Hello everyone,
This is to give you the opinion of a former insider at UCL - I do not want anyone to do the same mistake that I did, if any. Its time for you to chose, so choose wisely, unlike me. I hope this will help.
I applied to LSE, UCL and other colleges. I was admitted in all colleges. The real alternative was between LSE and UCL. I chose UCL over LSE: I relied on the Times rankings, the courses on offer and the fact that several prominent lawyers and judges in my country went to UCL. UCL is higher in the rankings, and more strict as to admission standards. To be honest however, I dont understand why and how that is possible. I went to several law schools in several countries and this one is the worst I have had experienced.
This is not to be taken as a definitive answer as to what choice you should make if youre admitted at LSE and UCL but please take it into account. Both are good law schools I think. I do not want to be overly negative about UCL, and you definitely should consider other opinions as well. I think that several professors and people at UCL are making big efforts to make it enjoyable and to make it a great law school to attend. But they just dont have as much money as LSE, which probably explains in part why my experience (and I know that other people feel the same as well) is so disappointing. The reason why I write this is to provide information to prospective students so they are not mislead like I was, not to tarnish UCL Laws reputation. But I just think they are not providing students with a product that meets the expectations created by the Times rankings. Also, I dont think UCL is giving you a product thats worth the price. Mummy and daddy were not paying for my studies: every single penny I spent on this LL.M., I worked hard to get it. Which makes it very painful to think that I probably made a wrong decision. It is a very important decision that you take, so think twice. Unless you are really sure that you want to go to UCL, think again if you hold an offer from LSE as well. Especially if youre international: fees are the same. I regret I chose UCL. Here are my reasons. Some may appear trivial, but when you are actually there, devil is in the details. My experience of LSE is that of a visiting use of the library, and a friend of several LSE graduates.
1. LSE's library is way better. Most of the time, when I looked for a book either at the IALS or at UCL's library, it's not there or they only have a very old version. In contrast, LSE's library have just been renovated, is opened 24 hours a day for students and is apparently the biggest library for social sciences in the world. Everything is up to date, and youll get access to foreign materials, sociology, economics and political science materials as well. That is increasingly important given the interdisciplinary approach of several courses. It is useful to be able to find the books that you need in a single place. As a UCL student, youll be able to attend Lses library as a visitor (limited hours)
2. To be honest, UCL's library is the worst university library I've ever seen in terms of contents, especially international contents (in my country, even the third-tier law schools have better ressources). There is a complete lack of computers at UCL's library, and the ones there are underperformant and not well located. The furniture is in very bad condition. The only positive aspect of UCL's library is the nice statues- Oh, and it looks old, which is kinda nice...
3. LSE's computer labs are more up-to-date, both in the library and the old building. The chairs are nicer, there is more space, the computer are more performant and up-to-date, and the opening hours are wider. The only positive aspect with UCL Laws computer labs is that it is free to print whereas youll have to pay to print at LSE. Sometimes, the out of order computers stay out of order for weeks
4. The courses and the professors are excellent at UCL overall. The public stream, in particular, has a very good reputation. However, I have been told by some students interested in public law that several public law courses are now given by new professors so it is likely that you will not be taught by the top professors. The courses may still be good, but you know, its just not the same
5. I find the administrative services in general very poor at UCL, although it might be even poorer in your country, especially if you are from France. Every single time people have a request to make at the postgrad office, the student finance services or the admissions services, they feel unwelcome. It is not only my experience; several other students told me the same thing. LSEs administration uses computer systems. UCL uses paperwork both for admission and course selection, and UCLs staff is very good at sending you at three different places to get the document you need. You are not likely to get quick answer when you make any queries at UCL, especially if you use e-mails. I often had to insist to get answer to my questions, which is not cool when youre a bit insecure because you are coming in a new environment, and when you are unfamiliar with the country. The administrative and security staff at LSE is lovely in my experience, which is not the case at UCL (maybe LSEs staff has a better collective agreement)
6. Take into account the respective reputation of LSE and UCL in your country. I find it more important now that I am working. I think UCL should launch a large campaign to improve their reputation in Laws. I am very disappointed to see that UCL is unknown in my country. I should have known
7. Several courses were cancelled at UCL and other colleges after I accepted their offer. Ensure that the courses you want to take are gonna be offered if your intention is to go to UCL.
8. One very positive aspect of UCL is that we have a law building (the Bentham house, which is old and nice). It is great for gatherings, partys and meeting friends. At LSE, law students are all over the place.
9. There are no lockers on campus at UCL. At LSE, every student can have a locker, which is nice if youre walking or riding a bike to school. You wont have to carry your book on your back every day.
10. There is a nice student pub just in front of LSE
I had an OK experience at UCL. But I expected more than a OK experience for 12 000 £.
