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Statement of academic purpose

While all programmes require you to submit a statement of academic purpose, a few programmes require you to follow a specific format when writing your statement. these specific requirements are detailed below., statement of academic purpose – all programmes, excluding those listed below.

You must upload a statement that explains your academic interest in, understanding of and academic preparedness for the programme(s) you are applying for. You should also explain the academic rationale for applying to the programme(s) you have chosen. If applying for two programmes, you are strongly encouraged to write a separate statement for each programme. The statement of academic purpose is an important part of your application, and selectors are looking for evidence of your academic suitability and motivation, and of what you can contribute academically to the programme. We expect statement(s) to be between 1,000 - 1,500 words. 

Please address the following questions/prompts in your statement(s) 

Academic Motivations  

• What prompted your interest in this particular field of study? Perhaps you have unanswered questions from your undergraduate studies or professional work, or you would like to further explore issues and ideas raised in your curricular or extra-curricular reading? 
• Why would you like to study your chosen programme? Perhaps it offers a particular approach, or there are specific modules that will help you develop necessary skills or knowledge. Perhaps the research interests of the academics teaching on your programme, and/or the wider research culture of the department align with your own interests and academic/professional aspirations? 

Suitability 

• What makes you suitable for this LSE programme? Perhaps you have taken relevant undergraduate modules, or have relevant professional, voluntary, or other experience that has prepared for postgraduate study in this area? 

Purpose and Objectives  

• What do you hope to get out of this particular LSE programme? How would this particular programme help you to achieve your personal, academic, and professional goals? Take the time to explain your academic or professional  aspirations and goals, and how your chosen programme will impart the necessary skills and knowledge. Please avoid general statements about LSE’s performance in global rankings, and  generic statements about London being a global/cosmopolitan centre of excellence. 

If there are circumstances that have disrupted your education/significantly interfered with your learning (for example, health problems, displacement, long-term caring responsibilities), please feel free to let us know about them in a separate document added to your application (you can upload this document via the ‘Additional Item’ upload option). If appropriate, please also consult the advice we give to applicants from a forced migration background here , and from a care-experienced background here . 

Please ensure that your statement(s): 

Are all your own work. If we discover this is not the case, your application may be cancelled

Are well-written, well-structured and specific to the programme(s) applied for

Are proofread before being uploaded, and the final correct versions are uploaded

Only include that which is relevant to your programme choice(s). Additional information regarding unrelated extra-curricular activities, personal achievements or work experience should be included in your CV

Have your name and the title of your chosen programme in the header or footer of every page 

MSc Health Data Science

In addition to following the general guidance, please be sure to clearly outline your background in mathematics, statistics or other quantitative subjects. If your background is outside of mathematics or statistics then you should provide further explanation of how your experience is relevant to the programme applied for, as well as further details of your current studies. 

MSc Media and Communications (Data and Society)

If you are applying for this programme, please note the following specific requirements for your statement of academic purpose.

Write a short statement (up to 600 words) about why you want to do the programme. This might cover, for example, what suits you to the programme: your experiences and skills in relation to the analysis of data and society; what attracts you to this particular programme and where you see yourself in ten years after the programme.

In addition, please write a response (up to 400 words*) to  one  of the following questions. You might do so by relying on relevant authors and concepts from previous courses or independent study, as well as on professional experiences.

• What is the most pressing social, political or ethical issue related to data and society? Why should we study it?
• How useful is the concept of "big data"? What are its limitations?
• What consequences do data-based systems have for individuals? How should we address these?
• If you could invent a data-based product or service that would change the world, what would it look like? What would be its best feature and what would be its biggest risk?

*The total length of your statement of academic purpose, including the answers to the above questions, should therefore be between 800-1,000 words.

MSc Media, Communication and Development

Write a short statement (up to 800 words) about why you want to do the programme. This might cover, for example, what suits you to the programme: your experiences and skills in relation to social justice, development or communication; what attracts you to this particular programme and where you see yourself in ten years after the programme.

Also answer the following questions (your answers should be approximately 250 words each)*:  

• What should a developed society be like according to you?
• How will studying theory help you to understand development and communication practice?
• Why do you think we need to be critical of aspects of contemporary communication and development?

  *The total length of your statement of academic purpose, including the answers to the above questions, should therefore be between 1,000-1,500 words.

MSc Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Write a short statement (up to 600 words) about why you want to do the programme. This might cover, for example, what you will bring to the cohort, and what your particular strengths are.

