Hi, I'm Alex from Italy graduate in Mechanical engineering. I have received two offers for a PhD at University College of London and at Imperial College of London. I'm reaaly happy of this but now I have to choose:
which are the parameters that I should consider for this decision? Can anybody help me? Can anybody tell me which is the best university?please please!

Both are excellent institutions for mechanical engineering. Go for the project that interests you the most.

FindAPHD Team is correct: You can't make a wrong decision because both are excellent! Which supervisor did you like best?

Congratulations - that's really good as they are both really hard to get into! What's your secret?

No secrets: I sent a lot of application forms and I never stopped to email to the admission office of the Universities and to the Professors: I think that this is the best way to catch any new opportunity available!
Anyway, my problem is about the supervisors cause one seems to be more available while another seems to be absent. Moreover I saw Guardian web site and I put in the first place of Universities the Imperial College and at the 20th the UCL.Is it true?

i would go with imperial college...has a reputation in the enineering field.

Alex - The Guardian tables you are referring to is aimed at undergraduate teaching and doesn't take research into account. In the last research assessment exercise UCL Mechanical Engineering scored 5 and Imperial College Mechanical Engineering Scored 5* (the top mark). However at this level it is the research reputation of your individual supervisor and your interest in the project which are most important.

What do you mean for reputation of the supervisor? Do you refer to how does he help the students, his availability or to his publications and experience?

Sadly Alex it's all of the things you say. When you have an offer like yours (in the same city and in leading departments) then you need to decide which supervisor you will get on better with, which research group had the best atmosphere and all of the many small things that will effect how you perform in your PhD.

We would recommend going for the project you like most in the lab you liked the most. If you want to work in the place with the best reputation then look at the publication record of your potential supervisors. Ask Italian academics if they've heard of your potential supervisors. You could try asking each academic what have previous PhD students gone on to achieve during and after there time in the research group.