I have been admitted to UCL Bachelor of Arts and Sciences degree (majoring in science and engineering) and U of T Faculty of Architectural studies and I’m trying to decide which option is the best.
Whilst I know that the programs I applied to are very different, I am interested in both of them quite equally. Therefore I am more concerned about which degree would give me more job opportunities and recognition in other countries.
As I am considering to continue my studies in the USA, which university would be more recognized if I am to apply for top graduate schools (e.g ivy league)? I live in the UK currently and UCL is considered to be very prestigious here, however I know some Americans who had no clue what that university is.
What should matter is what career path you want to go down.
Do you want to be an architect or not? Do you want to be in science or engineering or not.
You can go to any grad school in either field but it’s not like grad programs in engineering or science take architecture undergrads and I’m pretty certain architecture grad programs don’t take science undergrads.
UCL isn’t well-known by people on the street in the US, but academics would regard UCL and Toronto equally highly.
Architecture is a much more difficult path than engineering. You have to have a graduate degree, it takes about 7 years, and jobs are not easy to find. I would only go down the architecture path if you are fairly certain it is want you want to do.
thanks for your replies.
Yes, but as I said, the course is not really the subject of matter for me here. Coming from which school would you say would make me a more competitive applicant for the top graduate schools in the US? also, will it be hard to apply to the graduate degree in Canada after UCL (if I go to the UK and then change my mind)?
Either university would make you equally competitive for graduate schools. It will matter much much more how well you do in your course of study.
Right.
Why does the course not matter to you? It’s not a matter of interest but what you will be doing for the next 40 years.
If you aren’t certain you will go in to architecture, don’t enter the architecture program.
Grad school adcoms will care about how you do rather than whether you went to UCL or Toronto (which would be seen by them as peers).
okay so at Toronto there is an option to take a double major (one in architecture and one in another field)
does it mean I can enter a graduate program of my other major if I decide architecture is not for me? could that also work for my minor (if I take architecture major and a minor in another field?)
I am not very familiar with all this major/minor system so forgive me if my questions are stupid
^ Yes if you do a major. A minor in a subject typically isn’t enough to get you in to grad school for that subject unless you did a major where you picked up skills needed in that grad school subject.
Almost nobody cares what you minored in.
This doesn’t apply to MBA/business programs, which take all sorts of majors.
Also, “top grad school” is too vague. Professional schools are very different from PhD programs and depending on the subject, not all of the best schools are Ivies while some of the Ivies may not be the best schools in a field.
BTW, if you are a Brit/EU resident, UCL would be far cheaper for you, so if I were in your shoes, Toronto would have to be much more compelling in other ways (because, as several people have mentioned, by reputation, they’re equal), but then again, I’m not a millionaire and maybe your parents are.
Note that the second major in U of T’s Faculty of Architecture cannot be in engineering or business or computer science.
I am neither from the UK nor Canada so expenses would roughly be the same for me (considering UCL is 3 years bur a more London is more expensive). What would be the compelling factors about Toronto in your opinion?
Do you know if it is easy to switch from one faculty to another in the beginning of the year?
Not at UCL. Even within the same faculty you may not be allowed to switch subjects as you were admitted to a specific degree course.
What specifically is your offer for, and what do you now think you would prefer?
But the UCL Arts and Science course is their liberal arts course so you have some flexibility in terms of your majors.
At U of T, you have have some flexibility in terms of the second major to pair with architecture studies.
I was talking about UofT as I know it is quite easy to do at UCL (have many friends who switched courses) so I wondered if it is also possible in Toronto.
I’d say it would be more convenient for me to go to UCL as I am currently in a college in Britain so I don’t really have to move. Canada is compelling as I’ve heard it is much easier to get a job there as an international and I thought it might make me more competitive for the US grad schools
my UCL offer is for Arts and Sciences major in Science and Engineering with a minor in either Cultures, Health and Environment or Societies
one more thing worth mentioning - the course at UCL offers a year abroad, in which I can go to the US or Canada (or many other countries). If after UCL I apply for masters in those US/Canadian universities which I attended during the year abroad would it increase my chances of getting in?
the study abroad destinations in Canada include McGill, Montreal and Uni of British Columbia.
Destinations in the USA include all Universities of California, Uni of Washington, John Hopkins, Northwestern etc