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Imperial vs. Bath Chem Eng

Hi,
I have offers for chemical engineering from both Bath and Imperial, and am quite torn between them.
I am quite keen on Bath, as it seems like a uni with a great environment, sporting facilities and good placement/industry links. However, Imperial is Imperial, and the name itself carries a lot of weight, and the thought of going to Imperial is also quite attractive as well.
But as an international student, I will be paying MUCH higher fees at Imperial compared to Bath, along with the living costs of London, and I'm not sure if going to Imperial over Bath is a financially suitable decision just because it's Imperial.

Please give your thoughts :smile:

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Original post by jessedoell
Hi,
I have offers for chemical engineering from both Bath and Imperial, and am quite torn between them.
I am quite keen on Bath, as it seems like a uni with a great environment, sporting facilities and good placement/industry links. However, Imperial is Imperial, and the name itself carries a lot of weight, and the thought of going to Imperial is also quite attractive as well.
But as an international student, I will be paying MUCH higher fees at Imperial compared to Bath, along with the living costs of London, and I'm not sure if going to Imperial over Bath is a financially suitable decision just because it's Imperial.

Please give your thoughts :smile:


As someone who's firmed Bath for Chem Eng, I might be just slightly biased. It really depends on your priorities: what are your motivations for going to uni. Is it prestige or fun? Many Cambridge rejects and offer holders will choose Bath over Imperial and Cambridge, as the workload is exceptionally intense at the latter two institutions, and indeed the degree is essentially just as good (a MEng in engineering is a MEng in engineering irrespective of where you got it.). Also, your alma mater is largely neglected in engineering circles. It's truly baffling how many threads like yours have been created, and I will always propagate the same thing. I would always choose Bath over Cambridge and Imperial, but it's up to you; it's what you prioritise and value in a uni! Have a look here for a somewhat less biased view:
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3855685&highlight=a*da*m

Good luck!
Reply 2
Original post by Bath_Student
As someone who's firmed Bath for Chem Eng, I might be just slightly biased. It really depends on your priorities: what are your motivations for going to uni. Is it prestige or fun? Many Cambridge rejects and offer holders will choose Bath over Imperial and Cambridge, as the workload is exceptionally intense at the latter two institutions, and indeed the degree is essentially just as good (a MEng in engineering is a MEng in engineering irrespective of where you got it.). Also, your alma mater is largely neglected in engineering circles. It's truly baffling how many threads like yours have been created, and I will always propagate the same thing. I would always choose Bath over Cambridge and Imperial, but it's up to you; it's what you prioritise and value in a uni! Have a look here for a somewhat less biased view:
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3855685&highlight=a*da*m

Good luck!

Thanks, maybe see you next year as well haha
Original post by jessedoell
Thanks, maybe see you next year as well haha


Absolutely :biggrin: There's quite the Bath Chem Eng clan, like at least five I can think of, baring in mind that there are usually 100 people on the course in total.
Reply 4
Original post by Bath_Student
Absolutely :biggrin: There's quite the Bath Chem Eng clan, like at least five I can think of, baring in mind that there are usually 100 people on the course in total.


Are you in the Bath offer holders facebook group?
Reply 5
Original post by jessedoell
Haha well this is the link if you wanted it


That's not an official Fresher's FB Group. Be *very* wary of using any FB groups that are not set up by the uni's own student union. They are often used to spam participants with ads, etc. (In other words, please don't promote it :wink: )
(edited 8 years ago)
both are excellent institutions for engineering can't go wrong with either. Imperial has a much stronger brand name though, so if you ever want to get into finance certainly Imperial. If there is even a 0.0000001% chance that you'd want to go into finance choose Imperial if you're dead set on engineering then both are excellent choose your favorite.

Personally i'd choose Imperial, you're still young you likely don't know what you want in life (even if you think you do), the flexibility that comes from having an imperial degree will be a great help later on in life.
Reply 7
Original post by jneill
That's not an official Fresher's FB Group. Be *very* wary of using any FB groups that are not set up by the uni's own student union. They are often used to spam participants with ads, etc. (In other words, please don't promote it :wink: )


Oh alright my apologies
Reply 8
Original post by Oilfreak1
both are excellent institutions for engineering can't go wrong with either. Imperial has a much stronger brand name though, so if you ever want to get into finance certainly Imperial. If there is even a 0.0000001% chance that you'd want to go into finance choose Imperial if you're dead set on engineering then both are excellent choose your favorite.

Personally i'd choose Imperial, you're still young you likely don't know what you want in life (even if you think you do), the flexibility that comes from having an imperial degree will be a great help later on in life.


Thanks for the reply. But why does going to Bath limit my chances of going into the finance industry compared to Imperial?
Original post by jessedoell
Thanks for the reply. But why does going to Bath limit my chances of going into the finance industry compared to Imperial?


Imperial is a target university while bath is not.
Reply 10
Original post by Oilfreak1
Imperial is a target university while bath is not.


