Imperial vs. Bath Chem Eng

Nothing is guaranteed.

The fees at Imperial and living costs in London may become a large financial burden on you and your family.

You may go to Bath in the hope of landing a good work experience in the City. This may not happen. You may attend Imperial hoping for the same and this may also not happen.

The important thing for you is to attend a school where you feel you will gain a fantastic and complete education (academics, social and emotional). A place for you to be stretched and developed. If Bath will be the right place for you, then go there. If Imperial will support you in building the skills needed for an uncertain future, then proceed.

Please don’t choose one or the other based on a future prospect that is not guaranteed. In the end, all you can do is to put your best leg forward in preparation for the future.

Hey guys,

Just been reading through this and found the notion of 'target' and 'semi-target' universities interesting, I did my undergrad at a semi-target and am doing my masters at a target university, would employers treat me as a 'target' student or not?

(Obviously I'm well aware that university is only one factor in many when choosing graduates for schemes but my curiosity got the better of me)

You'd be treated as a target uni student. Seen plenty of people from the likes of RHUL switch over to Imperial for a Masters then managed to land internships/grad offers.

Do employers actually discriminate against applicants based on their alma mater? Surely a well-rounded Bath student (wit regards to social life, work-experience and the like) is preferred over a "target uni" student with no extracurriculars?

Yes, for the competitive industries they do. Of course, exceptional people from not-so-great (I'm talking much further out than RGs/top non-RGs) universities make it in but they'll have a heck of a harder time.

Oh definitely, it is a 'semi-target' for banking after all and I've seen plenty of Bath students in top roles. Even our in-house Oxford drop out blogger ('Ethereal World' went to Bath and landed a top gig at a magic circle firm. Can't see how social life factors in.