Do I stand a chance at IR/Political Science Master's at Sciences Po, LSE, Oxford, Cambridge, King's College?

[celine2002]

Hi, my name is Céline, I have been researching Masters mostly in IR but also in Political Science as I am beginning my final year of my undergraduate degree. Could you let me know if you think I have a chance at the following programs / schools: 

• LSE / Sciences Po Double Degree in International Affairs
• Sciences Po Master in International Governance and Diplomacy
• LSE MSc in International Relations
• LSE MSc in Global Politics
• Oxford MPhil in International Relations
• Oxford MSc in Global Governance and Diplomacy
• Cambridge MPhil in Politics & International Studies
• King's College MA in International Relations

I also have other schools on my list which are less competitive, but these are my top choices. I'm currently working on preparing my documents for when the application period starts in September/October. 

 

Here is my profile:

Academic profile

• I finished high school with a GPA of 19.54/20 in Economics & Social Sciences (summa cum laude)
• I am doing a Bachelor's degree in International Relations
  • Current GPA of 3.92/4 (summa cum laude)
  • Only one course with a B+ grade, all others graded A-, A or A+
  • I mostly have classes in IR, but I also have quite a few in political science, and some in economics (macro, micro) and sociology
  • I am also doing a minor in Conflict studies at another school, which will lead me to graduate with 12 extra ECTS on top of the 180 ECTS of my Bachelor's
• I will have to pass the IELTS again if I am accepted in those programs, but two years ago when I passed it for the first time I had a score of 8/9
• Following a few IR/Political Science online courses as well

 

International experience: I have lived the first ten years of my life in France, then 7 years in South-East Asia, and now 3 years in the European country where I am completing my undergraduate degree

 

Extracurricular activities

• In high school: 
  • 1 year as French tutor to pupils 
  • 1 year as maths tutor to high school student
  • 1 year as editor-in-chief of my high school journal
  • 1 year as president of the MUN society 
• In university: 
  • 4 months as team member in the local chapter of a volunteer-based organization seeking to protect vulnerable communities during COVID
  • 1 year as secretary of the executive board of an academic course about international politics offered by my university but organized by students
  • Ongoing position: 2 years in the undergraduate academic journal of my university (the first year as editor, the second year as head editor)
  • Ongoing position: A few months as publications director of the EuropeanHorizons' chapter of my university (currently working on creating a journal for our writers to publish their academic pieces & policy papers + part of my job is managing our 5-10 working groups from September to June and I intend to join one of them as a participant in September in order to write policy papers and other pieces together)
  • Recently won an award for an essay about youth participation in policymaking
• + More than 4 years of Model United Nations (every year multiple conferences, as delegate, chair and organizer/President + award for best position paper & award for best delegate)
• Also doing tennis; theatre; and playing piano and clarinet

 

Work experience: None yet, but I will be starting a 5-months internship as a Research Assistant in September, helping one of my professors write their book on peacebuilding

 

Other skills

• Languages: I speak French & English fluently, Spanish (B1, still learning), Arabic (A2, still learning)
• IT skills: Basic Microsoft office tools (Word, Excel, Powerpoint), but also Sony Vegas Pro and Adobe Audition, and online tools including Canva, Weebly, Trello and Slack

 

So, does it look like I have a chance at those graduate programs? My dream would be to be accepted in the LSE/Sciences Po double Master's, but I know it is a really selective program that often recruits from Sciences Po undergraduate students. Any help / comments would be appreciated, also regarding what you think I should emphasize in my CV and motivation letter/personal statement. 

Thank you so much in advance!!

[Grospatapouf]

Hey Céline,

I am myself a French senior student of IR in the Netherlands, more precisely at Leiden University; and I am currently considering a comparable set of Master's programmes.

My understanding is that Dutch grades translate well in both the UK and French academic systems, so if you are above 8.0 you should get your shots for top schools. The differentiation is then essentially made based on the coherence of your project and your letters of recommendation.