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The Oxbridge Advantage......Still true?
I have often wondered whether Oxbridge still has a huge gap between the rest of the UK universities. In terms of careers, Oxbridge used to be a place where you merely mentioned it on a CV (if that), and you would probably get the job.
However the job market now has become more bureaucratic with the assessment centres and six round interview process. This is of no consequence however since the adademic standard of oxbridge is higher now than it ever was.
Studying in America at graduate level (Ivy League) or working their is far easier with Oxon or Cantab on your CV since these unis share a common appreciation. And there are plently of americans there dying to do exchange programmes there.
What makes Oxbridge stand out to me is what i personally love about it the most, the fact that EVERY department is the among the strongest or the strongest itself in the country, and the fact that students in these departments nearly all have AAA or more, everybody at the uni you simply know are the best. (There are NO easy ways in! or areas of weakness!) LSE, Imperial, Durham....etc have a few top notch departments, but cannot at all claim to have all round strength, so there many students there with ABB, BCC.
Finally, i believe Oxbridge will stay above for a simple fact. Its history and reputation will continue to attract the finest academics and students in the world. This is also true in terms of donations and funding (of which they currently outweigh any other unis), Cambridge is intending to raise £1Bn over the next few years from alumini and oxford a huge amount too (from wealthy Saudis), how can anybody else possibly compete?
your thoughts.......
However the job market now has become more bureaucratic with the assessment centres and six round interview process. This is of no consequence however since the adademic standard of oxbridge is higher now than it ever was.
Studying in America at graduate level (Ivy League) or working their is far easier with Oxon or Cantab on your CV since these unis share a common appreciation. And there are plently of americans there dying to do exchange programmes there.
What makes Oxbridge stand out to me is what i personally love about it the most, the fact that EVERY department is the among the strongest or the strongest itself in the country, and the fact that students in these departments nearly all have AAA or more, everybody at the uni you simply know are the best. (There are NO easy ways in! or areas of weakness!) LSE, Imperial, Durham....etc have a few top notch departments, but cannot at all claim to have all round strength, so there many students there with ABB, BCC.
Finally, i believe Oxbridge will stay above for a simple fact. Its history and reputation will continue to attract the finest academics and students in the world. This is also true in terms of donations and funding (of which they currently outweigh any other unis), Cambridge is intending to raise £1Bn over the next few years from alumini and oxford a huge amount too (from wealthy Saudis), how can anybody else possibly compete?
your thoughts.......
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Getting a job isnt about oxbridge anymore (IMO). A lot will depend on work experience and other areas. With a glut of post-grads seeking employment, employers can afford to be picky. This said however, you cant get a much better start to employment than sporting arguably the best university in the country on your CV. I wouldnt rely on Oxbridge getting you the job of your dreams without effort, but it will do no harm!
For me Cambridge is everything i wanted. I dont love it because of its prestige, but more because of the teaching style and the specifics of the course.
Trinity (cam) own most of Felixstowe docks and a rediculous amount of land around the country. I heard they have a turnover of £30m p.a. (not sure if thats true, but would be interested to know for sure). It's safe to say Oxbridge is very rich, and this will continue to make it the best for a while (IMO). There are universities hot on its heals in some departments though...
For me Cambridge is everything i wanted. I dont love it because of its prestige, but more because of the teaching style and the specifics of the course.
Trinity (cam) own most of Felixstowe docks and a rediculous amount of land around the country. I heard they have a turnover of £30m p.a. (not sure if thats true, but would be interested to know for sure). It's safe to say Oxbridge is very rich, and this will continue to make it the best for a while (IMO). There are universities hot on its heals in some departments though...
Obviously it depends on your job interviews, relevant qualifications,experience etc, but oxbridge is still regarded as the top, and will certainly show, if nothing else, that you are clearly very intelligent. outside the uk, particularly in asia, having a degree form oxbridge, yale, harvard or other top ivy leagues will most definitely get you noticed and counts for a lot! While other unis may be very good in some subjects and depts, Oxbridge has a well deserved reputation for excellence worldwide and subject wide, purely counting its merits in after uni prospects.
I've only skimmed through this, and this is a quick comment, there's more to be said, but:
Job interviews are tough, but if you can survive 3 years of intensive tutorials which are 1-on-1 or 2-on-1, then you probably are articulate and quick enough thinker on your feet to do well.
Jobs are given on merit, and Oxbridge recruits by merit, ergo, the best happen to come from Oxbridge. Not always true, and there are some significant exceptions, but on the whole, I think it would be that way.
Job interviews are tough, but if you can survive 3 years of intensive tutorials which are 1-on-1 or 2-on-1, then you probably are articulate and quick enough thinker on your feet to do well.
Jobs are given on merit, and Oxbridge recruits by merit, ergo, the best happen to come from Oxbridge. Not always true, and there are some significant exceptions, but on the whole, I think it would be that way.
having worked part time a a charity fundrasing department, i have had the privilege of looking through their huge database of influencial/wealthy people in Britain (around 18000). I was even amazed to see the overall percentage of Oxbridge people on the list was about 60%, with only 21% from other unis and 19% with no degree. This is undoubtedly proof that best graduates are generally are from Oxbridge! What more evidence do you need.
Obviously posting on TSR is going to give a biased answer, seen as most of the people here are oxbridge students, or soon to be oxbridge students like yourself. It is then hence easy to self-flatter and go on about how utterly superior it is. In my opinion this is a form of intellectual public masturbation.
