Cambridge economics offer

Original post by Econowizard

So I got the offer, now please listen to what I am about to say seriously.

I kind of applied expecting to get rejected and honestly the offer surpised me a lot. But now that I have it I am struggling to choose between Economics at UCL or Cambridge.

Is Cambridge really that much of an advantage over UCL? Course wise it definetely is not but does it offer a significant amount more 'presitige' simply because of the tag 'I went to Cambridge'?

The impression I get is that Cambridge is for academically obsessed/pationate people. If you are absolutely in love with your subject and considering to take it further down the research path then it is the place to choose.

However whilst I love Economics as a subject I think more practically, yes I want to study but I am much more concerned about getting a good job in finance.

UCL is located in London making work experience much easier to find and the generally lower level of workload will mean I have more time to focus in such a sense. I feel like if I go Cambridge I will essentially work my arse of for 3 years and essentially lag behind certain London uni graduates simply due to this fact.

To clarify I am not taking an academic route, I do not wish to be a proffesor/ research economist etc... I wish to go into finanance, specfically acturial science or investment management.

Essentially is Cambridge worth it or is UCL just as good. The way it seems to me is Cambridge simply has a bit of an 'ego boost' to it which in long term hold very little over other strong unis.

Thanks! :smile:

PS: I know that in general cambs outstrips all over unis but i am talking in context for a degree in economics where i truly believe everything i said.

Let’s see if our respected TSR veteran economists would come and share their wisdom and real life experience on this.

Tagging @Colmans @alex_hk90

Reply 2

Parliament

Original post by Econowizard

So I got the offer, now please listen to what I am about to say seriously.

I kind of applied expecting to get rejected and honestly the offer surpised me a lot. But now that I have it I am struggling to choose between Economics at UCL or Cambridge.

Is Cambridge really that much of an advantage over UCL? Course wise it definetely is not but does it offer a significant amount more 'presitige' simply because of the tag 'I went to Cambridge'?

The impression I get is that Cambridge is for academically obsessed/pationate people. If you are absolutely in love with your subject and considering to take it further down the research path then it is the place to choose.

However whilst I love Economics as a subject I think more practically, yes I want to study but I am much more concerned about getting a good job in finance.

UCL is located in London making work experience much easier to find and the generally lower level of workload will mean I have more time to focus in such a sense. I feel like if I go Cambridge I will essentially work my arse of for 3 years and essentially lag behind certain London uni graduates simply due to this fact.

To clarify I am not taking an academic route, I do not wish to be a proffesor/ research economist etc... I wish to go into finanance, specfically acturial science or investment management.

Essentially is Cambridge worth it or is UCL just as good. The way it seems to me is Cambridge simply has a bit of an 'ego boost' to it which in long term hold very little over other strong unis.

Thanks! :smile:

PS: I know that in general cambs outstrips all over unis but i am talking in context for a degree in economics where i truly believe everything i said.

*What follows is just my experience and may not be representative* I know a lot of people at UCL - they all hate it. The accommodation is woeful, the social life largely soulless because of how the uni is set up, and the actual teaching poor. They say that its academic credentials are massively overblown and they're not really stretched or challenged whatsoever, so they have basically spent their degree being bored and underwhelmed.

At Cambridge you'll be actively courted by finance firms from your second year onwards, if you show even the slightest interest in the city. If you know that finance is what you want to do as a career and you pursue opportunities at Cambridge, you'll find that you have so many options open to you that you won't be able to take advantage of all of them. I spent last term getting spammed with career events and networking things hosted by big banks, large consultancies, and the big four - and I made literally the bare minimum of effort. I'm not part of the Cambridge Consulting Network, any of the finance/IB societies, or anything of that nature. It's borderline ridiculous at times the amount of stuff I get offered which friends at other unis - including UCL - simply don't have access to. Cambridge is for academically-passionate people, but a subset of academically-passionate people is 'academically-passionate people who also want to earn lots of money working for banks'. Imo you'd be making a catastrophic error if you chose UCL over Cambridge for this reason.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 3

WiseLeo

OP

13

Original post by Parliament

*What follows is just my experience and may not be representative* I know a lot of people at UCL - they all hate it. The accommodation is woeful, the social life largely soulless because of how the uni is set up, and the actual teaching poor. They say that its academic credentials are massively overblown and they're not really stretched or challenged whatsoever, so they have basically spent their degree being bored and underwhelmed.

