Got offers from University of Bristol and LSE, can't decide.
I know such questions can be annoying but I really need help. I was sure I wanted to go to LSE till yesterday (I have offers for accounting and finance from LSE and Bristol), but I got a 10k GBP scholarship per annum renewed every year (so 30K) from bristol last night. I'm an international student and honestly 30k is a lot of money and has given me a huge financial incentive to go to Bristol.
However, when i was surfing through forums I found out that Bristol is not well regarded in finance, and is not a very prestigious university. Although my parents wouldn't mind paying for tution at LSE, the cost of living, and the tution fee itself makes me feel a bit guilty and frankly speaking very spoilt that I'm rejecting a 30K scholarship and putting a burden on my parents.
Is it possible to break into banking from Bristol? Besides, am I crazy for turning down LSE to go to Bristol?
A few things to consider:
If you go to Bristol you can still break-in, but its obviously going to be harder than going to LSE.
Kind of disagree with the first point you've made. Even if most of students at LSE who want to break into banking won't get into top places it is usually because of lack of preparation. If you go to LSE you are going to get interviews and it is up to you to convert those interviews. Things may be different at Bristol, where maybe you don't get the chance to even get interviewed at top banks.
I don't think you're quite chimed in with recruiting culture at LSE; the issue is a lot of talented kids there don't even get interviewed. Read the 20 FAQ London edition on here somewhere, its well known that you can apply with identical CVs in different years and get radically different results. I can't stress this enough; no one in recruiting at BBs/EBs will ever be impressed by your university, most of them went to those schools themselves so aren't going to see it as impressive. On their own, they don't really guarantee anything, its just one aspect they can't ding you for.
I know a few people who are genuinely top tier at LSE, did plenty of relevant work ex before university had excellent CVs, and even networked pretty extensively to only end up with a less-than-stellar round of interview invitations. Due to self selection, a fair amount of kids at LSE are going to be well prepared but still only a minority of that lot will get interviews.
Want to add this may be for springs but Bristol hardly gets summers at top BB/EB without conversion whereas targets get a lot of people in for summers even without spring conversions. This is important for internationals especially since a lot of you will not be priority for springs (non diversity)
I think you're overestimating how many LSE students want to go into finance.
There is a sizable chunk of students studying PPE/politics/economics/international relations/sociology etc. that want to work with policy. Things like think tanks, the civil service, the IMF etc.
a good amount of those individuals will still apply to springs and summers.
Bristol is well-regarded for finance (strong semi-target) but obviously not in the same league as LSE or Oxbridge
another factor you are forgetting is university experience
As an LSE alum, your experience will be very different to Bristol (where I had many friends go to and went into finance - IBD, S&T). At LSE (and other london unis) there is a far greater intl cohort (which you may or may not like) and less (or no) campus feeling. Sports are a bigger deal also I found in non-London unis. Whereas in Bristol a large part of the town is geared to students, there will be parts of town where it's just student housing and bars etc. (same like a lot of other non-London university towns)
I think your experience is a huge deal because (same for most) you will do better (results, jobs, connections etc.) in an environment where you enjoy it vs. an environment where you don't
If you have the option to visit the campus I would (and maybe talk to current / former students).
LSE is obviously top choice and there are some great professors but the answer will always be what's best for you.
The fact you are on WSO already and thinking about a pathway to finance already puts you in a leg up compared with a lot of other people in your year so going to Bristol might disadvantage your chances somewhat, it wont ruin it.
Thank you so much! I did not consider the 'student-life' aspect before but now you've got me thinking a lot haha. I'll message some people in LSE/Bristol and make a more comprehensive decision.
I'm going to caveat this: I went to university in London; I enjoyed it a lot and had some amazing times as a student (although it was very expensive to truly capitalise on what London can offer) but I know/knew that I would have enjoyed myself even more at a non-London university. I was a home student and the very large intl population in London can cause you to feel a pretty significant disconnect and not feel like there's much connecting you to other students outside your friends as most people stick to grouping with their nationalities.
For an international student however, the amount of people who will be from your part of the world is honestly unparalleled in London and you may find it easier to integrate there.
