Oxford's MPhil in economics

[Freethinker]

Originally Posted by albertalla

From econphd, Oxford is strong in development, 4th, but not in other fields. My interest, a priori, is development so that looks alright.

Exactly the same reason I applied there. Just learned I'm in!

[albertalla]

congrats freethinker! But with Berkeley calling, Oxford is a no brainer...

[xtreg]

Just got funding @ Oxford this morning. Anyone else going?

[senmaster]

congrats...

how did you get funding xtreg...are you referring to oxford international office OR college scholarships??

[xtreg]

Originally Posted by senmaster

congrats...

how did you get funding xtreg...are you referring to oxford international office OR college scholarships?

Thanks! The international office, I guess...it's a Clarendon that's not tied to a college.

[stefani]

Originally Posted by lse-ug

LSE's MSc doesn't help because (1) you won't have your grades until you have completed the program, and (2) since you have to reapply early in the year, you may have difficulties getting your professors to write you really good letter of reference. But I do believe that you can signal a lot by doing very well in the program and then reapply in the year after you complete the MSc.

I am wondering why I won't have my grades until I have completed the program. I thought registration office will sent a transcript to me every semester.

[asianecon]

xtreg: how did u find out? by post or email?

care to share some stats?

[lse-ug]

Originally Posted by stefani

I am wondering why I won't have my grades until I have completed the program. I thought registration office will sent a transcript to me every semester.

Because they have only 1 final exam in the summer

[Freethinker]

Originally Posted by albertalla

congrats freethinker! But with Berkeley calling, Oxford is a no brainer...

I'm going to the Berkeley visitation day and then I'll make the final decision. It's not quite a no-brainer for me since I loved Oxford when I went there and they admitted me with funding... but it's very likely that, barring some disaster, my future home is Cal.

If Oxford had admitted me straight to the DPhil (like American univs), it would be a much harder decision for me. Both universities simply are great!.

[lurker]

Originally Posted by Freethinker

I'm going to the Berkeley visitation day and then I'll make the final decision. It's not quite a no-brainer for me since I loved Oxford when I went there and they admitted me with funding... but it's very likely that, barring some disaster, my future home is Cal.

If Oxford had admitted me straight to the DPhil (like American univs), it would be a much harder decision for me. Both universities simply are great!.

Oxford is great! It is my impression that if you are admitted to the MPhil then you are exceptionally likely to get on to the DPhil, barring the sort of performance on the MPhil that would make you reconsider your desire to continue studying! (For funding purposes in the UK being admitted to the MPhil counts as a "2+2" course i.e. a full PhD, just as an admit to LSE's PhD track masters counts as "3+1" course, but an admit to the normal LSE masters doesnt) Anyway, in my opinion the admission to an MPhil/ DPhil is really not an issue.

In all, your PhD/DPhil will take 4 years in Oxford, whereas it could take forever in the US!

But on the other hand I'm probably going to choose Stanford over Oxford so California must have something going for it... the weather maybe? (the weather here can get pretty monotonously damp for months on end) or the funding perhaps (Oxford is even more expensive to live in that the MOST expensive places in the States- even than Berkeley- remember that when you assess the stipend)

Berkeley's faculty will probably allow your research choices more flexibility (although Oxford's faculty are good and I always have a suspicion that European programmes are underestimated by the ranking systems)

Anyway, Im rambling...