lse accounting and finance personal statement

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Personal statement

The quality of an applicant's personal statement is very important at LSE. The School does not interview for places so this is an applicant’s only opportunity to demonstrate they are a good fit for the course. Applicants should consult the advice here, as well as advice from UCAS when preparing to complete this section of their application. 

Please note that writing a personal statement following the guidelines below does not guarantee an offer of admission. Personal statements are looked at on a comparative basis and there is a great deal of competition for places at LSE. 

LSE does not accept additional or supplementary personal statements. We can only consider the personal statement submitted via UCAS.

Writing your personal statement

We expect that your submitted Personal Statement is structured and coherent and that you fully utilise the space available on your UCAS application form. We expect that you have checked spelling, punctuation, and grammar and that your Personal Statement flows in a logical order. We expect that your Personal Statement is entirely your own original work. We reserve the right to reject your application where it has been found that a statement has significant similarities to a previous submission or has been created with the use of Artificial Intelligence.

Before you start writing, do your research

Before you start writing your personal statement, you should visit our course guides . These guides give information on the course content of each of our undergraduate programmes. 

When assessing your personal statement our Admissions Selectors will look at how well your academic interests align with the LSE course. So, for example, the Anthropology Admissions Selector is likely to prefer a statement which focuses mainly on social anthropology - which is taught at LSE - over one which suggests the applicant is very interested in biological anthropology, or a combined degree with archaeology, as these courses are not offered at the School. 

Similarly, a personal statement which shows an interest mostly in modern international history (the focus of LSE’s International History course) is likely to be more competitive than one which shows a significant interest in ancient history, as LSE does not offer any ancient history units.   

If you are applying for a range of slightly different courses, we recommend that you focus your personal statement on the areas of overlap between them, so that your statement appeals to all of your UCAS choices. It is important to note that LSE does not accept replacement or supplementary personal statements. 

What to include in your personal statement

Your personal statement should discuss for the most part your academic interest in the subject you wish to study. One way to think about the personal statement is to reflect on what we expect from LSE undergraduates: we ask them to learn about topics relevant to their course, through reading or other experiences, and then discuss the ideas they have encountered in academic essays. This is the skill we look for in the personal statement and we recommend at least 80% of your statement should be dedicated to this type of academic discussion. 

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 in the prospectus for examples of suggested reading. Remember we are interested not just in a list of what you have read/encountered, but evidence you have reflected on the academic ideas. 

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

• Why have you chosen the course? 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?
• Have you developed your subject interest outside of your school 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? 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 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?
• Have you attended any schemes or activities at LSE or other universities, such as Summer Schools, Saturday Schools, LSE Choice, etc? What you have learned from these? Have they furthered your knowledge of or interest in your chosen subject?

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 (ie, you have already received your final results), you may wish to mention briefly what you have been doing since your exams. 

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. 

Extra-curricular activities

At LSE you are admitted to study a particular degree course so the majority of your personal statement − at least 80% − should focus on your academic interest in that subject. Many students like to include some details of their extra-curricular activities such as involvement in sports, the arts, volunteering or student government. As our Selectors are most interested in your academic interests, we recommend that no more than 20% of your statement is spent discussing extra-curricular activities. 

Applying to combined degree programmes

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 Politics and Economics degree, you must show evidence of interest in both subjects; a statement weighted towards only one aspect of the degree will be significantly less competitive.

Example of a poor personal statement

"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 focussed on ancient history, which LSE does not offer as part of our history course. 

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 degree will help them get the job they later want, rather than what they are looking forward to studying during the degree. 

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. 

UCAS reference Your teacher's reference: what we're looking for

Watch this presentation LSE Admissions Specialist Paul talks about personal statements

Study at LSE webinars Watch our Personal Statement FAQs webinar

Explore our Virtual Undergraduate Open Day Resources, guidance and videos on applying to LSE and more

Use our programme finder Explore our undergraduate degrees

CollegeLAH is a website by the students for the students, featuring the honest story of applications and university life as told by Malaysians. It’s a non-profit social project to help Malaysian students to achieve their higher-education dreams and inspire them to reach their full potential. 

