Have I made a mistake going to an ex-poly? With really good A level grades?

My sisters boyfriend got A*A*A* offered a place at University of Liverpool - Law scholarship.

He declined when to LJMU ex poly obv - quantity surveying got a 1st graduated in July and now has an amazing job for a pretty big company!

It doesn't really matter where you go, its mostly down to you!

Although some uni's are better for certain subjects than others.

a very reputable one like Birmingham gives you far more credibility and prestige .

Can I ask why he declined the Liverpool place?

Wow, I'm in the complete opposite situation as you. Got into Queen Mary for biology with BBD (the D in Biology).
And really questioning whether this is right for me.....

Define 'prestige'.

Prestige is closely associated with quality, reputation, credibility, and importance. The dictionary may have another view, but I'm entitled to my onion.

I had the choice of Kent or Brookes to do Politics and History and I chose Oxford Brookes in the end, mainly because of it's location, the fact that it wasn't in the middle of nowhere, had a good emphasis on transferable skills to the workplace, for instance the history course gives me a chance to go on a placement at a school/museum etc, while Sussex and Kent don't. and it was near all the major cities in the country.

For me having experience is crucial more than good academic qualifications. Which is funny considering I got A*AB at A level.

But a part of me feels like I should go to somewhere really prestigious, so that my good grades worked for something, but I had a very specific choice of university in mind, i.e had to be near London, not to have too much emphasis on exams, and good work experience opportunities.

So in that respect, it only left Brookes, Kent and Sussex to compete

Sussex currently has vacancies for Politics and History am I am tempted, the course looks better too, but the university seems to have a strong left wing political culture, which might make me feel uncomfortable given my views. Plus it doesn't have the work-based emphasis like Brookes and isn't near all the major cities, just London.

I just feel like because I'm going to an ex-poly I am selling myself short, but another part of me just tells me to grow up, and it doesn't matter where you go, it's what you do there that matters to employers. My best mate got A*A*A for A level and he is going to Swansea, again like my course asking for BBC.

Is it bad that despite being someone who is good academically, I want to go to a university where it's practice for working life, rather than pure prestige?

So its an 'onion' - not anything qualifiable with any real meaning then?

In my experience, university reputation matters a lot, and going to a very reputable one like Birmingham gives you far more credibility and prestige generally.

Apparently I have a great deal of credibility and prestige thanks to the alma mater. I'll let the students know that they haven't been affording me the proper degree of deference.


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Apparently I have a great deal of credibility and prestige thanks to the alma mater. I'll let the students know that they haven't been affording me the proper degree of deference.

Quite. Because of course we all have the brand name of the Uni tattooed on our foreheads at graduation courtesy of the marketing dept, and should the Uni be perceived as 'fashionably clever' right now by 17 year olds still at school, they may curtsey as they pass us.

So you had to look up what it means. Oh dear.

I suspect you'll grow out of such bigotry.

ex-polys are generally perceived second or even third rate compared to their more traditional counterparts

I think you need to get out more.

Ditch the muppet Brookes and re-apply to Warwick!

They ask for an AS level and I only did three As levels, and plus an A in history. I got the B in that.