<p>I am looking at applying to LSE as one of my options for Grad school for an MSc in Politics and Communication, and am hoping to get some advice on my application and doing my best to improve it.</p>
<p>I'm a student at the University of Central Florida, graduating with a Bachelors in Public Administration and two minors--in Environmental Studies and Urban and Regional Planning. I will graduate this Spring from their Burnett Honors College with University Honors, Summa Cum Laude and as a Founders Scholar--which means I am in the top 1% of my class. I have a 3.98 GPA.</p>
<p>The part of the application I am most concerned about are the letters of recommendation. I have not worked with my professors on any kind of research outside of class, and I haven't written an undergraduate thesis, so the professors I ask will have just had the experience of having me as a student. What they are able to write about me will also not necessarily be perfectly related to my planned area of study either, because they are professors in the Public Admin. department of my school. (I plan on establishing a bridge between what I learned in Public Admin. can be applied to Political Communication in my personal statement.)</p>
<p>I will though be able to include a professional recommendation from one of my internship experiences, where I worked on multimedia communications (specifically web-based campaigns, YouTube promos, etc.) for a political organization in Florida.</p>
<p>My scores on the GRE are I think pretty good, but not mind-blowing. Thankfully, that isn't a required part of the application at LSE. I have a 163 V, 158 Q, and 5/6 Writing (All on the new scale). As an American, if I leave the scores out will that look suspicious, like I'm hiding something? Should I include it even though it is not required? Or should I just leave it out?</p>
<p>I know I don't exactly attend a prestigious institution, but I know LSE has accepted students from my school. Two of my peers over the past two years that I have gotten to know during my time at UCF were accepted to LSE. But they were Poli Sci majors, and not Public Admin.</p>
<p>I'm also applying to UF, GW, and American as other options because they all offer the kind of specific politics/communication program I'm looking for.</p>