Also, you should answer the following questions (your answers should be approximately 500 words each):

• Tell us about an experience you had with social innovation /entrepreneurship/ a project with high social impact. What role did you play and what did you learn about yourself?  
• How will your past experience, combined with this LSE masters, help you to achieve your goals?

The  total length   of your statement  – including the answers to the above questions - should therefore be  between 1,100 & 1,600 words .

Department of Statistics - MSc Programmes

MSc in Data Science - G3U1

MSc in Statistics (Social Statistics) - G3U2

MSc in Statistics (Social Statistics) (Research) - G3U3

MSc in Statistics (Research) - G4U1

MSc in Quantitative Methods for Risk Management - G4U2

MSc in Statistics - G4U5

MSc in Statistics (Financial Statistics) - G4U6

MSc in Statistics (Financial Statistics) (Research) - G4U7

Your statement should explain why you are pursuing your selected programme and why you have chosen LSE's Department of Statistics. Brief details of your academic background and aspirations are also useful. If your background is outside of mathematics or statistics then you should provide further explanation of how your experience is relevant to the programme applied for, as well as further details of your current studies. 

Your statement should be concise and should not exceed 500 words .

Executive MSc in Health Economics, Outcomes and Management in Clinical Sciences

Your statement should be typed and no longer than three sides of A4 paper and should address the following questions:

• What are your career goals over the near (2-3 years) and medium term (5-7 years)?
• In concrete terms, how will your career benefit from completing this programme?

In addition, you may wish to discuss the following:

• Motivation for undertaking the programme
• Academic interests, strengths and background relevant to the programme
• Areas of specific interest within the programme
• Academic ambitions and/or research interests related to the programme
• Any professional aspirations, and how academic work within the programme might help you realise such aspirations
• Other relevant information, such as additional reading or research, work or other relevant experience that has informed your decision to apply for the particular programme

Please ensure that your statement:

• Is all your own work. If we discover this is not the case, your application may be cancelled
• Is well-written, well-structured and specific to the programme applied for
• Is proofread before being uploaded, and the final correct version is uploaded
• Has your name and the title of your chosen programme in the header or footer of every page

Executive Global MSc in Management

Your personal statement should be a maximum of 2 pages long, and highlight why you want to do the programme.  Make sure you address the following points:

• details on your suitability for the programme
• your motivations for choosing this programme in particular and what you hope to get out of it
• any career highlights to date, in particular any leadership or international experience
• future career objectives and how you think the programme will help you achieve them
• what you think you can bring to the classroom learning environment that makes you stand out from other applicants

Executive MSc in Social Business and Entrepreneurship

The Academic Statement of Purpose consists of two parts.  The total combined word count for both parts should not exceed 1,200 words.

• A personal statement: Your personal statement should persuasively explain why you want to do this programme. This may include your personal suitability such as career achievements and ambitions, what you hope to get out of the programme, your particular strengths, and what you will bring to the cohort.  600-700 words.
• For the second part, please submit your thoughts on the following statement.  400-500 words. “The business of business is social improvement. Describe briefly the role of markets in social progress.”

Atlantic Fellows Residential programme with MSc Inequalities and Social Science

Your statement(s) should be typed and no longer than two sides of A4 paper. There is no fixed word limit, but we expect statement(s) to be no longer than 1,000 - 1,500 words. 

In your statement(s), you should address the following:  

• Why are you interested in joining the AFSEE programme and what do you hope to gain by being part of it? In your answer, please:  

 o   Describe what area of socioeconomic inequality you engage in and the type of work you have done.  

o   Please give examples of how you have meaningfully contributed to collective endeavours to address inequalities.  

o   Explain why you would like to learn more about social and economic equity and how this will contribute to your social change work.  

o   Explain, in one to two paragraphs, the MSc dissertation you plan to undertake as part of the requirements of the MSc in Inequalities and Social Science. 

• Within 5 years of completing the AFSEE programme, what do you hope to achieve in your work/field? How do you see participation in the AFSEE programme contributing to you achieving those goals? 
• What academic knowledge would you like to gain via the MSc in Inequalities & Social Science and how do you plan to apply this knowledge to your future work on social change?
• Please indicate any research interests.

Atlantic Fellows Non-Residential Programme

In your statement(s), you should address the following: 

Why are you interested in joining the AFSEE programme and what do you hope to gain by being a part of it?  In your answer, please: 

Describe the area of socioeconomic inequality you engage in and the type of work you have done. 

Please give examples of how you have meaningfully contributed to collective endeavours to address inequalities.   

