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Soas 2006 Guardian University Rankings 2006!
As we all know, SOAS is highly ranked by the guardian in its annual ratings. 2005 rankings were released this week a year ago (where soas came 4th), suggesting that the 2006 release is imminent.
I’ve started this thread as a bit of fun. The aim of the game is to guess this years ranking and your reasoning for it slipping/gaining or holding it's position!
I predict Soas will remain in 4th. 30% increase in applications last year followed by 13% this year must have at least solidified its ranking.
Good luck.
I’ve started this thread as a bit of fun. The aim of the game is to guess this years ranking and your reasoning for it slipping/gaining or holding it's position!
I predict Soas will remain in 4th. 30% increase in applications last year followed by 13% this year must have at least solidified its ranking.
Good luck.
Scroll to see replies
dave05
As we all know, SOAS is highly ranked by the guardian in its annual ratings. 2005 rankings were released this week a year ago (where soas came 4th), suggesting that the 2006 release is imminent.
I’ve started this thread as a bit of fun. The aim of the game is to guess this years ranking and your reasoning for it slipping/gaining or holding it's position!
I predict Soas will remain in 4th. 30% increase in applications last year followed by 13% this year must have at least solidified its ranking.
Good luck.
I’ve started this thread as a bit of fun. The aim of the game is to guess this years ranking and your reasoning for it slipping/gaining or holding it's position!
I predict Soas will remain in 4th. 30% increase in applications last year followed by 13% this year must have at least solidified its ranking.
Good luck.
Well, it's stayed 4th for, what, the last two years, at least. So, yeah.
I expect 4th. Slipping wouldnt bother me too much as i regard the Guardians rankings as a joke while raising would make me chuckle heartily.
well it was no.2 for politics (after oxford) 
I hope it doesn't slip below cambridge.
and i hope it goes up for languages.
I think it will remain in the top 5.
I hope it doesn't slip below cambridge.
and i hope it goes up for languages.
I think it will remain in the top 5.
an Siarach
I expect 4th. Slipping wouldnt bother me too much as i regard the Guardians rankings as a joke while raising would make me chuckle heartily.
Well, league tables are a joke, really, because so much depends on methodology, and you can't have an objective methodology because the things people want in a university vary massively. I wouldn't use league tables to tell me more than the vaguest of things. (eg. is it in the top twenty?)
BovineBeast
Well, league tables are a joke, really, because so much depends on methodology, and you can't have an objective methodology because the things people want in a university vary massively. I wouldn't use league tables to tell me more than the vaguest of things. (eg. is it in the top twenty?)
I dont think all rankings are a joke and i do think its possible to have objective methodologies. But the Guardian certainly do not use entirely objective criteria ( this being the Guardian it would be impossible for them to rank unis without in some way taking Social/Economic class into account ) but i do agree with you with regard to them being best used only as a vague guide. If you look at all the rankings SOAS ranked somewhere between 4th and 16th ( if memory serves ) nationally and in the top 50-100 internationally, which i think gives a decent hint at the real quality/status of the university.
We really shouldn't kid ourselves, SOAS is a good uni but it really isn't as good as the Guardian claims. 4th best for economics in the UK is a stupid claim when its a BBB offer [might be an ABB offer for 2006] that has very little maths content, and its AAA for well respected universities like Warwick that offer one of the best economic courses. I'm also skeptical about it's Law degree being rated 2nd best in 2005. Obviously for anything Oriental or African related I expect it to be very high since it does specialise in that, but I don't really pay much attention to the ranking of other SOAS courses.
BovineBeast
Well, league tables are a joke, really, because so much depends on methodology, and you can't have an objective methodology because the things people want in a university vary massively. I wouldn't use league tables to tell me more than the vaguest of things. (eg. is it in the top twenty?)
could not agree more ! all this talk about university league tables is rubbish, they are based on things other then results in some instances... i know for a fact that the times version actually incorporates such things as disabled facilities.. thus, bear them in mind but do not base your university choice on them ! outside of going to oxford or cambridge, it does'nt really matter where you go i.e, the uni's in the top 10 are effectivly the same and 11-20 are of similar levels with hardly any difference !
Hard Boiled Cop
We really shouldn't kid ourselves, SOAS is a good uni but it really isn't as good as the Guardian claims. 4th best for economics in the UK is a stupid claim when its a BBB offer [might be an ABB offer for 2006] that has very little maths content, and its AAA for well respected universities like Warwick that offer one of the best economic courses. I'm also skeptical about it's Law degree being rated 2nd best in 2005. Obviously for anything Oriental or African related I expect it to be very high since it does specialise in that, but I don't really pay much attention to the ranking of other SOAS courses.
That's not entirely true. Warwick gets a lot of offers because of its reputation, not because its a leader in its field. SOAS may only ask 300 points in Economics because of the popularity. It doesn't mean to say Warwick is better becasue they offer 360 points.
Put it this way, Oriental studies is SOAS specialization, and even they have a lower asking grade than Uni's like Warwick, Nottingham etc. Go figure.
Alexii
Everyone knows grades are linked to demand, Soas probably has one of the top 10 history departments in the country and definitely in the top 15 yet they only require BBC.
Not to mention the second or third best, East Asian Studies department, and that offers BBC, and the only large South Asian studies department, which offers BCC.
admissions = popularity not quality, for the sake of argument, lets say leeds is a relatively poor uni as its below 40th in both league tables (i think) yet it has higher offers than edinburgh (10th?), Manchester (15th), Nottingham (8th) Bath (9th) etc etc. when it comes down to it hard boiled cop, university is as much about the experience as prestige and it doesnt matter what uni you go to, if your good, you will do well ... politics for example, is a field in which it really doesnt matter where your degree comes from, there are a number of MP's who lack a degree at all.
I agree, at the end of the day league tables do not always give a 100% indication of the quality of course or indeed the following job prospects. But SOAS is undoubtedly a prestigious institution, whether its' ranked 4th by the Guardian or in the late teens by the Times. Most employers worth working for will know this. If they are ignorant and don’t, mentioning that you hold a degree from the University of London should suffice. 
Anyway enough of this ranking lark, bring on September!
Anyway enough of this ranking lark, bring on September!
Alex_18
I think the times ranking is alot better and more accurate than the Guardian ranking
Out of curiosity, what makes you think this?
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