UCAS 2026 Econ applications
Unfortunately due to extenuating circumstances, I sat maths early last year and only achieved a B, so will be resitting (achieved As in AS geog & econ though), which will likely significantly disadvantage me for Oxford and LSE. I have good reason to believe my personal statement is of high quality and my teacher reference is fine (mentions my extenuating circumstances).
I’m hoping to work in a high paying sector in London finance such as consultancy, IB (only as a stepping stone) and eventually PE.
I’ve applied to:
1. Oxford E&M (St. Hugh’s)
2. LSE Economics
3. Warwick E&M
4. KCL E&M (w. year in industry)
5. Bath Economics (w. year in industry)
Questions:
- Assuming the TSA and TMUA both go relatively well, which offers do you think I’ll receive?
- When can I expect to hear back from each of my choices? Might I have any decisions before 2026 (excl. Oxford)?
- For my career goals, would the Bath course or KCL course be better? (Will potentially use as my insurance)
- Does anyone have any interview tips for Oxford E&M?
- Has anyone else applied to any of these courses? Maybe we could use this thread to chat or share news
Reply 1
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Oxford E&M only takes into account predicted grades, GCSEs, TSA, references, and the personal statement, so if your TSA goes well and you ace your interview, I wouldn't see why you wouldn't get an offer. Of course, acing the TSA and the interview are easier said than done. An LSE offer is highly contingent on your personal statement being outstanding.
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If you apply very very soon, Warwick and KCL admissions are rolling so there's a possibility you'll know of your offer status before the end of the year. Of course, the time which they take to get back to you varies anywhere from 2 weeks to a few months, so don't take it as an indicator of anything.
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Recruiters go to both universities so I see no issue with either. Maybe KCL for better location proximity to offices?
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Show genuine passion, verbalise your thoughts, break down the problems they propose into small steps and work towards an answer.
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I applied to your first 3 universities a few years back and got offers from all of them, albeit different courses for LSE and Warwick - didn't end up going to any of them though. I wish you luck in your admissions!
Reply 2
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Oxford E&M only takes into account predicted grades, GCSEs, TSA, references, and the personal statement, so if your TSA goes well and you ace your interview, I wouldn't see why you wouldn't get an offer. Of course, acing the TSA and the interview are easier said than done. An LSE offer is highly contingent on your personal statement being outstanding.
•
If you apply very very soon, Warwick and KCL admissions are rolling so there's a possibility you'll know of your offer status before the end of the year. Of course, the time which they take to get back to you varies anywhere from 2 weeks to a few months, so don't take it as an indicator of anything.
•
Recruiters go to both universities so I see no issue with either. Maybe KCL for better location proximity to offices?
•
Show genuine passion, verbalise your thoughts, break down the problems they propose into small steps and work towards an answer.
•
I applied to your first 3 universities a few years back and got offers from all of them, albeit different courses for LSE and Warwick - didn't end up going to any of them though. I wish you luck in your admissions!
Thanks so much for your helpful response Marcus 😊 and congrats on the offers! Where did you end up going if you don't mind me asking? Haha I know PE can be pretty evil but I'm a big climate advocate so am hoping to work for sustainable firms - that is, if they even exist.
I applied on Sunday so am hoping I'll at least get one offer before Christmas to calm my nerves a little - though past performance of my choices isn't too promising, they all seem to take their time. Re. KCL, I was thinking that but the London prices are so hard to justify, especially if KCL is only marginally better than Bath (and Bath's placement year sounds brilliant).
Thanks for the interview tips, I'll start practicing as soon as I've got the TSA out of the way. Feeling like I've hit a bit of a wall in my TSA revision right now though...
Reply 3
I applied on Sunday so am hoping I'll at least get one offer before Christmas to calm my nerves a little - though past performance of my choices isn't too promising, they all seem to take their time. Re. KCL, I was thinking that but the London prices are so hard to justify, especially if KCL is only marginally better than Bath (and Bath's placement year sounds brilliant).
Thanks for the interview tips, I'll start practicing as soon as I've got the TSA out of the way. Feeling like I've hit a bit of a wall in my TSA revision right now though...
No worries! I ended up going to a very nice business school in Philadelphia (in the US), and it was binding so I didn't really have a choice...
I have to admit I'm completely unfamiliar with the internships/recruiting process in the UK, but it's entirely possible some firms consider KCL as more of a target or are willing to accept more people from there. Also helps if you get called to in-person interviews so being in London would be useful for those. I would look into it more and which you would prefer being at.
I just typed up a post replying to TSA help somewhere in this forum, but make sure to break your problems down into simpler steps and work from there.
Reply 4
I have to admit I'm completely unfamiliar with the internships/recruiting process in the UK, but it's entirely possible some firms consider KCL as more of a target or are willing to accept more people from there. Also helps if you get called to in-person interviews so being in London would be useful for those. I would look into it more and which you would prefer being at.
I just typed up a post replying to TSA help somewhere in this forum, but make sure to break your problems down into simpler steps and work from there.
Woah that's awesome, good for you!!! Good point re. KCL, I suppose I should wait and see if I get an offer first before overthinking this. That's fab thanks, I'll check out your post now
Reply 5
I applied on Sunday so am hoping I'll at least get one offer before Christmas to calm my nerves a little - though past performance of my choices isn't too promising, they all seem to take their time. Re. KCL, I was thinking that but the London prices are so hard to justify, especially if KCL is only marginally better than Bath (and Bath's placement year sounds brilliant).
Thanks for the interview tips, I'll start practicing as soon as I've got the TSA out of the way. Feeling like I've hit a bit of a wall in my TSA revision right now though...
Obviously with the TSA all you can do is practice, and even then there's only so many past papers. Once you get used to the timing and types of questions, I feel like the best thing you can really do is make sure your feeling as sharp as possible on the day (good sleeping+eating habits, exercise, keeping warm etc.). What scores are you currently getting?
Reply 6
Reply 7
Very true (unfortunately!) – I started off at around 60 scaled but am now consistently at about 65 scaled and haven’t improved in the last 4 past papers I’ve completed. My critical reasoning has become quite sharp through practice, but my problem solving isn’t improving (despite taking further maths). I’ve done quite a few past papers now and am still just about running out of time every go. Any advice?
Reply 8
I’m doing the January sitting so I can focus on the TSA but I hope it went well for you
Reply 9
I wouldn't be too worried about a plateau, from personal experience and what other people seem to say that's quite normal. For tips, I honestly dont have much more than just practice. I would recommend getting a book of questions or buying the TSA ninja question bank, you can specifically focus on the problem solving, for example. This helped me break through my own 'plateau' lol. Also maybe not the most valuable so close to the test but I found doing UKMT past papers helped w problem solving as well. Good luck!
Reply 10
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