Explain why you would like to learn more about social and economic equity and how this will contribute to your social change work. 

What is the project you are planning to undertake as a part of the AFSEE programme?  Explain it in two paragraphs. 

Within 5 years of completing the AFSEE programme, what do you hope to achieve in your work / field?  How do you see the AFSEE programme contributing to you achieving these goals?

FAQs The Knowledge Base will provide you with answers, and allow you to email us

How to apply Information on the application process, and our video guide

Available programmes Check if your chosen programme is currently recruiting

Current processing times See which date we are currently processing and find out when you are likely to hear from us

News and events Current processing dates, holiday closures, events on campus and around the world

Contact Graduate Admissions Our Knowledge base and getting in touch with our team by Zoom, email, and Live chat

BSc Politics and International Relations

Introduction, preliminary readings.

On this programme, you’ll learn about the theory and practice of politics in the contemporary world – comparing political ideologies and systems in different cultures and countries. You’ll also look at the role of politics and power in international relations and examine how the international community works in terms of rules, interests, institutions and customs.

Your time will be divided equally between politics and international relations and you can tailor your studies to your interests and career aspirations. You’ll study alongside students from many countries – providing rich and diverse insights from different perspectives.

Our graduates embark on careers in the financial sector, central and local government, policy work, teaching, research and IT and digital technology.

If you wish to gain further insight into politics we suggest that you look at one or more of the following books:

The general character of politics

• J Colomer The Science of Politics: an introduction (Oxford University Press, 2011)
• R Goodin The Oxford Handbook of Political Science (Oxford University Press, 2009)
• I Katznelson and H Milner (eds.) Political Science: state of the discipline (New York: Wiley, 2002)

Political thought

Many classic texts of political thought are readily available in a variety of editions:

• Machiavelli The Prince
• J S Mill Considerations on Representative Government
• M Wollstonecraft A Vindication of the Rights of Women

Political analysis and political institutions

• W R Clark, M Golder and S Nadenichek Golder Principles of Comparative Politics (CQ Press, 2009)
• P Dunleavy and J Dryzek Theories of the Democratic State (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009)
• R Morton Analyzing Elections (Norton, 2006)
• E Ostrom, Governing the Commons: the evolution of institutions for collective action (Cambridge University Press, 1990/2015)

International relations

• C Alden and A Aron Foreign Policy Analysis: new approaches (Routledge, 2011)
• J Baylis, S Smith and P Owens (eds) The Globalization of World Politics: an introduction to international relations (6th edition, Oxford University Press, 2013)
• C Brown, with K Ainley Understanding International Relations (Macmillan, 2009)
• B Buzan and R Little International Systems in World History: remaking the study of international relations (Oxford University Press, 2000)
• R Jackson and G Sorensen An Introduction to International Relations: theories and approaches (5th edition, Oxford University Press, 2012)
• R Shilliam International Relations and Non-Western Thought: imperialism, colonialism and investigations of global modernity (Routledge, 2010)
• J Steans Gender & International Relations (Polity Press, 2013)
• T G Weiss and R Wilkinson (eds) International Organization and Global Governance (Routledge, 2014)
• J Young and J Kent International Relations since 1945: a global history (2nd ed, Oxford University Press, 2013)

Entry requirements

Here, you can check our entry requirements for GCSEs, A-levels (please read them alongside our information about subject combinations) and the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. We also consider applications from students with a range of other UK qualifications and from overseas. Please select the overseas button below and choose your country from the dropdown list to find the equivalency to A-levels of your qualification.

For GCSEs, you’ll need a strong pre-16 academic profile such as several GCSE grades of A (or 7) and A* (or 8-9).

We also ask for a good set of GCSE grades or equivalent across a broad range of subjects, with a minimum of grade B (or 6) in GCSE English and Mathematics.

We also consider your AS grades, if available.

Contextual admissions A-level grades

Read our undergraduate admissions information to learn more about contextual admissions.

A-level subject combinations

• We consider your combination of subjects as well as your grades.
• A broad mix of traditional academic subjects provides the best preparation for studying at LSE. We expect applicants to have at least two full A-levels (or equivalent) in these subjects.
• We’re looking for academic students with a genuine interest in and enthusiasm for the social and political sciences.
• There is no set subject combination, but typical subject choices include Government and Politics, History, English, Economics, Sociology, Philosophy, languages and Mathematics.
• If you’ve taken Mathematics, Further Mathematics and one other subject at A-level, this may be considered a less competitive combination than a broader mix of quantitative and qualitative subjects.

