University of Leeds Vs Nottingham

Hi, I’ve just finished sixth form and am starting Uni in September and am contemplating which university to choose. At Leeds my course is “Accounting and Finance” while at Nottingham it’s “Finance, Accounting and Management”. I’m looking to try break into IB however i understand none of the 2 are targets

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Well, both are Russell group so may be semi-target, and although I don't think there's a huge amount between them, perhaps Nottingham might be considered in a better light. But take that with a pinch of salt - my views might be outdated.

I don't think there's anything between the courses.

So make your decision based on which university you like better and where you think you'll enjoy life more. You could consider which university is closer to London for networking events, and also do some due diligence on their societies and whether either has an active Finance / Economics / Investing society. But don't make such a formative decision based solely on entry into IB.

Finally, and I don't know how broadly this is known among sixth form students, but the Big 4 could be an avenue to keep in mind if your applications to IBs fall short. It is very possible to transfer to IB following a few years in Big 4, or indeed PE.

 

I read a post on a different website stating Accounting and Finance is not a good course and won’t get you into IB / is not respected. Do you know whether it would be smarter for me to pursue a course like Financial Mathematics, Industrial Economics etc ?

 

FWIW someone very close to me studied Accounting and Finance (albeit at LSE) and is now at PE. Honestly (and I'm now c. a decade into my career, and have seen rounds upon rounds of intern and grad applications), nobody selects based on course. Nobody is using Brownian Motion or Modigliani-Miller in IB.

Maybe it makes a difference e to some people. At the margin. But activities like founding a society or securing internships or something entrepreneurial will go much further than what course you studied.

I would study what you're interested in.

 

I am an LSE grad and have interned in various IBs.

Nottingham is a fairly represented semi-target.

Have never seen anyone from Leeds and wouldn’t actually place it on the same level as Nottingham.

Check out on LinkedIn, it will give you a fair idea of both the potential employers and the volume of people eventually getting into IB.

Have heard Nottingham has a strong alumni network as well.

 

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