HOW HARD IS IT TO GET INTO LSE FOR MASTERS IN FINANCE?

The Profs' founder, Richard Evans, offers his expert advice and insider knowledge on how to win a place on the LSE's Master's in Finance course. Richard has aided more than a thousand students with their applications to prestigious UK universities.
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CONTENT
00:00 How to get into LSE Finance
01:07 Tip 1 - A long track record of academic excellence (specifically in Maths)
01:34 Tip 2 - Ask your referee to mention the percentile that you're in
04:08 Tip 3 - Choose your desk
04:54 Tip 4 - Choose the right year to apply (get some experience first)
05:54 Pillar 1 - Motivation
06:10 Pillar 2 - Career plan
06:23 Pillar 3 - Understanding
07:38 Tip 5 - Pick your Finance course
07:48 Core course (Finance) and another MSc option (Finance and Private Equity)
08:29 Another MSc option (Risk and Finance)
08:53 Another MSc option (Real Estate Economics and Finance)
10:38 LSE Finance Ranking and Acceptance Rate
11:02 Alternative options (Imperial and UCL's Management courses - no GMAT required
11:54 LSE MSc Finance - Is it worth it?
The Profs’ consultancy team have many years of experience advising students on how to get into some of the most competitive universities and degree programmes in the UK, including the LSE for Finance. Get in touch with our friendly team today to access our dedicated support.
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[@the_profs]

GET YOUR FREE LSE CHEATSHEET FREE personal statement template and applications cheatsheet 85% of our LSE applicants GET IN! Why not join them? eepurl.com/itsn8Q

[@videlmama]

Hi Richard, Just wanted to thank you so much for making these videos, I have watched all your postgraduate videos before beginning my application. I followed your entire structure and involved all tips in my personal statement. I am pleased to let you know that I received offers from all universities that I applied to. Which are LSE, Imperial, UCL and Bayes for MSc Finance. I did not apply to LBS since I didn't have a GMAT. I thank you so much for your help since I was worried I would not be accepted by any of the universities since I hadn't done a GMAT.

[@tani-nq2qh]

This video is very helpful while preparing to get into UCL for MSC management.all information are explained clear mentioned. Thank you for sharing this video us.

[@raisen6307]

Your advise motivated every students..This video is really inspired many people because your clearification is very clear and amezing!!Thanks for this video!

[@sonabiswas-fk6dl]

Joe has explained the overall admission process very structured manner. This video is very informative and this will be helpful for every applicant. Highly recommended video to the students who is seeking guidance related to same. Thanks for sharing us 🙏

[@DancyRoy-it2jn]

I liked your content. Because everything in this video is well explained about finance. I will recommend it to everyone.

[@arohiadhikary4008]

Very informative and knowledgeable video. Thanks for sharing this video.

[@AnjaliDas-bw6rk]

I knew about many important knowledge from this video HOW HARD IS IT TO GET INTO LSE FOR MASTERS IN FINANCE...this video is very informative and helpful to me... thanks for sharing this.

[@dineshsharma1430]

Superb video

[@SoumikPaul-zb9jr]

Very nice enformative video about lse finance.. thanks for sharing us this wanderful informative video..

[@pinkiroy-vu9nl]

Thanks for sharing such an informative vedio with us

[@kuhudasl3351]

It's an amazing video

[@user-yr4ls4xx3q]

Is it worth applying to the related courses like MSc accounting and finance? Would they have less competition and do they carry the same value as MSc finance?

[@the_profs]

Great question! Yes is it worth thinking strategically about which course you apply to; we generally recommend that students only apply for LSE's MSc Finance if they have a 1st class equivalent or else a very high 2:1 from a world-class university, as well as at least one name-brand internship/work experience. Courses such as Accounting and Finance or even Management are slightly less competitive and so if you do not have the strongest academic track record, these courses could be good alternatives. Any quantitative LSE MSc will open doors to interviews at the very best intuitions in the world. That said, we do each year help a subject of students to receive offers from LSE finance with 2:1s though our premium mentoring packages.

