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Hi, guys! I’ve been a lurker in the forum for quite a long time and have found a lot of useful information! Thank you all!:orange: However, it seems that not many people are talking about the 2 years version of LSE’s MSc Economics. I’ve applied to the MSc Econ program (2 year) at LSE, so I desperately want someone to evaluate my chance of admission to the program in the context of my unconventional academic background. Any input is greatly appreciated. Here is my profile. Type of Undergrad: Double degree, Bachelor of Arts in Business English and Bachelor of Economics in Finance (I know this sounds weird, but this is what we call a finance major in our country) Type of School: A decent specialized university in my own country (not top in overall ranking, but still respected in the field of economics and business studies. Moreover, it should be known to the selectors at LSE since several students from my school were admitted by them every year) Undergrad GPA: 3.92/4.00 or 92% (rank: 1/160) Type of Grad: n/a Grad GPA: n/a GRE: Q:170 (98%) V:170 (99%) AW: 4.0 (54%) Below comes the atypical part of my background. Due to my double degree, I took a lot of English courses, and, as a result, less economics and finance courses than a typical finance major would take. I list all (yes, that's all) the math, economics, and finance courses I have taken below. Math Courses: Advanced mathematics I (95%. 90+ is A and 85+ is A- in my university), Advanced mathematics II (99%), Probability and statistics (97%), Linear algebra (97%), Applied statistics (95%) Econ & Fin Courses: Microeconomics (92%), Macroeconomics (85%), Principles of Economics (97%), Introduction to money and banking (90%), Introduction to Financial Accounting (96%), Public Finance (92%), International Finance (89%), International trade (97%), International Economics (94%), International Risk and Insurance (90%), Corporate Finance (98%), Bank Management (97%), International Political Economy in Asian Pacific (95%), Studies in Latin American Economy (92%) Courses Currently Taken: Econometrics, Investments, Financial Derivatives Letters of Recommendation: one from the dean of my school who is not in the field of economics but who can attest to my academic abilities and extracurricular activities, another from an associate professor of international trade who knows me well Research Experience: RA for one semester, one senior thesis for BEcon in Finance (both are related to corporate finance and governance), and one senior thesis for BA in Business English Teaching Experience: peer microeconomics tutor, volunteer community English teacher research Interests: financial markets, with special attention to corporate finance and governance SOP: decent but nothing spectacular Applying to: LSE MSc (2 year), Cambridge diploma, Duke, Boston, McGill, UT-Austin ( I do not care about locations since I am an international) As I did not take intermediate economics, I choose the 2-year route of the MSc program. I apply to MSc Economics (rather than Finance & Economics) because I am research-oriented and this program gives me a very solid foundation in economic theory and econometrics which will be beneficial for my further study (PhD in Economics very probably) My Concerns: 1) Lack of advanced mathematics courses: my mathematical background just meets the minimum entry requirement 2) Letter of recommendation: both of my referees are absolutely unknown to selectors at LSE 3) Low AW score in GRE: I got 4, but LSE’s website says they expect AW score above 5.0. Moreover, my GRE scores appear to be unbalanced. 4) Quantatitive ability: LSE's website says explicitly that they want students from quantitative subjects. Since a huge part of my undergraduate study focuses on language, I do not know whether my undergraduate study is quantitative enough for the MSc. Questions: 1) Will my unconventional academic background hurt my chance of admission? Are my econ and math courses enough preparation for the 2-year MSc program? 2) Will LSE be more lenient on my GRE AW score because I am an international? Are they serious that they expect a score of over 5.0 in AW? 3) Any suggestion on other programs I could apply to? Sorry for the long post. I am desperate to know my chance. Thank you very much in advance!