Hello! I’ll be applying to LSE this year for the department of Management
I only have AP scores and since LSE doesn’t look at GPA or ECs or even SATs I’ll just post my AP scores. I would like to know if they are suitable for a Management applicant and I would also appreciate it if I could receive advise on how to write a good personal statement. I’ll mainly be applying to the US, so I don’t know the application process of the UK that well. There will be applicants with the same stellar scores and crazy personal statements, so how to stand out? I would like some advice.
Here are my AP scores:
AP Calculus BC: 5
AP Microeconomics: 5
AP Macroeconomics: 5
AP Psychology: 5
AP Physics 1: 5
AP Comparative GP: 5
AP US GP: 5
AP World History: 5
Statistics: 5
Chemistry: 5
Well done! You have far exceeded the minimum entry requirements. As I am sure you are aware BSC management at LSE is an AAB with Mathematics degree meaning you must have earned a 5 in 4 preferred APs or a 5 in 3 preferred APs and a 5 in 2 non preferred AP’s, with one AP required to be a math, and you have achieved a 5 in 6 preferred APs and a 5 in 2 non-preferred AP’s and have taken the required Math AP.
You are correct in that SAT’s are not part of admissions at LSE. There is no evidence that LSE looks at or considers your GPA. However, they can view your high school transcript in your application as it must be included on the UCAS application page. As it says on the USA undergraduate entry requirements page (which outlines the requirements when a student is applying based on AP’s regardless of which country they come from), the high school diploma is not suitable for entry to LSE on its own and students must apply with the minimum AP test scores. So in other words you can’t apply to LSE just by taking AP exams and not graduating from high school. That being said, though there is no evidence that they do, but LSE can look at your high school transcript and your GPA. So I would make sure your grades are stellar just in case (which they probably are given your exam scores).
You are very wrong about how LSE views your extra circulars. As it says on their personal statement page the Admission Tutors are looking for well-rounded individuals not just academically driven students. Internships, jobs, or ec’s you have done at school will make you stand out of the crowd as most people applying to LSE have meet the academic entry requirements and for very competitive degrees (such as BSC Management) most applicants have exceeded them. Anything you have done outside of academics that relate to your intended degree will further strengthen your application.
So to directly answer your question: there are limited ways to stand out in the LSE application as they do not give interviews. The personal statement is absolutely key. Familiarize yourself with what LSE is looking for in a personal statement in the aforementioned section of their website. The best advice I can give you on the personal statement: your main narrative should be your enthusiasm for the course, while weaving in what you have done as evidence of that enthusiasm (academic courses, internships, ec’s, etc.) The only other ways to stand out in the UCAS application is the reference and paid employment history. So make sure those are the best they can be.
Good luck!