Why do some universities have the reputation they do?

This is not to put any universities down, so please don't feel you have to get defensive about your university if you go to any of them. Of course, point out reasons why it does in fact deserve its reputation - that's sort of the point.

Looking around TSR, I often see universities such as Exeter, Nottingham, Newcastle, Manchester, Warwick and York being recommended as very good. Of course, they're good unis academically - no one's saying they're not - but then, so are most unis in the UK, in the grand scheme of things there aren't really any dreadful unis in the UK.

What I fail to understand is why they have quite the reputation they do for being great unis to go to. I've visited three of them as a prospective student, two to see friends at the unis and one I poked around whilst visiting the city. They were all right, but none really jumped out as "Wow, must come here" standard.

So, I'm trying to figure out why do these sorts of unis have such a great reputation? Any insights?

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Reply 1

Smack

Volunteer Team

A university's reputation on TSR is based on newspaper league tables - particularly the Times, although not so much the Guardian - and whether you can get into investment banking with a degree from said university. That's why.

Reply 2

i.am.lost

There are some dreadful ones though, TVU being one of those.

Reply 3

TheSownRose

Original post by Smack

I've heard pretty much the same thing from people not on TSR as well, though - I know ten people who firmed Nottingham, and I'm pretty sure none were on TSR.

Reply 4

Smack

Volunteer Team

Original post by TheSownRose

I've heard pretty much the same thing from people not on TSR as well, though - I know ten people who firmed Nottingham, and I'm pretty sure none were on TSR.

They probably wanted to go to study at Nottingham. There are much worse universities than Nottingham, after all.

Reply 5

TheSownRose

Original post by Smack

They probably wanted to go to study at Nottingham. There are much worse universities than Nottingham, after all.

Well yes, that's rather obvious - just curious what makes it so popular.

Reply 6

Smack

Volunteer Team

Original post by TheSownRose

Well yes, that's rather obvious - just curious what makes it so popular.

Probably geographic location. I'd be extremely surprised if anyone from my old school had ever applied there, ever.

Reply 7

lovely_me

Original post by TheSownRose

there aren't really any dreadful unis in the UK.

Reply 8

yahyahyah

Original post by TheSownRose

there aren't really any dreadful unis in the UK.

have you read your own signature?

Reply 9

TheSownRose

Original post by yahyahyah

have you read your own signature?

Of course, I entered it into the space that provided. Don't really understand what you're getting at..?

Reply 10

michael clayton

Original post by TheSownRose

Well yes, that's rather obvious - just curious what makes it so popular.

I think people are drawn to Nottingham uni because of it's fantastic campus (best in the country), top social life, active student union and reputation with employers. With regards to general reputation, there is a great bias towards older, more traditional universities (exceptions being York+Warwick). Many of them are members of the Russell group so they receive excellent funding from the government for research and hence attract top lecturers. They also attract top employers to their expansive careers fairs so more opportunities and doors open to students. This makes it difficult for newer universities to compete with them.

Reply 11

diamonddust

Original post by TheSownRose

Of course, I entered it into the space that provided. Don't really understand what you're getting at..?

I think he's trying to imply your university is a 'dreadful university'. :rolleyes:

TSR wouldn't be TSR without someone trying to make other people feel inferior because of their university choices. :frown:

About universities having the reputations they do, I blame over-zealous students analysing league tables and perpetuating the idea that X university is good and X university is crap. I *know* Warwick, UCL, Manchester, Leeds and Nottingham are good and I also know London South Bank, London Met and Greenwich aren't but I suspect places like Warwick have relatively bad departments for certain subjects (in comparison to the strength of the university as a whole) and London Met might be good for the newer subjects like Music Technology or something. People judge universities based on league tables and their ideas on what a good university is, for example, some people only want to go to a red-brick uni, my sister told me not to go to any university unless it was in the Russell-group ( :laugh:

You can see from my choices what I thought of that advice!) and my sister's friend only applied for top 10 unis. I remember desperately wanting to go to Cambridge when I was about 10 just because I heard it was one of the best in the country (haha!) and then I got a bit older, looked into it and realised it probably wasn't for me. So I guess reputation is mostly based on league tables, personal experience (loads of friends go to one particular uni and rave about it so you go too....) and a huge dash of hear-say!

Reply 12

TheSownRose

Original post by diamonddust

I think he's trying to imply your university is a 'dreadful university'. :rolleyes:

TSR wouldn't be TSR without someone trying to make other people feel inferior because of their university choices. :frown:

Well, I wish him luck with that. :lol:

Reply 13

Nichrome

One thing that I find interesting is that according to unistats, average UCAS points entry for Cambridge mathematics was 570 ( + 1,1 in STEP II, III), and the degree results were 29% Firsts, 41% 2.1, 20% 2.2 and 10% 3rd/fail.

Yet, University of Greenwich (some derided as an ex-poly) the average entry points is 240, yet the degree results are 55%Firsts, 30% 2.1, 10% 2.2 and 5%3rd/fail. From this, we can see that Greenwich maths department is taking lower quality entrants and turning them into better quality grads with better results, obviously showing reputation means nothing, and that people should be looking elsewhere for top quality degrees.

Reply 14

SpiritedAway

I put it down to most people on here being of an age where they are choosing uni, and are 17 and know everything - including exactly what an employer is after :rolleyes:

(the reason people decide on here)

In general though, there are loads of factors:
- how close is it to home (people living at home)
- how far is it from home (those wanting to escape :p:

)
- employment rates in the field they are interested in
- parental pressure

So maybe a lot of them choose places like Notts because of this (not purely because it does seem to be a good uni in an aweful lot of aspects).

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 15

ch0llima

It's wanton elitism, as well as a sad attempt amongst the legions of the insecure to aggrandise and justify themselves. In certain disciplines such as medicine, university prestige doesn't matter one iota due to tight regulation and standardisation of the course material - I wouldn't really say that you are "less of a doctor" if you studied at Scumville Polytechnic instead of Oxford.

A lot of "lesser" universities have excellent results because their graduates are taught practical skills that real world employers are desperately needing, whereas your Top 20 Russell Group dinosaur is probably loading you up with abstract, esoteric theory which many of your superiors at work possibly won't even know about. This is especially true in IT and computing disciplines, and doesn't earn you any brownie points if you can't do the practical work.

Pro tip: once you enter the real world and get experience to climb the ladder, nobody gives a damn about your degree or where it is from.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 16

sango

Tbh I've always been told that it doesn't matter where you go but it's what you do with the degree.

Reply 17

Billydodger

Original post by Nichrome

Lol...NO. I don't even go to Cambridge but i have a couple of friend doing maths there. I'll tell you straight off. A first at Greenwich<a first at Cambridge. If a persona with a 2.2 from Cambridge applied for the same job as a 1st from Greenwich. The cambridger would get it every time.

Firsts, 2.1 , 2.2 and 3rds aren't regulated between Unis. It'll be a LOT easier to get on at a worse Uni, where the people on your course aren't as talented/lectures don't expect as much/work isn't as rigorous.

In fact, I very much doubt that a grad from Greenwich with a 1st could pass 1st year Cambridge exams at all.