This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

Does college reputation affect chances of being employed?

Mop

Exactly... which is why college choice is almost completely irrelevent with respect to the class of degree you come out with at the end, and hence why I don't believe in the idea that some colleges are more pretigious than others for acedemic reasons.

I think it's wrong to say it's "almost completely irrelevant"

Mainly your degree class reflects what you put into it, and college choice is less of an issue than prospectives believe - but you ideally wish for approachable sympathetic tutors, who can teach well and are on top of their subject, who will put the extra time in at revision time etc.

Reply 21

Mop

But the existance of said tutors at X College, and their non-existance at Y College won't lead to employers considering a degree from X College to be better, which is what I think Joshworkinghard was trying to suggest.

Reply 22

RichE

15

Mop

But the existance of said tutors at X College, and their non-existance at Y College won't lead to employers considering a degree from X College to be better, which is what I think Joshworkinghard was trying to suggest.

Well I'm not sure I was arguing anyone other's point - just that this would be the sort of thing (the extra dedication to and support in teaching) that could turn a 2:1 into a 1st etc.

This is a separate issue I know - but I think (in my subject at least) college can matter some. In something like history students are doing options in other colleges almost from the off.

By and large employers will have very little knowledge of the difference between colleges - and if they once knew it, then it would probably have become out of date, and most importantly says nothing about the individual in front of them.

Reply 23

Ticki

8

Mop

But the existance of said tutors at X College, and their non-existance at Y College won't lead to employers considering a degree from X College to be better, which is what I think Joshworkinghard was trying to suggest.

Note to all future applicants: ignore what Joshworkinghard says, he's not at Oxbridge yet and is talking out of his backside. Good intentions or otherwise, it's rubbish. :smile:

Reply 24

emily87

9

what about tutors at certain colleges having better links in professions, could that not help?

Reply 25

Ticki

8

emily87

what about tutors at certain colleges having better links in professions, could that not help?

Most tutors probably don't have fantastic links in professions because they're not in that field themselves. The university career service is great, however, and supervisors are usually happy to help you in any way they can if you ask for help. Again though, they tend to be people from across the university rather than specific colleges so that wouldn't necessarily need to influence your choice of college.

Reply 26

Joshworkinghard

1

Mop

But the existance of said tutors at X College, and their non-existance at Y College won't lead to employers considering a degree from X College to be better, which is what I think Joshworkinghard was trying to suggest.

No its not. How will they know which college has better tutors? Im saying that at the end of the day it is the degree class that matters and if you can go to a "better" college with "better" tutors you are more likely to get that good degree class that matters. Obviously I have no experience but that is how I see it.

Reply 27

Mop

And wtf does that have to do with whether an employer will prefer the graduates of one college over another?

Reply 28

Ticki

8

Just ignore him, Mop. He's an idiot. The point he made is a) incorrect and b) irrelevant to the original question. As usual... :rolleyes:

Reply 29

SaccerZD

2

Although 99.99% of the time an Oxbridge degree is considered the best in the country, would a degree from one of the less prestigous colleges still be seen as 'better' than an equivalent degree from LSE, Durham, etc? Or would the fact that it is an Oxford or Cambridge degree be all that matter (as well as the class of degree, of course)?

Reply 30

Ticki

8

SaccerZD

Although 99.99% of the time an Oxbridge degree is considered the best in the country, would a degree from one of the less prestigous colleges still be seen as 'better' than an equivalent degree from LSE, Durham, etc? Or would the fact that it is an Oxford or Cambridge degree be all that matter (as well as the class of degree, of course)?

Doesn't the entire thread answer this?! Given that degrees are conferred by the university rather than colleges, a degree from *any* Oxbridge college would indeed still be seen as 'better' than ones from other universities. Not that I'm convinced employers think Oxbridge counts for that much more these days.

Reply 31

SaccerZD

2

QUOTE "Not that I'm convinced employers think Oxbridge counts for that much more these days."

Why is this? Other universities 'catching up'? Oxbridge too theoretical in their approach?

Reply 32

grumballcake

8

Ticki

a degree from *any* Oxbridge college would indeed still be seen as 'better' than ones from other universities.

An an employer for many years, that's largely true. If you have a pile of CVs, the Oxbridge ones will always get looked at. Ones from Luton had better have some relevant experience to compensate or they'll go straight to the circular filing cabinet.

Having said that, I currently hire from Tsinghua university in Beijing whose selection criteria makes getting into Oxbridge look like a walk in the park. To get in, you need to be the top student in your region in the standardised exams. If you allow for the size of the population its much like having to be the top person in the UK for that year.

The one problem that Oxbridge candidates have is that they're in the main more arrogant and demanding than similarly qualified people from 'lesser' unis like UCL, Nottingham or Durham. Given the certain element of a lottery attached to selection (yes, it is) it's not actually a reasonable approach. As such, I've never hired one (in 25 years). However, I do use them as lawyers and accountants and they're wonderful - once some other employer has beaten the initial arrogance out of them. :smile:

Oh, and I nearly forgot. No-one outside Oxbridge has any idea what college does what or how good they are (unless they have a child who went or is applying). These things change over time anyway, so how would you know what it was like at the time that student was there?

Finally, Josh, the word is 'prestige'.

Does college reputation affect chances of being employed?

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you