Accounting and Finance Personal Statement (Anonymous 3)

This personal statement was part of the student’s successful application to LSE, University of Bath, University of Warwick, City University  and Loughborough University for Accounting and Finance.

Sometimes life reserves the right to give us nasty surprises – it throws inherently unpredictable, incalculable occurrences straight in our paths. “Black swan” events are what the academics call it. I still vividly recall my father relating to me the rise and subsequent demise of his property development venture in the late 1990s as a result of the Asian Financial Crisis. Back then I was too young to comprehend the mechanics and broader implications of such a rare, disruptive global event. However, today, I’ve begun to understand that highly overleveraged corporations, fuelled by an unsustainable investment boom at the bequest of hubristic CEOs had set the scene for the largest crisis the region had seen for decades. I am keen to understand how prudent financial management would have averted the downfall of my father’s business and how realistic investment assumptions could have driven better allocation of capital to various projects. It’s this desire that has fuelled my interest in reading Accounting & Finance at university, propelled by my belief that I can find answers through this field of study. 

At the LSE Economics & Leadership Forum recently, I was able to engage in an array of emerging issues increasingly encountered by corporates. I joined my fellow peers in deliberating the impact of technology on traditional business models and how the emergence of increasingly cost-efficient start-ups has disrupted incumbent corporations across all sub-sectors. This further piqued my interest in understanding the impact of technology in rationalising cost structures and the role of modern finance in weeding out those slow to adapt. Work shadowing an investment banker over my summer break, I saw how financial models can be applied to ascertaining the value of businesses but more importantly how valuations are largely dependent on exogenous assumptions. Reading The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham, it dawned upon me that accounting adjustments and valuation methodologies can be highly subjective, but the best investors neutralise the impact of this subjectivity by incorporating a “margin of safety” to minimise downside risk. I look forward to equipping myself with the skillset to analyse both quantitatively and qualitatively the intrinsic value of these companies vis-à-vis the study of Accounting & Finance at university.

Having a high affinity for mathematics and statistical manipulation, I relish the challenge of solving complex Mathematical problems. My exposure to Physics and British Parliamentary style debates has pushed me to think out of the box and come up with creative solutions to complex issues at a moment’s notice. I am thrilled that Accounting & Finance allows me to apply Mathematics to solve problems that form an integral part of everyday life. Decisions ranging from which mortgage to take up as a first time buyer to allocating and diversifying your personal investment portfolio all revolve around financial theory. The opportunity for practical application of these theories thoroughly excites me. 

Having juggled multiple leadership positions of high responsibility in high school and now at college, I pride myself in being results-oriented and meticulous in execution. As Vice President of my school choir club and having held senior leadership positions on the School Prefectorial Board, I’ve learned how to lead a team under immense pressure but also to listen and act on the feedback of others. Being recognised as an Outstanding Leo Member, I am struck by the importance of giving back to the community and have used my involvement as a platform to raise funds in aid of underprivileged children in the rural outskirts of Malaysia. In my own small way, I believe that I’ve inspired others as much as I’ve been inspired to become more and that’s especially meaningful for me. At university, I want to be challenged further and to ultimately apply my knowledge in creating a positive change for my people.

DISCLAIMER:  The personal statements on this site are strictly meant as a starting point to give an idea of how successful personal statements look like. There is no surefire formula to writing good personal statements.  COLLEGELAH IS STRICTLY AGAINST PLAGIARISM OF ANY KIND .  UCAS employs a plagiarism check system  that checks applicants’ work against other published writing so please  DO NOT PLAGIARISE.

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LSE University Personal Statements

These UCAS personal statements have been kindly provided by students applying to London School of Economics. You can click on one of the links below to view the entire statement and find out if the applicant was offered a place.

You can also view our entire collection of personal statements or view personal statements for application at other universities .

History Personal Statement Example 3 Recently, I found out that my grandma was gambled into slavery for seven years. She escaped her prison and made her way back to Hong Kong, 300 miles south. I was amazed at how courageous she was. This personal discovery led me to read Jung Chang's 'Wild Swans' which made me both proud and ashamed of my heritage...

Mathematics and Economics Personal Statement Example 1 As Pythagoras may have said, (Ambitious)2 + (Bold)2 = (Critical thinker)2 makes a perfect student and is what I strive to be. From the simple Pythagorean to the complex Fermat's Last Theorem, mathematics is a never ending branch of study which I enthusiastically enjoy studying and why I wish to pursue it even further at university...

