Decision help: TSE M1 in Economics or BGSE Economics?

[lilysirius]

Hello everyone!

I want to do PhD in economics and I'm now accepted into TSE M1 in Economics, BGSE Economics and Cam MPhil. Since Cam doesn't have a deadline, I guess I'll just leave it be for now. Too expensive. T_T. But the deadline of confirmation for TSE is approaching. I have to make a choice between TSE and BGSE now. I can't make up my mind. Hope someone can help.Below is a list of results from the schools I applied to. A note for those pending programs. LSE is really expensive and funding is almost impossible. I'm pretty sure I can't make it into Duke. And TI, Tilburg and QEM are not as good as TSE and BGSE. I've no idea how to compare Toronto and UBC with European schools. So the only results I'm looking forward to are Oxford and CEMFI. One student from my current university went to Oxford last year with full funding and another partial funding the year before that. And I feel hopeful about my application. The funding prospect for CEMFI is quite alluring, and I heard courses there are intensive. I can only hold my TSE offer to Feb 28 and BGSE to Mar 13. I don't know how much longer I have to wait.Accepted: TSE M1 Economics, BGSE Economics (full TW), Cambridge MPhil Economics (funding TBD)Rejected: Minnesota Econ PhDPending: LSE MSc Econometrics and Mathematical Economics, Oxford MPhil Economics, CEMFI master, QEM TI, Tilburg, Duke Econ PhD, Toronto master Doctoral track economics, UBC master economicssThings I know and my opinions about TSE and BGSE (maybe inaccurate):1. TSE is strong in micro generally, ranks 1st in the world in the economics of incentives, in Europe in industrial organization, in environmental economics, in business economics, and in public economics.2. BGSE is strong in macroeconomics.3. TSE has longer history than BGSE and perhaps better reputation?4. Living expenses are lower in Toulouse than in Barcelona. I'm really poor, only about 700 euro family income monthly. 5. Heard that professors in TSE focus on research and don't care very much about teaching.6. If stay there for PhD, TSE takes one more year, because its M2 doctoral track is the first year of the doctoral program, and BGSE economics master can serve as the first year of UPF's doctoral program.Frankly I prefer BGSE. I like macroeconomics more than micro, but it's just a feeling. I don't have enough knowledge to tell exactly what I like. Since I specialise in quantitative finance in undergrad, I haven't taken many economics courses or any advanced ones. My current ideas of micro and macro may not be true to myself. And BGSE is a little more expensive than TSE. I can't make up my mind.Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

Edited February 20, 2014 by lilysirius