I never thought that I’d get expected to one of these unis let alone three. I have a great but difficult decision to make and I would really appreciate any helpful guidance/advice on any of the 3 unis above.
Just for some context I’m from the UK myself and so would be an international student in the USA.
Thanks
It is hard to turn down Cambridge at £9k per year. What are your course plans at all 3?
Yes cost is probably Cambridge’s biggest benefit by a margin. Cambridge is for a course called HSPS, Princeton and Brown I would probably choose to major in economic, thanks
If you are interested in studying econ in the USA one option that my friends here do with their kids is have them go to Oxbridge, Durham, etc for uni, work in the City for a couple of years and then go to a top US MBA programme. That would still get you working in the US by the time you are 25 or so.
Cambridge would save you a massive amount of money in the long run, and you certainly wouldn’t be downgrading in terms of prestige. IF I were you, and planning on a post-grad program as well, I would chose Cambridge for undergrad, and either Princeton or Dartmouth for my master’s (assuming you still want econ). The way the uni system is managed in the UK is much more closely alligned with our post-grad programs in the US.
If your considerations are more about the actual experience, it is good to understand that at Cambridge you will be very independent and will need to be quite focused and committed. While these traits are helpful in a US school, there is a good deal more “hand-holding” you won’t exactly be treated as an adult yet. Depending on how you work best either situation may be an advantage or a disadvantage. Sometimes if you are the type of person who needs to be self motivated, not being expected to manage yourself can actually make you lose focus, whereas if you need more guidance-nt receiving it can make you feel lost.
You have some absolutely fantastic options. Congrats, and good luck!
I’m not knowledgeable about econ studies and how the job market and such really works in that industry, but it would seem to me that if you are full pay at the ivies vs 9k GBP at Cambridge that the only way I’m even entertaining coming stateside is if your plan is to permanently relocate here after you graduate or you really really want an “american college experience” since as stated, it is quite different from the UK.