Pursuing his passion for Economics
School Bedford
Degree Subject Economics & Finance (with UCL Arts and Sciences)
Offers Received UCL (A*AA); Manchester (AAA); Bristol (AAA); Southampton (AAB)
Cohort September 2024 Entry
Grades Achieved A* – Mathematics
A – Chemistry
B – Economics
When Vincent first came to us, he had a clear interest in Economics and Finance but had not yet confirmed his university choices. To satisfy both his interest in Chemistry and his academic focus on Economics, our Higher Education Team suggested he consider the Arts and Sciences program at UCL, as well as the Economics & Finance courses elsewhere. Vincent has a strong curiosity, energy, enthusiasm, and drive for these subjects, but his biggest challenge in the application was his overly divergent thinking, which hindered his personal statement writing. Our subject specialist met regularly with Vincent to help support him through this, helping him to reorganize his writing materials and focus his content more closely on his core academic direction.
The Arts and Sciences program at UCL was a more challenging course than Vincent’s original targets, so he was also required to submit a unique questionnaire. This posed another challenge for Vincent, but since the essay emphasizes applicants’ reflections on the connection between their field and society, it played to his strengths and enhanced his overall application. Ultimately, Vincent received an excellent set of university offers, but meeting the required academic grades presented a significant challenge for him. We helped to organise specialised A-Level tutors to help him strengthen his knowledge in maths and economics and improve his coursework. Although his final grade in Economics fell slightly short of their requirement, based on his exceptional personal statement and questionnaire, UCL still offered him a firm place.