LSE UNIVERSITY - HOW?

My name is Sara Milan and I would like to attend the law course of LSE University in London. I took this decision because LSE is a prestigious university that offers a very good qualification. Law course examines and analyses the rules that society establishes to promote justice and order. The system of states, the factors which influence their behavior and the ways in which they organize relations between them, are studied in International Relations.

General Requirements:  All students are required to be sufficiently proficient in the English language to benefit from their studies at the School. If you want to make sure your English is ready for 'Academic Purposes' you could consider these preparatory courses before you start your main studies. The LSE Language Centre will be running pre-sessional intensive courses in English during July, August and September 2008. Each course can be booked individually and a range of entry level points are on offer. The programme is geared to the specific needs of social science students.

Entrance Exam: First I must take an entrance exam. The Entrance Exam is a three-hour paper comprising of English comprehension exercises, essay questions and mathematical problems. No specific preparation is required. It is held in March and may be taken either at LSE, or at any approved examination centre in the UK or abroad, for example at your nearest British Council.
The criteria below are those that Selectors are looking for from candidates, and these elements will be considered in combination with the overall marks achieved by each candidate. These criteria are seen to reflect the qualities we look for in potential students.

Precis

• Clarity and precision
• Able to identify key points
• Competent use of vocabulary and good use of English (to demonstrate understanding of context)
• Word limit NOT exceeded
• 'Spirit' of text to remain unchanged (i.e. no re-interpretation, additional comment or editorialising)
• Majority (minimum of 75%) of prose to be in students' own words

Essay

• We are looking for an original essay, which has an interesting 'opening', is interesting to read and not formulaic
• Appropriate use of English including clarity, accurate syntax, spelling and punctuation
• Evidence of a sophisticated vocabulary
• A logical structure, i.e. in paragraphs with each paragraph raising a different point and with an introduction and clear conclusion
• Relevance, i.e. only answering the question that has been set
• A well developed and reasoned argument
• Ability to present alternative views and assess them
• Relevant examples
• Ability to provide evidence from a range of sources to support argument (multi-disciplinary approach)

Mathematics (for all candidates)

• Range of 'techniques' can be applied (depends upon the question)
• Ability to manipulate, interpret and analyse data
• Evidence of logical application (processes)
• Accuracy
• Numerical and graphical competence
• Ability in calculus

Section D (Maths section for degrees requiring Maths)

• Knowledge of the key techniques of differential and integral calculus of a single variable
• An understanding of the meanings of the key concepts in calculus (in particular, the derivative and integral)
• An ability to apply these to solve problems requiring an element of mathematical modelling proficiency in algebra and algebraic manipulation
• Competence in using algebra and calculus to solve unfamiliar problems (rather than routine problems)

Fees: The School recognises that the cost of living in London may be higher than in my home town or country. This is why they make significant financial support available to help students. Before coming to the School I should ensure that I am aware of the costs of studying at LSE and that I have planned for my living costs and the payment of my tuition fees, including any possible increases such as inflation.

Before I register at the School I will be asked to complete and sign a Financial Undertaking Form confirming that, if admitted, I have adequate funds available to meet the School's fees and my living costs for the full period of my proposed programme of study at the School.

The School cannot accept responsibility for students arriving to start a degree programme without sufficient funds and without having already explored all possible options of financial assistance from the School and other organisations.
Every student is charged a fee for each year of his or her course. The fee covers all registration and examination fees payable to the School and the University of London for lectures, classes and individual supervision, and lectures given at other colleges under intercollegiate arrangements and membership of the Students' Union.

It does not cover living costs, travel or fieldwork. Fees are fixed in March for the following session only. Increases for tuition fees for Home UK/EU students are subject to Government cap and have not yet been decided.

The School does not require me to pay a fee deposit when I accept their offer of admission. However, I must fill in a Financial Undertaking Form as a condition of my registration. This form will be sent to all applicants who have firmly accepted their conditional or unconditional offer from LSE, in June. I must fill in  and return this form as soon as possible, even if I am still waiting for confirmation of an award or sponsorship.

In 2008, the LSE tuition fee for new UK and European Union (EU) undergraduates will be in the region of £3,146 for the first year (subject to confirmation). The following years are subject to an inflationary rise until 2010.

