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The British MIT?
I'm looking to apply to a UK university with a similar philosophy, style and academic pedegree to MIT. I'm not interested in crusty old buildings or snobby class-based elitism; but rather cutting edge facilities, sleek modern architecture and high quality teaching. I want to study somewhere renowned for attracting the most academically able students regardless of class or race. Basically somewhere like MIT or Copenhagen, but in the UK. Does such an institution exist?
Oh and I'm hoping to study Physics. Thanks for your help
Oh and I'm hoping to study Physics. Thanks for your help
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imperial college f london
Original post by Chucklefiend
Basically somewhere like MIT or Copenhagen
There's no region called Massachusetts in the UK.
Most people won't know Copenhagen. More well-known IT focused universities will be ETH Zurich or TU Munich (and even then, I bet most British students have not heard of those either)
Warwick sounds exactly like your description, but then obviously I'm gonna say Warwick.
P.S. OP said UK-based, Zurich is not in the UK.
P.S. OP said UK-based, Zurich is not in the UK.
Imperial College London has the international reputation for science, and Manchester is known the world over for its research.
Warwick, Durham, Bristol, Birmingham, Lancaster and most of the Russel Group are also good for physics.
It doesn't really matter in all honesty. A physics degree is the same regardless of where it's from -since they're all accredited by the Institute of Physics, the main variation between the courses is the location.
If you go to a top twenty uni and graduate with a good physics degree, it's irrelevant which institution you went to. You'll graduate and move onto research somewhere. It's interesting to see that a lot of the academic and research staff at the top departments went to relatively unheard of places (as in foreign unis. Obviously you'll know unis in the UK). Oxbridge and Imperial are vastly overrated. They will, however, make you work harder.
If you're wanting a physics degree as a means of getting into finance or something, then go for something like Imperial. If not, go to a top twenty/Russel Group uni that you like the feel of and enjoy your undergraduate degree.
Warwick, Durham, Bristol, Birmingham, Lancaster and most of the Russel Group are also good for physics.
It doesn't really matter in all honesty. A physics degree is the same regardless of where it's from -since they're all accredited by the Institute of Physics, the main variation between the courses is the location.
If you go to a top twenty uni and graduate with a good physics degree, it's irrelevant which institution you went to. You'll graduate and move onto research somewhere. It's interesting to see that a lot of the academic and research staff at the top departments went to relatively unheard of places (as in foreign unis. Obviously you'll know unis in the UK). Oxbridge and Imperial are vastly overrated. They will, however, make you work harder.
If you're wanting a physics degree as a means of getting into finance or something, then go for something like Imperial. If not, go to a top twenty/Russel Group uni that you like the feel of and enjoy your undergraduate degree.
With the level of facilities/resources as MIT as well as its pedigree, even Imperial does not cut it. Universities in the UK just don't have the level of resources/funding as the US/other nations, so its not exactly a strong point.
Imperial does have specialist resources, which if they match yours, shall suit you well. Otherwise, you'll be hard-pressed to find anything even remotely close to MIT...
Imperial does have specialist resources, which if they match yours, shall suit you well. Otherwise, you'll be hard-pressed to find anything even remotely close to MIT...
Yeah I'd say Imperial is the British equivalent of MIT.
It has world-class facilities too especially because of their engineering department, have some of the world's fastest wind tunnels and all sorts made by the likes of Honda. I think their wind tunnel goes up to speeds in machs, which is unbelievable.
Their science laboratories are also top notch, one of the best I've seen of any unis.
It has world-class facilities too especially because of their engineering department, have some of the world's fastest wind tunnels and all sorts made by the likes of Honda. I think their wind tunnel goes up to speeds in machs, which is unbelievable.
Their science laboratories are also top notch, one of the best I've seen of any unis.
it's true MIT is in a league of it's own. But imperial is the closest substitute in uk.
Original post by Zottula
Imperial sounds like what you are after.
