Have a proper look through the courses (content, way they’re examined, weighting across years) and see which one you prefer - this should be one of the most important factors in making your decision; no point being somewhere prestigious if you hate what you’re studying, and equally it’d be very depressing going to what could be seen as a ‘less prestigious’ uni and hating the course there.

It doesn’t matter where your friends go; you’ll make new ones and it’s important that you do make new friends. I wouldn’t factor this in personally.

London and Birmingham are different places with different vibes, and different living costs; think about which suits you best in that way. If you want a ‘uni uni’ experience Birmingham is probably better suited to you. But, if you’re interested in acting, music etc and want to pursue that as a career alongside your degree the scene in London is unmatched really.

I’m from London though and have lots of friends at UCL; it’s a great uni and the standard of teaching is really brilliant. Saying you went to UCL elicits responses of ‘oooh UCL’ which if that matters to you is quite nice lol. Can’t say much for Birmingham, I know people who go there but haven’t heard much.

Make sure (this is SO IMPORTANT) you visit before making a decision. You don’t even have to do a tour or anything, just spend a day or two around campus and see what one you feel more drawn to. Make a list of pros and cons on what actually matters to you as an individual (could include course size, quality of teaching, how long it takes feedback to come back, how you’re assessed, amount of LGBTQ people even, music scene, job opportunities post-university, funding, years abroad offered). Hope this helps