Economics at LSE, Cambridge or Northwestern(MMSS)?

College Search & Selection
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<p>I received conditional offers from LSE and Cambridge and ED acceptance from NU (MMSS Program). Im now thinking about where to go. Could you guys give me some ideas?</p>

<p>By better i mean: (importance 1>2>3)</p>

<p>1) Reputation of institution-worldwide
2) Employability-job prospects
3) Social life</p>

<p>Most importantly, in the future, I want to go to a US graduate school and work there. So I wonder how you guys in the US think about LSE and Cambridge, compared with NU.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance!</p>

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<p>Anyone with suggestions for me? = =</p>

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<p>1) Reputation of institution-worldwide
Cambridge > LSE = NU</p>

<p>2) Employability-job prospects
Cambridge > LSE = NU</p>

<p>3) Social life
Cambridge = NU > LSE (depends on what you like though)</p>

<p>Given your criteria, Cambridge > Northwestern MMSS = LSE. </p>

<p>This said, all three are AWESOME…so congratulations are in order. Well done indeed!</p>

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<p>Here in the US, Cambridge (any of its colleges) = harvard, princeton, yale, stanford.</p>

<p>As for which will allow you employment in the US, others will have to answer. I would assume graduate school in the US would be more relevant to that goal than undergrad.</p>

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<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>To Alexandre: My Cam’s offer includes a deferred entry, which means I can only matriculate in 2011. But I have no ideas what to do in this extra year at this point and I am also a bit older than most of my classmates (20 by the end of this month). Do you think it is worth one year for attending Cambridge?</p>

<p>BTW you really know a lot of things!</p>

<p>To DunninLA:</p>

<p>Thanks. A friend of mine thinks that English unis now including Cam, cannot compete with any Top20 colleges in the US. So he is just minority right?</p>

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<p>If you were accepted ED to Northwestern, you signed a contract for that acceptance to be binding…</p>

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<p>^I don’t think it has the weight of a “contract”. There’s really no legal consequences if you break it.</p>

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<p>go to Cambridge. The experience, from what I have heard, is unique… not just in academics, but also in social life, environment etc.</p>

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<p>My Bro studied Engineering in UK ( Imperial ), and MS at Berkeley. He would not trade anything for US in terms of lifestyle, weather( California only) and social life. However, if end point is graduate study ( scholarship and research money is v v important) then a job, nothing beats the US. Period. Also U need a visa to work in the US ( H-1 or J-1)?? If positive, best to study here, acclimatize and go to grad school after NW MMSS. Evanston is cold though, more so than London or Cambridge !! :)</p>

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<p>You can get out of the NU contract for financial reasons, but it is intended to be binding. I don’t know that they can go after you if you break it. However, you did sign an agreement, and it would seem pretty low to go back on it when you recognized it was binding at the time.</p>

<p>"From the National Association for Admission Counseling Statement of Principles and Good
Practices:</p>

<p>Early Decision (ED) is the application process in which students make a commitment to a first-choice institution where, if admitted, they definitely will enroll. While pursuing admission under an Early Decision plan, students may apply to other institutions, but may have only one Early Decision application pending at any time. Should a student who applies for financial aid not be offered an award that makes attendance possible, the student may decline the offer of admission and be released from the Early Decision commitment.</p>

<p>The institution must notify the applicant of the decision within a reasonable and clearly stated period of time after the early decision deadline.</p>

<p>Usually, a nonrefundable deposit must be made well in advance of May 1. The institution will respond to an application for financial aid at or near the time of an offer of admission. Institutions with Early Decision plans may restrict students from applying to other early plans. Institutions will clearly articulate their specific policies in their Early Decision agreement.</p>

<p><em>Check Box</em> Yes, I have read and understand my rights and responsibilities under the Early Decision process. I wish to be considered as an Early Decision candidate at:</p>

<p>Northwestern University</p>

<p>I also understand that with an Early Decision offer of admission, this institution may share my name and my Early Agreement with other institutions."</p>

<p>I agree, there’s nothing legally binding about it, but on an ethical standpoint, I personally wouldn’t go back on it. I suppose you could get out of it via the deferred matriculation at Cambridge, and simply say you wanted that extra year. But if you want to go now, I would say NU offers you plenty of opportunities in all of the realms you’re wanting (noting that I’m going to be a Communications major, so I’m not an expert at their Economics program). So if you’re looking to go this year, it’s a great school that is expecting you to be there in September…sounds like a pretty good setup, to me.</p>

