LSE or NCH?

Hello!

I have recently recieved an offer from LSE to study BSc Government and Economics as well as a full scholarship for A.C Grayling's New College of the Humanities for PPE. I am very torn as LSE's reputation is amazing and an all around safe choice through the lens of employers - it was my dream for a while to study at LSE. However I have recently had a lot of doubts placed in my mind about the social life at LSE, which seems much complained about. When I went to NCH for my interview I fell in love with the close-community feel with all the benefits that made me want to study in London in the first place. The tutors look amazing and I would have no student debt because of the means tested bursary.

Would it be stupid of me to turn down LSE? How do people think NCH would be viewed by employers?

Reply 1

username738914

21

Original post by LevCrofts

Hello!

I have recently recieved an offer from LSE to study BSc Government and Economics as well as a full scholarship for A.C Grayling's New College of the Humanities for PPE. I am very torn as LSE's reputation is amazing and an all around safe choice through the lens of employers - it was my dream for a while to study at LSE. However I have recently had a lot of doubts placed in my mind about the social life at LSE, which seems much complained about. When I went to NCH for my interview I fell in love with the close-community feel with all the benefits that made me want to study in London in the first place. The tutors look amazing and I would have no student debt because of the means tested bursary.

Would it be stupid of me to turn down LSE? How do people think NCH would be viewed by employers?

It's kind of pointless to trade the excellence and reputation of LSE to go to a school that virtually unheard of.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 2

молодой гений

7

Go for NCH (no student debt) for undergrad. Their style of teaching is pretty cool and they have all the contextual modules going on and it's just generally a cool little place. Then go to LSE for postgrad.

Reply 3

SebCross

14

Original post by LevCrofts

Hello!

I have recently recieved an offer from LSE to study BSc Government and Economics as well as a full scholarship for A.C Grayling's New College of the Humanities for PPE. I am very torn as LSE's reputation is amazing and an all around safe choice through the lens of employers - it was my dream for a while to study at LSE. However I have recently had a lot of doubts placed in my mind about the social life at LSE, which seems much complained about. When I went to NCH for my interview I fell in love with the close-community feel with all the benefits that made me want to study in London in the first place. The tutors look amazing and I would have no student debt because of the means tested bursary.

Would it be stupid of me to turn down LSE? How do people think NCH would be viewed by employers?

I think it's a tough one. I have followed the development of NCH as a kind of academic oddity, in that it's pretty tough to establish a brand new institution that aims to compete with Oxbridge. However, I have heard very very good things and indeed considered applying there a few years ago. It certainly aims for the 'Oxbridge in London' kind of vibe, and by all accounts will be really 'up and coming' in the HE sector in the years ahead. That being said, the LSE's reputation is world-renowned and, in many ways, on a par with Oxbridge given its specialisation.

For me, though, a full scholarship is not something to be turned down lightly...If it were me, and given that I know a little about the quality of the staff NCH have been able to attract (for my own discipline, History, they nabbed Suzannah Lipscomb from Oxford - she's an excellent Early Modernist), I would probably go with NCH, in all honest. But, of course, there are still risks associated with that.

May I ask if you know which way you're leaning at the moment?

Reply 4

username1346966

OP

3

Original post by SebCross

I think it's a tough one. I have followed the development of NCH as a kind of academic oddity, in that it's pretty tough to establish a brand new institution that aims to compete with Oxbridge. However, I have heard very very good things and indeed considered applying there a few years ago. It certainly aims for the 'Oxbridge in London' kind of vibe, and by all accounts will be really 'up and coming' in the HE sector in the years ahead. That being said, the LSE's reputation is world-renowned and, in many ways, on a par with Oxbridge given its specialisation.

For me, though, a full scholarship is not something to be turned down lightly...If it were me, and given that I know a little about the quality of the staff NCH have been able to attract (for my own discipline, History, they nabbed Suzannah Lipscomb from Oxford - she's an excellent Early Modernist), I would probably go with NCH, in all honest. But, of course, there are still risks associated with that.

May I ask if you know which way you're leaning at the moment?

Thank you for all the replies, I am finding this choice monumentally difficult, but have to make a decision by 17th of Feb. At the moment I am leaning slightly towards LSE due to it's high reputation and low risk. Yet there is no doubt in my mind that I would have a better time at NCH as the tutors were so engaging at my interview, the students I met were incredible and there is just generally a large sense of community as opposed to LSE. I'm just worried about the strength of the degree. It would he gutting to spent three years at NCH to find I can't do anything with it. I am also worried that it might be seen as a privileged "rich boy's" degree, whereas in fact I go to a state school and my parents have never given me assistance in my education.

I would be thankful for more advice?

Reply 5

SebCross

14

Original post by LevCrofts

Thank you for all the replies, I am finding this choice monumentally difficult, but have to make a decision by 17th of Feb. At the moment I am leaning slightly towards LSE due to it's high reputation and low risk. Yet there is no doubt in my mind that I would have a better time at NCH as the tutors were so engaging at my interview, the students I met were incredible and there is just generally a large sense of community as opposed to LSE. I'm just worried about the strength of the degree. It would he gutting to spent three years at NCH to find I can't do anything with it. I am also worried that it might be seen as a privileged "rich boy's" degree, whereas in fact I go to a state school and my parents have never given me assistance in my education.

