Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Oxford or LSE

76 replies

cristalclear · 23/02/2017 14:05

My DS has to take the gruelling decision between Oxford- Geography and LSE -Geography and Economics.How should I advise him?

OP posts:
Needmoresleep · 16/03/2017 13:28

Perhaps. However he does not know Oxford at all. Which is why I think he should look round. He is very happy to stay where he is and there would be some real advantages. But there will be advantages to moving somewhere new as well.

Did your DSS get an offer holders day at Cambridge?

BoboChic · 16/03/2017 13:34

He certainly didn't go to an offer holders day. Not sure whether there was one.

kungheifatchoy · 16/03/2017 15:18

Needmoresleep,

Delighted for your son. Have always found your posts on mumsnet very helpful.

Just to say as of this summer, I, and my family of course, will be living a few kms south of Oxford, we have an empty coach house on the compound. Your son (and friends) are welcome to use it if they like while visiting Oxford.

Needmoresleep · 16/03/2017 15:29

Thank you. That is so kind. Though whether I get the boy out of central London is a different matter.

I feel it is very much the end of the parenting road. All I aim to do here is to have him make an informed decision, though I suspect he can't go wrong either way.

Nor can I. I like the idea of visiting him Oxford but equally love catching up over a coffee when passing the LSE.

I am genuinely grateful for all the help we have had over the past few years. I am sure DC have made better decisions for having access to fantastic knowledge, experience and wisdom.

BoboChic · 16/03/2017 15:41

Interesting. DSS2 is at UCL and will apply for Masters next autumn for entry in 2018. I suspect that DP and I would prefer him to do his Masters outside London. He's spent his whole life in the centre of a capital city (Paris and London) and will likely spend his whole working life in a big city, quite probably London or Paris, so I think we think that a different environment is enriching.

goodbyestranger · 16/03/2017 16:19

Great news Needmoresleep! Very well done DS! Any news on the college allocation? Hope he gets his choice.

Leeds2 · 16/03/2017 16:39

Well Done to your DS, Needs.

I'm sure if he contacted the College he has been offered (assuming that he has been offered a specific college, of course!)they would be happy for a post grad to do an informal tour/Q&A session with him.

Fwiw, I would prefer my DD to go somewhere other than London for post grad if they had spent all of their school and uni life in London, just for the change of scene/experience.

sendsummer · 16/03/2017 17:12

Needmoresleep delighted that your DS has earnt by merit what sounds like two very good prospects.
All things being equal with potential supervisors and projects etc I would definitely be encouraging some risk taking and extending of horizons by moving out of London.

tropicalfish · 16/03/2017 20:15

Many congratulations Needmoresleep on your son's great opportunities.

I think Oxford is more diverse than Cambridge and so would be easier to adjust to moving away from London.

My dd's college offered an offer holder's day for undergraduate offerholders. I was interested to attend and was pleasantly surprised at how warm and welcoming it was, which may have been because it was a small college.

Your son could attend a lecture/concert or evensong in his college to get more of an idea what it would be like. We did this for dd as it is so near London.

Isthiscorrect · 17/03/2017 10:06

Fabulous news needmoresleep and well done to your Ds. Sorry nothing to offer in the way of help except to say purely for the experience moving out of London would probably be a good idea.
And seconding a previous poster thank you for your informative and helpful posts and pm's.
Good luck with your DD.

Needmoresleep · 17/03/2017 10:46

Thank you. I am not sure about informative. I'm just a mum who found the process of picking our way through London education, especially with a dyslexic DD, difficult, so was happy to share my observations and experience. Thankfully I am almost there. Does increasing amounts of time spent on the elderly parents board constitute MN retirement?

I agree with everyone, in that both courses look great, and I can see reasons why either would be preferred, but as a mum I see advantage in him spreading his wings a little. In his case the geographic limits are pretty extreme. He is a fifth generation Londoner and you can see our house, his school and his university from the hospital where he was born. But all I can do is encourage him to factor in things beyond the course itself, and to do the research.

Hence my question about offer holder sessions. He won't hear what college he has been allocated for six weeks at which point he will be in the run up to his finals.

I assume this issue must be quite common. There are obvious reasons to stay where you are, which is partly why so many STEM degrees are four years leading to a Masters, and other reasons to move. And increasingly, I assume, students will be looking at overseas options. DS (very briefly) considered the US, Stockholm, and Singapore. A very talented friend, studying a different subject, is opting for Singapore, perhaps an early indication that the tidal flow of students may be changing direction.

