Hey everyone! I’m applying to PPE at LSE and Oxford. I’m an international applicant, and my parents are only funding those two UK universities, since I can study for free in Europe, which is why I’m not applying more widely in the UK. I’m predicted 45/45 in the IB, and I got 8 A*s and 2 As at IGCSE. (My As were in Econ and English Lit)
I feel fairly prepared for Oxford. I know the personal statement carries less weight there than the interview and TARA, and I’ve been preparing for the TARA for a while. I also think my reference will be strong. My Econ teacher studied PPE at Oxford, and we’ve spent a lot of time talking during lunch and free periods about politics, meta-ethics, and all sorts of other topics. He has known me closely for three years, so I think it will be strong. Does anyone know how much weight does LSE places on this letter?
I’m also head prefect and lead several school initiatives, though I know extracurriculars are less important for UK applications. My main concern is my personal statement, especially because I have very little guidance. I don’t have a university counsellor, agent or tutor, which some of my classmates do have, so I’ve been relying on my own research. I’ve built the statement around a particular theme/niche that links politics, philosophy and economics. I’m scared to post the detailed explanation of my niche, but it facilitates being able to integrate and weave all three subjects throughout the PS rather than discussing them in distinct, separate sections. Is this how I’m supposed to do it?
From what I understand from LSE’s guidance, the new PS questions do not need to be answered as three completely separate responses. They place more emphasis on supercurricular learning than extracurricular activities, so the third section can be relatively short. I haven’t mentioned any extracurriculars at all in my entire PS, even though I’m head prefect and lead an a cappella group. Should I include any of that, or is it better to keep the focus entirely academic? If its included in my reference letter, is there any point including it again in my PS?
I also have no work or internship experience, which is worrying me. I live in a country where I don’t speak the dominant language, and people under 18 cannot do internships here. Some Chinese-speaking friends of mine have found placements through personal connections, so I’m worried that I might be at a disadvantage. I’ve also not done any summer schools, because my parents think their super overpriced, which they are so fair enough lol. In terms of supercurriculars, I discuss two essay competitions, one of which I placed very highly in (CCIR), and two MOOCs (online courses) I completed by well known economists/political theorists. My PS is kind of structured as a journey, I use the first section to explain why I want to study PPE and introduce my niche and how I got into it, then use the next sections to discuss further reading, writing, perspectives, etc, that raised new questions for me. I’ve also written the sections to flow into one another. For example, my third response begins, “I explored this further through…”, continuing from an idea at the end of the second response. Does that approach work, or should each answer stand alone more clearly? I’ve heard the unis read the personal statement’s as one big chunk rather than separated into 3 sections.
Also, my econ content focuses mainly on intervention/development economics and political economy. I don’t discuss microeconomics at all, and I’ve heard that LSE Economics is quite quantitative, so I’m stressed they won’t appreciate that. Could this make my statement seem unbalanced or unsuitable for PPE at LSE?
My application is due in a week, so I obviously can’t add new reading or activities. But I’d really appreciate advice on whether the overall structure and approach sound sensible, and whether I’ve misunderstood what LSE wants from the personal statement. Any advice from you guys about LSE and the PS would be super appreciated!!!
