How comparable is LSE to the IVYs? Really

kissoflily

the quality of student body has gone down hill, and really the ones who go are the ones who can't get in to american grad schools is that true at all?

I doubt that, if anything offer requirements etc. are going up rather than down.

Reply 2

tiantang

8

I'd say the lesser Ivy's. Not Yale, but atleast un par with Pennsylvania.

Based on what evidence i hear you say.

Well, the only comparison that's avialable are league tables which LSE is held to be more than comparable (11th/12th in the world i believe.) But they aren't exactly reliable and should be taken with huge pinches of salt.

Better evidence will be partner uni's. LSE is partners with Colombia (IVY league.) A uni would only pair it self up with uni's of similar reputation; (e.g. Cambridge and MIT.)

Reply 3

AmericanSaint

Determining the prestige level or the quality of education of schools just in the United States alone is difficult enough—trying to compare across systems is harder. Which criterion do you pick to evaluate the schools on: word of mouth or “scientific” rankings? “Word of mouth” is as unreliable as it sounds. Having searched CollegeConfidential, the American equivalent of this site for mentions of LSE, it appears that the same conclusion on LSE’s level of prestige isn’t drawn twice. The problem with world rankings is that they're essentially all for graduate programs or based on criteria that don’t affect undergraduates directly. Trying to figure out how that translates to the potential undergraduate experience is, in my opinion, nigh-impossible. They’re a measuring-post, not a fine instrument.

One of the things that are easy to compare, however, is cost. Assuming that there’s no financial aid from either institution, the cost of a degree from LSE is very roughly half of that from an Ivy League school. If you’re looking to go on and get a Master’s degree, then attending a British school to save money for that next step might be a prudent decision. Of course, some American schools will let you work on your Master’s when you’re an undergrad, which can shave a year off. From what I’ve read, LSE certainly carries the academic credibility to get one (with work) into a good graduate program—a keener determinant of career success that where one went as an undergrad. Plus, as an American it is pretty darn awesome to have an international school on our résumé as it reveals a lot about your personal character and independence.

Side note: I’m personally trying to pick between LSE, St. Andrew’s, Columbia and a few American schools that have given me half scholarships (NYU/American/George Washington). If anyone’s got an opinion, shout it out, s’il vous plaît.

Reply 4

tenjon

8

Judging from a bit of browsing on that college confidential website, it seems that St. Andrew's is rated much higher by Americans than it is by British people, or at least it is very well known. I doubt most British students would put St. Andrew's in the top 10 British unis, though it seems to be one of the best known in the States after Oxbridge/LSE.

Between the three British unis you have got offers from, I'd go with LSE without a doubt. Excellent IR course/department, most prestigious. St. Andrews is more beautiful, and if you want a 'campus' university similar to an American one, I guess St. Andrews is probably as close as it gets. But it is in the middle of nowhere, and London is awesome :smile:

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Reply 5

Stan Drews being rated by Americans says more about them, than it does about Stan.

Stan Drews itself ain't all that pretty. The surrounding village is though. Might be worth a daytrip. Not a long period of study versus many of the rest.

Reply 6

jimmydoerre3

a lot of americans have this misconception that undergrad simply doesnt matter as long as you attend a good graduate school. this is only true if you do a PhD or go to professional schools in the US. remember, the masters degree is only a year and a BA in the US is around 4 years so a masters degree from the LSE is not going to cover up bad GPA or a bad undergraduate school. while the LSE is going slightly improve your CV, the masters program is not going to make a huge difference

Reply 7

jimmydoerre3

President_Ben

Stan Drews being rated by Americans says more about them, than it does about Stan.

Stan Drews itself ain't all that pretty. The surrounding village is though. Might be worth a daytrip. Not a long period of study versus many of the rest.

st. andrews rep in the US is ridiculous, schools like Milton academy, philips exeter, philips andover send about 10 people each year to st. andrews......and remember these are the most elite private schools in the US and they usually send 17-18 per year to harvard and around 50% to ivy league (not including MIT, stanford and berkeley), many of these kids probably can get in oxford but they choose andrews instead.........

Reply 8

Is it even possible to go to a good grad school if your undergrad was iffy?

Reply 9

jimmydoerre3

st. andrews rep in the US is ridiculous, schools like Milton academy, philips exeter, philips andover send about 10 people each year to st. andrews......and remember these are the most elite private schools in the US and they usually send 17-18 per year to harvard and around 50% to ivy league (not including MIT, stanford and berkeley), many of these kids probably can get in oxford but they choose andrews instead.........

Poor smucks :frown:

Reply 10

President_Ben

Is it even possible to go to a good grad school if your undergrad was iffy?

Apparently yes seeing that I'm at LSE. :smile:

The grade requirement was ridiculously high though (perhaps 1% of the graduating class had the necessary GPA).

Reply 11

AmericanSaint

One of the things that are easy to compare, however, is cost. Assuming that there’s no financial aid from either institution, the cost of a degree from LSE is very roughly half of that from an Ivy League school. If you’re looking to go on and get a Master’s degree, then attending a British school to save money for that next step might be a prudent decision. Of course, some American schools will let you work on your Master’s when you’re an undergrad, which can shave a year off. From what I’ve read, LSE certainly carries the academic credibility to get one (with work) into a good graduate program—a keener determinant of career success that where one went as an undergrad. Plus, as an American it is pretty darn awesome to have an international school on our résumé as it reveals a lot about your personal character and independence.

Side note: I’m personally trying to pick between LSE, St. Andrew’s, Columbia and a few American schools that have given me half scholarships (NYU/American/George Washington). If anyone’s got an opinion, shout it out, s’il vous plaît.

The cost of living in London is significantly higher than in New York. A year in London (including tuition) will easily cost you $40k. Multiply that by 3, and you end up with $120k. If you have a half scholarship from Columbia, that means you'll be paying about $25-30k a year, which ends up less than $120k for the total degree. And unless you're planning to work outside of the US, you're really going to be shooting yourself in the foot by not going to Columbia. It might be ranked about the same as LSE internationally, but in the US, most employers haven't even heard of the LSE.

Reply 12

Bismarck

Apparently yes seeing that I'm at LSE. :smile:

The grade requirement was ridiculously high though (perhaps 1% of the graduating class had the necessary GPA).

Apols, wasn't being precise enough. Top 1% isn't that iffy... by dodgy undergrad, I meant degree score combined with place of study.

in the US, most employers haven't even heard of the LSE.

But the really good employers almost certainly will have.

Reply 13

President_Ben

Apols, wasn't being precise enough. Top 1% isn't that iffy... by dodgy undergrad, I meant degree score combined with place of study.

But the really good employers almost certainly will have.

I know a few people who had barely decent grades from sub-par universities in their home countries; apparently LSE isn't very good in judging which unis are and aren't good in other countries.

You shouldn't count on getting a job with the top employers, especially if you don't live in New York or Chicago. And to be honest, I doubt any American employer would choose even an Oxbridge graduate over someone who finishes one of the Ivies. If we're talking about getting a job for an international institution or some international NGO, then the LSEer wouldn't be at a disadvantage.

Reply 14

How many top employers aren't international these days? :confused:

Reply 15

Ziz

As sad as it may be, I think the real reason St. Andrews is so well known and esteemed in North America is simply becuase Prince William attended. I'm Canadian and I had never heard of it before the media started splashing it around here.

Reply 16

President_Ben

How many top employers aren't international these days? :confused:

How many of the HR people headquartered in New York will be knowledgeable of unis outside of the US?

Reply 17