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How Good Is Bristol Really?
i have an offer for the msc physics course at bristol, and also imperial.
at the moment i am entirely torn, i seem to have it in my head that if i go to imperial i will have a cack time, but will get a great degree, and similarly by going to bristol i would be sacrificing a good degree for a great time.
how well respected are bristol degrees? would an imperial degree be that much better? am i being ridiculous?
at the moment i am entirely torn, i seem to have it in my head that if i go to imperial i will have a cack time, but will get a great degree, and similarly by going to bristol i would be sacrificing a good degree for a great time.
how well respected are bristol degrees? would an imperial degree be that much better? am i being ridiculous?
Scroll to see replies
Reply 1
hmm, Im in a sort of similar position - Bristol gave me a ocnditional AAA (subject specific! 
) offer for Economics and Politics and im not sure whether its beacuse theyre really good and it was really competetive - or maybe they just dont like me?
) offer for Economics and Politics and im not sure whether its beacuse theyre really good and it was really competetive - or maybe they just dont like me?Reply 2
14
I think Imperial has generally a better reputation than bristol, and definately so in physics.
If you were to put uni's in an order of "rep" then it would be
-oxbridge
-imperial, lse
-warwick, york, durham, bristol,
-southampton?, manchester? etc
Personally think bristol would be only slightly below imperial in terms of your future career prospects. What you should ask yourself is what place you will be happy. I get the impression imperial would be very expensive and full of international students and people that don't go out ver much.
If you were to put uni's in an order of "rep" then it would be
-oxbridge
-imperial, lse
-warwick, york, durham, bristol,
-southampton?, manchester? etc
Personally think bristol would be only slightly below imperial in terms of your future career prospects. What you should ask yourself is what place you will be happy. I get the impression imperial would be very expensive and full of international students and people that don't go out ver much.
Reply 3
aaronc2
hmm, Im in a sort of similar position - Bristol gave me a ocnditional AAA (subject specific! ) offer for Economics and Politics and im not sure whether its beacuse theyre really good and it was really competetive - or maybe they just dont like me?
) offer for Economics and Politics and im not sure whether its beacuse theyre really good and it was really competetive - or maybe they just dont like me?It would definitely not be that they did not like you- universities do not give offers to people they do not like. But having a good knowledge of both these departments, I would say that you got that offer because both these departments have relatively small numbers of places on their courses and have very many well-qualified applicants. When I applied a few years back the offers were generally AAB for these departments, but 'grade inflation' over recent years has led to these offers.
Reply 4
Well, do you want to have a physics job? BAe etc? If so, Imperial is better, yes. BUT, Physicists are in high demand and I doubt you would have too much competition anyway in a physics job market.
However, if you don't want a career in physics, then it realy doesn't make too much odds between the two.
However, if you don't want a career in physics, then it realy doesn't make too much odds between the two.
Reply 5
Special
It would definitely not be that they did not like you- universities do not give offers to people they do not like. But having a good knowledge of both these departments, I would say that you got that offer because both these departments have relatively small numbers of places on their courses and have very many well-qualified applicants. When I applied a few years back the offers were generally AAB for these departments, but 'grade inflation' over recent years has led to these offers.
oh ok then, I was just a bit surprised when they gave me this offer (btw I have to get A's in Maths and History - my other subjects are economics and geography). A freind of mine is doing the same subjects and got an AAA non-subject specific offer from Oxford for PPE!
Reply 6
aaronc2
oh ok then, I was just a bit surprised when they gave me this offer (btw I have to get A's in Maths and History - my other subjects are economics and geography). A freind of mine is doing the same subjects and got an AAA non-subject specific offer from Oxford for PPE!
That offer is a bit stupid, considering this is not Oxbridge/LSE, especially the A in history. The economics department, however, have famously always asked for maths (although it was a B grade when I applied).
Reply 7
Imperial would have a better international reputation, it sees to have good marketing people, it is even better known than some universities that have a better domestic reputation in some areas.
Reply 8
Actually (not that i believe you should always trust newspaper league tables), but Bristol was ranked above Imperial for Physics last year...
http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/gooduniversityguide2005/20physics.pdf
As far as the degrees go, there's not going to be much in it, and both are highly respected unis with good employability. You're certainly not going to be disadvantaged by coming to Bristol! So just pick whichever place you like the most.
http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/gooduniversityguide2005/20physics.pdf
As far as the degrees go, there's not going to be much in it, and both are highly respected unis with good employability. You're certainly not going to be disadvantaged by coming to Bristol! So just pick whichever place you like the most.
