Hi there! I have an acceptance to a top-25/30 phd program, and was recently accepted into LSE's 1-year MSc Econ. If I went to LSE, my plan would be to reapply to phd programs the following year. I understand that the masters probably won't help much to get into a higher school, and I could very well end up dropping down the list. Thus, I see plenty of obvious advantages for the phd program: its funded, guaranteed, and the most streamlined way to get to my goal. However, I can't shake the feeling of how cool and interesting living/studying in London for a year would be. I would greatly appreciate any advice/experience you guys have with this.
(Also, information online is kind of cluttered: If I went into a phd with a masters from LSE, would that likely count towards any of the core coursework, or would I be starting over from year 1 of the program?)
Thanks in advance for your help!