Exchange Diaries  

Pankhuri Saxena | Humanities and Social Sciences

London School Of Economics And Political Science, United Kingdom

Q) While you were in college, what was your motivation to go for higher studies and in which

year did you get that motivation? How did you manage your academics with your preparation?

A) She thought that opportunities in Economics were less in IIT Kharagpur related to research
as she was interested in Research field of economics. She, in the middle of 4

th year, decided to

go for higher education. She had a decent cgpa(9.49) by the mid of 4

th year so managing
academics with preparation was not difficult for her. Although she had micro specialization and
extracurriculars, but managing time was not difficult for her.
Q) What is the process of interdisciplinary studies? How easy was the switch? What motivated
you the switch?
A) Same Department of Higher studies
Q) What are the factors that you considered for selecting the universities you are going to apply
for?
A) She was looking for well known universities and well known programs based on her interest
in economics, math and programming. She already had a job offer, but found the course better
than the offer and decided to go for the same.
Q) Did you apply to multiple universities? If yes can you please elaborate on the differences in
the selection process of the universities? In universities in which you were not selected can you
please share what you felt you lacked, and what could you have done better?
A) She applied to 5 different universities and got approved from four of them including Duke
University and University of Chicago and is awaiting response from the fifth one. She chose
LSE because it was renowned for the course she took and she preferred a 1 year course over 2
years.
Q) How are you planning to manage your finances? Have you applied for any scholarships?
What were their procedures?

A) Since it was only a one year course, finances were not a problem.Also, her acceptance letter
got a bit delayed and scholarship applications were closed by then. But she will be applying for
a loan in the near future.

Q)Is CGPA a factor while considering higher studies at foreign universities?
A) Since she didn't do much research work in college, a high cgpa helped her in the
process. The cgpa requirement for the course she took was greater than 7.5. High
CGPA is always an advantage
Q)Have you taken up any research project at your bachelor/master's level under any professor
here at IIT KGP? How did you manage your college studies and worked for your research?
A) No, she didn't do any additional research project other than the one mandatory in her
course work. Instead of that, she submitted writing samples from her econometric
course.
Q)What were the other difficulties you faced on taking this path and how to overcome them?
A) She faced problems in the course selection and didn't know how to judge a course and
to overcome that she took guidance from her seniors who had applied to the same
university the previous year and got in. She also contacted alums studying in LSE and
also took part in a mentorship program which really helped her in the journey. She also
felt that there is less exposure to Economics in general in IIT Kharagpur.
Q)How did IIT KGP benefit you in your journey?
A) She felt that the IIT tag really helped her as IITs are known for their rigorous curriculums.
Also the flexibility in the course also helped her in choosing the subjects she preferred.
For the course she took, advanced math knowledge was required.
Q)What are the opportunities after the Ph.D. course?
A) According to her, there are opportunities in PhD programs after her course. Also there
are many jobs in industrial finances, consultancy and data analytics.
Q) What are the suggestions that you would give your juniors who want to pursue higher
studies? Could you please give a rough roadmap to ease their journey?
A) She said that the person applying should research the course they are interested in and
then take the required courses while he/she is still an undergraduate. Students should
also take up research projects as it really helps shape their CVs. She also recommends
taking advice from seniors in the same field to get better insights and knowledge about

the same. Also, she advises the juniors to know what courses they are interested in and
take the courses related to that.