[@user-hw4gx3db5h]

Is LSE Real Estate Economics and Finance too limiting of a degree, i.e., would it limit you to a career in real estate rather than broader finance?

[@the_profs]

With LSE's world-class brand, any LSE finance-related degree is going to open up doors to finance institutions. The Real Estate Economics is particularly suitable to fixed assets, some private equity and of course property investments. LSE states that the top 5 employment sections for this degree are: 1 Government, Public Sector and Policy 2 Financial and Professional Services 3 Education, Teaching and Research 4 Real Estate, Environment and Energy 5 Other Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities. Recently, the acceptance rates for this course have been very similar to LSE MSc Finance, so there is not an obvious strategic advantage to apply to LSE's REEF course if you do not have some interest in the real estate economics element. That said, we feel that many students are sleeping on real estate finance as a career - it is one of the highest-paying careers possible with very fast progression, and far less competitive than the more common finance routes (e.g. M&A, trading and PE).

[@Twominuteconcepts]

Hello I want to get into MSc in finance and economics course. I have my undergraduate degree in BBA. Are my chances good if I have a good gmat score and have passed 2 levels of the CFA programme?

[@the_profs]

Hello - yes a Business in Business Administration is a highly relevant background for MSc Finance and Economics. The admissions committee will be most interested in: 1) Your Academic grades (a 1st-class equivalent is competitive). Your quantitative grades are weighted much higher. 2) Relevant work experience (one or two name-brand internships or employment is optimal). 3) A high GMAT (95 percentile+) - especially important if you do not have a first. Many candidates will NOT have all of the above, but the closer you are to these benchmarks, the higher your chances of success. Of course, you need your written application, CV and references must be well constructed to highlight these strengths in a clear and convincing way. Good luck!

[@derviseakindji2020]

Will I be at a very big disadvantage with my application if I do not have any referees who I have a strong academic connection with?

[@the_profs]

Not necessarily a large disadvantage, especially if you grades are good. You want a reference to write 'I highly recommend this student for any course' and ideally they might mention a few lines about your high grades in their subject and perhaps that you were active in class. Many students select their dissertation supervisor as this is usually a closer relationship, and so they can ask to see their reference or else make recommendations of what they would like to be included. Your academic/person tutor has to write a reference if requested. As long as you have high grades, the connection to that academic can be weak, because the referee will likely just list your high grades and is very unlikely to write anything negative (there are strict rules designed to prevent this). If you have average or weak grades, and no strong connection, then I advise using your final year of study to build that relationship - go to every class early, ask questions, go to office hours etc. Overall, pick the referee that you think will be most positive in their writing. It is better to have a class teacher who will write positively about you, than a famous professor who will not write anything more than your grades and how they know you. Good luck!

[@manashiChanda-rv2ot]

Nice

[@fernandocoelho1890]

Hello @the_profs, I am planning to apply next year. I would like to know how my application looks like: 97% calculus 1, 98% Finance, 99% Financial Accounting, 95% Statistics. I have a BBA from Nova SBE. One summer internship in consulting and I was in a club that did consulting projects with real clients. 90% percentile in the GMAT. I was planning on going to MSc in Finance. Also, is there anything else I could improve?

[@the_profs]

Sounds like you are a very strong candidate. LSE like you to show a genuine academic interest in finance so I'd recommend that you pick a relevant topic and discuss an academic paper on this (e.g. Black-Scholes model) to demonstrate your interest at an academic level. Good luck!

