American looking at British schools for undergrad and considering finance
I am from the US and am considering applying to universities in the UK for a bachelor's in economics/finance. I am specifically considering applying to the University College London (UCL) and the London School of Economics (LSE). I believe to have a shot at both but they are obviously competitive. However, I would like to figure out whether it's worth applying in the first place.
Are these schools good options for IB and other finance jobs in London and in the US? How easy/difficult would it be to break into a well-paying finance job after graduation? Also, looking at the average starting salaries for economics degree graduates of these institutions, they seem much lower than those for graduates of subjectively comparable US universities. Why is this?
Thank you for your help.
Also, my apologies if this is not posted in the right place (I am new to WSO).
IB in London and Paris pays worse than IB in New York and other American cities. Plus taxes are higher.
Ok, thank you! How often do British university graduates work in Europe IB and then choose to transfer to the US? Would finding a job then in the US be easier given their experience?
US has higher salaries compared to the UK in general and especially in finance. IB and other finance jobs are also more competitive in London than in the US
Both are good for IB in UK, then internally transfer to the US. LSE to a relatively high-paying job is a given, and those avg salaries are calculated using the weirdest metrics + some stay in academia. Also exchange rate has some impact
Ok, thank you for the insight! Right now, UCL seems to be my favourite school out of the two (and possibly more realistic to get into). How would you say an economics grad from this school fairs in IB?
Econ grad from UCL fairs quite well, just do one search on LinkedIn and you'll see a plethora of students getting into FO IB
I know several Americans who went to LSE, found decent jobs in London, and eventually moved back to the US. This should work out.
Best of luck.
Thank you for the info!
Yeah, as an American, I thought this was a bit of a hack to getting into a top school. I'm not trying to turn this into a rankings thread, but I don't think it's beyond the realm of thought to compare UCL, LSE, and Imperial to like Penn and Columbia (with Oxbridge being HYP). Most US students have literally 0 shot at getting into a Penn/Columbia type school, but the entry requirements for getting into LSE and UCL are pretty easy.
The caveat is you might not be able to transfer back and now you live in the UK. There's nothing wrong with that of course, it's a beautiful country, but just not my cup of tea.
Thanks for the info! I find that I agree to a certain extent. I think the reason why it may be easier is because the path to acceptance at UCL/LSE is much more straightforward (good grades, a good statement, and a few strong ECs) whereas in the US, many intangibles are involved. How well do UCL grads (it is my favorite of the two schools and possibly more realistic) do in the IB job market in London?
I agree with that. I also think it's a supply and demand thing to a certain extent. There are not as many US students applying to UK schools, so they might lower entry requirements to incentivize more to come.
From what I've heard, they do pretty well. Oxbridge is obviously better, but UCL, LSE, and Imperial are supposed to have similar recruiting prospects with LSE edging out the other 2. I'm not making an assertion here, just reiterating what I've heard. Check out the 20 frequently asked questions post for in-depth info on London recruiting because it's quite different from the US.
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