Find out more about A-level subject combinations .

38 points overall, including 766 at higher level 

Contextual admissions IB grades

37 points overall, including 765 at higher level

We welcome students from all walks of life at LSE. We want to recruit students with the very best academic merit, potential and motivation. So, whatever your background, please do apply. Get all the details on our general  entry requirements .

Competition for places at LSE is high. We cannot guarantee you an offer of a place even if you’re predicted or achieve our standard entry requirements.

Our standard offer requirements are intended only as a guide and, in some cases, you’ll be asked for different grades.

Programme content

Why study with us.

Discover more about our students and department.

Meet the department

The Department of Government is an internationally renowned centre for teaching and research on politics and government.

Within our department, we have 850 undergraduates, postgraduates and research students and more than 40 faculty staff – who come from 80 countries.

Our research focuses on six main areas:

• comparative politics
• conflict studies
• political behaviour and political psychology
• political economy and institutional analysis
• political theory
• public policy and public administration.

The department’s work covers national, sub-national and global politics – with a strong emphasis on public-facing research.

Teaching within the department draws on these strengths and our central role in a prestigious social science institution. As a student, you’ll learn from internationally renowned academics and study in the heart of London, close to the UK’s political heartland in Westminster and the Houses of Parliament.

Our students gain the knowledge and skills to become sharp-minded critical thinkers who apply diverse analytical perspectives to political issues and conflicts around the globe. We encourage students to reflect on what it means to be responsible for addressing urgent public problems and engage in these issues in practical ways to prepare for their future careers. Our graduates find fulfilling roles in government, financial and professional services, teaching and research.

Learn more about our programmes , research , public events  and  people .

Department of Government

2nd In Europe

5th In the world

1st We're ranked top university in London for the 12th year running

Carbon neutral in 2021 lse became the first carbon neutral verified university in the uk, your application, who attends.

We consider each application carefully, taking into account all the details you’ve included on your UCAS form, such as:

• academic achievement , including predicted and achieved grades (also see specific information about this programme in the "entry requirements" above)
• subjects and subject combinations  (also see specific information about this programme in the "entry requirements" above)
• your personal statement
• your teacher’s reference
• educational circumstances

You may also have to provide evidence of your English proficiency, although this is not needed at the application stage.  See our English language requirements page .

We’re looking for students who demonstrate:

• an awareness of and genuine interest in current political issues
• a willingness to read extensively
• an ability to analyse data
• an ability to evaluate and challenge conventional views
• good communication skills
• excellent time management
• intellectual curiosity
• self-motivation and a willingness to work hard
• an equal interest in both politics and international relations.

Fees and funding

The table of fees shows the latest tuition fees for all programmes.

You're charged a fee for each year of your programme. Your tuition fee covers registration and examination fees payable to the School, lectures, classes and individual supervision, lectures given at other colleges under intercollegiate arrangements and, under current arrangements, membership of the Students' Union. It doesn't cover living costs or travel or fieldwork.

Your tuition fees, and eligibility for any financial support, depend on whether you’re classified as a home or an overseas student – known as your fee status. We assess your fee status based on guidelines from the UK Government’s Department for Education.

Learn more about fee status classification .

Scholarships, bursaries and loans

We recognise that the cost of living in London may be higher than in your home town or country. LSE provides generous financial support, in the form of bursaries and scholarships, to UK, EU and overseas students.

Additionally, the UK Government provides loans to UK and some EU students. Some overseas governments also offer funding.

Further information on tuition fees, living costs, loans and scholarships .

Learning and assessment

How you learn, how you're assessed.

Format and contact hours: you’ll have regular lectures and classes. Classes usually focus on a more detailed discussion of lecture topics and you’ll also learn how to present and critique arguments. Classes are held in small groups (with a maximum of 15 students).

Lectures are given by full-time members of staff while classes are led by teaching fellows who may either be doctoral degree recipients or PhD students. Learn more about the teacher responsible for each course in the relevant course guide .

Below is a general outline of the time you’ll need to commit:

Lectures and classes

You’ll attend:

• four one-hour lectures per week during the Autumn and Winter Terms
• four hours of classes each week.

Hours vary according to the course. Get a broad idea of the study time involved in the Calendar within the Teaching section of each course guide .

Independent study

You’ll need to dedicate around:

• four hours of study (reading preparation and writing) for every hour of contact time
• this is roughly 30 hours of independent study per week.

