muesli

Hey guys. I understand that this is a rather peculiar question... I was accepted to both schools and at this stage (i know!!!) I am still torn between the both. I got accepted for Economics in LSE which is a really prestigious course (hard to get in etc) , but at the same time I really love New York and Barnard's curriculum, it's unique persona etc.

I don't have much time left to decide because I think it is incredibly selfish to hold up two places in different countries, and I have thought this over countless of times and am just really unfortunate that I am such an indecisive person.

More to consider for you kind people here:
LSE's course is 3 years, and I do enjoy economics. But attendance does not go to your final grade (there is only a final exam that counts), which I secretly adore but know that is bad/ not contributive to my personal development in the long run. I'm a good crammer, but I know I will slack pretty badly in London.

At the same time, LSE is highly reputable, and some debate that I am even 'foolish' to consider Barnard over LSE. I have personally warmed up to Barnard very much, but I know the two schools are completely different things. And if you ask me what my heart wants...Barnard sounds more of a community to me than LSE (which does not have a campus), but I might not be bothered with grad school and would I be qualified for what I might want to do in the future? (definitely business related- I am not good at writing (or enjoy it...) or dance or any of the subjects that Barnard is known for...wouldn't it be funny to study economics at Barnard while I could have done it in LSE?)

Thanks for reading all of it. It's quite obvious that I'm, well, a very indecisive person! Much help verrrry appreciated. =)

churchmusicmom

I have no idea about LSE. Sorry. But one thing that stands out to me is that you say you are not good at writing....and I cannot help but think that any career you might consider, particularly in economics, would be better served by improving your writing skills and your confidence in that area. Barnard would definitely offer that for you.

Also, are you absolutely positive that you know what you want to do at this point in your life? No idea at all that you might want to consider something different or at least expose yourself to something different? The LSE thing sounds quite restrictive to my uninformed self. And even though economics major at Barnard would probably not in an of itself carry as much prestige, the internship opportunities in the City would be pretty significant, I should think.

Just some further points to consider, for what it's worth. Sounds like you have some important decisions to make! One other observation: if you are having difficulty committing at this point to the LSE thing, does that mean you are not sure in your heart that this is what you want to do? You might want to leave yourself some room to explore other academic areas and that would mean Barnard...

Don't mean to sound like I think Barnard is the best place for everyone. I hope this does help, though.

sickofvanderbilt

I have friends at both Barnard and LSE, I'm an international student from the Philippines and I must say that LSE has a RIDICULOUS reputation in the international business field. Basically, from what everyone knows, LSE is ranked at par with Wharton, and I feel like if you're going for economics, LSE is THE PLACE TO BE. I mean, if you love New York City, why don't you go to LSE and just go to NYC for work? There's Wall Street, etc. for you, and I'm pretty sure a degree from LSE would guarantee you a myriad of prestigious business-related jobs. :-) If you're not bothered with the thought of grad school ATM, I don't think going to Barnard for Econ would benefit you. Barnard is awesome though, but you're in this for Econ... And you got into LSE! I'm impressed; congratulations! :-)

cmk

i was also torn between attending school in UK (one of my options being LSE) and going to school in the US. I think the questions you want to ask yourself are about what type of educational experience you want.. liberal arts, or a three year program focused on the course you choose to pursue. i think you also should consider the type of environment you want out of the uni you attend. check out the LSE page on the student room.

A Persona

I agree with cmk. I am familiar with LSE and I think it has a very good reputation (in Europe, particularly). It's a great experience, but it will be very different from Barnard. As far as I understand it, LSE students do very little besides Econ. This is not necessarily a bad thing, since they're able to delve more deeply into the subject matter, but it may not suit a student who has very diverse disciplinary interest or is not absolutely certain that they want to pursue Economics. I know plenty of people who came to college and changed their planned major (in many cases, more than once).

So, it seems the question is actually pretty simple: are you looking for the most prestigious international focused Economics program (LSE) or are you looking for a LAC experience in a major city with a very interdisciplinary Economics program (Barnard)?