UCL BSc Stats, econ, finance vs LSE BSc Finance

I have offers to both courses, and am having trouble deciding. The UCL course is about 80% stats, so theoretically it would open more doors into other roles such as becoming a statistician, actuary or data scientist (any insight into this would help as I dont know what other doors it would open). However, LSE is an easier and more prestigious course. My aim is to move abroad, and lse's international prestige would definitely help with landing a job abroad, and I will be applying to jobs in the finance industry where LSE's prestige may help(if even marginally).

Any advice into which offer to accept would help, thanks.I have offers to both courses, and am having trouble deciding. The UCL course is about 80% stats, so theoretically it would open more doors into other roles such as becoming a statistician, actuary or data scientist (any insight into this would help as I dont know what other doors it would open). However, LSE is an easier and more prestigious course. My aim is to move abroad, and lse's international prestige would definitely help with landing a job abroad, and I will be applying to jobs in the finance industry (incl. IB) where LSE's prestige may help(if even marginally).

Any advice into which offer to accept would help, thanks.

14 Comments
 

Sounds like you don't know what you want and want some optionality. In that case take UCL. Its more rigorous, opens more doors as you say, and even if you want to go down the Finance route, UCL Stats is good enough and is still a target.

If I were to blind guess someones intelligence from the course they do ceteris paribus, I would assume that the dude studying UCL stats is more competent than LSE finance

 
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You haven’t met the LSE BSc finance kids. They are really intelligent and land very good jobs. The department of finance also gets its own funding, so splashes a lot on its bsc finance cohort. Trips, post exam drinks, finance ball. The best common room at LSE
 

all factors to consider

 

I'd say competency of the students is arguably equal for both courses. However for traditional finance recuriting LSE has an edge over UCL whereas UCL's stats&finance course may open the door for quant positions as well.

 

mate you're in every single thread talking shit about UCL (even though you go there), sucking LSE's dick, all because you didn't manage to land an offer this year. you are the problem not UCL.

With that said I would say LSE Finance opens more doors to IB and PE but UCL Stats opens more doors to quant- and trading-related roles. They are both good courses for recruiting so do whichever you think you will get a better grade in (probably LSE Finance as UCL Stats is hell)

 

So you don't know what you want to do in the future? Take the Stat course at UCL.

LSE Finance is very good in the UK and abroad for finance.

But if you want to leave doors open, you will actually learn something tangible on the UCL course. I've found finance in IB/PE to be pretty easy coming from a STEM degree, given you spend the time learning corporate finance.

 

I’ve done BSc Finance at LSE so might be able to help you a little bit. It’s going to sound pretentious af, but I must second what someone else said that people there seem to me smarter than the LSE average (make of it what you want). The reason it matters so much is that, at least in my opinion, the principal advantage of the „targets” is, sort of in a self-fulfilling-prophecy way, the fact that some of the most driven people go there, and you get to closely interact with them. You start soaking up financial content by the grace of the environment you’re in and the people you talk to. At the same time, my colleagues are some of the most social people I have known at the uni, so it’s not like the course is the domain of one-dimensional finance bros.

The content is a bit more markets-oriented, but if you want to do transaction advisory than you’ll learn what really matters on the job anyway. All classes for compulsory courses are exclusively finance people so you end up with exceptionally well-integrated cohort.

As for UCL, can’t say much except that I’ve seen plenty of people breaking into finance with much more tangentially related courses than this one so if you have your shit together you’ll get by either way.

Best of luck whichever option you pick!

 

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