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Article: How important is uni prestige?

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I only have experience of a none RG uni but I really like the atmosphere there. There was an open door policy and you could ask any staff for help, anytime. There was a deliberate informal policy. First name terms etc. My supervisor was really good and friendly. We effectively worked together on my dissertation since it was basically his work. Why did I leave? :sad:

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 41

peachpetals

Original post by Ronda Rousey

May be funny... .but its true those universities that in your opinion are not prestigious, are actually rated in the top ten by league tables.

It all really depends on how you rate prestige... whether you gain your opinions of prestige from questionable league tables, random strangers on TSR, from your mum and dad, either way its all rather pointless. In the UK there is only two universities universally known as prestigious. .. the debates surrounding which unis rate after Oxbridge are futile. No cares whether you went Warwick, Nottingham, Sheffield, Bath but tell them you went Oxbridge and watch their eyes widen. Point is unless your going Oxbridge debating if your uni is prestigious is dumb.

Btw coming from someone who's at UCL and wants to transfer to Manchester. So im not a Oxbridge lover or anything lol...

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 42

Ronda Rousey

Original post by peachpetals

May be funny... .but its true those universities that in your opinion are not prestigious, are actually rated in the top ten by league tables.

It all really depends on how you rate prestige...from questionable league tables, random strangers on TSR, from your mum and dad, either way its all rather pointless. In the UK there is only two universities universally known as prestigious. .. the debates surrounding which unis rate after Oxbridge are futile. No cares whether you went Warwick, Nottingham, Sheffield, Bath but tell them you went Oxbridge and watch their eyes widen. Point is unless your going Oxbridge debating if your uni is prestigious is dumb.

Btw coming from someone who's at UCL and wants to transfer to Manchester. So im not a Oxbridge lover or anything lol...

Prestige in the context of employment prospects. Assuming ceteris paribus, the uni you went to does affect your employment prospects, and some unis are stronger than others.

Also, entry standards & research rankings are the only metrics that matter on uni rankings. All the other metrics are just vanity / too easy to be manipulated. Loughborough, Lancaster, Sussex, St Andrews are NOT top 10 unis.

St. A has a high entry standards score, but relative to other high scoring unis, their average score is artificially inflated by the high number of international students they admit.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 43

kieran12321LFC

Original post by peachpetals

Rubbish. So if i went to a top RG like LSE but had no work experience, no volunteering and wasnt involved in societies how does that make me have an advantage over someone at a low RG like Liverpool who has tons of work experience, lots of volunteering and was involved in societies. A employers not going to be like 'oh they went to a top RG so they are going to be better' all it means is they probably got one more A in their A levels.

I think comparing Russell group universities is really stupid and pointless, the only unis that really are separate are Oxbridge and even going to those universities DOES NOT guarantee you an advantage in applications for jobs ; you still have to do well in interview, stand out with worthy work experience etc....

RG and higher ranked non RG give you an advantage compared to places like Bolton and London Met

Reply 44

Capricancer

Original post by Ronda Rousey

St. A has a high entry standards score, but relative to other high scoring unis, their average score is artificially inflated by the high number of international students they admit.

Considering how LSE and Imperial have an even higher proportion of international students than St Andrews (with UCL having a similar proportion), I don't think it's fair for you to single out St Andrews only.

Also, City University has a higher proportion of international students but its entry standards score is not as high as the above mentioned universities.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 45

DougallnDougall

Original post by Ronda Rousey

Lol at people who think Russel Group is prestigious.

If you dont go to a top 10 uni (Oxbridge, LSE, Warwick, Imperial, UCL, Durham, Bristol, Bath, KCL), then you're a pleb.

That's so true but gives such a false impression of the real world beyond education. The competition amongst my peers for places at Oxbridge and RG unis is quite fierce, this to such an extent that offers, rejections and in some cases, places applied to aren't discussed and in some instances kept like state secrets, mostly by those students who feel their applications to establishments with more modest reputations will be scorned. I find this really quite sad. The reality is that your future success is whatever we as individuals make of it. In many instances a degree is just something that allows you to knock on a door, where it's from isn't really all that important.
One of my older brothers graduated from a non-RG Scottish uni with what he admits was a mediocre degree due to his lack of attention and enthusiasm for everything else bar studying. However once out into the work place the couldn't care less attitude disappeared. By 26 he was the youngest chartered engineer in the UK and is head hunted by international companies across the globe. His achievements are his own without parental friends or associates to give him a helping hand up his career ladder. He is my proof that RG is only as important as you make it.

Reply 46

cambio wechsel

Original post by Ronda Rousey

Lol at people who think Russel Group is prestigious.

If you dont go to a top 10 uni (Oxbridge, LSE, Warwick, Imperial, UCL, Durham, Bristol, Bath, KCL), then you're a pleb.

Hmm. I'm guessing you go to KCL. There was a lad who used to do this for Nottingham, generate his uncontroversial list and sneak it on at the end.

