LLB Law at UCL or BA Anthropology and Law at LSE?
Thoughts?
Thoughts?
I do anthro & law at LSE. I really enjoy the course and find it refreshing to be doing two completely different subjects, as I just switch to doing work for the other subject when I get tired of one. I find this especially useful for transitioning from having studied a range of subjects at once throughout secondary school/sixth form education.
The decision between the two courses is going to depend on a number of considerations:
•
How much you value your social life - UCL offers more of the typical uni experience, while LSE's social scene can be quite dry at times. Obviously, as both are in London you can always find fun things to do, but there really aren't many fun stuff ran by LSE itself and people hold parties less than at UCL. LSE's societies also tend to run quite irregularly, while I've heard that UCL's are more active
•
The student body - LSE is very international - about 70%. The international students tend to stick with those from their own country, which can make LSE quite cliquey when such a high percentage of the student body is international. This doesn't mean it's impossible to find your crowd and make great friends just like at any other uni, just that it doesn't have much of a community feel. However, the anthro department is probably one of the friendliest/most chill at LSE, so it's definitely easier to make friends with really fun and interesting people compared to LSE as a whole.
•
Future plans - if you want to do a Master's in Law after undergrad, doing straight Law might make it easier when applying. Otherwise, it's worth noting that LSE has a bunch of law-related events, from networking with Magic Circle lawyers, to talks relating to different types of law, to help with applications. UCL has lots of these opportunities too, but LSE is notorious for their career support. You can check out the Law Society Instagram pages of both unis to gauge if there's much of a difference in the career opportunities offered, as there may not be.
In terms of the universities' reputation and career prospects, no law firm or chambers will see you as a less capable candidate for attending one over the other. LSE is more well-known globally, so the only caveat is if you plan on applying for jobs abroad straight out of uni. In terms of UK applications I've not found that doing anthro & law has been a setback at all and I've been able to secure multiple work experience opportunities with top commercial law firms. If anything anthro & law can make you stand out as it's such a unique course, especially if you say why it's relevant. I usually say that anthropology has helped me to develop a global perspective and understand people from different cultures, which makes me a valuable asset for law firms as their clients are all across the world. However, there are obviously other ways to stand out on applications and I'd say that both degrees are looked at equally favourably.
Therefore, your decision is going to come down to which university you'd personally prefer studying at. I'd recommend visiting both if you can, even if it's just having a stroll around the campuses if there's no longer opportunities to visit officially (although I imagine neither have had their offer holder days yet). Aside from the social aspects I mentioned above, I'd recommend having a serious think about how badly you actually want to do anthropology. I personally love my course, but if you're more focused on law and find that UCL is better suited for you, don't let anthro hold you back.
The decision between the two courses is going to depend on a number of considerations:
•
How much you value your social life - UCL offers more of the typical uni experience, while LSE's social scene can be quite dry at times. Obviously, as both are in London you can always find fun things to do, but there really aren't many fun stuff ran by LSE itself and people hold parties less than at UCL. LSE's societies also tend to run quite irregularly, while I've heard that UCL's are more active
•
The student body - LSE is very international - about 70%. The international students tend to stick with those from their own country, which can make LSE quite cliquey when such a high percentage of the student body is international. This doesn't mean it's impossible to find your crowd and make great friends just like at any other uni, just that it doesn't have much of a community feel. However, the anthro department is probably one of the friendliest/most chill at LSE, so it's definitely easier to make friends with really fun and interesting people compared to LSE as a whole.
•
Future plans - if you want to do a Master's in Law after undergrad, doing straight Law might make it easier when applying. Otherwise, it's worth noting that LSE has a bunch of law-related events, from networking with Magic Circle lawyers, to talks relating to different types of law, to help with applications. UCL has lots of these opportunities too, but LSE is notorious for their career support. You can check out the Law Society Instagram pages of both unis to gauge if there's much of a difference in the career opportunities offered, as there may not be.
In terms of the universities' reputation and career prospects, no law firm or chambers will see you as a less capable candidate for attending one over the other. LSE is more well-known globally, so the only caveat is if you plan on applying for jobs abroad straight out of uni. In terms of UK applications I've not found that doing anthro & law has been a setback at all and I've been able to secure multiple work experience opportunities with top commercial law firms. If anything anthro & law can make you stand out as it's such a unique course, especially if you say why it's relevant. I usually say that anthropology has helped me to develop a global perspective and understand people from different cultures, which makes me a valuable asset for law firms as their clients are all across the world. However, there are obviously other ways to stand out on applications and I'd say that both degrees are looked at equally favourably.
Therefore, your decision is going to come down to which university you'd personally prefer studying at. I'd recommend visiting both if you can, even if it's just having a stroll around the campuses if there's no longer opportunities to visit officially (although I imagine neither have had their offer holder days yet). Aside from the social aspects I mentioned above, I'd recommend having a serious think about how badly you actually want to do anthropology. I personally love my course, but if you're more focused on law and find that UCL is better suited for you, don't let anthro hold you back.
Hi! Wow, thank you so much for the time and effort you put into this response, I really, really appreciate it!
Firstly, about applying to do a Master's in Law, why would you say doing straight law might make it easier when applying? I was also wondering about the BA being a 'qualifying law degree', as LSE specify on their website. Is it really a qualifying law degree in the same way that the LLB is, or are there any caveats?
Everything you said was really interesting, and even made the anthro and law course even more attractive. But you're right with the very last thing you said - that's what I really need to think about IF I even get an offer for anthro and law (you know how competitive it really is).
I'm definitely going to go and have a walk about both unis soon, as you said. And yes, I don't think they've had offer holder days yet, UCL hasn't said anything about it yet.
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