Hey everyone

I have been extremely lucky and currently have offers for funded PhDs at Leeds (ESRC) and LSE (LSE Studentship). I've also got offers from a few other places, including Warwick, Sussex and York, but won't hear about funding at those places til mid April.

So I'm not going to make a decision just yet but I'm feeling super confused about the best way forward, since these at least are two VERY different options.

My proposed PhD is going to be looking at gender, young people and technology - it's based in the Gender Institute at LSE and is a Sociology PhD at Leeds. The other places I've applied are a mix of Gender departments and Sociology departments.

I've never studied at either uni. I did my undergraduate at Manchester and my MA at UCL. Currently living in Manchester. I spent a year living in London and loved it - but I was working full-time and in a good position financially.

I'm 28 and live with my boyfriend. He's very up for moving to a new city and is very supportive. If I went for LSE we think we'd live in London for the first year or so, and then move out somewhere cheaper and more chilled (seeing as by then I'd only 'have' to be in uni every two weeks, I think). I adore London but I'm not sure I want that chaos and expense for a full four years - seems Leeds might be a better quality of life.

I'm basically after insights from anybody who's studied at either university, particularly in gender/sociology. What was it like? Would you do it again? What don't you like?

I realise that I've been massively lucky (first world problems and all that), and thanks so much in advance.

Very well done in all your offers! Any of the Unis you listed would obviously be excellent, so I don't think 'quality' wise it would really matter, although maybe LSE just pips it. It's about where you want to live ..

If it was me, I would probably go with LSE. If you're looking to get into academia in humanities, I think there are more options 'down south'. But it's up to you, where do you want to live?

Thank you! I was very shocked, I didn’t feel the LSE interview went that well so it was a great surprise!

I think the crux of the problem is that I feel I (and my partner) would love living in London for a year or two but not really beyond that. Having both lived there before we’re fairly aware of the pros and cons and what we could afford to live in (a shoebox!) I also know a few people who’ve struggled with the mental health side of their PhDs and it’s very important to me that I live somewhere I’m relaxed and comfortable, especially when writing up. Got all these visions of getting out for long walks in the countryside :)

So then it comes down to what it would be like doing the second half of the PhD from outside London. I actually did my MA at UCL while living in Manchester, mostly for financial reasons, and the travelling wasn’t a problem, but I did wish that I was closer for the sake of attending events and seminars and so on and just being more connected to university life. Given that I’m doing the PhD with an eye on an academic career, being ‘involved’ in that way will be important. But if I get that involvement in the first year or two, perhaps it won’t matter.

I don’t know Leeds very well but I am a fan of a good northern city! And I loooove Yorkshire.

As for career plans – yep I’m hoping to work in social sciences/digital humanities…but that’s another angle. Given how dreadful the academic jobs market is looking, there’s every chance I’d move back in the marketing/business strategy side of things I’ve worked in for some of my twenties. Who knows!

Any of those institutions would be great whatever you decide to do, I'm sure. It's easy enough to move if you decide you want to leave London after a few years, if that's what you want to do. I think LSE would be your..

... best bet for going into academia, just this morning it was rates 5th (or something) in Europe. But obviously don't rush into the decision, you have time to think about it.

Are there any limitations on the projects? Which supervisor would you like to work with more? What is the expertise and experience of the supervisors?

These sorts of questions are typically more important when choosing PhD institution. For example, I know a student who is taking PhD funding at York despite receiving financial aid to study at 2 Ivy League institutions. The reason being, York has the world lead academics in the area.

Prestige isn't everything...

I don't know much about your topic, but I am doing a PhD at Leeds and it's a great city! You get a a bit of a big city feel yet it is small enough to be walk-able and even if you live in the nicer suburbs it only takes 10 minutes to the city centre. Also, as you are interested in the countryside, it's just moments away. I often head to Ilkley Moor (Cow and calf) as it's great to clear the head. I can see the draw of London but I've lived there before and just can't imagine doing a PhD and have to deal with high cost of living, long transportation, etc. Although you can probably work from homein your field, I think having a PhD situation where you can go in regularly will really help because it can be a very isolating process when you get into the thick of it! Leeds uni offer good general courses in writing, time management, presentation, stats, and all kinds of things and all have been very good. The campus is great too, has that campus feel but is right next to city centre. Good luck deciding!