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Where should i go for development studies sussex,bristol or soas

I have unconditional offer from Soas , Sussex and Bristol for development studies. SOAS and Sussex are leaders ranked 2 and 1 respectively however they are declining in QS ranking since 2020.
Sussex fall down to 240 and Soas declined to 400+ .
How ever University of Bristol is 61st ranked in world ranking but in Development studies it is between 50-100.
Which university I should choose for a better experience, social life and exposure
Original post by biswadeep2202
I have unconditional offer from Soas , Sussex and Bristol for development studies. SOAS and Sussex are leaders ranked 2 and 1 respectively however they are declining in QS ranking since 2020.
Sussex fall down to 240 and Soas declined to 400+ .
How ever University of Bristol is 61st ranked in world ranking but in Development studies it is between 50-100.
Which university I should choose for a better experience, social life and exposure


Hi! sorry to bother you and this is completely unrelated at all but what grades were you predicted to get you an unconditional offer at SOAS? or did it depend on your personal statement?
My apologies I cannot help you with your question
Original post by biswadeep2202
I have unconditional offer from Soas , Sussex and Bristol for development studies. SOAS and Sussex are leaders ranked 2 and 1 respectively however they are declining in QS ranking since 2020.
Sussex fall down to 240 and Soas declined to 400+ .
How ever University of Bristol is 61st ranked in world ranking but in Development studies it is between 50-100.
Which university I should choose for a better experience, social life and exposure


It really depends what your intentions are for the future, what your interests are, and what kind if city you want to be in. SOAS is brilliant if you're looking to work in the international arena, it has one of the best reputations for work relating to the Global South across the board, and it's very progressive and willing to challenge the more traditional schools of thought. As a SOAS student myself (in politics and languages, not development) I can't speak much on Sussex, but SOAS is incredibly unique and you're unlikely to get an experience like it anywhere else in the UK. For social life, London is a massive outlier in terms of student experience. If you're a fan of clubbing, London is very expensive and student life tends to revolve more around the SU bar and flat parties. Everything is less affordable, so you tend to pay for the prestige of going to SOAS by missing out on the traditional student experience. SOAS is super social though, so just because it's different doesn't mean it's not brilliant! I'm also not sure where you're getting the 'declining' data from - SOAS' ranking for development has only risen since 2019 (8th in 2019, 6th in 2020, 5th in 2021, and 2nd in 2022). SOAS does seem to be on a upward trajectory due to the recent restructuring and improved financials
Original post by kathew384
Hi! sorry to bother you and this is completely unrelated at all but what grades were you predicted to get you an unconditional offer at SOAS? or did it depend on your personal statement?
My apologies I cannot help you with your question


As far as I know SOAS doesn't tend to hand out unconditionals unless you already know your grades. They may give unconditionals if you're predicted grades significantly above the requirements, but from what I've seen it's very rare
Original post by biswadeep2202
I have unconditional offer from Soas , Sussex and Bristol for development studies. SOAS and Sussex are leaders ranked 2 and 1 respectively however they are declining in QS ranking since 2020.
Sussex fall down to 240 and Soas declined to 400+ .
How ever University of Bristol is 61st ranked in world ranking but in Development studies it is between 50-100.
Which university I should choose for a better experience, social life and exposure

Hi I can appreciate that this is a really tough decision. Whilst I haven't visited Sussex or Bristol, SOAS is brilliant for development studies as the professors are experts in their field, enriching students with their knowledge and insights outside of their course content. It's also a renowned institution with a friendly, diverse, cosmopolitan community of students from all over the world, giving you the opportunity to immerse in different cultures and broaden your own perspectives. The Careers Service at SOAS is also great for helping you navigate your steps after university as they help you tailor your CV's, offer interview practise and support with applying to a range of internship and graduate opportunities. Hope this helps!

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