MSc Admissions Blog

Advice and Information from the MSc Admissions team

2017 applications open! Why apply early?

| 8 Comments

We are pleased to announce that applications for 2017 intake are now open! In this post we explore the benefits of submitting an early application, as well as considering circumstances when it might be worth taking more time before hitting the submit button.

So why apply early?

  • It gives you more time to meet offer conditions. If you’ve been made an offer that is conditional on achieving a certain grade or taking a test such as the GMAT or IELTS, you will have more time to meet our requirements (and, if necessary, retake tests to achieve the required score). Applicants who submit late applications sometimes find that they have very little time in which to meet their offer conditions, particularly if they also need to apply for a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK. Applying early means you have more control over the situation, can pick suitable test dates before they get fully booked, and remove unnecessary stress from the process.
  • Scholarship applications often have early deadlines. The deadline for most Cass Scholarships is early May, but many external scholarship providers have much earlier deadlines. In order to apply for a Cass Scholarship you must have first received and fully accepted an offer on one of our MSc courses, and this is also often a requirement for external scholarships. Applying early ensures that you are more likely to meet the scholarship application deadline.
  • There is a greater chance that your first-choice course will still be accepting applications. We do not have a set deadline for closing courses, as we accept applications on a rolling basis. This means, however, that some of our most popular courses tend to close earlier in the admissions cycle as they become full. Maximise your chances of being accepted onto your first choice course by submitting an early application.
  • There will be greater availability of accommodation. Although you can apply for City, University of London accommodation as soon as you firmly accept a conditional or unconditional offer, halls are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. Applying early means that it is more likely you will be made an offer on your first choice hall. If availability is limited you may need to look into private accommodation, often during the busy summer period when students from other London institutions will be doing the same thing.
  • You will benefit from earlier access to the Cass Careers & Professional Development team. With recruitment for graduate schemes opening as early as August, you need to be prepared to hit the ground running as soon as their applications open. After you have finalised acceptance of your offer at Cass you will be able to start engaging with our Careers team and making the most of the resources they offer.
  • You can make the most of offer-holder events during the summer. This will allow you to meet other students before the course starts – it’s never too early to start networking!

Applying for a Masters is a big decision. Although submitting an early application is ideal, it should not be at the detriment of submitting a good application. You might want to take more time before submitting an application in the following circumstances:

  • You want to improve your average grade. If you feel your performance in your penultimate year was not up to a satisfactory standard, you may prefer to wait until some early results from your final year have been released, which might give a better indication of your final grade (although don’t leave it too late!). Similarly, if you feel that your application would benefit from additional evidence of your skills, it might be a good idea to take a GMAT before applying.
  • You are still unsure about what course or career path you want to take. It is a good idea to do your research into our courses and their typical career paths before you submit an application. If you are made an offer on a course and then realise a different course would be more suitable, there is no guarantee that you would be able to switch courses at a later stage. Taking time to do your research before you apply will help you make the right decision, and your application is likely to be stronger and more convincing as a result.

Remember that you can find lots of information about the courses and how to apply on our website and blog; you can contact an admissions officer; or come along to one of our information sessions. Keep our blog bookmarked for more hints and tips on the admissions process and preparing for successful study at Cass!

8 Comments

  1. Dear Admission Officers,
    I have a question about the application process. In the page of the MSc I would like to apply for, it is stated that the documents required for decision making are the CV, the University transcript and the personal statement, and the others may follow later. How do I have to provide those first documents? Because, if I upload them on the online application tool, I can’t complete the application without the two references, which are mandatory. Do I have to send them by post? Or it is enough to upload them online even without completing the application?

    Thanks in advance,

    Andrea

    • Dear Andrea
      Thanks for your question! When you fill in the online application form, please upload your degree transcript, CV, personal statement and any other documents you feel would enhance your application. For the references, you just need to write the email address of two referees in the respective fields on the online application form – an automated email will then be sent to them with instructions on how they can supply the reference. For courses that do not require the references in order for a decision to be made, the references can arrive later. Please do not upload scans of references – these will not be reviewed by the admissions panel because they are not confidential.
      I hope this clarifies, but please let us know if you require further details.
      MSc Admissions Team

      • Thanks for the answer!
        However, will I receive an answer to my online application with CV, personal statement and transcript?
        Thanks!
        Andrea

        • Hi Andrea
          If the course you are applying for does not require the references in order to make a decision, then normally a decision can be made using the online application form, degree transcript (and list of final year modules if you have not yet completed the degree), CV and personal statement. Please see individual course pages to check if any other documents are required for decision-making. If the admissions panel require any further documents or information before they can make a decision, the Admissions Officer will contact you at that time.
          I hope this helps. Good luck with your application!
          MSc Admissions Team

  2. do I have to pay just to get the LoA?

    Thanks

    • Hi Sonang
      Thanks for your question! By LoA, do you mean letter of acceptance? If you are made an offer on a course you will be required to finalise acceptance of your offer by paying a deposit of £2000 (or £1000 for our part-time courses) within four weeks of receiving the offer. The deadline will be given on your offer letter. When our courses start to fill up, or if you apply very late, this four-week period might be reduced to a couple of weeks.
      There is no application fee.
      I hope this helps, and please let us know if we can be of further assistance!
      MSc Admissions Team

  3. Hi,
    I realised that it is possible to apply for up to three courses. Since my personal statement would be tailored towards the first course, I’m wondering if the same personal statement would be passed on to the admissions officer of my second choice in case I do not get my first choice. How does that work? Would i have to provide another personal statement for the second choice?

    • Hi Nana, thanks for your question!
      You are welcome to upload a personal statement for each course. If you are not successful for your first choice, when your file is passed to your second choice we will replace the original personal statement with the relevant one for that course. Alternatively, if you choose to only submit a personal statement for your first choice, we might contact you to request a new personal statement if your file is passed to your second choice.
      I hope this helps!
      MSc Admissions Team

Leave a Reply to sonang Cancel reply

Required fields are marked *.


Skip to toolbar