Personal statement

This section of the personal statement should focus on your academic interest in the subject you wish to study. One way to think about this is to reflect on what we expect from LSE undergraduates: we ask them to learn about topics relevant to their programme, through reading or other experiences, and then discuss the ideas they have encountered in academic essays.

To help you begin, there are several questions you could think about:

• Why have you chosen the programme? What attracted you to the subject? Which aspects of the subject have interested you sufficiently to want to study it at degree level? Is there a specific area of the subject you wish to focus on? What are the big issues in the subject, and what do you find most interesting about them? What are your thoughts on these topics?
• For combined programmes, how do the subjects interrelate, and why do they appeal to you? 

Please note: You are not expected to simply answer all of the questions above; these questions are merely intended to give you some guidance as to what to think about when writing your statement.

How you show your wider engagement with your subject is entirely up to you. Our Selectors look for students who can best reflect on the experiences and academic ideas they have encountered through the opportunities available to them, not those who have had the best opportunities.

If you are not sure where to start, you could try listening to podcasts of LSE public events or look through our programme pages for examples of suggested reading, or watch some of our subject lecture recordings from past open days. LSE is a research-intensive university and many of the lecturers and professors also conduct their own research; you could also look into which academics teach on the programme and engage with their own published research or activities. Remember we are interested not just in a list of what you have read/encountered, but evidence you have reflected on the academic ideas.

• How have you developed your subject interest outside of your studies? For example, have you undertaken any additional reading to broaden your knowledge of the subject? Have you attended lectures or explored online material relating to the subject? Have you completed an EPQ? What did you find interesting in your reading/in the lectures you attended and what are your thoughts on the topics covered?
• Have you gained any skills from your other school subjects that complement your application to study your chosen subject?
• Have you participated in schemes or activities at LSE or other universities (e.g., widening participation programmes or summer schools)? What did you learn, and how did they deepen your subject knowledge?

Please note: You are not expected to simply answer all of the questions above; these questions are merely intended to give you some guidance as to what to think about when writing your statement.

Have you had the opportunity to undertake work experience relevant to your application? If you did, how did this experience give you a wider understanding of the topics you will study at university?

If you are applying for deferred entry, as well as thinking about the questions listed above, you may also wish to indicate (briefly) why you are taking a gap year and what you plan to do during the year. 

If you are applying as a post-qualified student (you have already received your final results), you may wish to mention briefly what you have been doing since your exams.

You can also use this space to include additional super-curricular activities that you couldn’t fit in your responses to Questions 1 and 2. Writing the minimum of 350 characters for Question 3 is entirely acceptable.

For Question 1 you should avoid discussing your future career plans. Your personal statement should reflect your own personal academic interests.

For Question 2 you do not need to discuss all your current studies, only those relevant to your chosen subject. 

For Question 3 please ensure this section stays within 20% of the total character count (maximum 800 characters).

Please note, the UK personal statement is quite different to what is required for applications to universities in other countries. If you’re applying to several countries, keep in mind that each system is likely looking for different things and your applications should be tailored appropriately. For example, a successful personal statement for UK universities is very unlikely to be successful for US universities (and vice-versa). Please keep this in mind when thinking about what to include and how to structure your personal statements for each country’s application system. 

We do not encourage applicants to use generative Artificial Intelligence tools to create their personal statement as they do not produce high-quality personal statements and may lead to rejection. However, they can be used constructively to:

• generate initial ideas. 
• suggest reading materials or references for you to explore (to be cross-checked with teachers for relevance). 
• proofread original writing.

LSE offers a number of combined degree programmes. If you are applying to one of these programmes, you are advised to give equal weighting to each subject in your statement. For instance, if you are applying to our BSc Politics and Economics programme, you must show evidence of interest in both subjects; a statement weighted towards only one aspect of the programme will be significantly less competitive.

"I have always dreamed of coming to LSE since I was young. It has been a dream of mine to study at this institution, which is well renowned for its social science courses. 

I am currently studying History, English and Business and Management at Higher level and Italian, Maths and Chemistry at Standard level in the International Baccalaureate, and feel that these subjects are providing me with a solid background for university study. 

I want to study History because I want to be a world class Historian, and feel that this degree will help me. I am especially interested in Ancient History, particularly the history concerning the Roman Empire. I am fascinated by the way in which the empire was run, and the events that led to its downfall. 

"I was the captain of the school football team, and this has taught me the importance of working together as a team, and allowed me to prioritise my time between my studies and football practice. I feel that this has provided me with the experience to successfully balance my academic and social life, and I plan to continue this balance whilst at university. 

It is my dream to become an alumnus of the School, and I am sure that as I am the top student of my class, you will offer me a place." 

This brief example of a personal statement is poor. The applicant has mentioned an interest in history but they have not discussed this in-depth or shown any evidence of wider engagement with the subject. Where the applicant does talk about history, the discussion is superficial and focused on ancient history, which LSE does not offer as part of our history programme. This suggests the applicant has not properly engaged with the LSE programme. Which degree programme you study is a very important decision for you to make and we also want to make sure that you will get the most of your academic studies at LSE.

The applicant has specifically mentioned LSE, which is likely to be unattractive to their other choices, and has wasted space listing their International Baccalaureate subjects, which would be shown in the qualifications section. The applicant has described how a history programme will help them get the job they later want, rather than what they are looking forward to studying during the programme. 

The applicant has reflected on the transferable skills they have developed leading the football team. This is good, but it would be nice to see the same level of reflection applied to academic topics - this student has spent more time talking about football than about history.