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These are the Top 5 Universities in the UK!

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Original post by Vish97
Not going to argue with you on that one!

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Make sure you get an offer elsewhere.

N.B. Plymouth isn't that bad it at least has an airport and train station so you can escape lol. But don't expect it to be some kind of multicultural melting-pot or a stimulating environment to stretch yourself academically and socially. Although play bowls on the Hoe and visiting the lighthouse is a highlight.
Original post by smileatyourself
It's true to an extent that a uni is not that important but to get on a grad scheme at an ib, the majority do come from a select few unis.

However, to get into just a position within an ib, connections are more important. I have come across quite a few who graduated from former polys.

Why is everything based on how good it is for IB? It's one out of maybe thousands of different jobs that people go into, goodness of unis don't revolve around IB.
Original post by Terry Tibbs
Why is everything based on how good it is for IB? It's one out of maybe thousands of different jobs that people go into, goodness of unis don't revolve around IB.


TSR is hugely biased towards IB/Consulting/Law/Healthcare/Teaching. Everything else is kind of drowned out on this site.

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Original post by Evil Genius
i find these threads so cringe these days.

Why top 5? No one else compares with Oxbridge in the UK, maybe LSE but that's it. They are in tier by themselves in terms of prestige.


Even LSE doesn't really compare as it is a specialist university. Certainly has nowhere near the same international presence and reputation.
Original post by Princepieman
TSR is hugely biased towards IB/Consulting/Law/Healthcare/Teaching. Everything else is kind of drowned out on this site.

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And Engineering, IT or STEM as it were.
Original post by TheTechN1304
Even LSE doesn't really compare as it is a specialist university. Certainly has nowhere near the same international presence and reputation.


Actually the LSE has an outstanding reputation abroad including in Asia and the US.
Original post by Gridiron-Gangster
No I base my opinions having lived and worked and studied abroad and based on reputations of UK universities at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. UCL is certainly top 5 and would be 3rd if removed LSE and Imperial on account of both being specialist rather than multi-faculty institutions.

Anyone who thinks otherwise is a moron.


You're pretty much saying anyone who doesn't agree with you is stupid lol.
Original post by Alleyezonme
UCL Law A*AA, Oxford Law AAA. UCL is in top 4 like it or not.


That's the stupidest thing I've read in a while. Manchester computer science is A*AA. Is that a top 4 uni too?

The only people that would attempt to say UCL is better than oxbridge, LSE or imperial are UCL students lol.

I don't think it's top 5. Let alone top 4. I'd prefer Warwick and Durham but they aren't sucked off as much because they're outside London unlike UCL. Which is another reason why i think taking reputation into account when ranking is silly. But w.e

For arguments sake, even if it were 5th, the gap in quality between LSE/Imperial and UCL are way bigger than what saying "UCL is only one place behind" implies.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Mathematicus65
1. Oxford
2. Imperial College
3. Cambridge
4. UCL
5. Bristol / LSE


More like
Cambridge
Oxford
Imperial
LSE
UCL


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Cambridge
Oxford / Imperial
LSE
Durham
Original post by High Stakes
You're pretty much saying anyone who doesn't agree with you is stupid lol.


No, I AM saying that anyone who doesn't agree with me is stupid.

Every major ranking be it newspapers, peer review, reputation, employer review puts those five as the top five in the UK and this is the case abroad as well. To suggest Durham is as prestigious or more so than UCL is totally absurd.
Original post by Gridiron-Gangster
No, I AM saying that anyone who doesn't agree with me is stupid.

Every major ranking be it newspapers, peer review, reputation, employer review puts those five as the top five in the UK and this is the case abroad as well. To suggest Durham is as prestigious or more so than UCL is totally absurd.