Academic support

Academic mentor: you’ll meet with your academic mentor regularly to discuss your work. Your mentor can provide advice and guidance on academic issues and, where appropriate, personal concerns.

Other academic support: at LSE, we offer lots of opportunities to extend your learning outside the classroom.

LSE LIFE is a great place to get advice and practise the skills you’ll need during your studies and beyond.

Through LSE LIFE, you can:

• attend workshops on developing leadership skills, finding the right study/work/life balance and preparing for the world of work
• develop your reading, academic writing and critical-thinking skills
• gain experience of working in study groups and develop your cross-cultural communication and teamwork skills.

Disability and Mental Health Service: we want all LSE students to achieve their full potential. Students can access free, confidential advice through our Disability and Mental Health Service . This is the first point of contact for students.

Your timetable

• The standard teaching day runs from 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Undergraduate teaching is not normally scheduled for Wednesdays after 12 noon to allow for sports, volunteering and other extra-curricular activities.
• The lecture and seminar timetable is published in mid-August and the full academic timetable (with information on classes) is published by mid-September via the LSE timetables web pages .
• All personal undergraduate timetables are published in LSE for You (LFY) . For personal timetables to appear, you must be registered at LSE, be signed up for courses in LFY and ensured that there are no unauthorised clashes in your course selections. We try our best to minimise changes once personal timetables have been published. However, you’ll be notified about any changes by email.

Formative coursework

All taught courses include formative coursework, which is not assessed. This helps prepare you for summative assessment. We use a wide range of formative assessment methods, such as essays, case studies, reports, quizzes and mock exams. Feedback on coursework is an essential part of the learning experience. Class teachers mark formative coursework and feedback is normally given within two weeks – provided the work is submitted on time.

Summative assessment

This assessment counts towards your final course mark and degree award.

Summative assessment varies from course to course but it may involve a written examination, assessed essays, a dissertation and in-class assessment.

Please note that assessment on individual courses can change from year to year. You’ll receive feedback on any summative coursework as part of the assessment for individual courses (except for final submitted dissertations). Feedback will normally be provided before the examination period.

See details of the current formative coursework and summative assessment for each course in the relevant course guide .

Find out more about LSE’s teaching and assessment methods .

Graduate destinations

Career support.

Politics graduates have a range of skills and can fit into a variety of positions in modern life. Our former students have followed careers in business and banking, in law, in central and local government, in teaching and research, in public and university administration, and in journalism and television.

Further information on graduate destinations for this programme

Median salary of our undergraduate students 15 months after graduating:

Top 4 sectors our students work in:.

From CV workshops through to careers fairs, LSE offers lots of information and support to help you make that all-important step from education into work.

Many of the UK’s top employers give careers presentations at the School during the year and there are numerous workshops covering topics such as job hunting, managing interviews, writing a cover letter and using LinkedIn.

See LSE Careers for further details.

Discover Uni

Every undergraduate programme of more than one year duration will have Discover Uni data. The data allows you to compare information about individual programmes at different higher education institutions.

Programmes offered by different institutions with similar names can vary quite significantly. We recommend researching the programmes you're interested in and taking into account the programme structure, teaching and assessment methods, and support services available.

Find out more

Explore lse, student life.

Student support

Accommodation

Meet, visit and discover LSE

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. 

Philosophy, Politics and Economics Personal Statement (Edmund Kong)

Edmund Kong is currently studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at the London School of Economics. Edmund completed his A-Levels at Sunway University and is graduating in 2023.  This personal statement was part of his successful application to  and LSE, King’s College London  and University of Warwick  for PPE. 

Stepping into my father’s BMW, I watched as my rural Malay friends got on their motorcycles, heading back to their villages. National Service had ended, and now we were heading for two different worlds. For me, tertiary education overseas. For them, education had ended. This was it.

Startled by the chasms of inequality that locked us into two different worlds, I resonated with the idealism of Marxism in my online Politics course, decrying inequality in all its forms as morally reprehensible. But rethinking that ethical judgement after reading Piketty’s “Capital”, I wondered, “What was morally wrong about inequality, when absolute poverty was not involved?”. Those lagging behind in OECD countries were not starving, they were just not as rich as others. But studying Malaysia lead me to conclude that inequality, mattered.

Malaysia’s strong and centralized state spared her the ugly fates of other nations in “Why Nations Fail”, and we developed rapidly instead. But growth still came from extractive institutions. The ruling elite’s economic clout swelled in this period, allowing it to dispense patronage, buy out media outlets and engage in corruption, monopolizing power. Watching a party official buy votes from hundreds in rural areas during my time in the Service, I concluded that while extractive institutions breed inequality, inequality sustained extractive institutions, locking us in a vicious cycle.

