<p>I am a senior student from Asia and plan to apply to both universities in the Uk - Oxbridge and in the USA - The Ivy League. In addition to others....</p>
<p>In terms of field of study, I am starting to tend towards the Social Sciences; Economics, Business..... But naturally care about reputation and brand name as well</p>
<p>Many have told me that the Uk is better for UGRAD education as they place a good emphasis on undergraduate, whereas the US universities place more on RESEARCH AND GRADUATE Programs and have undergraduate degrees which are more general and broad. (hence one program being 3 and the other 4 years..)</p>
<p>As a senior student here I have had a broad education, taking 11 subjects in my senior year. (all of which would be equivalent to or near Honors level)</p>
<p>Which would be better if you have both, and NO FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES?</p>
<p>I really dont know where I want to work, but I have a European passport and a green card so i am keep to work in the west. I am well aware that going to the Uk does not stop one from working in the US and vice versa but do they in some way handicap you ?</p>
<p>Thank you very much in advance for your help!</p>
<p>"Many have told me that the Uk is better for UGRAD education as they place a good emphasis on undergraduate, whereas the US universities place more on RESEARCH AND GRADUATE Programs and have undergraduate degrees which are more general and broad."</p>
<p>I'd say the opposite. Edit: The US universities are better for pretty much everything.</p>
<p>If you want a job in the UK (or want to go to a grad school in England), then Oxford is great. Otherwise Princeton and other such universities are better for grad schools/job placement in the US.</p>
<p>But you're right that US grad schools are, on the whole, much stronger than their international counterparts.</p>
<p>well if it helps Princeton is known for its undergraduate education...I don't think you can make value judgments based on the length in years of the different programs</p>
<p>There's no right answer: it really depends on what you consider important.</p>
<p>Most importantly, the missions of Oxbridge and HPYS are fundamentally different. Oxbridge see themselves as primarily institutions that teach top scholars to be very good at what they do. Thus, their admissions policies are more numbers-based than HPYS. A lot of people like this, and if this resonates with you, maybe that's a point in Oxbridge's favor.</p>
<p>HPYS, on the other hand, define themselves in a broader sense: they aim to contribute leaders in society, be it in academia, politics, or business. They want sharp people, yes, but define the term in a different way. Someone who has a 2300 but has shown promising leadership potential may get an acceptance over someone with a 2350 who has not. Some people don't like this - they feel that this "corrupts" the role of an educational institution or produces "weaker" graduates. Personally, HPYS's broader definition of "education" - the education of leaders with integrity and social consciousness - strikes me as more appealing.</p>
<p>I've skipped over so many very big differences, for the sake of pointing out a broad one. For example, Oxbridge does have the tutorial system, which is very, very cool, I think, and something you won't find in HPYS. Yet on the whole, I think if you take advantage of your opportunities, you'll get just as solid an undergraduate education in your specific field at HPYS.</p>
<p>I Princeton is the best Ivy for UG…I also think there are several Liberal Arts Colleges that are also very good for UG.</p>
<p>Swarthmore, Amherst, Williams, and Pomona come to mind…I think any of the four are among the best UG schools in the world…</p>
<p>In order to avoid a fight I will not say they are better UG schools than Princeton, but I will say they are better UG schools than any of the other Ivy schools.</p>
<p>As was previously mentioned, it is impossible to say that one is 'better' than the other... Oxbridge is so different from anything in the US they can't really be compared. </p>
<p>Oxbridge is based on a tutorial system where most instruction is done in groups of 2-3 students with faculty. The Oxbridge system generally seen to be more academically rigorous for the subject being studied... but this is also at the cost of having less 'general education' courses that most US students must take. </p>
<p>In terms of getting jobs, if you want to work in the US then having a degree from a university outside the US is seen as a big plus with many employers... especially big firms that operate worldwide. A decent amount of 'international experience' on one's CV is increasingly becoming a requirement to remain competitive for top positions, although given that you're already from outside the west then perhaps this isn't an issue. </p>
<p>It really comes down to personal preference more than anything else. Nobody in their right mind would ever say "Oh, you've only got a degree from Princeton, Oxford or Cambridge!"</p>
<p>I read that oxford is getting poor and declining.. Princeton is certainly better.. You won want to just read economics in college, you should learn a bit of physics or biology to supplement you econ.. Liberal arts i prefer</p>
<p>In this case I think it depends on what you want. For somebody who is very clever, academically oriented, and interested in studying their major in considerable depth, I would recommend Oxford. If you want the "American college experience" and a broader range of courses with less depth, then you should go to one of the top American colleges. </p>
<p>Oxford and Princeton are both excellent, depending on what you are looking for. Do note, however, that for work in the US the Princeton name will be much more useful. Loads of Americans do a year abroad at Oxford without particularly good qualifications (nowhere near those required of full-time Oxford students), so it kind of waters down the Oxford name in the US. In Europe though, Oxford is better recognised than Princeton.</p>
<p>"Loads of Americans do a year abroad at Oxford without particularly good qualifications (nowhere near those required of full-time Oxford students), so it kind of waters down the Oxford name in the US."</p>
<p>There are often a lot of 'summer programs' for US high school and undergrad students run at Oxbridge, but these programs are technically just extended conferences and are not endorsed or run by the Universities... the companies that run them though do enjoy saying things like 'Study in Oxford'... although they actually mean the town. There are also short term masters programs run by Oxbridge, that are popular with Americans, but most Ivy Leage schools also run similar short term programs so it's really nothing out of the ordinary. </p>
<p>There is occasionally some upturned noses from Ivy League folks at Oxbridge... they often say things like 'its not as good as it used to be', 'its old fashion and behind the times' ect... quite ironically usually the things many Americans are now starting to say about the Ivy League ;-). In reality... in the world of academic snobbery, someone with an Oxbridge degree is probably the only 'class' of degree that trumps someone's Ivy League degree. Lots of schools in the US base their 'prestige' on the fact that they are really old, have lots of Nobel Prize winning alumni ect. but a school like Cambridge is far older than anything in the US and has more Nobel Prize winning alumni than anywhere else in the world... </p>
<p>Concequently, you occasionally get the Ivy League folks getting all defensive and trying to slag off Oxbridge for fear that they might be seen as 'second best' in the world. It's all nonsense really, but it very much does happen from time to time.</p>
<p>Is there really any where to judge which school is better than the other?.. I dunno.. Reputation is one thing but it all depends on what kind of education do you want.. Us or uk..</p>