I would be thankful for more advice?

I certainly see where you're coming from with those points, definitely. Of course you need to do what's right for you, and I suspect that purely based upon future employment prospects the LSE could be a better 'bet' for you. Do also consider, though, what your 3 years will actually be like at each institution: which do you feel you'd have a better time at?

Reply 6

username1346966

OP

3

Original post by SebCross

I certainly see where you're coming from with those points, definitely. Of course you need to do what's right for you, and I suspect that purely based upon future employment prospects the LSE could be a better 'bet' for you. Do also consider, though, what your 3 years will actually be like at each institution: which do you feel you'd have a better time at?

Yes, I'm certain I would enjoy NCH life more, with its personal feel. But LSE might have more intellectually stimulating people.

Reply 7

SebCross

14

Original post by LevCrofts

Yes, I'm certain I would enjoy NCH life more, with its personal feel. But LSE might have more intellectually stimulating people.

Well I suspect you'll find plenty of intellectually engaged, stimulating students and staff at NCH given its aim is to compete directly with Oxbridge. (Though whether it'll ever rise to that level within the HE market, who knows.) I think both universities work hard to recruit world-class academics and students - in that regard I think you'd be happy at either one. And does the LSE offer bursary support to its lower income students?

What'd you think?

Reply 8

username1346966

OP

3

Original post by SebCross

Well I suspect you'll find plenty of intellectually engaged, stimulating students and staff at NCH given its aim is to compete directly with Oxbridge. (Though whether it'll ever rise to that level within the HE market, who knows.) I think both universities work hard to recruit world-class academics and students - in that regard I think you'd be happy at either one. And does the LSE offer bursary support to its lower income students?

What'd you think?

Yes, LSE do offer scholarships but I would have to apply. Another factor to consider is that LSE are asking for AAA in my Scottish Advanced highers, whereas NCH is unconditional.

Reply 9

SebCross

14

Original post by LevCrofts

Yes, LSE do offer scholarships but I would have to apply. Another factor to consider is that LSE are asking for AAA in my Scottish Advanced highers, whereas NCH is unconditional.

Oh right! Well, I would carefully and thoughtfully weigh up the pros and cons of the two courses, but, as I think I've said, if it were me, I'd be very tempted to go for NCH. Their offering is clearly extremely good, and even having the ambition to compete on level terms with Oxbridge is admirable in and of itself and perhaps hints at the direction of travel for that institution in the coming years.

Reply 10

henry1999

14

I was in a very similar situation to you when I chose universities, I been offered places at several other UoL universities but at the last minute, visited NCH and was wowed by the offering they have. I chose NCH and in hindsight I am really glad I did, the weekly 1-1 tutorials and an essay per week give NCH a huge advantage over other unis, I certainly would not be achieving as high a grades as I am had I of chosen Kings, or Royal Holloway.

Our graduate destinations are also excellent, it includes magic circle law firms and major investment banks (list linked):

https://www.nchlondon.ac.uk/employability/graduate-destinations/

Where NCH lacks the reputation of LSE, it makes up for through its reputation within academia, if you are worried about its reputation then you can sleep soundly knowing that you can always do a masters at Oxbridge or other highly reputable university (I'm looking at Harvard's 2+2 MBA programme).

The careers department is excellent and is headed up by Matthew Batstone who used to be CEO at The Economist. With have very personal careers talks from leading industry professionals, as I'm interested in Investment Banking last week I attended a meeting with a member of Morgan Stanley's operating board - that consisted of me and 6 or so other people. Several meetings of this nature are held every semester.

Now we have merged with Northeastern University, you also have the opportunity to do a year abroad in one of their multiple satillite campuses if you wish. That also gives NCH financial certainty for the future.

I also want to take a moment to dismiss the elitist reputation that NCH has, NCH has dropped its fees to the same as every other university in the UK and its drastically changed the nature of the students there, the universities student body consist of individuals with a wide range of political views and varying socio-economic backgrounds. In fact, with the number of scholarships and bursaries we are now offering, its far cheaper (and certainly significantly better value) than the vast majority of other univeristies.

I cannot tell you how quickly word has spread about NCH, when I joined in September hardly anybody knew about it, but now I frequently find people are familiar with the university. I am confident that by the time I graduate from my Masters it'll be just as well known as any UoL or Russell Group university.

In summary, at NCH you'll get phenomenal value for money, a totally unique and priceless experience (i.e. Sir Christopher Ricks took me out for dinner last semester), I cannot reccomend NCH enough.

Reply 11

henry1999

14

On the note of intellectual stimulation, I can understand why you'd assume that. However, from my experience interacting with LSE, UCL & KCL students, they tend to be incredibly knowlegeable in their subject but outside of their subject conversations can be relatively dry (There are obviously exceptions to this rule. The nature of the NCH admission process seriously discourages that, which is generally the reason why students with A*s get turned down (when they do get turned down). NCH looks for all-rounders and good subject knowledge, LSE and other universities tend to be focused on solely your subject knowledge.

LSE or NCH?

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you