Statistical analysis from A level Math helped my study of economic data, revealing rising interracial inequality, isolating races along class lines and entrenching communalism in Malaysia. Unlike the nations that fell apart from racial conflict, communalism was mediated by the ruling party, which resembled Lijphart’s consociational model. But the party saw an opportunity to cement its grip on power. Instead of minimising conflict, it stoked racial economic insecurities, creating a state of perpetual, but managed conflict, so that its role as the Grand Mediator was indispensable. Fearing chaos, everyone kept the mediator who sow the seeds of discord around indefinitely. Inequality exacerbated communalism, forcing us to adopt consociationalism, a formula monopolized by a single corrupt party that made sure there were no alternatives to it.

Studying the Rohingya Genocide through an International Relations Conference showed me how high the risks for miscalculation were with the party’s tactics. But stories of pregnant children also reminded me of Ivan Karamazov’s passionate indictment, leading me to doubt if God existed. I was still unsure after reading T.J.Mawson’s “Belief in God”, given the plethora of arguments from evil. Ruminating on the Problem of Evil after reading Mark S.M. Scott’s “Pathways in Theodicy”, I realized that there was also an important question of our response to evil. The prevalence of evil required Philosophy, Politics and Economics to join forces to identify evil, the structures engendering it and to call out moral actors responsible. To respond to evil, I needed all three.

To understand these responses, I joined and won regional Debating and Public Policy competitions adjudicated by the World Bank and EY, sharpening my reasoning skills. After regime change, I lead a national student lobby that secured increased financial aid for education despite an austere climate. Articulating our arguments on mainstream and “New Media”, securing bipartisan support in Parliament, drafting papers that equipped a Minister to convince the Prime Minister, winning his support; these experiences helped me to forge stellar writing and verbal skills, but more importantly, strengthened my resolve to study our political and economic structures with their underlying ethical frameworks.

A spectre of oppression now hovers over Southeast Asia. But studying PPE will allow me to defend Malaysia, a beachhead for our region’s fight, for the freedom that never came.

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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Politics, philosophy & economics (ppe) personal statement example 3.

In this day and age virtually every aspect of our lives may be considered political. My passion to study Politics stems from this tenet and a belief that a comprehension of Politics is integral to understanding the current state of humanity.

However, I believe that to approach Politics without appreciating the ethical motivations and implications of political decisions, as well as the economic context of political events, would be futile. My study of Mathematics will be advantageous in learning the quantitative aspects of Economics.

Moreover the intellectual clarity of Mathematics and Physics has equipped me with a logical rigour useful in Philosophy. Through History I have developed a greater understanding of Politics through analysis of Gladstone and Disraeli and of Russia's transition from autocracy to communism.

The course has altered my perceptions of the extent to which politicians must approach situations pragmatically, not simply ideologically, in order to achieve their goals.

I have explored this theme in my additional reading; in 'Thatcher and Thatcherism' Eric J Evans challenged many of my pre-conceptions about Margaret Thatcher, her ideology and the extent to which, like similarly ideologically driven politicians such as Lenin, she was forced to make concessions for wider political gain.

Economics fascinates me and I have enjoyed reading Edmund Conway's '50 Economics Ideas You Really Need to Know' to gain a basic understanding. Reading 'Micromotives and Macrobehaviour', I was intrigued by the use of Econometrics in modelling human behaviour.

It forced me to question my belief that desirable social outcomes, such as racial integration, can be achieved without government intervention.

My confidence in laissez-faire was again brought into question by reading 'False Dawn' by John Gray, as I found his condemnation of the propensity of free markets to exacerbate social ills compelling.

Notwithstanding this, I found merit in many arguments in favour of markets put forward by Friedman in 'Capitalism and Freedom', notably his claim that economic and political freedoms are inextricably linked; this reaffirmed the importance of studying Politics alongside Economics. I have read several introductory texts regarding Philosophy and recently attended a Philosophy conference at York University.

Reading 'Religion for Atheists' by Alain de Botton, I considered the author's analysis of humanity's emotional needs very valuable, yet was frustrated by the impracticality of many of his recommendations, for example to reduce the emphasis on vocational education.

This has confirmed my desire to study Philosophy alongside the practical disciplines of Politics and Economics. The History: Race and Protest course at the Oxford University UNIQ summer school, accompanied by Stephen Tuck's 'We Ain't What We Ought to Be,' fundamentally altered my perception of racial inequality, by presenting a far harsher portrayal of the struggle for civil rights than the often diluted version present in much of the media.

