Hi!
I have been admitted to both UCLA in the US and Sciences Po in France. Both universities are very prestigious, and very well known, and that is why I cannot decide which one I want to go to. I want to pursue economics, but whether in the public or private sector, I am unsure. I do know that my idea of going into economics was going into social entrepreneurship. Now, UCLA is slightly ranked higher for core economics itself, but it is very far away from home, and crazy expensive as well. Sciences Po provides the experience of Europe, and is closer to home and much cheaper, but is less well ranked for economics. I also want to do my Masters in Economics from HYPSM, and I wanted to know if I do my three years from Sciences Po will I directly be eligible for a US masters. I am unsure which university I should give up, because both the university cultures and the country cultures are so extremely different. Please if possible, give your opinions!
The teaching environment and style would be different too. Have you ever experienced American-style continuous assessment?
How certain are you about your major/field?
Ranking actually should not be the greatest concern. Preparation should be.
BTW, when someone says they want a “Masters in Economics from HYPSM”, I have my doubts about how much research they have done.
@PurpleTitan I have done the IB and so yes, I am aware of continuous assessment. I am quite certain about Economics but not so much about what i want to do after it. And HYPSM is a dream of my parents. Of course I have not done much research into masters as I just got done with my 12th. But the doubt right now for me is between these two universities.
I think it depends also on where you eventually want to live. If in Europe, Sciences Po may be more useful. If in the US, you should try to get your masters at least in the US, but you should realize getting into HYPSM is a lottery and you may have to be content with a lesser institution.
I would choose Sciences Po, especially if the cost were lower. It is extremely well regarded. But that’s just me.
Where would the extra money come from for UCLA?
Are you a US student or an international student? If you are an international student, you will need to demonstrate that you can pay for UCLA or you won’t get your student visa.
Grad schools in the US know Sciences Po. You don’t need to do your undergrad in the US to get into grad school in the US.
And the top American econ programs (which include HYPSM, yes, but econ people would think that using that grouping but excluding Columbia, UChicago, and Northwestern to be odd) generally take directly from undergrad in to their PhD programs (you pick up a master’s along the way). They don’t operate stand-alone econ masters programs.
Lots of PhDs at top Econ programs are foreign students.
I mean lots of PhDs at top econ programs are international students who finished their undergrad outside the US.
@curtainlights . . . sorry so belated.
By reading your two posts, I received the impression that you were an International, maybe from France, but this wouldn’t rule out that you’re an American domestic and would be paying non-resident fees at UCLA. And I don’t know how tuition would be structured at Sciences Po (“SP”) with respect to a resident of France and those from outside of the country, but it does sound like SP would be cheaper because of the way you presented things.
A little about UCLA assuming you’re an International: it appears that the University will be going with an approximate 70/20/10 percentage mix of CA, domestic non-CA, and International residents for its incoming freshmen classes, so you wouldn’t be the solitary foreign person; in addition, there are a high percentage of foreign students who transfer into the U from CA community colleges, especially from a place like Santa Monica College (“SMC”), which is especially rife with these students.
If you can’t alleviate your desire to experience the California lifestyle by not attending UCLA – though I didn’t get that impression by reading your posts, then perhaps you could attend SMC for two years. It appears that for a full coursework of classes at the college, [url= <a href=“http://www.smc.edu/EnrollmentDevelopment/IEC/Pages/Tuition_Fees.aspx%5Drates%5B/url”>http://www.smc.edu/EnrollmentDevelopment/IEC/Pages/Tuition_Fees.aspx]rates[/url] would be ~ $9,000/year (without considering living costs). I know it’s heretical here to suggest this, but it is an option.
All the best…