(Although I'm a bit biased
)
(Although I'm a bit biased
)This.
Still very perplexed by the mention of Copenhagen... Clearly the OP didn't like the fact that I pointed out that very few people would ever mention Copenhagen as one of the most renowned technical universities in Europe. No disrespect to Denmark (I have family there), but even there, DTU is better known as a technology institution.
Imperial formed the IDEA League a while back (although I noticed very little mention of it while a student there. I actually heard more about it from a German student from Aachen who I competed in a sports event with).
It includes a lot of the technology universities in Europe: Imperial, TU Delft in Holland, ETH Zurich in Switzerland, Aachen in Germany and ParisTech that joined a bit later.
Coincidentally, Paristech is the French attempt at creating an MIT although it is only comparable in name. Paristech includes a number of totally independent technical and non-technical universities in the Paris area. It was only created to improve visibility of the small, prestigious engineering (and business) schools in Paris. Actually any of these institutions are probably more prestigious than Imperial but they are much smaller: for example anyone who comes out of Polytechnique is likely to end up CEO of a large French firm by the time they're 40 (no exaggeration) whereas like myself, I know plenty of Imperial students who perform fairly ordinary, typical, albeit well-paid corporate jobs.
To this list, I would add TU Munich (and maybe even TU Berlin), EPFL.
As for the comment about "I'm not interested in crusty old buildings or snobby class-based elitism; but rather cutting edge facilities, sleek modern architecture and high quality teaching. I want to study somewhere renowned for attracting the most academically able students regardless of class or race. Basically somewhere like MIT or Copenhagen, but in the UK.", that may be incredibly naive.
Trust me, having lived in Cambridge in the US for a long time but also being an Imperial graduate, neither MIT nor Imperial are what I would call class-blind institutions. Imperial is incredibly upper middle-class like most top British universities. As for MIT, you'll find very few students who are from a poor background. Sure you get the odd "token" student that allows the university to present itself as providing equal opportunities. Overwhelmingly, students are from wealthy backgrounds. Even more so, when it comes to international students. These students certainly aren't from poor families back home. A lot are children of diplomats (so studies are paid), lawyers or directors of large firms.
Imperial formed the IDEA League a while back (although I noticed very little mention of it while a student there. I actually heard more about it from a German student from Aachen who I competed in a sports event with).
It includes a lot of the technology universities in Europe: Imperial, TU Delft in Holland, ETH Zurich in Switzerland, Aachen in Germany and ParisTech that joined a bit later.
Coincidentally, Paristech is the French attempt at creating an MIT although it is only comparable in name. Paristech includes a number of totally independent technical and non-technical universities in the Paris area. It was only created to improve visibility of the small, prestigious engineering (and business) schools in Paris. Actually any of these institutions are probably more prestigious than Imperial but they are much smaller: for example anyone who comes out of Polytechnique is likely to end up CEO of a large French firm by the time they're 40 (no exaggeration) whereas like myself, I know plenty of Imperial students who perform fairly ordinary, typical, albeit well-paid corporate jobs.
To this list, I would add TU Munich (and maybe even TU Berlin), EPFL.
As for the comment about "I'm not interested in crusty old buildings or snobby class-based elitism; but rather cutting edge facilities, sleek modern architecture and high quality teaching. I want to study somewhere renowned for attracting the most academically able students regardless of class or race. Basically somewhere like MIT or Copenhagen, but in the UK.", that may be incredibly naive.
Trust me, having lived in Cambridge in the US for a long time but also being an Imperial graduate, neither MIT nor Imperial are what I would call class-blind institutions. Imperial is incredibly upper middle-class like most top British universities. As for MIT, you'll find very few students who are from a poor background. Sure you get the odd "token" student that allows the university to present itself as providing equal opportunities. Overwhelmingly, students are from wealthy backgrounds. Even more so, when it comes to international students. These students certainly aren't from poor families back home. A lot are children of diplomats (so studies are paid), lawyers or directors of large firms.
