Hi all, coming from the US, I’m less familiar with UK universities than I am with schools in America. I’ve been accepted to University of St. Andrews (International Relations), University College London (Politics & Eastern European Studies), and King’s College London (Politics). My post-graduation plan would be to return to the US for employment and b-school.
My concern is which school has the best reputation among employers in the political and/or financial services sector? I believe St. Andrews has one of best IR programs, but from its career services site, I don’t sense that much alumni connections and networking help. Any advice?
Thank you all!
In the US? not in particular. Most employers won’t be familiar with any of them.
UK unis don’t do as much active alumni / networking as the US. That is partly b/c it is a much smaller pool, and people use the direct contacts they make- professors, fellow students (and their parents), and alums at the companies. All three of those unis will be visited by big-name companies (all the management consultancies, law firms & banking / finance firms will come), offering ‘vac schemes’ (internships over the breaks) of 1-10 weeks. These are a common way to vet students applying to ‘graduate schemes’- entry level jobs specifically for recent grads.
One option for you would be to do the vac schemes (which you can do under your student visa), choosing companies that have US offices, and parlay those into a US job offer.
UCL & KCL might have slightly higher name recognition in the US, but more importantly they are in London, and you will have more opportunities to ‘network’.
On the other hand, StAs as a student experience may be more fun for you: it is much closer to the US model- more of a campus (even though it is in town), more range in the courses you can take, etc.