Economics and Politics Personal Statement Example 1 "I killed the bank": the last words of Andrew Jackson, former president of the US, after he had vetoed to renew the charter and withdraw all federal deposits from banks causing them to bust. Real money was backed with gold shortly after, causing the greatest economic boom in history for the US where no income tax was implemented...

Maths and Actuarial Science Personal Statement Example Maths is a subject like no other; its complexity makes it a challenging and often frustrating area of study, however the logic behind every problem leaves a feeling of certainty about it. My devotion to the subject has grown exponentially, especially in recent years...

Geography Personal Statement Example 1 At first glance, my A Level choices appear scientifically biased, but they underpin key topics studied in Geography. I enjoy investigating the theories of global economies, population and poverty. The mathematics I have studied enables me to manipulate raw data meaningfully...

Anthropology Personal Statement Example 1 Completing my sixth form education at a multicultural boarding school has allowed me to experience a wide social and cultural diversity that I never would have expected in a school environment, in great contrast to the subtle ethnocentrism of my previous schooling...

Anthropology Personal Statement Example 2 My fascination with human behaviour and the motivations behind human actions has existed for most of my adult life, to determine a cause however I would accredit this to the voluntary work I participated in with Crisis Single Persons Homeless charity...

Mathematics and Economics Personal Statement Example 2 Every day we make decisions and interact with others; the laws of economics help us make rational choices and consider the irrationality of others, as well as understand the world better. Maths and statistics are the necessary tools for me to understand the modern economics...

Politics Personal Statement Example 5 My background, living in three major metropolises, Lagos, London and Aberdeen bestowed me a very diverse, open, multicultural way of thinking. The cultural shock of Lagos widened my eyes to vastness of the world and prepped my involvement in the Community Development Committee, allowing me to get in touch with all sectors of Nigerian society; here my interest in sociology, politics and government took flight...

Maths & Actuarial Science Personal Statement Example 1 "It has become a very strange and perhaps frightening subject from the ordinary point of view,but anyone who penetrates into it will find a veritable fairyland"( Kasner E and Newman J).This saying is perhaps the most fitted to describe my enthusiasm for Maths...

Business & Management Personal Statement Example There is no limit to what you can learn and how much you can earn from it. Instilled with this belief by my father, I have since the beginning learnt to approach the world differently. I view that knowledge can be applied practically not only to earn a living, but also to earn wisdom...

Mathematics and Engineering Personal Statement Example Questions regarding the reason for my liking of mathematics have only one answer: mathematical logic and concepts contribute to a practical approach in every aspect of life. It is the diversity and universal applicability of this subject that encourages me to delve further and study it in depth...

Economics and Economic History Personal Statement Example Over the past few years I have developed a strong interest in the Economic history of the UK. I have become interested in how the UK's economic policy over centuries has built the UK into one of the world's most economically developed countries today...

Economics Personal Statement Example 23 It would not be foolish to contemplate the possibility of a far greater progress still. John Maynard Keynes From childhood I was bred to learn and the passion to understand has become a trait of my character...

Accountancy & Management Personal Statement Example I have chosen to study combined degrees in Accounting and Finance or Economics because I intend to further my studies towards developing a career in financial consultancy. Accountancy and Finance remain central elements of the dynamics of commerce, that define the way a firm, shareholders and society at large interact on multiple platforms...

European Social & Political Studies Personal Statement Example In my opinion, the problems societies face today deserve an in-depth analysis which draws on different disciplines of thought for its relevance; furthermore the implementations of strategies to combat problems must take into account more than one academic approach if they are going to be positively effective...

Economics Personal Statement Example 28 While working in the stock broker I became 100% sure that I wanted to study Economics at university. I gained employment at a Stock Broker office as a Monitor Operator in Bangladesh and my duty was to monitor the daily price list of trading of shares at the beginning of the day and then preparing trading reports at the end...

Sociology Personal Statement Example 12 A Gospel choir tour around South Africa was the catalyst for my fascination with human culture. As I travelled I was able to directly experience a multiplicity of cultures even within this one country...