Original post by SamTheMan
Still very perplexed by the mention of Copenhagen... Clearly the OP didn't like the fact that I pointed out that very few people would ever mention Copenhagen as one of the most renowned technical universities in Europe. No disrespect to Denmark (I have family there), but even there, DTU is better known as a technology institution.
Imperial formed the IDEA League a while back (although I noticed very little mention of it while a student there. I actually heard more about it from a German student from Aachen who I competed in a sports event with).
It includes a lot of the technology universities in Europe: Imperial, TU Delft in Holland, ETH Zurich in Switzerland, Aachen in Germany and ParisTech that joined a bit later.
Coincidentally, Paristech is the French attempt at creating an MIT although it is only comparable in name. Paristech includes a number of totally independent technical and non-technical universities in the Paris area. It was only created to improve visibility of the small, prestigious engineering (and business) schools in Paris. Actually any of these institutions are probably more prestigious than Imperial but they are much smaller: for example anyone who comes out of Polytechnique is likely to end up CEO of a large French firm by the time they're 40 (no exaggeration) whereas like myself, I know plenty of Imperial students who perform fairly ordinary, typical, albeit well-paid corporate jobs.
To this list, I would add TU Munich (and maybe even TU Berlin), EPFL.
As for the comment about "I'm not interested in crusty old buildings or snobby class-based elitism; but rather cutting edge facilities, sleek modern architecture and high quality teaching. I want to study somewhere renowned for attracting the most academically able students regardless of class or race. Basically somewhere like MIT or Copenhagen, but in the UK.", that may be incredibly naive.
Trust me, having lived in Cambridge in the US for a long time but also being an Imperial graduate, neither MIT nor Imperial are what I would call class-blind institutions. Imperial is incredibly upper middle-class like most top British universities. As for MIT, you'll find very few students who are from a poor background. Sure you get the odd "token" student that allows the university to present itself as providing equal opportunities. Overwhelmingly, students are from wealthy backgrounds. Even more so, when it comes to international students. These students certainly aren't from poor families back home. A lot are children of diplomats (so studies are paid), lawyers or directors of large firms.
Imperial formed the IDEA League a while back (although I noticed very little mention of it while a student there. I actually heard more about it from a German student from Aachen who I competed in a sports event with).
It includes a lot of the technology universities in Europe: Imperial, TU Delft in Holland, ETH Zurich in Switzerland, Aachen in Germany and ParisTech that joined a bit later.
Coincidentally, Paristech is the French attempt at creating an MIT although it is only comparable in name. Paristech includes a number of totally independent technical and non-technical universities in the Paris area. It was only created to improve visibility of the small, prestigious engineering (and business) schools in Paris. Actually any of these institutions are probably more prestigious than Imperial but they are much smaller: for example anyone who comes out of Polytechnique is likely to end up CEO of a large French firm by the time they're 40 (no exaggeration) whereas like myself, I know plenty of Imperial students who perform fairly ordinary, typical, albeit well-paid corporate jobs.
To this list, I would add TU Munich (and maybe even TU Berlin), EPFL.
As for the comment about "I'm not interested in crusty old buildings or snobby class-based elitism; but rather cutting edge facilities, sleek modern architecture and high quality teaching. I want to study somewhere renowned for attracting the most academically able students regardless of class or race. Basically somewhere like MIT or Copenhagen, but in the UK.", that may be incredibly naive.
Trust me, having lived in Cambridge in the US for a long time but also being an Imperial graduate, neither MIT nor Imperial are what I would call class-blind institutions. Imperial is incredibly upper middle-class like most top British universities. As for MIT, you'll find very few students who are from a poor background. Sure you get the odd "token" student that allows the university to present itself as providing equal opportunities. Overwhelmingly, students are from wealthy backgrounds. Even more so, when it comes to international students. These students certainly aren't from poor families back home. A lot are children of diplomats (so studies are paid), lawyers or directors of large firms.
QFT
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