sorry for long post, dont want to drip feed. DS18 was rejected last year from imperial mech eng and was accepted by UCL. he has 4A stars at alevel and an a star in an EPQ
imperial was always his dream uni and he automatically thought he would reapply in his gap year. Now he is undecided between the two and very torn. he's done a lot of research, spoken to students and here are the points about both
Imperial:
further commute
harder course
very hard work/life balance
less coursework, inc group coursework
better reputation
professors are more invested in your academic success and very available to help
can specialise in nuclear engineering
he prefers the environement and vibe
higher starting salaries
UCL:
nearer
easier
conceptually easier
professors less invested and not always available, even when they should be
more coursework, esp group coursework
he is not keen on courseowrk, especially group as he is worried about relinquishing responsibility for his grade to other students and relying on their motivation and ability
he is also aware that a first in ucl is better than a 2:1 in imperial and is worried about what he could acheive.
any thoughts and or experience welcome please!!