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<p>I really don’t know about that. I suppose the ED agreement is only binding within the US and my counselor also said it would be no problem for me to attend a UK university. Im gonna ask the admission office. Anyway, thanks for reminding and look forward to seeing you in September if I choose NU.</p>

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<p>LemonHunter, if you sign an ED agreement, you should attend that university. Then again, there are lots of things people should do… but don’t. But is that an excuse? Some might say yes. I say no.</p>

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<p>To Alam1, </p>

<p>I post the thread because as I explained, my counselor said it would be no problem attending a UK university and she was Brown’s Admission Officer at one time so I trusted her. I don’t want to break the rule either. Anyway, I will double check about it. Thank you very much.</p>

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<p>I read somewhere on CC that Oxford or Cambridge actually rescinded their offer after they found out one of their acceptees was in ED at Williams.</p>

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<p>Really? By what means did they find out?</p>

<p>Maybe they just worry about whether that guy would decline Oxbridge because of ED at Williams so they rescinded the offer in advance? Although this sounds rediculous, I heard that Oxbridge hates students also applying to US unis, not to mention someone who was likely to cancel their offer. One of my teachers told me that a student said during the Cambridge interview that he also applied to US unis and got rejected straight away. I dont know the creditability of this story but they do think Oxbridge are the best in the world.</p>

<p>Can we go back to the thesis? Thanks.</p>

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<p>You and NU made a deal. In exchange for the admissions boost that occurs when you apply ED, you agreed that you would attend there if accepted ED. If you wanted to see how you fared, you shouldn’t have applied ED there (or anywhere).</p>

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<p>Pizza girl,</p>

<p>Thanks first. I am not saying I dont want to attend NU-- I will be really happy if I choose it finally, as happy as I initially regarded it as my dream school. I post this thread because as far as I know, (from a former admission officer, current high school counselor), that ED agreement is binding within the US and I am going to check this. I just want to choose the one that suit me the best as it is really a life-changing decision to make. If I find out that I must go to NU, I will still be happy to. But it is like if you got other choices, and you find out you are not breaking any rules, won’t you think about them carefully since you will spend 3 or 4 years there?</p>

<p>Guys, please, go back to the selection. About the ED agreement, I promise I will try to get the offical response and I will not break any rules.</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

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<p>LemonHunter, don’t worry about Early Decision being binding. I know of several people who have opted out of it, but only if their other choice was a college/university outside America, or financially they couldn’t manage attending. Last year there was a boy from India who received a conditional offer from Cambridge and was accepted through ED by Wharton, but ultimately chose Cambridge without any repurcussions, after he met his condition. There are several more examples of this kind and I don’t see you having any trouble, unless there are explicit changes in the way Early Decision works.</p>

<p>As far as the choice goes, I think Cambridge is the best bet, if you are comfortable with deferring of course. Another thing to consider is that the UK is far more attuned to the system of mature students than the US (they “invented” gap years after all), and therefore you wouldn’t have much trouble fitting in at age 20 or 21. Not that the US makes it difficult, but it is slightly easier in the UK. It’s just a question of your comfort with the situation. That aside, Cambridge is fantastic for the Social Sciences, some would argue the best in the world and you’d have excellent preparation in the Social Sciences if you went there. All three are great places and programmes to be accepted into, but Cambridge is a traditional university unlike the other two and offers you an academic and social life that would reflect being steeped in history and tradition. Northwestern and LSE are far less traditional academically and otherwise, and one is in one of the largest cities of the world and the other is a stone’s throw away from another one of the largest cities in the world. Ultimately it depends on what criteria are important for you; each one of us come with our own biases and no such choice can be completely objective so factor in your priorities, and you’ll reach a conclusive choice. Good Luck and Congratulations!</p>

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<p>Thank you very much Paradox7. Your words really give me a lot of support.</p>

<p>About the ED agreement, I also saw a few cases in my country and I heard that it is very common where people are doing A-Level or IB, for example Singapore, HK… Anyway, I will check this.</p>

<p>About the choice, I very much agree with you on the point that “i would be easier to fit in at 20 or 21 at Cambridge”. My tutor told me that it is relatively very common and most (or a large number of) UK students take a gap year after HS.</p>

<p>Thanks! your advice is of greaaat help to me.</p>

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<p>OP, those who say the US education is superior are not referring to the academic training <em>within</em> a narrow major. They are undoubtedly referring to the flexibility the US system affords to change major, take 2 majors, and spend approx. 30-40% of your college life taking classes of interest completely outside your major. It can be more of a renaissance educational experience.</p>