I've never understood why people on TSR view Durham so highly. Yeah it's a very respectable uni but it's definitely not top 5 in the UK. Employer surveys time and time again show that Oxbridge, Imperial, LSE and UCL are top 5 in the UK when you take into account reputation, research etc. I don't know if I'd call the people disagreeing with you stupid, but they're definitely misinformed if they think the top 5 are anything but Oxbridge and the 3 London unis. Why people on TSR are ready to fight to the death to defend the uni they're applying to I don't know.
Original post by HughMyron
I've never understood why people on TSR view Durham so highly. Yeah it's a very respectable uni but it's definitely not top 5 in the UK. Employer surveys time and time again show that Oxbridge, Imperial, LSE and UCL are top 5 in the UK when you take into account reputation, research etc. I don't know if I'd call the people disagreeing with you stupid, but they're definitely misinformed if they think the top 5 are anything but Oxbridge and the 3 London unis. Why people on TSR are ready to fight to the death to defend the uni they're applying to I don't know.



Durham built up a reputation for attracting Oxbridge rejects for some time, maybe because it's a medieval town with a cheap knockoff of the collegiate system, who knows. They are selective for many if not most programmes but that's pretty much where it ends. They've not produced any or have any Nobel Laureates affiliated with them, no major leaders in business or politics of note or in scientific fields etc. etc.

Also I think Durham students or "Dunelms" as they call themselves, rate themselves highly because of the Doxbridge sports tournament thing.
On UCL vs Warwick:

Times Higher Education Article: The best UK universities chosen by major employers

1. Oxford
2. Cambridge
3. Imperial
.
.
6. LSE
.
8. UCL
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
(etc.)
23. Warwick
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Gridiron-Gangster
Durham built up a reputation for attracting Oxbridge rejects for some time, maybe because it's a medieval town with a cheap knockoff of the collegiate system, who knows. They are selective for many if not most programmes but that's pretty much where it ends. They've not produced any or have any Nobel Laureates affiliated with them, no major leaders in business or politics of note or in scientific fields etc. etc.

Also I think Durham students or "Dunelms" as they call themselves, rate themselves highly because of the Doxbridge sports tournament thing.


So in other words they jump so quickly to defend it because they're insecure. Gotcha
Original post by Lawliettt
That's the stupidest thing I've read in a while. Manchester computer science is A*AA. Is that a top 4 uni too?

The only people that would attempt to say UCL is better than oxbridge, LSE or imperial are UCL students lol.

I don't tonk it's top 5. Let alone top 4. I'd prefer Warwick and Durham but they aren't sucked off as much because they're outside London unlike UCL. Which is another reason why i think taking reputation into account when ranking is silly. But w.e

For arguments sake, even if it were 5th, the gap in quality between LSE/Imperial and UCL are way bigger than what saying "UCL is only one place behind" implies.


Overall UCL sh&ts on LSE and is tied with Imperial.
Original post by monk1324
Overall UCL sh&ts on LSE and is tied with Imperial.


Not really. Imperial shots on UCL more like.


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Original post by HughMyron
So in other words they jump so quickly to defend it because they're insecure. Gotcha


In a word, yes.

As I said through my experiences of having lived, worked and studied abroad, the top 5 really are the top 5. They're the ones with the highest profiles. In the US Oxbridge and LSE are seen as super elites, and those who know are aware of Imperial and UCL. King's, Edinburgh and Manchester seem to have strong reputations and from my time in Japan, a lot of the big RGs are well known e.g. Bristol and Nottingham popped up a lot.

St Andrew's has a long history and is well known in the US and Canada due to attracting a lot of North American students but I'm not sure I would consider St Andrew's overly prestigious.

Glasgow and Aberdeen have history, both great universities, one is an RG the other isn't.

Durham has never been a bad university but it only became super-selective in the 1990s maybe as more of the Oxbridge rejects decided to make the trip up north and as I keep saying compared to so many other UK universities, Durham has never really produced any noteworthy alumni.

I forgot to really mention Birmingham in all this which is an excellent university.
Original post by physicsmaths
Not really. Imperial shots on UCL more like.


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http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2015#sorting=rank+region=+country=+faculty=+stars=false+search=
Can we have some proper reasoning for UCL being worthy enough to be mentioned alongside Oxbridge, imperial and LSE other than someone who is studying there, is an alumnus, or is a prospective student.

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