Reply 9
Academically the difference is probably negligable, although tables should be taken with a pinch of salt, however in terms of reputation Imperial as I have said would have the edge, especially if thinking of going abroad.
However, if you have a strong preference the difference in reputation would probably not be enough to stop me from coming to Bristol. I didn't apply to any London unis although I would have probably stood a good chance of getting in as I didn't want to live in London.
However, if you have a strong preference the difference in reputation would probably not be enough to stop me from coming to Bristol. I didn't apply to any London unis although I would have probably stood a good chance of getting in as I didn't want to live in London.
Reply 10
I think it's safe to say that Bristol has a better reputation for Physics than LSE, seeing as the latter don't do Physics...
I'd agree that Imperial is probably better known internationally, but as you say the difference is marginal. The OP certainly shouldn't think that they'd be getting a 'lesser' degree here...besides, living in Bristol is so much nicer than in London!
I'd agree that Imperial is probably better known internationally, but as you say the difference is marginal. The OP certainly shouldn't think that they'd be getting a 'lesser' degree here...besides, living in Bristol is so much nicer than in London!
Reply 11
If it was between Imperial and UWE, then yes, turning down Imperial would be stupid. But Bristol is a great, very highly respected university, and if you want to come here rather than London (and I can't say I blame you) then do. It's as simple as that.
Reply 12
flora
I think it's safe to say that Bristol has a better reputation for Physics than LSE, seeing as the latter don't do Physics...
I'd agree that Imperial is probably better known internationally, but as you say the difference is marginal. The OP certainly shouldn't think that they'd be getting a 'lesser' degree here...besides, living in Bristol is so much nicer than in London!
I'd agree that Imperial is probably better known internationally, but as you say the difference is marginal. The OP certainly shouldn't think that they'd be getting a 'lesser' degree here...besides, living in Bristol is so much nicer than in London!
Sorry, had been readin another thread about LSE before!
Meant ImpReply 13
Bristol's cheaper to live in than London, and you'll have a lot more fun here as its got far more students as a proportion of the population, particularly in the areas you will live in.
A Bristol degree is every bit as respected as an Imperial one, if not more. I thought Imperial was more of a science university, though I may be wrong, which I would suggest might mean that Bristol might be better for economics and politics.
However, such is the similarity between the top 15 or so universities in this country that you wouldn't notice the difference academically. Choose for non-academic reasons and for the reasons I gave above I'd choose Bristol over London every time.
A Bristol degree is every bit as respected as an Imperial one, if not more. I thought Imperial was more of a science university, though I may be wrong, which I would suggest might mean that Bristol might be better for economics and politics.
However, such is the similarity between the top 15 or so universities in this country that you wouldn't notice the difference academically. Choose for non-academic reasons and for the reasons I gave above I'd choose Bristol over London every time.
Reply 14
11
Gexko
A Bristol degree is every bit as respected as an Imperial one, if not more. I thought Imperial was more of a science university, though I may be wrong, which I would suggest might mean that Bristol might be better for economics and politics.
That's all well and good, but he's doing Physics...
Reply 15
Plus, if you're doing physics you'd be doing it with ME!
Imperial it is I guess.
Imperial it is I guess.
Reply 16
My boyfriend does Physics here, he really loves the course. A Bristol degree is one of the "highest" degrees that you can get, there is no way that an employer would look at it and go "oh, the university of bristol, well he obviously didn't work for that then."
Bristol has a great reputation and degrees from here are well respected. It's not as though you've applied to UWE or some other old polytechnic uni - Bristol is one of the oldest universities in the country.
Bristol has a great reputation and degrees from here are well respected. It's not as though you've applied to UWE or some other old polytechnic uni - Bristol is one of the oldest universities in the country.
Reply 17
In the last Times league table thingy (I don't really pay much attention to these) it said that Bristol was third only to Oxbridge under the heading of 'Quality of Degrees'.
Reply 18
Little Girl Red
Bristol is one of the oldest universities in the country.
Does not mean a thing. UWE dates from 1200 and I would not say their quality of degrees is particularly high, but seriously, I would not say you could directly link age to quality.
Reply 19
El Pollo Diablo
That's all well and good, but he's doing Physics...
Hmmmm, I would say I was drunk or tired, but unfortunately I had just woken up when i wrote that.
Whatever Bristol rocks.
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