They both teach roughly similar principles and topics (as it is the same course). Would I not graduate with a skill set from both unis that would put me in a position to enter finance? Brand name is something yes, but in terms of what I am capable of
Original post by jessedoell
Thanks for the reply. But why does going to Bath limit my chances of going into the finance industry compared to Imperial?


His idea is that Imperial has a better reputation internationally, but his shallow remark completely disregards the fact that experience always trumps prestige. If you go to Bath and gather work experience at a bank in your summer holiday, then you're one enormous step ahead of someone who went to Imperial and has had no work experience related to finance.

Also, I'd recommend staying in the field of engineering, I don't like the fact that many go for chem eng with the intention of deviating later. Their initial motivation was not passion and interest, and that is disappointing. If you're doing a degree in engineering, that's where your work will be in the future!
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by jessedoell
They both teach roughly similar principles and topics (as it is the same course). Would I not graduate with a skill set from both unis that would put me in a position to enter finance? Brand name is something yes, but in terms of what I am capable of


Any university can net you a chance in IB but IBDs actively target students from 6 british universities:
LSE, Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, UCL, Warwick

Investment banking is incredibly difficult to get into so you will 9/10 times see a student from one of these institutions filling graduate roles.

Also imperial possesses arguably the best chemical engineering department in the UK, so it's not like you're choosing banking over engineering by choosing Imperial, you're choosing engineering with a significantly greater chance of getting into banking.
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 13
Original post by Bath_Student
His idea is that Imperial has a better reputation internationally, but his shallow remark completely disregards the fact that experience always trumps prestige. If you go to Bath and gather work experience at a bank in your summer holiday, then you're one enormous step ahead of someone who went to Imperial and has had no work experience related to finance.

Also, I'd recommend staying in the field of engineering, I don't like the fact that many go for chem eng with the intention of deviating later. Their initial motivation was not passion and interest, and that is disappointing. If you're doing a degree in engineering, that's where your work will be in the future!


You need to compare apples with apples. If they go to Imperial, they could do a summer internship as well. With Imperial having the much better reputation in England, then it would be even easier to get that crucial internship.
Reply 14
Original post by Bath_Student
His idea is that Imperial has a better reputation internationally, but his shallow remark completely disregards the fact that experience always trumps prestige. If you go to Bath and gather work experience at a bank in your summer holiday, then you're one enormous step ahead of someone who went to Imperial and has had no work experience related to finance.

Also, I'd recommend staying in the field of engineering, I don't like the fact that many go for chem eng with the intention of deviating later. Their initial motivation was not passion and interest, and that is disappointing. If you're doing a degree in engineering, that's where your work will be in the future!


Experience does have precedence over rep, but I do understand where he is coming from when he talks about 'brand.' But I'm just talking about raw ability when you finish your degree.

Personally, I am going into chemical engineering because of my passion, and have always been passionate about maths and chemistry especially. But that does not mean you cannot deviate outside of engineering... I do also like the thought of working in the finance sector, and I don't plan on staying in one industrial sector for my career anyway... Where's the fun in that? Haha
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 15
Original post by Oilfreak1
Any university can net you a chance in IB but IBDs actively target students from 6 british universities:
LSE, Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, UCL, Warwick

Investment banking is incredibly difficult to get into so you will 9/10 times see a student from one of these institutions filling graduate roles.

Also imperial possesses arguably the best chemical engineering department in the UK, so it's not like you're choosing banking over engineering by choosing Imperial, you're choosing engineering with a significantly greater chance of getting into banking.


Ah fair enough I understand. Thanks :smile:
Reply 16
Original post by Bath_Student
lol if Warwick's on that list (a university not known outside of TSR..) then Bath must be.


Source desperately needed here.


You lost any credibility you had when you said that Warwick was not known outside of TSR......
Reply 17
Original post by Bath_Student
I am willing to bet preposterous amounts of dough on that if I carried out a survey in the US, or any other nation of your choice outside of the Anglo-centric bubble, virtually nobody will have heard of it.

I don't mean to be rude at all, but I am surprised to quite an extent that schools as well establish and famous as LSE, Cambridge or Oxford were placed into the same sentence as WW.

I reiterate: source desperately needed for aforementioned claim of other user!


I agree with you, that generally Warwick should not be mentioned in the same breath as Oxbridge and LSE. However, I am from France and its reputation is very strong, and is just after those schools. Bath is much less known.
Original post by Bath_Student
lol if Warwick's on that list (a university not known outside of TSR..) then Bath must be.


Source desperately needed here.


Source 1
Source 2
Source 3
Original post by Bath_Student
lol if Warwick's on that list (a university not known outside of TSR..) then Bath must be.


Source desperately needed here.


http://news.efinancialcareers.com/uk-en/218782/the-top-universities-for-the-analyst-class-for-2015-at-goldman-sachs-j-p-morgan-and-morgan-stanley/

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