation I am therefore confident I could achieve higher next year. Moreover, I know of many people with TSA scores of around 64 who received PPE offers. The mean of all those who applied for PPE was 61.
Additionally, I had extenuating circumstances at the time of GCSEs (hence they are contextualised) and am at a state school.
I did go into my February mocks with no revision due to dealing with personal issues which took a toll on my focus at that time, but before this (my report in January my most likely outcomes were A* A* A).
If I chose to reapply, I would of course, be reapplying with a completely different personal statement and undertaking a further a level as well as relevant experience. Of course that would be a given and nobody would reapply to Oxford with the same application hence I did not mention it in the main post.
Also, (as Oxbridge have stated - you should be able to contact them to confirm this if you may be unsure) once an applicant reapplies their A-Level portfolio rather than GCSEs are looked at more closely as they are the most recent piece of academic achievement. Just informing you in case you say this to another student as it is not necessarily accurate information,
It seems as though your post may have been guided by misinterpretations so I hope this should clear it up :smile:

yes i would agree, given that you are NOT in a private school it is likely your GCSEs are not such a major issue. like you say TSA score is not everything---some get offers with low TSA scores. Perhaps people with low TSA scores got offers because their GCSE (or Alevel) score were able to counterbalance. point is, there just needs to be some evidence that you are 'better'

tbh your chances do sound somewhat decent (in my personal opinion) supposing you can get strong a levels and a similar if not better tsa score, though ofcourse there always remains the chance things dont go well...

separately, did you get an interview for Oxford or you were rejected pre-interview?

Reply 16

0

Original post by twinkleberryrose

Having just skimmed through his posts he has also responded to another student with most 9s a few 8s and 1 7 to tell them their GCSEs are ‘low’ which suggests his reply is typical of that mindset.
It is important we let the statistics speak for themselves (in which evidence disproves the majority of his comments), rather than a stand out opinion, but it was pleasant of you to call this out, thank you.

for 2023-4 the mode number of 8s/9s of those given an offer was 10, that it somewhat the basis of my harsh comments. in no way intend to be rude, it is just what i understand is the 'reality' and i think it is best to give an honest opinion

Reply 17

OP

Original post by David Naylor

for 2023-4 the mode number of 8s/9s of those given an offer was 10, that it somewhat the basis of my harsh comments. in no way intend to be rude, it is just what i understand is the 'reality' and i think it is best to give an honest opinion

I would argue the mode of all people applying for Oxford PPE in one year is not a substantial piece of evidence to justify a claim which you’ve perpetuated onto multiple students who have asked for advice on tsr. Moreover, for the graph you’re talking about - the standard deviation is high/moderate and if you want to evaluate extreme data points - more people with 1 Grade 9 at GCSE got an offer than those with 14 9s.

By evidence, I mean assessing data that takes into consideration the variance in applications. One cannot draw an opinion simply based off ‘the mode of one year’.
Whilst what you say (in a rather poor argument I must admit) that GCSEs are important and of course they are having analysed the trend for the past 10 years of those graphs when applying, I don’t dispute - just pointing out vital flaws in the reasoning and one-minded opinion you have formed based on it.

There is, of course, much more that can be taken down here, but I think a lot of that relies on nuance in perspective as well as emotional intelligence.

You have an interesting perspective, your ‘reality’ may reflect general trends, but Oxbridge (now more than ever in attempts to ensure equity) dispense offers based on the strengths of individual applications, not general trends and therefore, your ‘harsh language’ is fundamentally flawed in its argument. Much thanks for your ‘honest opinion’ nonetheless it’s always nice to chat to those who don’t share similar views in order to broaden your own.

Reply 18

0