FWIW i'm not saying there is a culture of segregation at London universities, most people are kind and will speak to you if you make the effort, but the distinct groupings I mentioned make it feel more disjointed and less social for many home students. This may not be the case for internationals.
my experience was similar (at both UG and PG), having said that though I found a great of friends at both from mixed nationalities/profiles etc.
I think though the whole campus experience, university events, societies, sports etc. is greater outside London but that is not to say being in London isn't fun. There are things (like museums/events/concerts etc.) you can enjoy in London that you just can't to the same level outside London so just really depends what you're looking for
Lmao what the fuck? LSE
To caveat this, I studied at LSE and have friends at other universities including Bristol.
When it comes to recruiting for IB/Consulting and other top finance roles, LSE does place well. However, there are many students who don't even receive first rounds. Going to LSE in and of itself does not guarantee you anything. You need to realize that everyone at LSE is applying for IB/Consulting and so just because you see a lot of placements, does not mean the % success rate is necessarily higher.
Students from not as well-known universities still place fine into IB/S&T etc..., a quick LinkedIn search should confirm that. Especially with increasingly more diversity programs and diversity hires, you'll see students from quite unknown universities achieving great placements - I am sure on their own merit. However, with what other posters mentioned, you should go to an environment in which you would thrive. LSE is quite competitive depending on who you surround yourself with, but it is not uncommon for people to rank you on the social hierarchy based solely on clubs you're a part of and internships you've done. This can be motivating or demotivating. Again, broad generalisation but it holds true. I tend to avoid these people and thus enjoyed my time. There are all sorts of people everywhere.
I will say that certain buyside roles for example may only recruit through LSE's career board and if going into a buyside role like AM/HF is something that interests you, I believe LSE would set you up quite well mainly because of it's reputation. Academics at LSE are a joke and the careers services are quite useless. A lot of recruiting is based on yourself, your own motivation and to an extent luck. What's great about LSE is having the opportunity to intern around the year in London since most firms are based here. Again very difficult to land an internship, but it gives you options. Some people love the LSE experience, some hate it.
Overall if money is quite tight, definitely take Bristol. However, if that 30k is not as large of a consideration, then I think long term the LSE brand is worth it - especially if you're an international. Bristol is unknown outside of the UK, but LSE is recognizable almost anywhere. If you're from south-east Asia, I'm sure the brand would do you especially good there if you wanted to head back at some point.
For what it's worth some of my friends who went to Bristol spent their three years partying and ended up with very mediocre jobs. Some of my friends at LSE did the same and ended up with mediocre jobs. It's more about you than anything else.
Go to Bristol, graduate with a first class degree, then take the £30k and spend it on a MSc from a top-tier European business school like HEC. This would be the highest probability and most affordable route into IB/S&T.
Also, if you have time and don't currently speak any European languages besides English, you should start learning a second European language now. It will benefit you 1000x more than anything you learn at uni.
Or go to LSE, and then if it does not work out get a top tier master.
It depends on OPs circumstances, not everyone can afford that which is why I suggested Bristol to save on the £30k
Why would learning a European language be helpful? From what I've read the jobs that require a European language (PE, essentially) will usually want a native speaker.
So I have just graduated from Bristol so can give a good insight into the experience. In terms of LSE they pump out candidates and it is regarded as a better university. However Bristol is still strong and out of my friendship group people got offers from GS/MS/JP etc. What people are overlooking is that its more than just your university that matters. For LSE competitions to get into Finance Societies are extremely tough as everyone wants them but if you go to Bristol, try and join the Bristol Analyst Programme in first year and you shouldn't have too much of an issue and will also be mentored through your applications. In terms of student satisfaction I think that LSE is the worst within the UK and Bristol is renown for its nightlife but it really depends on what you make of it and what you are into. Ultimately given that you are on WSO right now you are in a good position, it doesn't take much to differentiate yourself from other spring interns (compared to at the summer stage) so whatever university you choose you should join a student M&A publishing company or some kind of finance related activity prior to applications and you will already be ahead of 90% of applicants.
EDIT: I would also point out that if your an international student its 100% worth speaking to previous international students to see what their experience at each university was like as it may differ significantly.
Is it worth paying >60k as an international student? I currently hold an offer from Bristol and aim to get into IB, but money is quite tight and I just want to know if it is worth it. The last thing I would want is making my parents spend all that money on me and ending up without a job, forced to return back to my home country.
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