Oxford or Private Equity?

Thank you for your perspective!

Each choice is exclusive of the other. I’d approach this like a fork in the crossroads. Would definitely think long and hard about which career path you’d like to take.

Thank you - helpful insight!

Oxford is a dream; PE sounds boring. But Oxford is large cash outflow, and PE is a large cash inflow.

I think you answered it right there.

Ask Oxford for a 1 or 2y deferral

Couple of points here:

• If you want to work in corporate law, neither choice will have a material impact on your career. A non-JD humanities Masters degree doesn't give you an "edge" for law school or your career. If anything, a stint in PE might give you a longer-term edge in better understanding some of the clients you might one day work for (or as a gateway to sales way down the line).

• Related to my first point, I don't know who told you that a/your Oxford Masters is a "highly respected degree in the legal community" because I can't think of a single programme there that would even be marginally beneficial in your case. Taking time off to get higher LSAT scores and getting into a better law school would be 10x more worthwhile.

• If you're set on a career in law, you will a) soon be getting a taste of academic/campus life for 3 years anyways b) most likely have an opportunity to do an LLM at somewhere like Oxford later down the line. You will not however be as likely able to switch out of law to pursue PE (at least for quite some time). The asymmetric nature of the opportunities should factor into your decision-making.

• At the end of the day, life is short and Oxford is a magical place that will be a unique and memorable experience (especially if you're coming from outside of Europe). Money shouldn't be as much of a concern as long as you clearly understand what it is exactly that you are buying--a luxurious holiday.

Take Oxford for sure. Next year try the PE market in a better environment.