At Cambridge you'll be actively courted by finance firms from your second year onwards, if you show even the slightest interest in the city. If you know that finance is what you want to do as a career and you pursue opportunities at Cambridge, you'll find that you have so many options open to you that you won't be able to take advantage of all of them. I spent last term getting spammed with career events and networking things hosted by big banks, large consultancies, and the big four - and I made literally the bare minimum of effort. I'm not part of the Cambridge Consulting Network, any of the finance/IB societies, or anything of that nature. It's borderline ridiculous at times the amount of stuff I get offered which friends at other unis - including UCL - simply don't have access to. Cambridge is for academically-passionate people, but a subset of academically-passionate people is 'academically-passionate people who also want to earn lots of money working for banks'. Imo you'd be making a catastrophic error if you chose UCL over Cambridge for this reason.

I have heard similar things but most of the critisism is towards UCL as a whole. Your friends that go to UCL are they studying Economics or other subjects such as English, etc

Reply 4

Parliament

Original post by Econowizard

I have heard similar things but most of the critisism is towards UCL as a whole. Your friends that go to UCL are they studying Economics or other subjects such as English, etc

One's doing English, one's doing Medicine, one's doing MML, one's doing Arts and Sciences (I think that's the title of her course, could be wrong though). So no - not explicitly economics, but I struggle to believe that econ students are privileged at UCL where other students aren't

Reply 5

Original post by Parliament

One's doing English, one's doing Medicine, one's doing MML, one's doing Arts and Sciences (I think that's the title of her course, could be wrong though). So no - not explicitly economics, but I struggle to believe that econ students are privileged at UCL where other students aren't

I know one English student, one economist, several ‘science’ students, including a couple of medics, and a few maths students, a few architecture students, but what I’ve heard from them about their courses is quite different from th impression you got from your friends.
Though I agree they probably lack the community-feel and care Cambridge can offer because of the collegiate system.

Reply 6

Clarafehybelle

11

I’d go with where you feel more comfortable. Like do you want the collegiate system of Cambridge? In the end if you feel better suited to one over the other then go with that regardless of other factors because as you already know they’re both great unis. Maybe even do a simple pros and cons list?

Reply 7

A friend's son is doing Maths with Econ at UCL and is really excited with his choice. He says academically it is very challenging (he got in with 3 A*), and accomodation and college life is fine! He did not apply to Cambridge even though his father is a Cambridge Trinity College graduate, because from what he's heard from his father Cambridge does not offer a good balance of education and college life. Mind you that his father got in Trinity with a scholarship and afterwards he continued with an MBA in Wharton again with a full scholarship!!!

Reply 8

Let me add also, that his father told us that Cambridge's system is very particular with lots of research on your own, and this is really something you should consider. You should be expecting not really getting a straight answer from your tutors but a constant guidance to seek it on your own. In addition the terms are shorter so it gets more intensive.

Reply 9

Original post by EleaGR

Let me add also, that his father told us that Cambridge's system is very particular with lots of research on your own, and this is really something you should consider. You should be expecting not really getting a straight answer from your tutors but a constant guidance to seek it on your own. In addition the terms are shorter so it gets more intensive.

Other universities (except for oxford) doesn’t have supervision system like Cambridge, and it involves lots of self-research and essay writing but it also offers much closer interactions with academic staff (supervisors).
I’m not sure if things are still the same as the father of your son’s friend was there, though. Things change, even t Cambridge.
But I agree, the shorter terms make things more demanding and intensive.

Reply 10

Original post by vincrows

Other universities (except for oxford) doesn’t have supervision system like Cambridge, and it involves lots of self-research and essay writing but it also offers much closer interactions with academic staff (supervisors).
I’m not sure if things are still the same as the father of your son’s friend was there, though. Things change, even t Cambridge.
But I agree, the shorter terms make things more demanding and intensive.

Yes, I've heard so for other Unis too, but I think it depends one the course. I'm not sure though. I know for my daughter's case that has applied for Biomedical Sciences to other Unis that there is a kind of supervision system. But my daughter loves to work in small groups because she is IB and in a small private school were classes are 2-10 persons. Also, she loves researching everything and that is why she chose to apply to Cambridge (but unfortunately she was pooled and rejected)

Reply 11

Original post by EleaGR

Yes, I've heard so for other Unis too, but I think it depends one the course. I'm not sure though. I know for my daughter's case that has applied for Biomedical Sciences to other Unis that there is a kind of supervision system. But my daughter loves to work in small groups because she is IB and in a small private school were classes are 2-10 persons. Also, she loves researching everything and that is why she chose to apply to Cambridge (but unfortunately she was pooled and rejected)

Supervision at other universities are very different from oxbridge’s.
It’s more like supervisor checking your progress to make sure you’re on a track, a bit similar to your college’s DoS does at Cambridge, so basically they ‘supervise’ your progress.
I’ve always thought a word ‘supervision’ at Cambridge can be a bit misleading. (Hate to admit but oxford’s ‘Tutorials’ is probably more appropriate name....)

Reply 12