I got into both Yale-NUS (Singapore) for liberal arts and UCL for law, but find myself in a quandary deciding between the two.
As I am from Singapore, my first instinct was to go with UCL as I desire to gain some fresh experiences in a new environment. The culture of UCL appeals to me as there are just so many exhilarating clubs from Snowsports to mountain hiking, and I genuinely think I will do well there. Moreover, this is the practical choice as while the legal market is oversaturated with lawyers, the field is still more positive in terms of job prospects as compared to those in the arts and humanities. Granted, I was not really enthusiastic about law initially as I would rather do literature. However, after reading some introductory law books (like ‘What about Law?’), I found the material to be quite interesting (perhaps the second best choice after literature) and thus decided to make the trade-off and apply to law for the UK schools given the non-existent job market for literature degrees.
Yale-NUS on the other hand offered me a full-ride scholarship, which opens up new possibilities. For a start, I could use the £80,000 I would have spent on UCL law for graduate school instead – this means I can pursue my passions for literature/art/physics for my undergrad career and then go on to Canada or the US for a professional degree in architecture (4+3 years route) or masters in physics/literature (2 years). However, I have two concerns. One, I am already 22 years of age this year as I spent two years in the military and another year on my writing portfolio – which means I will only begin my career at 28-29 as compared to 25 if I choose Yale-NUS over UCL. Two, the environment of Yale-NUS seems kinda stultifying as it seems to work on a pressure cooker system alike many schools in Asia. Moreover, I am seriously bored at the prospect of meeting people with the same Singaporean ideas (Yale-NUS is 60% Singaporean and 40% foreign) again. It does not seem like a right fit and I might have some problems adjusting to their Asian cultural slant.
Basically, I prefer a liberal arts curriculum over law, but I would much rather spend my undergrad years in a more vibrant spot like London as compared to a place I have already spent most of my life in, as I believe it will help me to grow. While subject choice should perhaps be the determining factor, I would like some advice if taking the 4+3 architecture or 4+2 masters route would be detrimental considering my age.
Important thing #1: I would like to work abroad outside of Asia hence it is imperative I go on to grad school if I choose Yale-NUS College. While UCL offers the possibility of working as a lawyer in a UK big city law firm, I have heard the chances of obtaining job sponsorship is really low as the sponsoring firms have around 100 applicants for each law training contract they offer. Thus I have been advised against this as I do not want to practice law in Singapore (I do not relish the idea of going through 70+ hour workweeks only to have to remain stuck working in my home country).
Important thing #2: Is going to Yale-NUS College with the intention of pursuing architecture in future a foolish risk? Considering the poor job prospects for architects, am I being unrealistic in desiring to practice that in Canada/US? This route will involve 7 years of study and I would like to hear some of your opinions before I make a decision.
I would greatly appreciate any advice as I have spent the last month futilely deliberating over this difficult decision. Thanks in advance!