Duke vs. LSE for High Finance (Intl. Student - Need Advice)
Hi everyone,
I’m an international (Indian) student and I’ve been fortunate enough to be accepted to both Duke (Econ) and LSE (Accounting & Finance). I’ll be full pay at both (grateful to be debt-free and my parents wouldn't be TOO affected by cost). However, the cost difference is still big — Duke is ~$400,000, while LSE is about half that and one year shorter -- so I do want what would be the higher long-term ROI.
Duke Pros:
- flexible majors -- could minor in CS / Data Science
- better weather
- overall vibe (more social, sports, etc.)
- possibly easier to get into masters / MBA programs??
Duke Cons:
- Tough for international students without strong U.S. connections to break into finance?
- Farther away from home relatively
- Not sure what's happening with Trump and international students
LSE Pros:
- More finance focused
- London -- even if no campus culture, it shouldn't be too boring.
- Easier work visas in London post-graduation?
- Slightly better name recognition??
LSE Cons:
- I’ve heard LSE recruiting isn’t what it used to be, and might be a bit overrated as well? -- However, if any problems, I've heard you can use a masters for extra time to find a job & possibly switch locations if needed?
- Not much campus culture
I don’t have family or major connections in the US or UK, but I could potentially get finance internships in Dubai as well if desperate. In the extra long-term, I do want to come back to Dubai.
I'm also not sure which segment of finance I would want to enter as well at the moment -- Investment Banking / PE, etc. if that's a consideration. I do like the sound of asset management or M&A.
I’m unsure about which country offers better long-term prospects in high finance, especially coming in without a built-in network. Would deeply appreciate any advice or input from alumni or people with experience in either recruiting scene! Thank you so much!
Mind sharing your stats? Duke and LSE as an international is very impressive
A few small internships (local firms, small parent connections, etc.)
44/45 IB
Worked on creating a edTech venture using GenAI with 30kish users
Go to LSE for the visa.
Hi! Thank you for your response. I'm just curious as to why you say that -- are international students unable to get work in the US with regards to visa sponsorships? Furthermore, is that applicable for summer internships as well, or only for the final employment after university? If I am able to get internships, I hope that atleast I'd be able to pursue a Master's of Finance or something along those lines elsewhere?
This was a concern I had as well, but the UK, despite better immigration processes, seems to have a worser economy?
Doesn’t matter how good the economy is if you are not authorised to work there. You’d fail the very first question of the application form
Also speaking of US economy outlook…
LSE
Id agree with the other comments above. As a current Duke finance student that recruited for ib, the school sets you up really well for ib/pe/st&t, but if you aren't authorized to work in the US, itll be pretty difficult to get a job in the first place. I know of some people getting sponsored at places like UBS but it is pretty difficult, although imo you can stand out/have more success recruiting for finance if you do have a visa/greencard
Thank you so much for that! I'm curious -- how much more difficult is it? Ie. how much would you have to stand-out to be able to get sponsored? For example, I'd be doing a minor in AI & ML as well; hopefully, I'll be maintaining quite a high GPA as well, and should be able to get solid internships too? I know the odds are lower, but I just wanted to know more quantitatively i guess how much worse it is for me...
I mean it's historically been relatively rare, but especially in this political climate you could very much be at the wrong side of the conflict.
LSE for Europe (and probably Asia / ME id think). Also lots of Indian in London so that could be easier to integrate
Quis et iste delectus eum totam reiciendis. Excepturi occaecati veritatis nobis ipsa pariatur. Qui hic ipsum earum architecto sint laboriosam.
Culpa pariatur cum tempore aut vel autem. Ad suscipit et aliquid itaque debitis. Repudiandae vel fugiat ut et voluptates recusandae suscipit.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...