<p>I have the choice of studying at KCL or Trinity College Dublin in the upcoming fall semester or UCL in the spring (I forgot to apply to UCL). I totally understand that UCL is better but I'm afraid the late exam dates will hurt my chances of getting a summer internship. The question is, is UCL so much better that I should take the chance? It says UCL doesn't end until June 7th.</p>
<p>I'm an English major at an Ivy League university and sort of afraid King's will look like a step down to employers (like they'll wonder why I didn't go to UCL). I was thinking about Trinity but I heard it was not quite as exciting as London.</p>
<p>UK unis only have one intake of new (directly enrolled) students per year. So if you want to make friends outside of your study abroad program I think it will be easier to start in the fall, before friendship groups have formed.</p>
<p>I don’t know if the same applies to Trinity College. Dublin is nice, but there are more people in London than the whole of Ireland. </p>
<p>I really don’t think employers will care where you did study abroad, especially since most students do very little studying! If anyone asks you about it, you have to explain what you got out of the experience, not justify why the uni you chose is superior to all others!</p>
<p>what is UCL tuition a year?</p>
<p>There are pros and cons - autumn (fall) is the only intake of UK students, so you get the fun of freshers week and the buzz of finding that everyone wants to make friends. However, it is likely that UCL will do exams in January - clearly you won’t be there for that, so you will presumably have to submit an alternative assessment i.e. an essay. Do check though! Spring semester has the advantage that the weather will be warmer, you’ll still be there for exams, Easter will give you 3-4 weeks in which to explore the rest of the UK / Europe, and you could stay on in Europe over the summer and travel around using EUrail or similar. In addition (though I’m not sure about the visa situation - do check) you may be able to secure a UK internship (N.B. closing dates for summer internships are commonly at the beginning of the academic year, so you would have to work on that before leaving the US. </p>
<p>For UK students tuition is, like almost all UK universities, £9000 per year. For international students, it will vary from course to course but it will be higher.</p>
<p>Not that much of a step down.</p>
<p>Think of it like the difference between UC Berkeley and UCLA.</p>
<p>Or the difference between Columbia and Cornell.</p>
<p>If you really like Irish literature like Joyce or Swift, you’ve got to do Trinity!</p>
<p>No employer is going to know the 3 choices you had nor should such a choice be soley dictated by an indefinable ‘esteem’ based on what universities had a good reputation when the employer studied 20 years ago. </p>
<p>UCL has an amazing location- walking distance to the British Museum, the Zoo, Soho, Covent Garden and the theatres, Oxford Street etc. And a dead chap in a cupboard (google Jeremy Bentham). How could you want anything else?</p>
<p>However, Kings isn’t exactly a state college in field in the mid west…It’s not only located on the Southern Edge of the above area but academically it’s still a top UK/World class university. </p>
<p>As for the weather, you’d be more likely to get really cold, icy weather in the Spring semester. Autumn tends to be milder, getting damper as time wears on. Bring a brolly or rain coat (burn that poncho now!)</p>
<p>Boomting’s correct about Fresher’s Week. It will make making friends infinitely more easy. If you can join a club or two then when they recruit at the Fresher’s Fayre, it’ll really add to your overall experience. </p>
<p>Remember that neither London nor Dublin are cheap places to live. Indeed, by US standards they’re pretty expensive. </p>
<p>@xsabrinee- as part of an official exchange/study abroad program, tuition usually remains the same as you’d pay going to your home American university. If you were an American who decided to go privately or take a full degree there, you’re looking at about $22, 000 at King’s or UCL for one year, tuition only. $16,000 at Trinity.</p>
<p>This is a really old thread!</p>
<p>^ Flagged as spam.</p>