Hi,
I am a current U.S. high school junior looking to apply to U.K. unis.
I have read the entry requirements for both of the schools (LSE & Oxford) and I think I would meet both, but I have heard that those are only the minimum requirements and I’d like to know my chances of getting in realistically.
My SAT is in mid 1500
I would be taking five APs this may, all of which I expect to get 5’s on.
AP Lan
AP U.S. History
AP Stats
AP Econ- Macro
AP Econ- Micro
I also plan on taking three next year (senior year), all of which I expect to get 5’s on.
AP Lit
AP Spanish
AP Calc BC
I’d be taking three SAT Subject tests, all of which I expect to get 750+ on.
Math II
World History
Literature
My GPA is pretty low, around 3.8 unweighted.
I think I will be applying to History (Ancient and Modern) at Oxford, and History at LSE.
Assuming that I can get all of the scores, what are my chances of getting in to the two schools.
Thanks a lot!
Your GPA doesn’t really matter, they’re looking primarily at your AP and SAT scores. If you get an offer, it will be conditional on your AP Exam results/SAT subject tests. You’ll need 555 or 700x3.
Your prospects, based on your grades, are quite good. Best of luck.
History at Oxford requires the HAT (History Aptitude Test), which is given on 4 November this year. You can find more info here: https://www.admissionstesting.org/for-test-takers/hat/about-hat/
There may be a test site near you, or your school can become a test centre. That can take a time, so it’s not too soon to figure that out.
You will also have to submit a history paper by Nov. 10, so keep an eye on the papers you are writing now, in case what you are assigned at the start of next year doesn’t yield as strong material.
The HAT is changing format this year- it’s just 1 essay question, but you can look at question 3 on past papers to get an idea of what they are like. A strong HAT score is critical for getting an invitation to interview, which in turn is critical for getting an offer.
If you are looking at History in the UK, you have 5 choices for the price of 1- you might consider adding Durham (collegiate like Oxford & Cambridge), Edinburgh, St Andrews, UCL or Exeter.
Why no Euro? Are you taking any history senior year?
Note that LSE will want 5 5s and they don’t accept Subject tests in lieu of APs (they don’t look at the SAT/ACT either).
Finally, is your history background deeper than what shows here? If you are applying with just 1 year of US Hx (LSE) or US + World (Ox), you may have to be particularly convincing in your PS about your commitment to the subject.
Your prospects would be quite good for UK unis outside of the Oxbridge/LSE tier.