I have also examined inequality from a philosophical angle, through reading Rousseau's 'Second Discourse'.

Whilst I agreed with his arguments regarding the origins of political inequality, I found myself opposed to his claims regarding the state of nature, particularly that humans would naturally live alone, a claim which appears contrary to modern knowledge of early human society. Next year I look forward to expanding my knowledge of PPE, but also to fully immersing myself in the extra-curricular aspects of university.

I enjoy playing Rugby and Hockey, run Chess Club, am a member of a Boys' Vocal Group and the Sixth Form Debating society; served on the latter for two years as its youngest member.

Having always enjoyed debating ideological issues as well as current affairs I also organised a talk regarding the importance of the separation of church and state delivered by Michael Meadowcroft.

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This personal statement was written by finnplees for application in 2014.

finnplees's university choices The University of Durham University of Leeds The University of Hull Oxford University The University of York

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I felt this was a moderately good personal statement. It got me 5 offers, including ones from Oxford (where I am currently a student) and Durham.

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Iran president 'has blood on his hands': Ebrahim Raisi and Iran's prison massacres

The iranian presidency is considered a relatively weak post when compared to the country’s supreme leader. but there was a time in the late 1980s when raisi had direct power over life and death..

First the guards canceled family visits. Then they confiscated the prisoners’ radios. Then came the tribunals.

Within weeks, 10,000 Iranian dissidents were dead.

Sitting in judgment at some of these hastily called “death commissions” was a deputy prosecutor named Ebrahim Raisi , a hard-line cleric who in 2021 was elected president of Iran . Raisi, 63, was killed Sunday when his helicopter slammed into a snowy mountainside near the Azerbaijan border.

While the Iranian presidency is considered a relatively weak post when compared to the powers invested in the country’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei , there was a time in the late 1980s when Raisi had direct power over life and death. 

He didn’t flinch. 

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

“He definitely has blood on his hands,” said Mohamad Bazzi, director of the Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies at New York University.

As Iran comes to grips with the deaths of Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian , the president’s demise highlights the pervasive control of hard-line clerical rulers – and the lingering wounds of Iran’s Islamic revolution.

More: Iran President Ebrahim Raisi dies in helicopter crash; US offers condolences

New election, same old clerics

Now that Raisi is confirmed dead, the Iranian Constitution calls for new elections within 50 days. But the outcome won’t matter in a theocratic democracy where candidates for office have to be cleared by the religious establishment, said Afshon Ostovar, an associate professor of national security studies at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.

“Somebody else who the people don’t like, who the regime does like, will be elected,” Ostovar said.

Experts say the airtight dominance of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his Revolutionary Guards guarantees that Raisi’s passing won’t bring Iranians any closer to justice for the decades of human rights abuses they’ve endured – including the 1988 prison massacres.

More: Iran launches dozens of drones at Israel, one injured in attack

Revolution, war and mass graves

That summer, Iran was nearing the end of a ruinous eight-year war launched by its neighbor Iraq.

The prisons were packed with young leftists who’d been convicted for having links to an Iraq-based rebel group, the People’s Mujahedeen Organization of Iran, or Mujahedeen-e-Khalq . In July 1988, after the group launched an attack on Iran from its base in Iraq, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Islamic Republic’s founding cleric, called for all PMOI prisoners to face special tribunals.

In a secret fatwa, Khomeni ordered officials to “annihilate the enemies of Islam immediately.”

“Suddenly there was word of fly-by-night, hastily conducted panels that lasted seconds, minutes, condemning these people to death,” said Elise Auerbach , an Iran expert at Amnesty International. Analysts believe around 10,000 people were executed in a matter of weeks in prisons across the country, their bodies hidden in unmarked mass graves.

Related: Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi dies in Vietnam-era Bell 212 helicopter crash on mountain

Raisi: A 'proud' achievement

Raisi, working in Tehran, “was certainly one of the people responsible for ordering those executions,” Auerbach said. 

The killings were so extreme that Khomeini’s deputy and preferred heir, Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, objected, saying the victims had already been legally convicted and sentenced. It made a mockery of the law, Montazeri argued, to impose the death sentence on people who were already serving their time and had committed no new crimes.

Raisi called the killings “one of the proud achievements” of Iran’s government, according to an Amnesty International report . He went on to serve as prosecutor general in Tehran and later as the top prosecutor in the country. More than three decades later, Iran still has not officially acknowledged the massacres, and families of the victims are forbidden to publicly mourn or commemorate their deaths.

