Inside the Harvard of Pakistan: Guide to LUMS 2024

Popularly known as the Harvard of Pakistan, owing to its world-class faculty and rigorous programs (and the occasional viral video on social media 🥺), LUMS stands tall as the most coveted university in Pakistan. Ask anyone, and they’ve probably heard of LUMS.

However gaining admission to LUMS is fiercely competitive, with approximately a hundred thousand applicants vying for a seat each year. In this article, we break down the complex application process into bite-sized topics, providing additional exclusive insider insights to ease your admissions journey. 

LET’S DIVE RIGHT IN! 🥳
 

Admissions Process:

LUMS accepts admissions only through the LUMS Online Application Account. Once you register, the admission process is segmented into four broad steps:

LUMS Online Application Form Submission:

The online application has multiple steps and will ask you for your personal information ranging from O and A Level grades (or Matric and FSc marks) to have you craft a Personal Statement to gauge if LUMS and you are a good fit for each other.

If you run into any trouble or have any questions, feel free to utilise the in-portal “Ask Admissions” feature or email the Admissions Office which typically responds within 2 working days. 
 

Online submission of scanned copies of required documents:

This step includes uploading your CAIE Certificates, certificates of extra-curricular activities and awards that you mentioned in the first step. The complete list can be found here.
 

Submission of Application Processing Fee:

After the completion of your application, a fee voucher will be generated, which has to be paid within the stipulated deadline for your admission to be considered.
 

Online submission of Teachers’ Evaluation(s)/ Letter of Recommendation(s):

LUMS strives to understand the aptitude and personality of every applicant in a holistic manner and thus requires Recommendation Letter (s) to be written by your teacher/ mentor etc. An email is sent to the referee (the person who’s recommending you) with the deadline for the submission approximately 15-20 days after the application deadline.

While these letters should ideally showcase your strengths and abilities, they are meant to offer meaningful insights into an applicant’s life by those who know the applicant well. Hence, it is best not to go for that famous teacher who barely knows you but look instead for a teacher who’s worked with you closely and can vouch for your abilities.

Entry Test:

In case you haven’t taken the SAT at the time of the application or would like to apply on the basis of an improved test score, you can take the LCAT (LUMS Common Admission Test) which is designed and conducted by LUMS. Very similar to the SAT, LCAT assesses reading, writing, and math capabilities (in a slightly easier way). You can register for the LCAT through the  LUMS Online Application Account.
 

Admissions Requirements:

In order to be eligible for admission into LUMS, you have to have an average of at least 2Bs and 1C in your A Levels, with no grade being less than E. For students from the FSc/FA route, at least 65% in FA or 70% in FSc/ICOM/ICS is needed for consideration of your application.

Fee Structure:

Although LUMS chooses not to share its fee structure publicly, we have calculated an annual estimate based on the 22% hike that is set to kick in from Fall 2023 and taking an average of the required Credit Hours per semester. You can view the annual fee and much more here.

Programs/Majors:

At LUMS, you'll find 4 schools (business, engineering, social sciences, and law) offering 19 undergraduate programmes. Upon acceptance into either one of these schools (you get two preferences only), you'll have 1 or 2 foundational years to select your degree program/major from the school. Competitive majors (like Econ-Math) have limited seats, so meeting the GPA criteria is essential. You can access the complete list here.
 

*IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION WHILE APPLYING:

Unfortunately, many students have the misconception that they could accept the offer for another school at the time of admission and simply transfer later. 

Keep in mind that inter-school (for e.g from the humanities school to the business school) transfers are uncommon and extremely difficult to get. Apart from the limited applications processed and the GPA cut-offs, you’ll have to work extra hard from the get-go to meet other requirements before the deadline.
 

Concluding Remarks:

CONGRATULATIONS! You're now equipped with essential insights to navigate the LUMS application process with confidence. From fulfilling admission requirements to selecting your dream major, this article has you covered. Best of luck on your journey to LUMS! 🙌🏼

Here’s a little infographic describing the Undergraduate Class of 2027 at LUMS:

(Source: LUMS)