shanntotheon

This is the typical "I need help" question. Over the past six weeks, my parents have drilled it into my head that I should go to LSE for an MSc in philosophy and public policy through the philosophy department. I went to London to visit all the schools from which I got acceptances: UCL, King's, LSE, Birkbeck... It came down to LSE and King's. I was going to choose King's so long as I did not get into UChicago. Well, I got into UChicago. I know that I'm going to Harris. The question now is whether to defer a year to attend LSE for the program. I'm finishing up my senior year at university and will graduate with a degree in philosophy. So, LSE is appealing just because of my undergraduate degree. So, the question is whether to defer Chicago for a year to attend LSE for a program that will give me philosophical satisfaction, but may not add anything else? The pros to LSE: one more year studying something that I love, the experience of studying abroad (which I did, but studying for a graduate degree abroad is different), parents are willing to pay, and let's get it out of the way - LSE's name. Negatives - puts me off for a year, do I really need the MSc and what will it really do for me, and I'm not a fan of the English... I need help because if I wake up one more morning to my mother saying, "go to LSE," I may blow a casket and refuse to go just to spite her. That is not okay to do. Any advice would be appreciated.

I am through the roof that I got into Harris! I don't even care that I didn't get money.

What really fustrates me is that I have been accepted to schools in the UK (i.e. LSE and King's), and they only give students 4 weeks to respond. For me, that fell last week, and I have had to put off telling them for another week because of these shenanagans. I even had one school who told me the third week of January, and I had to ask for an extension until now! Whether I get in or not, this has been so disheartening.

Majors: Philosophy and French, Minor: German GPA: 3.56 GRE: 460 V/ 660 Q/ 5 AW -- not sooo hot... Experience: internships with 2 Senators & 1 Congressman, #3 French labor union in France, Government Affairs Office at my university, and tutored underpriviledge students in French. General experience with family, education, and labor issues/ Accepted to UK schools: LSE (Philosophy and Public Policy), King's (Public Policy), Sheffield (Public Policy), and Edinburgh (Philosophy) and waiting on 2 more. I only applied to 1 program in the U.S. as I did terribly on the GREs and did not care enough to do retake them nor had the time. I did write a letter to address my verbal score. It will be interesting to see what happens and hopefully, turns out positively.