[@Tommy-wi2mn]

Is first year marks important ? or year 2 and final year are more important in terms of GPA

[@the_profs]

Good question - I wouldn't say that any year is more important, but if you have a borderline GPA, they will look at the split of your grades by module and year. If, for example, all your lowest grades are in mathematical subjects, this could harm your application significantly unless you have a strong numerical GMAT/GRE.. Ideally, they would see consistently high grades or else improving grades over the years so that you can tell them that you are on an upwards trajectory (and they can forgive some poor results in 1st year, or the odd very low grade as long as it's not in maths). A bonus tip would be to ask your referee to mention that you are on an upwards trajectory if your grades have improved over time. Good luck!

[@veritaslearning]

Hello I hold bachelor’s degree in economics with gpa of 3.94 out of 5 or 79 %. However on our educational system 80% is considered 2:1 uk grade. How can I increase my chances of getting admitted

[@the_profs]

A common challenge for the students we support. To overcome a borderline 2:1 for a top course like LSE's MSc Finance, you will want as many of the below as possible, ideally all of them: 1) a GMAT Focus score over 695. 2) evidence of mathematical excellence (eg your maths grades are much higher than your other grades). 3) relevant finance work experience or internships, ideally internships at famous banks. 4) two glowing academic references, ideally one in maths saying you are near-top of your cohort. 5) taking an additional maths for finance course online and scoring well in this 6) an excellent personal statement demonstrating in-depth industry and academic knowledge of financial topics 7) applying early in the cycle, ideally October/November Even with all the above, a borderline 2:1/2:2 might be enough for a 'level 1 rejection' meaning they did not even read your application due to low grades. We would suggest applying to a less competitive 2nd option at LSE (eg MSc Financial Mathematics) and also applying to UCL and Imperial for MSc finance and, if rejected, UCL and Imperial again for MSc Management and completing the finance pathway/specialism. Good luck!

[@tomed3508]

🎉

[@sohailali1914]

Do you think if I have a chance to get accepted in LSE for MSC Finance if I’ve already completed my Bachelors Degree in Commerce with good grades, have passed GMAT with good grade, already completed 9 papers in ACCA (ACCA part qualified) and have a foundation in Chartered Accountancy from ICAI with at-least 3 really great references from qualified Chartered Accountants who taught me for my qualifications? Also I would like to know with my qualifications if I will have an edge over applicants who has work experience in finance sector or I will be at disadvantage because of no work experience? What are my chances of getting admission in LSE according to your professional experience?

[@the_profs]

Hello - without specific scores, we are unable to indicate your chances - however, as general advice if you have a first-class uk equivalent (see grade table below), a GMAT score over 650 (ideally, over 700) this will make your application competitive. LSE requests two academic references from your university, so you will have to select two from your three. If you do not have success this year, you can also reapply for LSE MSc Finance next year after getting some work experience to boost your application's strength. Good luck! (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/181151/overseas_grade_comparison-table.pdf)

[@MastersEducation1]

Hi @the_profs i want to apply for LSE Msc Finance do you think i have a chance to get accepted. I graduated from a uk university (Essex) in Bsc(honours) Accounting and Finance with a first class honors graduating as the top student of my accounting and finance intake. I have undertaken two working experiences as a Trading assistant and trade support in two different bulge-bracket investment banks respectively. I have studied taken quantitative topics with securing respective high scores such as risk management(99%), options and futures(97%), porfolio analysis (88%) and Financial Modeling/Econometrics(70%).

[@the_profs]

Yes absolutely! With a 1st class in a partially-quantitative degree and, more importantly, evidencing through your reference that you were the #1 student, plus excellent work experiences, you could craft that into a competitive application. It is certainly worth applying, in addition to other competitive courses to maximise your chances of at least one top-tier offer. However, LSE's Finance course will be largely filled by the end of March, so you will want to turn around an application in the next few weeks. Good luck!

[@TukuGhosh-ts9tu]

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[@TrishaDasgupta-zr8li]

I knew about many important knowledge from this video HOW HARD IS IT TO GET INTO LSE FOR MASTERS IN FINANCE..everything in this video is well explained about finance. thanks for the video sharing with us