The Student Room Group

Turn down a scholarship to go to a brand name uni?

Hi I posted a thread a while back in a different section regarding my application to undertake postgraduate studies in a marketing field;

I applied to a few I guess you could say good universities and have been offered part scholarships from some.

Loughborough - MSc Marketing & Management - 50% offered - will cost £5250
Leeds - MSc - International Marketing Management - £5k offered will cost around £4500
Birmingham- MSc Strategic Marketing and Consulting - 50% offered - will cost £5500
York - MSc Global Marketing - nothing offered - £10k
Exeter - MSc Marketing - nothing offered - £11k

Anyway I was surprised how many Masters courses I was accepted to after studying my undergrad in sports marketing and management at an ex-poly although I got a 1:1 and have significant work experience and awesome refs. At the time I applied to all the top 30 unis hoping to be able to re-brand myself with a non-sporting niche and from a good uni.

After all the success (8/8 offers) I decided why not apply to even better unis just to see whether I got any offers:

I've been accepted at: (no funding available)

KCL - MSc Marketing (first year of the course) -10k fees
St Andrews - MSc Marketing - 10k fees
Durham - MSc Marketing (First year of the course I think) - 10k fees

My question is, is it worth paying around an extra £5,000 to study at one of these more prestigious universities?


Upon leaving university I will apply for the decent grad schemes in marketing or management disciplines.

- Note -

I am not taking out a loan as I had 3 jobs whilst doing my undergrad as it was so easy and so have saved around £11,000 and my parents will support me for the rest.

I'm anything but rich though and so I'm totally against wasting money if it's not going to give me any significant advantage in the job market.

I would also like to work internationally later in my career so would guess a more recognized uni would help although by then I would hopefully have work exp...

Sorry for the long post just I'm finding this decision hard and need to make it pretty hastily as I need to arrange accommodation!

Thanks
(edited 9 years ago)

Scroll to see replies

That's great. Is this sort of funding available on the MBAs?
Reply 2
I'm not sure that those brand names are necessarily that much more prestigious, particularly for marketing. If I wear you I'd take one of the full fee scholarships.
Go to Durham. Prestige is important.

Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Alexafc12
.......................



Have you taken a look at the DLHE data for each course to see where grads are securing positions? That might give you an insight into how employers view these courses, which would give you another perspective.
Original post by Mr.Intelligent
Go to Durham. Prestige is important.

Posted from TSR Mobile


St Andrews > Durham

Go to St Andrews!
Reply 6
That's funny. In Oct. I will apply to the exact same Marketing courses as you. I will apply to just 3 schools, your second group. Durham,St. Andrews and Kings. I am leaning towards Durham, as they have a larger post graduate population than St. Andrews, and I think that would be more enjoyable for me.
Original post by Calllu-m
St Andrews > Durham

Go to St Andrews!


Living, studying, networking in central London > everything.

Go to KCL!
At postgrad level the so-called brand name of the Uni doesn't have anything like the same perceived impact as at undergrad level (and frankly that is hugely questionable as well).

The piffling superiority difference between a number of 'top' Unis is a fairly pointless game to play. Even if you could find a way of measuring this (beyond the totally partisan "I think this one is better" from anyone who has been to any of these Unis), then what would it tell you? That 2 years ago, this % of graduates got 'a job in the industry'? What as - Admin Assistant, or something they actually could have done with just an undergrad degree or no degree at all? And what if while you are doing this Masters or in your first 2 years after it, that course plummets on what ever system of credibility you've devised? Is that your career over - will nobody now employ you because you've got X Uni on your CV? Oh no!

I did a Masters at the only Uni that offered me full funding. It wasn't my ideal course but it was the only way I could do postgrad at that point. It was a Soc Sci course when actually my specialism is History. I later won full funding for a PhD in History and my cross-disciplinary background was considered a big bonus.

If you can afford to shell-out tons of money on what you think is a 'better' course (however you defining 'better'?) then the world is your lobster. You'll get offers from most Universities simply because you are self-funding. Or if you rely on funding, then you have to be more pragmatic and think about how important a Masters is, what you want to get out of it, why you are doing it, and what (if any) difference it will really make to your immediate employment chances.

Employers aren't as obsessed by 'which Uni' as most students assume - even a postgrad level - that isn't how they sift applications. Whichever of the Unis you've mentioned you actually went to, it will be up to YOU to write a decent job application and have the experience on your CV they want - the name of the Uni wont be the clincher. And 5 years down the track, no-one will give a monkeys if you've even got a Masters, never mind which Uni.
Original post by KindofGood
That's great. Is this sort of funding available on the MBAs?


