UCL or Warwick for Economics

[CaliforniaDrumming]

DS has offers from both for Economics, and is wondering which to firm. ( Notts is his insurance). He is keen on a career in finance or consultancy. He is more inclined towards UCL because
their offer is lower (AAA as opposed to AA*A for Warwick)
it is ranked higher in league tables
it is in London where he would like to be for internships and other opportunities
we are internationals from a S Asian background ( not American despite user name) and he would like a uni with intl students.

Are we missing anything in favour of Warwick? We did a trip to the campus recently and liked it, but it seemed a bit remote, and housing likely a problem after the first year because Leamington Spa is a trek from campus.

DS is a very adaptive sort and has no trouble making friends easily.

UCL all day long. My own DS is in his first year there and is loving it. He's a Londoner and although he really wanted to get out of London for uni, he got the offer and of course, he was absolutely delighted. Over the moon, in fact.
UCL has lots of international students, it's very diverse and just all-around exciting.

You should check out UCL. It's worth a visit. The location is amazing and the uni life around it is fabulous. It's not a campus school but it feels like one.
My son's living in Schafer House which is one of the preferred residence halls. It's right next to the uni (10-minute walk) and he's really enjoying living there.

Warwick is great but UCL is totally amazing- it would be a no brainer imo.

I also wanted to add, my own DS is social, loves making friends, but he's not a partier... doesn't really drink. He's having a brilliant time. He works very hard but he also spends a lot of time just hanging out with his great group of friends he's met... most of them South Asian!
Ironically OP, I am from California originally.
But I've been here in the UK for too long now really.

I'll just say that wherever your DS ends up studying- Warwick, Notts, UCL- he'll do brilliantly. I mean, you can't go wrong with ANY of those unis and he'll be happy at any one of them, I reckon. Well done and hats off to him. You must be incredibly proud of him.

I went to UCL and hated it. I wish I had chosen a campus university (like warwick) but that's jut my personal experience. You say your son is very social, so he might thrive in an environment like UCL.

I would also think about affordability. It was expensive when I went over a decade ago. I struggled to afford housing and had to work a lot which compromised my studies.

Well done to your son for getting such great offers!

I would say it depends on what he wants from university. London can be tough for undergrads given the non-campus environment. I would also be concerned about personal safety as well as quality of accommodation unless you are willing to spend quite a bit on renting privately for him in a decent area.

As a Warwick alum (albeit 10 years out), I can share the following about Warwick:

• Warwick is hugely international in terms of student base - particularly for economics, but across the board there were LOADS of international students so I wouldn’t worry about that aspect.

• I have many friends who read eco at Warwick who are now working at large IBs / PE funds etc. It seems to be very well regarded in the City and definitely equal to UCL.

• Leamington is quite a decent town to live in but he will need a car if at all possible. I would have HATED to be reliant on buses in winter when I had early/late seminars and also at exam time.

I would say tell him to go with his gut and pick whichever uni he instinctively prefers. Don’t base it on internships - if it’s a banking internship the pay will cover a short term rental in London (they also cover travel expenses for interviews etc) so there is no real benefit to being in London over anywhere else.

Hope this helps!

Thanks for all the quick responses! I forgot to mention that we live in central London abt 20 minutes from UCL ( for now anyway, not sure about the next 3 years) and DH and I have walked by the campus. DS hasn't had the time. But he is an urban creature.

DS isn't much of a drinker though that may change. He is sporty but hasn't had much time for sport in the last 2 years. Hard worker; immigrants have to be! Yes, we are very proud of him:)

We have considered that UCL is very expensive. Hopefully, it will be worth it, and we do have savings which means he won't have to work ( It is a privilege he appreciates). He is frugal in his habits and doesnt spend much on clothes or shoes or stuff in general. Doesn't even have an iphone.

@TheVanguardSix what will your DS do next year for housing? Find a flat share nearby?

Is there scope todo a year abroad. In the past both had quite exciting programmes.

I'm Warwick alum so very biased.

I lived in Coventry in my second and third which is much better than Leamington. Only a 15 min bus ride to campus or a 30/40 min walk depending on where on campus you're going. We tended to find students with lots of 9ams preferred to live in Cov.

If he's a Londoner, I suggest he goes to Warwick to get a different experience. He can always come back for internships etc as he has a home in the city. Broaden his horizons a bit.

My ds graduated from Warwick last year and lived in Coventry, not Leamington. Huge number of international students in Warwick business school which suited him as prior to university he had never lived in the UK.

Congratulations to your DS on two wonderful options (and N is an excellent insurance for both).

You say he is an urban creature, but does he know anything else? If he doesn’t like the thought of a campus or a short commute after Y1 (and I think he can keep it to 15 min if that is his priority), there is your answer.

What type of career does he envisage? (I know it is very early days.) I think Econ at W is of a strongly mathematical flavour; if UCL is less so that might be a factor. Then again for some careers he might need the maths orientation. Does the higher offer from W reflect a more highly ranked or more competitive programme? What does he think about the answers to these questions?

I know a couple of young women who emigrated from China to start a Foundation Year at W. One stayed thru the UG degree, one thru the Master’s. Both had a great time there and now have good jobs in the U.K.

My DD had the same dilemma but with maths. Eventually she chose Warwick, she lived in Leamington in the 2nd and 3rd years and loved it.

Ultimately she decided she wanted a campus university.

I think the other thing that influenced DD was the students she met on open days. She felt they were friendlier and more welcoming. She used to do the campus tours when she was there so hopefully she passed that on.

She did post grad in London.

For balance, I should add that UCL was the main MSc destination of my international tutees wanting an extra technical qualification. (We are in STEM.). Those who kept in touch mostly had a great time there, also. And these students were almost exclusively from South Asia.