Hello everyone,
This is to give you the opinion of a former insider at UCL - I do not want anyone to do the same mistake that I did, if any. Its time for you to chose, so choose wisely, unlike me. I hope this will help.
I applied to LSE, UCL and other colleges. I was admitted in all colleges. The real alternative was between LSE and UCL. I chose UCL over LSE: I relied on the Times rankings, the courses on offer and the fact that several prominent lawyers and judges in my country went to UCL. UCL is higher in the rankings, and more strict as to admission standards. To be honest however, I dont understand why and how that is possible. I went to several law schools in several countries and this one is the worst I have had experienced.
This is not to be taken as a definitive answer as to what choice you should make if youre admitted at LSE and UCL but please take it into account. Both are good law schools I think. I do not want to be overly negative about UCL, and you definitely should consider other opinions as well. I think that several professors and people at UCL are making big efforts to make it enjoyable and to make it a great law school to attend. But they just dont have as much money as LSE, which probably explains in part why my experience (and I know that other people feel the same as well) is so disappointing. The reason why I write this is to provide information to prospective students so they are not mislead like I was, not to tarnish UCL Laws reputation. But I just think they are not providing students with a product that meets the expectations created by the Times rankings. Also, I dont think UCL is giving you a product thats worth the price. Mummy and daddy were not paying for my studies: every single penny I spent on this LL.M., I worked hard to get it. Which makes it very painful to think that I probably made a wrong decision. It is a very important decision that you take, so think twice. Unless you are really sure that you want to go to UCL, think again if you hold an offer from LSE as well. Especially if youre international: fees are the same. I regret I chose UCL. Here are my reasons. Some may appear trivial, but when you are actually there, devil is in the details. My experience of LSE is that of a visiting use of the library, and a friend of several LSE graduates.
1. LSE's library is way better. Most of the time, when I looked for a book either at the IALS or at UCL's library, it's not there or they only have a very old version. In contrast, LSE's library have just been renovated, is opened 24 hours a day for students and is apparently the biggest library for social sciences in the world. Everything is up to date, and youll get access to foreign materials, sociology, economics and political science materials as well. That is increasingly important given the interdisciplinary approach of several courses. It is useful to be able to find the books that you need in a single place. As a UCL student, youll be able to attend Lses library as a visitor (limited hours)
2. To be honest, UCL's library is the worst university library I've ever seen in terms of contents, especially international contents (in my country, even the third-tier law schools have better ressources). There is a complete lack of computers at UCL's library, and the ones there are underperformant and not well located. The furniture is in very bad condition. The only positive aspect of UCL's library is the nice statues- Oh, and it looks old, which is kinda nice...
3. LSE's computer labs are more up-to-date, both in the library and the old building. The chairs are nicer, there is more space, the computer are more performant and up-to-date, and the opening hours are wider. The only positive aspect with UCL Laws computer labs is that it is free to print whereas youll have to pay to print at LSE. Sometimes, the out of order computers stay out of order for weeks
4. The courses and the professors are excellent at UCL overall. The public stream, in particular, has a very good reputation. However, I have been told by some students interested in public law that several public law courses are now given by new professors so it is likely that you will not be taught by the top professors. The courses may still be good, but you know, its just not the same
5. I find the administrative services in general very poor at UCL, although it might be even poorer in your country, especially if you are from France. Every single time people have a request to make at the postgrad office, the student finance services or the admissions services, they feel unwelcome. It is not only my experience; several other students told me the same thing. LSEs administration uses computer systems. UCL uses paperwork both for admission and course selection, and UCLs staff is very good at sending you at three different places to get the document you need. You are not likely to get quick answer when you make any queries at UCL, especially if you use e-mails. I often had to insist to get answer to my questions, which is not cool when youre a bit insecure because you are coming in a new environment, and when you are unfamiliar with the country. The administrative and security staff at LSE is lovely in my experience, which is not the case at UCL (maybe LSEs staff has a better collective agreement )
6. Take into account the respective reputation of LSE and UCL in your country. I find it more important now that I am working. I think UCL should launch a large campaign to improve their reputation in Laws. I am very disappointed to see that UCL is unknown in my country. I should have known
7. Several courses were cancelled at UCL and other colleges after I accepted their offer. Ensure that the courses you want to take are gonna be offered if your intention is to go to UCL.
8. One very positive aspect of UCL is that we have a law building (the Bentham house, which is old and nice). It is great for gatherings, partys and meeting friends. At LSE, law students are all over the place.
9. There are no lockers on campus at UCL. At LSE, every student can have a locker, which is nice if youre walking or riding a bike to school. You wont have to carry your book on your back every day.
10. There is a nice student pub just in front of LSE
I had an OK experience at UCL. But I expected more than a OK experience for 12 000 £.
