Oxford, LSE Economics or Internship Gap Year? Help!

Do you know what stockbroking actually is? Or is it merely a term perpetuated by the media and cinema, that you've tagged along to?

I'm going to get one thing out of the way before I go any further - walk into an interview in the City and tell the person in front of you that your personal portfolio makes you a prime candidate for the position in question, and you will be laughed out the door.

I'm not here to be condescending, I'll happily answer any questions you have, but you're making brash assumptions about things you don't seem to know too much about.

First, read:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Need-Know-About-City-Guides/dp/0955218632

Don't do a thing until you've read that cover to cover.

In reference to your initial post:
1 bank runs a gap-year internship scheme - Rothschild's is an advisory firm, thus they have no markets function within their business. Unless you have contacts at banks/brokerage houses, it's simply a no go.

Dropping Maths may well be the worst decision you ever made.
Banking, trading, broking, whatever: it's quantitative, analytical, logically based - Maths is intrinsic to all of the aforementioned.

Universities will see Economics and Business, taken as seperate A-Levels as conflicting given the amount of overlapping material - you may disagree, but it's their view, not mine.

Law is regarded as a "soft A-Level" by both Cambridge and the LSE - another point to consider.

I'm not trying to write-off your chances before you even try, I'm just trying to be realistic.

To the third point: Unless you are predicted & achieve an A/A* in Maths, you will struggle to gain a place at the universities which make up 95% of Front Office City intern/graduate intake. One of the most important things to consider is that what you do at university speaks volumes, to the extent where it may make your university irrelevant - however dedication and effort is key.
Going to somewhere such as Liverpool and applying for a FO markets position will result in nothing. In an equities Sales(broking)/Trading assessment centre in November, I was with LSE, Cambridge, Oxford, UCL (myself), SSE & Bristol students, who read either Economics or Maths.

It's competitive and harsh - if you're seeking to make "£££" in the City, you haven't been reading the news enough, this isn't 2004.

Jay

If your sight is set on LSE here are threads which one can browse to get a feel for different LSE issues.

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=19

But generally, Maths, FM, Economics, History should open all options for Economics - assuming you will have perfect matching grades too.

Good luck

Thanks, do you think I should consider dropping law and business as there seen as "soft and overlapping" subjects? and do you think taking a science such as physics or chem along with economics, maths and further maths would be stronger as apose to taking History? or do you think history is stronger?

Thanks for the advise

Physics or chem would be better than Law or Business.
A good combination would be :
Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Economics
That should give you some chance at LSE and Oxbridge.

Law and Business at school level are mickey mouse subjects.
(Bracing myself for the inevitable storms of protests by the intellectually unable
who will tell me that Law and Business were the most challenging subjects that they did at school.)

Thanks, do you think I should consider dropping law and business as there seen as "soft and overlapping" subjects? and do you think taking a science such as physics or chem along with economics, maths and further maths would be stronger as apose to taking History? or do you think history is stronger?

Thanks for the advise

I don't mean to be a dream killer here, but here is the harsh reality as I see it:

You don't have a good enough subject combination to apply for economics courses at a top 10 university.

Everyone is talking about you taking maths and further maths next year/on a gap year...
LSE and Oxford will still reject you because they will have people applying who have ALREADY done those subjects and got A's in them. Also, would you actually be able to take maths and further maths on your own?? if you were struggling with c1&c2 i doubt it.

The only way that you could stand a chance at getting into these universities is starting the whole AS year again and taking Maths, FUrther Maths, Economics + History/Science/essay subject...

May seem a bit extreme, but there is no way your are going to get in with your current academics... you need a fresh start.

In my view with combination of Maths, FM and Physics - you are offering / exhibiting your quantative skills side - which is good if you are going to do Science at Univ. For Eco degree - your application will stronger with Maths, FM, History alongwith Eco. With this combinations - you are showing allround skills - including Essay writing abilities.
Cambridge -Eco website clearly states Maths, FM, Eco, History or Geography as most relevant subjects for Pursuing Eco degree. But saying that all univs do consider other traditional subjects. So you need to follow you personal liking too. (without discounting MATHS )

I agree a fresh start is the best option but I have heard that LSE and Oxbridge don't accept re-sits is this true?

If I where to take Maths, Further Maths, Physics and economics and re-sit my AS levels, do you think this would have an affect on the way my application is taken into consideration? in terms of me re-siting a whole year how do you think these universities will take that? and will LSE and Oxbridge take my GCSE grades into consideration or will they not be relevant at all?

If you were to redo your AS' I'd go for Maths, FM, Economics, Physics, History. You want to stand out and with 4 AS' and 4 A levels you're going to be very much the same as a lot of other candidates.

Yes I am going to redo my whole AS year with Maths, FM, Economics, physics and History for AS then drop either History or Physics at A2 if I feel that I am struggling with 5.

As I would have already done or will have done my AS in Economics, law and Business would this mean that I would have 7 AS's as I will have done AS law and business or will this be wiped clean as if I am starting my whole AS again?

Thats what I though when choosing my AS subjects at the start - Why take a science other than maths when I want to go into economics so History is the more obvious option to take

I don't know how happy they are with students taking A-levels for 3 consec years.

I don't know how happy they are with students taking A-levels for 3 consec years.

agreed - but he is not wasting a year or taking additional yr to do just 3 subjects - he will end up doing 3 additional As He can always give his logic in his PS statement. Unfortunately he does not have any other choice.

How different is this - from taking additional subjects in Gap year?

The thing is, if you are going to struggle with 5 A levels, how on earth are you going to cope with the tremendous workload at Oxbridge or LSE?

You will still have AS Law and business. Furthermore, you wouldn't have to redo Economics. So therefore, next year you'd be doing A2 Maths, AS Physics, AS History, A2 Economics. Then, the next year you'd do A2 FM, A2 Physics/History. You would then end up with A levels in Maths, FM, Physics/History, Economics and 2 AS' in Law and Business.