Is anyone else's DC STILL waiting on LSE?

[ellanwood]

DS's first choice is LSE. He still hasn't heard. Driving us all bananas, as there's not exactly a lot else to distract him, so he's fretting that all the good LSE accommodation had been snapped up and all his second choice uni accommodation is being snapped up, and every day on high alert for the email.

Is this the only uni still keeping people waiting so long or are others also holding out for first choices that have not yet decided?

No one then?

Wow ellanwood. It’s almost May - what are they doing? DS is meant to be applying for next year - won’t hold my breath then! Can you not just ring them?

I'm tempted @wonderwhatnext. Can't believe it takes this long. He's has his second choice offer since December which I think is a better course anyway, for his subject (not Economics).

Hmm - under the circumstances, I would call them and tell them what you have stated here. As if there’s not enough going on, without this,

Are they holding back due to international students not confirming, I wonder? I know there’s a very high percentage from overseas there (60% is it)?

What did you think of the accommodation options for LSE? I’m not sure about these “inter university” halls, where you could end up sharing with UCL students or Imperial etc. Not that there’s anything wrong with UCL or Imperial obviously? I just wonder if it would make for a more isolating experience, in the sense that the halls just have a general student identity and everyone would be off here there and everywhere.

That’s so tough having to wait this long. I hope your ds hears soon. Just to say that my ds is in first year at LSE. He says that all the expensive accommodation that is perceived as most desirable by many has probably gone. He isn’t sure about the cheaper options as not so many people apply there. For example, he had a shorter contract in one of the less glitzy halls where he had to move out at Christmas and Easter and then some halls have shared rooms. These halls all seem very sociable and fun. He also had friends in intercollegiate halls who had a really good time and met loads of interesting people. He is living at home next year because we’re in London but if he had lived out again he would have applied to an intercollegiate Hall.

DS is pretty certain he doesn't want intercollegiate. He's earmarked his favourite halls at LSE but he thinks they are already booked up. They were almost fully booked in March before lockdown and haven't been updated since. So frustrating. it seems unfair that they release halls before issuing all offers. The halls for his second choice are also filling up...

There will almost certainly be a large number who fail to take up their places, some of whom will have booked rooms in the most popular halls. There will be places. When (I say when, as surely they have to give him a place now) he is offered a place he might see if he could write a separate note, or perhaps there is space for special pleading on the form. .

Also some of the smaller intercollegiates are fine. DS did not like International (huge and sixties) but it was central so it was easy to make friends via campus activities and with people who lived nearby. Also has the hall allocation system changed. DS completed a general preference form when he was offered a place rather than "book" anything. He was left waiting until August (yes I know, there seems to be a waiting theme) to hear what he had. However we live within 20 minutes walk from LSE so he would, rightly, have been a very low priority for their guaranteed accommodation offer. He had also put intercollegiate halls down on his preference list, based largely on geography, so it was not too surprising that he got one.

Also, I think I have said this before, but come mid March, when he still had not heard from (three) of his choices, I phoned up admissions offices anonymously just saying that my son (no name) was still waiting to hear from their University.He was very keen to be offered a place and the uncertainty was starting to impact on the run up to his A level exams. When was he likely to hear. I got pretty clear answers, as in "we will be making our final decisions next week". I was clear that he did not know I was calling, and that my locus was simply one of a mother wanting to manage DS's anxiety (and looking back that period was the most stressed I have ever seen him.) They were helpful and there was no hint that it was a strange thing to do.

I suspect if you did phone the answer might be something along the lines of "we expect to be able to offer him a place. We have already had a couple of drop outs, and expect more. It is a small department and we do not want to go over numbers." To which you would reasonably reply that this is a real person who absolutely wants to study at LSE. The uncertainty, on top of lockdown, is really difficult.

Well he got rejected, with that catch-all 'personal statement not as strong as others.' May be true but his head of studies told him it was the best personal statement that year and the only one that didn't need rewriting because he had put his heart and soul into every single line. It was really focused and engaged.

He's very sad right now, but I honestly think their loss. They have behaved so complacently about offers this year. No one else has been so lacklustre.
I'm glad he's going somewhere with a bit more spark to it.

I am really sorry your son did not get the news he hoped for. I have had my fingers crossed for him. Where will he firm now?

Thank you so much @Olympicfan. He's firmed Kings. I do wonder what they are looking for. He is projected A A A, has run societies, done MUN, read astonishingly widely outside the curriculum, written papers, entered and been shortlisted in essay comps, attended conferences and lectures and masterclasses in related subjects. I know lots of keen pupils do all this, but I thought the acceptance rate on his particular course was quite high.

Privately, though, I think Kings is perfect for him and always have. the department in his subject is brilliant. At open day the tutors were so engaging and welcoming. I think he'll thrive with that warmth and open passion and debate.

Sorry to hear that your son didn’t get an offer from LSE. I hope that he gets the grades & does well at Kings.

If it’s any consolation (in a weird sort of way) ellanwood DS got an offer from LSE (with a predicted A*, A, A) and turned them down for a more specialist course at King’s (which had always been the one he really wanted to do). He’s been extremely impressed by the course and department and is 2 years through his degree.

ellan - I’m so sorry to hear this. What bad form - making him wait until now for a “no.”
DS was thinking of applying for next year, but I have to say we really wouldn’t fancy the prolonged wait. It’s very off-putting. I wonder if it’s just some departments? Do you mind saying what the course was (don’t worry if not).

I’ve heard Durham is also very slow with responses, but this is ridiculous.

Do you think they were holding on to some UK applicants in case they needed them to potentially fill the gaps pending confirmations from international students? Or is it always like this?

Ellan, I am so sorry. Best wishes for your son, and I hope it proves to be the best thing that could have happened.

Wonder. Long waits are not uncommon with many oversubscribed non Oxbridge courses. DS waited till mid March for Warwick, UCL and LSE. He was wanting to read economics, however LSE has a number of courses with are in high demand both in the UK, Europe and overseas.

That said anything post end March is really tough/unfair.

Thank you all for the kind messages. He's still upset but he's getting over it.

@Definitelyrandom - that is a consolation. And I wonder if maybe it's the same department DS is going into as Kings has a highly specialised dept (which I have always thought is outstanding and far better suited to DS's interests) that LSE's more generalised one.

@wonderwhatnext - it was Politics and IR but a couple of friends of his applying for Economics and other politics combined courses (forget which) were also rejected last week or the week before. Very long waits.

ellanwood I suspect it is!

Thank Coleoptera. He was very upset at the time but has now firmed Kings and is looking forward to it. I genuinely think it is by far the best course for him and they get to spend their second year abroad which he's really excited about.

I remember your own DC's journey to uni from other threads. Hope you have managed to rebook that holiday abroad and that your two are looking forward to starting uni despite the lockdown upheavals.