Selena W. Explains how she got an offer from LSE

The London School of Economics and Political Science is frequently abbreviated to LSE. The LSE is one of the most respected universities in the UK, with a long history dating back to 1895. One of its founders was the celebrated Nobel Prize winning writer George Bernard Shaw. LSE was ranked top in Europe — and second in the world — in social sciences and management subjects for the ninth consecutive year in the QS World University Rankings by Subject this year.

Let’s just stop for a moment to consider what this means: For social sciences and management, LSE is the best university in the whole of Europe and is the second-best social science and management university in the entire world.  Given this, it is no surprise to find that the LSE has a reputation for being highly selective and one of the most difficult universities to get into. Which is why it is so remarkable that Selena W, a Y13 Student at Dulwich International High School Suzhou, received an offer from the LSE (along with offers from each of the other four universities she applied for).

Selena was able to spare us 30 minutes out of her busy schedule during exam week, between exams and revision. It’s always interesting to know what makes students select a specific University, as their reasons often vary greatly from student to student. At Dulwich, with our holistic approach to education, we strive to find the best-fit University for the unique characteristics and requirements of each student.

Selena chose LSE primally based on her choice of major. She believes that her love of Economics and Psychology made her an ideal fit for the management major at LSE. Her family background is in business, and she has inherited an entrepreneurial spirit from her family. All our students share the common goal of striving to gain places at top international universities outside of China. This year they face the added challenge of having to deal with COVID-19 travel restrictions.

When asked about her hobbies, Selena was most vocal about her love of travel. She was able to travel to London with a group of students and teachers from Dulwich International High School Suzhou to participate in the Dulwich Olympiad in 2019. This experience stayed with her.  Part of her reason for accepting the LSE offer was its location in central London. Selena has an affinity for London, having fallen as many people do, for the charms of this thriving, ever-changing city that is steeped in history and culture.

Selena explained that initially, she had some reservations about applying to LSE, as her parents were concerned that her English skills were not good enough for such a demanding university. This surprised me somewhat, as throughout the interview, Selena spoke with great fluency, was highly articulate and was never at a loss for words. When asked about the development of her English skills at Dulwich, she replied that “The English Environment at Dulwich and the entirely English-speaking teaching staff have been a tremendous help to me. I talk to my subject teachers after class, or just have some random chat in English in the corridor, or we might discuss some academic questions. I feel like my English skills developed a lot through just talking.”

Selena explained that receiving the offers was a frustrating process, as she had been very anxious during the time leading up to their release. The LSE sends out rejections the same day as acceptances, so there was a lot at stake. When the result came through, Selena had to deal with the frustration of having good news she could not share. Selena is a termly border, and her roommates had gone home for the weekend.  Selena explained that Boarding has taught her the value of self-discipline. This is an often-underestimated transferable skill that has an impact on every area of our lives. When she checked the online portal, she discovered that she had received offers from every single one of the five universities she had applied for! It was difficult having such good news, with no one to tell it to. So, as soon as she had composed herself, she rang her mum.

Selena describes herself as a perfectionist. She estimated that she went through at least ten separate revisions of her personal statement before she was ready to submit it. Teachers that had an impact on Selena are her economics teacher Eileen Law and her counsellor Mark Coyle. She regards Ms Law as a friend and explained how helpful Ms Law’s own experiences were in helping her shape her personal statement. Selena was also effusive in her praise for her university counsellor, Mr Coyle, who went the extra mile in supporting her with her application. He even responded in a timely manner to messages from Selena while he was on holiday!

This is what Eileen Law, Selena’s Economics teacher had to say about her:

“Selena is a gentle, polite and suave student. Deep down there is a young passionate economist inside her who has incredibly strong will power and an exceptional drive to succeed. Despite the Covid-19 outbreak and other challenges, she sailed through one obstacle after another. With her perseverance and never-to-quit attitude, she finally succeeded! Nothing can be more rewarding than witnessing her growth at Dulwich. She is now a mature, independent and highly confident student. I am truly fortunate to have taught Selena for two years. She never missed a single piece of homework and was always fully attentive in the class. I will always miss her presence in my class, for sure. Nothing will stop her thriving in any of her future endeavours.”

Throughout the interview, Selena was self-effacing about her LSE offer and explained how she felt lucky to receive an offer from one of the most prestigious universities in Europe. I don’t think there was any luck involved at all. Selena simply found her best fit university. She is an extremely bright and self-possessed young woman, who belongs at the LSE, which is of course, why they made her an offer! We wish Selena all the very best for her bright future as she moves off into the world and graduates worldwise!