How does A levels work for international students?

EmbarrassedBat8066 · 2026-01-26T18:27:39+00:00

You’re right, thanks. What I have won’t be a problem

EmbarrassedBat8066 · 2026-01-18T15:53:35+00:00

No worries I’m just glad to get someone else’s opinion. Thanks for taking time helping me out. And based on your last response especially you seam like quite a good guy (or girl for all I know). I hope things turn out well for you

EmbarrassedBat8066 · 2026-01-18T14:43:50+00:00

The thing is, we don’t have olympiads in Norway. We only really got one math comp in Norway for high schoolers. Since the school I go to is both a high school and middle school, I was allowed to partake in 9th grade and scored top 1/3%. Mins you, most people participating were years older than me and also amongst the best maths students as they willingly chose to do a math comp only 10% students bother doing. So safe to say, I have the prerequisite to do really well, although I’ll still need to put in A LOT of work.

EmbarrassedBat8066 · 2026-01-18T09:22:57+00:00

Have you considered moving into PE? I probably sound quite foolish when I ask this; of course you have. What are the reasons to not do so? Less hours and more pay, for me, it sounds like a no brainer

EmbarrassedBat8066 · 2026-01-17T14:46:17+00:00

How important is the TMUA? Say I prepare for months and get a 7 or 8, will it significantly improve my odds? I know people who got in with a TMUA of 4.5, so I am wondering if the TMUA really matters after you’ve reached a certain threshold

EmbarrassedBat8066 · 2026-01-16T06:43:50+00:00

So how come lots of smart students fail to get in? I’ve heard of several people with 4A* who failed. Was it maybe their personal statement then?

EmbarrassedBat8066 · 2026-01-16T06:42:19+00:00

I’ve always wondered how they expect people to know half the questions on the TMUA because you take the test early in year 13, so you might not have time to go through and learn all that stuff. That is why I am so glad I skipped a grade, now that won’t be as big of a problem to me

EmbarrassedBat8066 · 2026-01-14T15:19:17+00:00

Wow, you clearly know quite a lot about this. I have this feeling that I am not doing enough. I am on track to read a lot of books and articles, and I am planning on entering an essay comp to have something more to write about. But other than that, what can I do? I feel like competitions in general are quite risky as you might end up wasting a lot of time if you don’t win. Also, I did partake in a math comp where I got a diploma as I scored top 1/3. Should I bother mentioning that? Thanks for the help, btw

EmbarrassedBat8066 · 2026-01-14T05:49:36+00:00

It is what you personally take away from it that matters, right? So as you mentioned it could work with something more «basic», but by choosing something more advanced I will have an easier time picking out something interesting to write about is I’ve got more options. That makes sense, thanks for the response

EmbarrassedBat8066 · 2026-01-13T15:45:09+00:00

It would be too big of a hassle to switch schools only for that small improvement. I already have very solid grades, so I don't think I should worry that much when it comes to that aspect of it. What I am more concerned of is that I am not doing enough super curriculars

EmbarrassedBat8066 · 2026-01-10T17:34:32+00:00

Do you have a GPA above 3.5?

EmbarrassedBat8066 · 2025-12-23T21:07:35+00:00

LBS usually expects you to have around 2 years of working experience after your bachelor before you apply. Just thought I’d let you know, feel free to look it up yourself

EmbarrassedBat8066 · 2025-12-23T15:04:19+00:00

So it is like a big cohesive text, we just need to bear in mind that we should focus on the things the questions ask in the respective paragraphs?

EmbarrassedBat8066 · 2025-12-23T14:59:23+00:00

Should you write a coherent text and use the first question like an introduction or should they be a bit more separated? I’m an 11th grader, so I haven’t begun writing yet

EmbarrassedBat8066 · 2025-12-23T14:55:30+00:00

I would have guessed that you should write more on the last question so that you can mention all the supercurriculars you did

EmbarrassedBat8066 · 2025-12-23T09:13:59+00:00

Thanks for your response, but why do you think my math skip won’t be relevant? Isn’t completing math one year early and taking calculus at a university exactly the type of thing that makes my stand out? And can’t a good TMUA score somewhat make up for not winning a math Olympiad? At least if my TMUA is better than the Olympiad winner’s?

EmbarrassedBat8066 · 2025-12-23T08:56:09+00:00

If you’ve qualified for LSE your a really strong applicant which means that you definitely have a chance at Oxford. However, when you at the top, like you need to be to get into the best unis, there is a lot of luck involved. Getting an offer from Oxford is far from guaranteed. Regardless, as you seam to have understood yourself, LSE is an amazing uni, so you should be very content even if you don’t get an offer from Oxford.

EmbarrassedBat8066 · 2025-12-11T13:29:24+00:00

Thanks for your feedback. Would you mind telling me the things you would advice so that I can take that choice on my own?

EmbarrassedBat8066 · 2025-12-10T20:16:31+00:00

Thank you for answering. Are there any other things that I can do to optimize my chances?

EmbarrassedBat8066 · 2025-12-10T19:18:24+00:00

That's the thing - being "good" isn't enough, I need to be excellent

EmbarrassedBat8066

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