Anthropology Personal Statement Example 7 Coming from a mixed religious background, the comparison between cultural practices has touched me deeply, personally and profoundly. I have been able to observe the influence of culture on people's perspectives and world views...

Politics & Social Policy Personal Statement Example The ever-changing nature and diversity of politics is fascinating. The rapid social and political development in Russia in the early 2000s, still surrounded by the left-overs, if not quite the toppled statues of the previous socialist regime, kindled my interest in politics...

PPE/Economics Personal Statement Example Humanity today stands at the intersection of the most significant questions facing the world today: if democracy leads to political infighting, should it be sacrificed in the interest of economic well-being? Does religious fundamentalism provide a way for countries in the developing world to assert their identity in the face of Western hegemony? Does the entry of Western consumer goods threaten a country’s economic self-sufficiency? The answers of these questions will determine what the nature of our world is in the twenty-first century...

Sociology Personal Statement Example 14 The need for the study of Sociology in society is, arguably, universally fundamental. The study of society is of paramount importance in solving social problems of great magnitude such as poverty and family disorganisation...

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Accounting and Finance

Applied in: winter 2013, university offers: lse.

The fact that the 2013 Nobel Prize in Economics appeared to be the third Nobel Prize within the last twenty years awarded for research in the field of Asset Pricing has not been surprising to me. Although it is only one part of the broad field of financial market theory, having a closer look at Asset Pricing shows how it is a fascinating subject of great controversy, not least emphasised by the fact that the Prize was given to Eugene Fama as well as to Robert Shiller, a declared opponent of Fama’s hypothesis of efficient markets. Considering that Behavioural Finance has challenged Modern Portfolio Theory in recent years I remain unsure whether we will ever entirely understand Asset Pricing in financial markets. Therefore, discussing questions like this against the background of modern phenomena like “Bitcoin” is one of the reasons I intend to study Accounting and Finance on degree level.

My Abitur courses created the basis for me to seek a deeper understanding of Finance and its diverse subtopics. Maths proved essential for dealing with any business-related subject as it improved my analytical and numeracy skills. Business Administration and Accounting made me understand how financial statements build the foundation of financial decision-making, revealing the close connection between Accounting and Finance. With books like “How the City of London Works” and “The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life” drawing my interest to financial markets, I dealt with Graham’s approach on Value Investing in “The Intelligent Investor”. As both Graham’s methods as well as the success stories of people applying them, like Buffett, seem to contradict the proponents of efficient market theory, the fascinating controversy of financial market theory mentioned above is reinforced and makes me eager to learn more about this subject.

However, what makes Finance even more intriguing to me is its status as an integral part of our everyday life. Hearing my grandparents discuss how to invest their money, seeing my father think about whether to buy or lease a new car or my mother’s puzzled look after she received a letter from Continental AG informing her about her options during their capital increase, I understood that life is full of finance-related decisions. With that in mind, I think that studying Finance is not just gaining expertise but makes one a more educated person in life.

Working as a fundraiser for the German Red Cross not only challenged me in proving high endurance and my ability to cope with stress but also made me experience Finance at a very basic level. Interning at an investment consultancy and taking part in the elaboration of financial concepts enabled me to obtain a profound insight into financial markets from a practical point of view. As I found consulting people on financial issues appealing this experience reinforced my desire to turn my passion for Finance into a career and gave me a valuable understanding of business procedures and problem solving, which I plan to build on during my studies.

In my spare time, apart from my interest in languages and managing a virtual portfolio, I have always been committed to politics. Participating in a political debate contest and being in the executive committee of a local representation of Europe’s biggest political youth organization “Young Union” furthered my communication and leadership skills remarkably. In the course of the financial turmoil I noticed how politics is linked to financial issues, regarding monetary and fiscal policy has dominated the headlines for the last years.

During an internship in Ireland in 2012 I found that my open-mindedness in an international environment opens up new horizons and enables me to consider problems from a diverse range of perspectives. I assume to also meet such an environment when studying at a university in London which makes it the ideal place to discuss (my own) theories and ideas with similar minded people.

Please note UCAS will detect any form of plagiarism. PSE and its contributors do not take any responsibility for the way in which personal statements are used.