Oxford vs LSE vs Claremont McKenna vs U-Chiacgo vs Princeton
Was hoping for any insights or opinions on which of the following schools people would recommend. I'd be interested in either working in IB research or alternatively pursuing a Ph.D. in Economics and working at IMF/ World Bank thereafter.
I've applied for Oxford PPE and LSE Phil&Econ, and expect an offer from LSE and hope for one from Oxford (I'm as competitive as one can be, although there are many very qualified candidates, so one never knows how Oxbridge admissions turn out).
I'm considering applying ED to CMC but worry that it is not globally well-known and so might not open as many doors as say Princeton. I'm competitive at Chicago (given no test requirement for UK students) and will apply EA, likely CMC ED, and reasonably strong RD. Princeton, as it stands, I'd almost definitely be rejected from given my sub-average (31) ACT (which I only took once without all too much work and then didn't touch again....) (I'd need to work hard for December SAT and score near perfect to be competitive IMO).
CMC also has the weather, access to beach and ski mountain, and small class size advantage - desirable for an undergraduate education!
So I'd be grateful if anyone can share their opinions on these schools (namely with respect to how easy it would be to get into IB research, and if so whether this would have to be in LA/ SF offices or if it would be possible in say Hong Kong / Singapore). (If there are any Economists on here, I'd also be grateful if you could share your opinions on these schools and grad-school placements)
Thank you!
In all honesty If you got into any combination of these schools my best insight for UG would be to just pick the one with the best fit. They're in different countries and cities so there will definitely be pros and cons to each in terms of programs / locale / night life / etc.
You're "In" as far as name brand schools go. The first door should be open for you regardless of which of these you pick. The only thing I might recommend is to look at how math-intensive a lot of these Econ programs are. Unless you're naturally gifted (which you may be given the caliber of schools you are targeting), the biggest hurdle Econ Ph.D. candidates face is not having enough of a math background.
Thanks - I've heard Chicago has the most intense/ rigorous and math-intensive UG course, which in some ways is good (will probably make life easier down the road), but then again leads to low GPAs and an intense four years (again, the latter may be a good thing).
The econ majors are on a spectrum of difficulty. On the one end you have BA in econ where the only math courses required are calc and linear algebra. Then you have BS in econ where you'll need to take real analysis. Then on the other end you got BS in math with specialization in econ where it's basically a math major with econ courses sprinkled in. If you're interested in a PhD in econ, definitely do the BS math spec econ major.
I think it would also be a question of where you want to work. Even the American Banks in London won't know CMC. In the End all of these should give you a very good shot at IB Research. I think LSE probably has the best location for internships etc which will be the next building block of crafting the perfect CV. But honestly you will be fine either way.
What I was thinking too.
If I were to choose CMC, do you know how difficult getting H1-B sponsorship is in California or New York offices (where I assume CMC will have some recognition) is? And also after working in one of these offices for a few years, is it easy to internally transfer elsewhere?
Thank you.
And also could I ask, how does Dartmouth College compare - I understand they have rather loyal alumni. Beyond that is it an equally respected school in IB/ Finance/ grad schools?
Thank you.
CMC is a good school but it's not even well known in California, much less the rest of the US.
Oxford PPE is possibly the best course of study on the planet if you like economics. In the US, Princeton has the prestige, but Chicago is next after HYP and has what's arguably the best standalone Economics program in the world.
Why don't you just worry about getting into the schools, and seeing where you get admitted, and THEN worry about which one would be better than the rest for your career aspirations?
I'm deciding whether or not to send an ED application and also questioning whether there is any point applying to some schools at all (in the US; I've sent off my UK applications a while ago).
Please do not send an ED application to CMC if you think you have a shot at Oxbridge, LSE or U Chicago. CMC only has recognition in Southern California and getting sponsored would be hard as well.
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