Esquire
Obviously posting on TSR is going to give a biased answer, seen as most of the people here are oxbridge students, or soon to be oxbridge students like yourself. It is then hence easy to self-flatter and go on about how utterly superior it is. In my opinion this is a form of intellectual public masturbation.
make sure not to get any c.m in ur eye.
No, not really. You need more than a place of study to land yourself a top job these days. Oxbridge are great. But they aren't the only place.
As i said, Oxbridge are the only universities, all the rest are just departments.
i just c.m'd!
i just c.m'd!
bluefuture
As i said, Oxbridge are the only universities, all the rest are just departments.
i just c.m'd!
i just c.m'd!
I think the accepted past tense form is 'came'.
bluefuture
As i said, Oxbridge are the only universities, all the rest are just departments.
i just c.m'd!
i just c.m'd!
To use the specialised examples who regularly get students who reject Oxbridge - what are the dodgy departments in Imperial or LSE?
I find it interesting that someone described a 'glut' in recent graduates as being a reason for a diminished importance in the Oxford degree. I agree with the descriptive, but not the prescriptive part of that argument.
It is true that there are more degrees being awarded, but this is due largely to a far lower cutting-off point for A-level grades when it comes to continuing onto university. There are more uni students, but the numbers are swelling at the lower end of the grade scale, not the upper end. I think you must also recognise the factor of more easily achievable A grades at A-level (a tired point at this stage I know, but rather a realistic one).
So for many jobs you will have a few more degree-level candidates yes, but employers will find that many of these are of a lower calibre than they're used to when it comes to graduates. This, imo, will make them far more sensitive to the quality and background of a person's degree, and also probably its classification. Oxbridge will continue to be an instant and fairly reliable indication of quality, but that was always the case. The new development I think will be that employers start to make much finer distinctions between other universities. For example, employers might start to notice the difference between York and Essex, when before they were considered one and the same - these are both strong universities, but there will be less employers who afford them equal credit.
Quite separate from this, I think you *do* have an ongoing trend now of the top-tier uni's other than Oxbridge being given far more recognition as producing outstanding employees. This has been deserved for a very long time I think, for the likes of LSE, Imperial, Warwick or whatever, there is now far broader acceptance of their ability to often produce graduates of equal or higher quality than your average Oxbridge student.
It is true that there are more degrees being awarded, but this is due largely to a far lower cutting-off point for A-level grades when it comes to continuing onto university. There are more uni students, but the numbers are swelling at the lower end of the grade scale, not the upper end. I think you must also recognise the factor of more easily achievable A grades at A-level (a tired point at this stage I know, but rather a realistic one).
So for many jobs you will have a few more degree-level candidates yes, but employers will find that many of these are of a lower calibre than they're used to when it comes to graduates. This, imo, will make them far more sensitive to the quality and background of a person's degree, and also probably its classification. Oxbridge will continue to be an instant and fairly reliable indication of quality, but that was always the case. The new development I think will be that employers start to make much finer distinctions between other universities. For example, employers might start to notice the difference between York and Essex, when before they were considered one and the same - these are both strong universities, but there will be less employers who afford them equal credit.
Quite separate from this, I think you *do* have an ongoing trend now of the top-tier uni's other than Oxbridge being given far more recognition as producing outstanding employees. This has been deserved for a very long time I think, for the likes of LSE, Imperial, Warwick or whatever, there is now far broader acceptance of their ability to often produce graduates of equal or higher quality than your average Oxbridge student.
Will_ - just a point of information. Goldman Sachs goes to many more places than Oxford on the milkround. Many more. If you want to talk about unique advantages, Goldman Sachs only do lectures concerning investment banking on all areas at UCL as part of a course they sponsor. Along with Deutsche Bank.
There is a war for talent by those top companies who are trying to get the best graduates from all the top unis. Meanwhile, there is no glut in top talent. There's a huge shortage!
There is a war for talent by those top companies who are trying to get the best graduates from all the top unis. Meanwhile, there is no glut in top talent. There's a huge shortage!
When I graduated last year with a postgrad degree from Oxford, I was offered many interview opportunities (at my home country) mostly because my Oxford degree was noticed very quickly by the employers.
In several cases, I did not even have the relevant and required number of years of working experience for the job, yet I was still called up for interviews.
An Oxford degree certainly helped in widening my career options, at least in my home country it is so.
In several cases, I did not even have the relevant and required number of years of working experience for the job, yet I was still called up for interviews.
An Oxford degree certainly helped in widening my career options, at least in my home country it is so.
bluefuture
I have often wondered whether Oxbridge still has a huge gap between the rest of the UK universities. In terms of careers, Oxbridge used to be a place where you merely mentioned it on a CV (if that), and you would probably get the job.
I think that it is an incredibly useful thing to have. I am only in my second year of Comp Sci at Oxford and have already been informally promised a job in a major multinational company after a meeting with their regional manager. Nothing in writing yet, but I have been told by their HR that they will honour the promise and I should be fine as long as I have a 2.1 or better. This is now going to be my "insurance offer" .
I am now looking at arranging a back office job in Investment banking. A job with Goldman Sachs would be nice. They pay at least twice the amount. I rather like the idea of earning 100K/year after a couple of years...
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