LSE - Challenging Yet Rewarding Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Incredibly beneficial but also incredibly difficult - you will be warned in advance about the heavy workload and advanced course material, but make sure you're prepared to truly commit. LSE relies largely on independent learning - many students only have 8-10 contact hours per week, but class reading lists are long and daunting. Self-motivation will be what gets you through the year.

On-site administration of your program

GC Dean can be somewhat difficult to see (long waits, not showing up to office hours) but is very helpful once you can sit down with him.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Northumberland House had great facilities and was in an incredible location in the heart of Central London. However, the communal kitchens would frequently become too dirty to be used on the weekends and there was no way of monitoring and punishing those who took other peoples' food items. I never had trouble finding open machines in the laundry room, but once the exchange rate was factored in it became quite expensive.

Northumberland House offers no meal plan, so residents cooked for themselves. On campus, there were several good locations to eat (Wright's Bar!!) that had good selections and were reasonably priced.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I was able to integrate myself into the London culture by meeting students through classes and societies. However, the GC program does not go far to promote integration outside of the program, as all orientation and introductory events are with other GC students.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The NHS program that LSE gives students access to was extremely helpful - I was able to get appointments that I needed within 2 days of calling and the doctors were all very knowledgeable. However, I did not have such a good experience with the LSE Counseling Services. After filling out a new patient form, I had to wait about 3 weeks to get an appointment, and I found the counselor to be rather short and abrasive. I did not go back for more after the first appointment.

As in any large city, there are safety concerns which can be mitigated by common sense - don't walk alone at 2 AM, don't enter into confrontations, etc. That being said, there were nights I would walk home from school events or the library alone at 10 or 11 PM and I never felt threatened.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

My scholarships and financial aid covered the cost of academics and it was not necessary for me to buy any textbooks, but living in a self-catered dorm got to be rather expensive when grocery shopping.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

I took intermediate Russian through the LSE after studying the language for a year through my home university consortium. While our classes were every day of the week and primarily in Russian, there was little encouragement to use the language outside of the classroom, and when I requested some outside tutoring, I was turned down.

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• Dorm

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• Range of classes offered
• Accessibility of professors & TAs
• Length of program

• Regulated grading between TAs
• Counseling services
• Academic advising

The Academic or Linguist