Students from the UK and EU have two options for paying this fee:

1. Students can take out a student loan for fees (which will be administered by the Student Loans Company), which they will repay once they have left university and are earning over £15,000 a year. (In the case of students from England and Wales the Student Loans Company will pay the fee directly to LSE). This means that students who take out a fee loan do not have to pay the tuition fee up-front or whilst they are studying.

2. Students can, if they prefer, pay the tuition fee up-front or throughout the course.

Financial support for EU students: EU nationals can generally apply for the tuition fee loan when studying in the UK. However EU nationals are not usually eligible for UK Government financial support for maintenance unless they have lived in the UK or Islands for three years before the start of their course (i.e. since 1 September 2005 for a course starting on 1 September 2008). Residence in the UK for the purpose of receiving full-time education will no longer be excluded from this period and you will not need to be "settled" in the UK within the meaning of the Immigration Act 1971.

What are the terms of my offer?

Your offer of admission to the School has been based on the information you provided on, or with, your UCAS application form. It is your responsibility to provide official evidence of your qualifications if we require it (please see your offer letter). If you are unable to provide such evidence, we reserve the right to review, and possibly withdraw, your offer of admission.

Is it possible to lower the terms of my offer?

No. The School will not enter into negotiations with successful applicants over the terms of their offer. Each offer has been made taking into consideration all the information included on your UCAS form and the Admissions Tutors decision is final.

I have decided to drop one of my subjects, is this ok?

It is important that you email the Undergraduate Admissions Office before you drop any subject - even if this subject does not form part of your offer. An Admissions Tutor will consider your request and we aim to provide you with a final decision within two weeks.
Due to extenuating circumstances, I will be unable to sit my exams this year. Can you defer my offer to next year?
No. Unfortunately UCAS guidelines state that a conditional offer cannot be 'carried' over to the next academic year. Therefore we would have to revoke our offer and you would have to reapply in the next UCAS cycle. In this case, we cannot guarantee that you would be given another offer the following year.
What happens if I experience difficulties at examination time?
We understand that circumstances can arise which have a detrimental impact on exam performance. If you marginally miss the conditions of your offer at Confirmation, the School is only able to give due consideration to those with severe extenuating circumstances. Therefore if you feel that your exam performance has been affected you should contact us, in writing, by 31 July 2008 (30 June for IB applicants)*, including any corroborating evidence that you can offer, such as a doctor's note, a note from the School or other official documentation.
It would also be advisable for your school to notify the Examination Boards of any such extenuating circumstances, along with any relevant medical notes, so they could then be taken into consideration when your scripts are being marked.

What should I do if I want to decline my offer?

You can either return the AS12 slip to us, ticking the box to say you will not be taking up your place, or you can decline your place on the UCAS Track system.
Alternatively, if you decide you want to decline your offer at a later date, you can write to the Undergraduate Admissions office stating why you are declining your offer and we will inform UCAS of your decision to decline the offer.
What should I do, if after accepting my offer, I find I can't take up my place?
Your first option is to request a one year deferral of your place. You will need to submit a written request (an email will suffice) to the Undergraduate Admissions Office. This email should state the reasons for your deferral request and what you plan to do on your gap year. The Admissions Tutor will then consider your request and you will be contacted once a decision has been made. If your request is accepted, your UCAS record will be changed to reflect your change of year. LSE does not offer the option of a two year deferral, unless the applicant has extenuating circumstances preventing them from beginning their course in 2008 or 2009. Please note that applicants serving compulsory National Service will not be considered for two year deferrals. The deadline for one year deferral requests is 18 July 2008.
If your request for deferral is refused, your offer is still valid for 2008 entry.
Alternatively if you do not wish to apply for a deferral (or your deferral request has been refused), you will need to withdraw from the course. In this case you should contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office at: ug-admissions@lse.ac.uk, who will guide you through the withdrawal process.

Is it possible to change courses?

If you have decided you no longer wish to study the course you have been made an offer on, then under exceptional circumstances you may be able to be considered for a different course.
If you decide before 15 January 2008 that you want your application to be considered for a different course, then you should contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office outlining the reasons for the change. Your application would then be in competition with all other applicants to that course.
If your request to change course comes after 15 January, your application will be classed as late. This means that we will only be able to look at your late application if there are still places available on the course once all on-time applications have been assessed. However for the vast majority of courses, we do not look at any late applications.
If the Admissions Tutor for your new course choice decides not to offer you a place, or you are happy for your application to be considered as late and we do not look at your late application, your new course choice will be unsuccessful and you will lose your offer on your original course choice at LSE.