BoboChic · 17/03/2017 11:01

FWIW - and despite Brexit and Trump - the trend towards more rather than less geographical movement in a lifetime persists. Purely in terms of "personal branding", a CV that shows movement is, all other things being equal, more desirable than one that doesn't.

EnormousTiger · 17/03/2017 11:11

I was watching "Yes Minister" yesterday on youtube and there are constant and very funny jibes from the Oxbridge civil servants about people (the Minister and his wife) who "only" went to LSE so won't know Latin and Greek etc. It is very funny indeed but it illustrates the previous view and indeed even today although LSE is very good Oxbridge will always better it.

Needmoresleep · 17/03/2017 12:55

I've finally got it. EnormousTiger and peteneras are one and the same. Smile

Seriously though, you might be right when it comes to some British employers, but international employers seem not to make much distinction between Oxbridge and London, especially when looking at positions requiring a specific skills.

EnormousTiger · 17/03/2017 13:45

I wasn't being particularly serious but the Yes Minister LSE jibes are very funny to watch.

LSE is very good. No one is really saying otherwise but I would still put Oxbridge above it.
However see from here fuckyeaminister.tumblr.com/post/62971016719

EnormousTiger · 17/03/2017 13:45

Oops that should have been

cristalclear · 01/05/2017 16:39

Dear all ,
I owe you an update: my DS has firmed today Oxford offer with LSE as insurance. It took a lot of research and talks with his tutors, ex-pupils from his school who are now at Oxford or LSE or are working in the City. In the end he decided to accept the Oxford offer and I can't tell you how happy I am.
I want to thank you for all your posts which were really helpful, with lots of inside information.
We are looking forward for the A -levels exams now, where we are expecting great results.

OP posts:
Needmoresleep · 02/05/2017 10:40

Thanks for the update. Taking a step back they were both good options, which does not make it easier to choose.

After talking to a lot of people, DS is very likely to choose LSE. I am very grateful to the poster who, via PM, helped us understand better, the choice DS was making. He is lucky as 5 out of 9 on his current degree will probably stay on, so he retains his support group, he already knows staff, and status wise (meaning keeping doors open for what he might want to do next) there seems little difference. And 10 months is cheaper than two years. He claims also to have worked out a course combination which will enable him to avoid writing a single essay - but we are ignoring that.

SunshineDeLaSoul · 02/05/2017 20:18

Good luck with the exams OP.

tornbluestocking · 03/05/2017 21:51

Best of luck to your DS, Cristal. I have a nephew at a PPH (probably the one mentioned as being popular with Old Etonians but that's definitely no longer the case). He loves it, it wasn't his first choice but he's really happy he ended up there. Most of the PPH's are great, very supportive and friendly and, from the student point of view, they are no different from the mainstream colleges, just smaller!

BasiliskStare · 04/05/2017 18:07

Can I ask a question , and this is purely interest so please don't anyone feel they need to answer. What is the thing about PPH s at Oxford. I know they are not officially colleges, but as far as I know , all do same degree and same exams, but as far as I am aware just have some arcane difference in set up. Ds did not tick "no PPH". Is there a huge difference ? I apologise OP for posting this on your thread - it's just it was mentioned.

That aside well done OP to your Ds , I think either would have been fantastic but at least he has chosen - Good Luck Cristal Jnr

goodbyestranger · 04/05/2017 18:32

Basilisk they are tiny weeny compared to the colleges. One is rather bigger than the rest but obviously size has, or could well have, an impact on social life. They are also religious foundations and they don't offer all subjects, not by a long stretch. Clearly some people are very pro the PPHs but my DC have all ticked the no PPH box, overwhelmingly because of their small size (or because their subject wasn't offered :)).

BasiliskStare · 04/05/2017 19:35

Ah , Thanks Goodbye. DS's college is relatively small and does not offer all subjects , but I had not realised quite the difference. His also has a particular religious bent but it doesn't impact students day to day . Thank you Smile

cristalclear · 19/08/2017 13:50

Update: My DS is going to Oxford!!!
3A*!!!

OP posts:
moralberyll · 19/08/2017 16:32

Well done to your ds, great results x