Imperial or Oxford or Cambridge

Hi, I am an international student. I have received offers to study the MSc in Mathematical and Theoretical Physics at Oxford, Part III Applied Maths at Cambridge and a fully funded PhD in Mathematics at Imperial. The part III and the MSc course have some advanced modules which attracted me in the first place. But this late in the admission cycle I dont think I will receive any funding for both the MSc and part III.
Is it worth taking a student loan to study at Oxford or Cambridge? My main motivators here are the options both the courses offer and the academic level at Oxford/Cambridge in Theoretical Physics. The final aim would be to do a PhD in the future.
Thanks

Reply 1

holly_1994

Hi,

Well done on your offers, they are fantastic! You've clearly worked hard for those.

Okay, so here is my two-pence worth. I studied for an MPhil in Medieval History at Cambridge from 2017-2018, and it was the best decision of my life. However, being completely honest, the content you learn at either Ox or Cam is no different really to any other university, so in terms of what you're going to learn it'll all be pretty similar, I'd imagine.

So the big question is: what experience do you want to have? Oxbridge offers you a chance to do things you wouldn't normally get to do, such as dine at formal halls and May balls, and you will always belong to the Oxbridge community for the rest of your life, which is a wonderful community to be in. With Imperial, you would, of course, be in the heart of London and have all the joys that brings, but don't forget that Cambridge is a short train from London and you can pop back and forth to the capital on weekends, if you fancy little trips out. Oxford is also not far from London.

Imperial = a big, sprawling city that is go-go-go 24/7, where you will be at the heart of the capital and all its glory
Oxford = an old university within a modern city, and all the advantages of being in a modern city
Cambridge = unlike the other two, Cam has its own community within the city and feels much smaller and insular (which is why I chose it), but if you want to be part of a bigger city, then Ox and Imperial would be better

Personally, I think if you have been lucky enough to get Oxbridge offers then you should take one of those, but that's because I have been through the system myself and know you'll have a fantastic time. I did my undergraduate in London and, although London is a great place to be, it pales in comparison to the experiences you'll get at Oxbridge. Oxford for me is a bit too modern, which is why I chose Cambridge. Have you had the chance to visit London, Ox or Cam? Because you'll know what I mean when I say that Cambridge is like a little medieval town within a city, because all of the buildings are very old, hence why tourists often say "it's like Hogwarts here!" because the colleges in particular are mostly older, more traditional buildings.

This has to be your choice, and wherever you go you're going to have a fab time. I know from experience that Cambridge likes to keep their students, so, if you want to do a PhD, you're likely to get an offer, provided your proposal is strong, which I'm sure it will be. The only stickler with doing a PhD in the UK is funding, because it is very scarce. I'd say about 10% of my friends who applied for funding got it, and even then their awards were not always fully-funded. I'm not sure where you live back home, but keep your PhD options open there, too, because funding might be easier. All universities offer scholarships, but never rely on getting one of these as they are like gold dust.

And, finally, even though Oxford and Cambridge no longer open the doors they used to (although politics tells us in certain circles the old school tie network is still going strong), it is true that if you have either of those universities listed on your CV/resume, people are both interested to hear more and reassured that you are a strong candidate. I know for a fact I was only interviewed for my first job after Cambridge because the university was on my CV - I wasn't even experienced in that field and yet I got the job.

Good luck with everything! You're going to have a lovely time no matter what you choose!