In 1989, Montazeri released documents and a secret recording proving Khomeini’s role in the long-denied massacres. He was placed under house arrest. When Khomeini died in 1989, a lower-ranking cleric, Ali Khamenei, was named supreme leader.

Remembered for a 'bloodbath'

Khamenei is now 85 , and the question of who might replace him has been complicated by Sunday's crash.

“Raisi headed the list of potential successors,” Bazzi said. “Though it’s a little like papal succession, where the front-runner going in isn’t necessarily the front-runner at the end of the process.”

While Raisi’s presidency was marked by the violent suppression of women’s rights demonstrators, economic turmoil, and spiking conflict with the U.S. and Israel, he’ll probably be  best remembered for one thing, Ostovar said: “This bloodbath of political prisoners at the end of the Iran-Iraq War.”

Body shaming, IQ insults and cross talk: House committee meeting devolves into chaos amid personal insults

WASHINGTON — Criticism of a member's "fake eyelashes" and another's intelligence. A question about discussing a member's "bleach blond, bad-built butch body."

A House Oversight Committee meeting Thursday night devolved into chaos amid personal attacks and partisan bickering in a rare evening session that was supposed to center on a resolution recommending Attorney General Merrick Garland be held in contempt of Congress.

The already tense hearing was derailed when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., responded to a question from Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, by saying, “I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you’re reading.”

Democrats, led by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, immediately moved to strike Greene's words from the record and make her apologize to Crockett.

"That is absolutely unacceptable," Ocasio-Cortez said over cross talk. "How dare you attack the physical appearance of another person?"

Greene taunted Ocasio-Cortez, asking, "Are your feelings hurt?"

"Oh, girl? Baby girl," Ocasio-Cortez shot back. "Don't even play."

Greene attacked a second member just minutes after she criticized Crockett, asserting that Ocasio-Cortez did not have "enough intelligence" for a debate.

Greene had asked Ocasio-Cortez, "Why don't you debate me?"

Ocasio-Cortez responded that she thought "it's pretty self-evident."

"You don't have enough intelligence," Greene said as members of Congress audibly groaned at her attack.

Greene agreed to strike her comments toward Crockett but vehemently refused to apologize for the evening's attacks, declaring, “You will never get an apology out of me.”

Amid repeated demands from Democrats to strike Greene’s words from the record and force her to apologize, Comer eventually ruled that Greene’s insult of Crockett did not violate House rules against engaging in “personalities” during debate. When Democratic ranking member Jamie Raskin of Maryland sought to appeal the ruling, Republicans offered a motion to table, or kill, his appeal.

After the vote, Crockett asked Comer for clarification to understand his ruling about personal attacks on members of Congress.

"I'm just curious, just to better understand your ruling," Crockett said. "If someone on this committee then starts talking about somebody's bleach blond, bad-built butch body, that would not be engaging in personalities, correct?"

Chaos erupted again, with a member instructing Crockett to "calm down."

"I have two hearing aids. I'm very deaf," the committee’s chairman, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said after cross talk took over. "I'm not understanding — everybody's yelling. I'm doing the best I can."

After Comer agreed to strike Greene’s insult of Ocasio-Cortez, Democrats sought to enforce committee rules that would have prevented Greene from speaking for the rest of the hearing. Republicans voted to allow her to speak.

Comer ultimately called for a short recess amid debate over questions about a rule for members who have had comments struck from the record but wished to speak. Upon return, he reminded members to observe "the House's standard of decorum."

Greene was ultimately recognized to speak for more than four minutes, during which she reiterated that she would not apologize.

"I will not apologize for my words, and I will not change them," she said.

Nearly an hour after the hearing was derailed, the committee got back to debating whether Garland should be held in contempt of Congress for refusing to hand over audio recordings of President Joe Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur over his handling of classified documents.

Tensions were already running high after a long day, with Republicans peppering Raskin's opening remarks with interruptions.

The meeting had originally been scheduled for 11 a.m., but it was moved to 8 p.m. after several committee members traveled to New York to attend the trial of former President Donald Trump .

The committee voted 24-20 along party lines to recommend holding Garland in contempt following the contentious meeting. House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office has not yet said when it would put the contempt resolution before the full House.

Rebecca is a producer and off-air reporter covering Congress for NBC News, managing coverage of the House.

Megan Lebowitz is a politics reporter for NBC News.