I assume so although it i likely highly competitive
Original post by Alexafc12
I assume so although it i likely highly competitive


Most people who do MBAs are sponsored by an employer or are very wealthy overseas students. Most UK contenders do it part-time whilst working, paying the fees themselves. Its a qualification essentially aimed at people with relevant working experience, not folk straight out of an undergrad. It isn't 'a training in how to be an executive' - it assumes you already have this experience.

The fees at Manchester Uni are £40,000 a year (that's just the FEES) and at Birmingham £20,000. And full funding is very rare and aimed at academic high-flyers with relevant experience who are likely to then have academic careers, You might find the odd £5,000 bursary but again that is highly competitive and unless you are in any way 'exceptional' its probably a non-starter.
@ReturnMigrant the initial lengthy post you made is really informative thanks.

At the moment I'm actually leaning towards Loughborough, the course has been going on for 14 years so is established and has a good element of management content in it which appeals to be. I checked the DLH thing like you said and although I couldn't find specific data for these exact courses I did find Loughborough's business and economics department graduates have an average graduate starting salary of just over £26,000 which is really good, although I'm sure a lot of this stems from their undergraduate sandwich courses.

Out of the three more prestigious uni's I would probably be picking St Andrews only because the course is accredited by the CIM and has been running for multiple years. At the end of the day I'm just struggling to warrant paying an additional £5,000 for a name on my C.V. Although undoubtedly I think it will help me I'm unsure how much of an effect this has in the marketing industry. My main aim is to get onto a decent graduate scheme and so reputation may have a smaller impact than I thought?

Am still willing to listen to others advice if you have any.

Thanks
Be aware that many 'graduate schemes' are aimed at those finishing an undergrad degree - and so exclude anyone with a Masters.
Really? Not sure about that. I know BSkyB and BT Sport's graduate marketing management schemes accept masters because my friend did the same after completing a conversion course into accountancy and HR. Which schemes have you heard that won't accept a masters?

I'm finding it hard pushed to get on any worthwhile schemes or internships atm probably due to my undergrad in sports. I genuinely feel a masters will be beneficial in re-branding myself in terms of university and in discipline, making it easier for me to find work in the marketing and management industry.
Original post by Calllu-m
St Andrews > Durham

Go to St Andrews!


Not according to the league tables it's not.

Posted from TSR Mobile
Personally, I think that having won a scholarship more than makes up for any discrepancy in the reputations of the universities.

I think if you told an employer you turned down a £10k scholarship to attend a slightly more prestigious university, they would think you mad at best, stupid at worst.
Original post by Mr.Intelligent
Go to Durham. Prestige is important.
Posted from TSR Mobile


i second that.
Durham is indeed prestigious and has been so for quite sometime.
its a tradition thing.

Original post by returnmigrant
Most people who do MBAs are sponsored by an employer or are very wealthy overseas students. Most UK contenders do it part-time whilst working, paying the fees themselves.


yes.
the wealthy international students always get in.
and they don't frequent this forum.
they simply apply, get in, get out and proceed with their career.
Original post by TurboCretin
Personally, I think that having won a scholarship more than makes up for any discrepancy in the reputations of the universities.

I think if you told an employer you turned down a £10k scholarship to attend a slightly more prestigious university, they would think you mad at best, stupid at worst.



All three scholarship I ave been offered are all around 50% not 100% otherwise there would be no question!

I'm not going to rush this decision as it's a lot of money to risk wasting it on a degree which might not give me any real benefit over another.
My advice is to make sure you're focused on the strength of the course and department, rather than the overall prestige/ranking of the university. At postgrad, the idea of times/guardian style rankings/prestige isn't really a thing - it's about the reputation of the department and course.

Also, as you seem to be doing this for vocational reasons (as opposed to pursuing academia), consider whether any of the courses are particularly suited to what exactly you want to do - modules in your specific area of interest; if relevant, is the course accredited; do any of the courses have opportunities to gain practical experience or industry connections?

Ultimately i would say it turns on what elements you want from your MSc, and whether those schools offering you a scholarship provide those elements. I wouldn't turn down the scholarship to go to a brand name uni if it didn't meet the criteria you have for what you want out of the course; and honestly, if all things are otherwise equal, I'd go with the scholarship. But if they're not, and the schools without a scholarship offer something that's important to you, and you can afford not to take the scholarship option - I'd take it. When you're talking about scholarships of approx 5k, remember that you can earn that back once you're working. But that applies if you can financially justify passing up the scholarship.
Original post by Alexafc12
All three scholarship I ave been offered are all around 50% not 100% otherwise there would be no question!

I'm not going to rush this decision as it's a lot of money to risk wasting it on a degree which might not give me any real benefit over another.


Ahh sorry, thought when you said 'full fees' in the OP you meant full fee scholarships.

I don't have experience in the marketing field, but I can't see it making such a difference to your graduate prospects that saving 5k wouldn't be worth it, considering also the bonus of having the scholarship on your CV.

Quick Reply

Latest