Reply 47

Ronda Rousey

Original post by cambio wechsel

Hmm. I'm guessing you go to KCL. There was a lad who used to do this for Nottingham, generate his uncontroversial list and sneak it on at the end.

No. I wouldnt be seen dead at KCL :lol:

I would agree it is the weakest of the Top 10 though.

Reply 48

peachpetals

Original post by kieran12321LFC

RG and higher ranked non RG give you an advantage compared to places like Bolton and London Met

I agree. My point was that there is no point comparing RG unis against each other e.g. the constant TSR debates like "Is Warwick better than Kings?" , because in my opinion the difference is minimal if we are talking about prestige.

Reply 49

C_Richards99

Original post by Ronda Rousey

Lol at people who think Russel Group is prestigious.

If you dont go to a top 10 uni (Oxbridge, LSE, Warwick, Imperial, UCL, Durham, Bristol, Bath, KCL), then you're a pleb.

LOL at the unis you chose for the top 10, PLEB AF.

Reply 50

kieran12321LFC

Original post by peachpetals

I think generall for Russell groups you can split them into one of three groups: mediocre Russell Group (e.g. Liverpool), good Russell Group (Durham) and Oxbridge; comparing unis within these groups themselves is pointless

Reply 51

Ads20000

Whilst you may feel the class size (though Oxbridge's are certainly smaller - usually 1 or 2 per tutor group though more for lectures), lectures, facilities and immediate future prospects are often equally good or better than that or RG universities, long-term future prospects in certain careers COULD be significantly worse. My mum's a freelance headhunter/recruiter and she says that for top jobs in law, finance etc, they look for candidates who come from a 'good university' and if you don't then they may not consider you. It's a horrible system, I know, and I'm not saying that you can't go to a non-RG uni and succeed, but if you want to aim very high in certain jobs then you may want to consider RG unis more seriously than others.

Having said that, it's not worth stressing about every day during your A-Levels. Make good working habits and stick to them, enjoying your work as much as yoi can and taking time off where appropriate. If you don't do as well as you hoped and you end up in a non-RG uni then that doesn't determine your life, you can still succeed regardless.

Reply 52

Doones

Original post by Ads20000

My mum's a freelance headhunter/recruiter and she says that for top jobs in law, finance etc, they look for candidates who come from a 'good university' and if you don't then they may not consider you. It's a horrible system, I know, and I'm not saying that you can't go to a non-RG uni and succeed, but if you want to aim very high in certain jobs then you may want to consider RG unis more seriously than others.

This is changing. Deloitte is removing the university name from application forms. I'm sure others will follow suit.

Firm 'hides' university when recruits apply - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-34384668

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 53

newblood

surely its all that matters

Reply 54

peachpetals

Original post by jneill

It wont very effective though because when talking about extra curricular activities in applications e.g. if i say I was a member of the UCL Law society- its pretty obvious which uni I went to. So if you really wanted to show off your uni, you could

Reply 55

peachpetals

Original post by kieran12321LFC

But its still all relative, because one persons idea of a mediorce RG is another's idea of a good one. For instance I know many who say Queen Mary isnt a prestigious uni but I know a associate from top law firm called Linklaters- who said the firm is actively targeting that queen mary more as they believe that uni is attracting top grade students (i.e. it is considered prestigious by linklaters)

I do believe coming from ANY RG (and for Law non RG like Leicester, Sussex and Lancaster) gives you the SLIGHT edge in certain snobby professions such as Law as these universities are simply more targeted e.g. at UCL many law firms arrange events here and dinners with us but this same thing happens at most RG unis (including Liverpool ), however I know for a fact these law firms are not dining out and arranging presentations with students at Loughborough for instance....

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 56

Kvothe the Arcane

I am considering insuring Surrey and it's non RG and doesn't seem to have much prestige :h:

.

My choices are mostly reputable though and I'm reasonably sure that I'll enjoy my experiences at each institution.

Reply 57

Potally_Tissed

Original post by peachpetals

But its still all relative, because one persons idea of a mediorce RG is another's idea of a good one. For instance I know many who say Queen Mary isnt a prestigious uni but I know a associate from top law firm called Linklaters- who said the firm is actively targeting that queen mary more as they believe that uni is attracting top grade students (i.e. it is considered prestigious by them).

I think splitting RG unis only makes certain Oxbridge rejects feel better about themselves, me included. For instance I feel good saying I went to UCL rather than Liverpool, but really when applying for jobs i doubt it gives me any advantage whatsoever. You say Durham is a prestigious university but I personally disagree- overall its all about your personal opinion

I do however believe coming from ANY RG (and for Law non RG like Leicester, Sussex and Lancaster) gives you the SLIGHT edge in certain snobby professions such as Law as these universities are simply more targeted e.g. at UCL many law firms arrange events here and dinners with us but this same thing happens at most RG unis (including Liverpool ), however I know for a fact these law firms are not dining out and arranging presentations with students at Loughborough for instance....