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How important do you think university prestige is to employers?

I was planning on going to Warwick upon getting me results this Thursday but have had all these horrible last minute worries considering its going to be sooo far away from friends and family and though I'm looking forward to meeting new people its kinda awkward living far away.
Sooo..I've been considering something closer like UEA which is only an hour or so away just for ease or even Essex which is just up the road from me. But is it silly to give up a Warwick offer?

Sorry if this is posted in the wrong place, opinions would be really welcomed

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Reply 1

LinMolko321

You've got to decide which is best for you. I loved Bangor Uni (which is 2 hours from me) I would have gone there, but they didn't do the right course. Turns out Liverpool John Moores (about 20 mins from me) does the right course.

I really loved Banogr uni, but at the end of the day, its the right course that counts. Compare the uni's and weigh up the pro's and con's.

Do they offer benefits to local people? i.e. Cos your stayin in Essex?
Do they have a 'job shop' for students?
Which accomodation best suits your needs?

Hope this helps :smile:

Reply 2

simon123

Everyone gets worried about going to university as its an unknown so your just like the tens of thousands of other students, including me!

Your worry seems to be that by going to UEA or Essex over Warwick you will damage your employment prospects, and to be honest this is true. Warwick is a top 5/10 university and you will have great opportunities if you come out with a 2.1 from there. While the other to are decent universities they are not in the same league as Warwick by quite a way.

I think you should go to Warwick, it just sounds like pre-move nerves to me everyone single person gets them.

Reply 3

john williams

For competitive industries like accountanting, finance, banking to get into a top uni is VERY important along with having extra stuff like experience, personality etc. However iv realised since starting uni that overal in terms of employment its not as relevant as you would think, its about your whole package and IF you have the grades at alevel/uni you can get "most" positions.

Reply 4

devils_nose

UEA is also a very decent uni!

In anycase, I think you will have fun at Warwick, quite a few of my friends went there and had an excellent time!! Aren't lots of your friends moving away to uni anyway? Obviously, its up to you.. the majority of jobs will pay more attention to the class of degree you get than anything else so don't let that be a worry to you.. but you owe yourself the best education you can get and Warwick seems most able to provide it for you.

If you really don't want to move too far then what is wrong with your insurance? Royal Holloway is a good uni and a bit closer to home, surely that is the best 2nd option for you? Isn't that why you chose it for your insurance?

Reply 5

Lolly-88

john williams

For competitive industries like accountanting, finance, banking to get to the top uni is VERY important along with having extra stuff like experience, personality etc. However iv realised since starting uni that overal in terms of employment its not as relevant as you would think, its about your whole package and IF you have the grades at alevel/uni you can get "most" positions.

I agree with that. I think some employers (but not all) would perhaps look more highly on a degree from Warwick but not to the extent that they will throw your CV in the bin if you went to UEA :rolleyes:

. It is extremely competitive to get a good job after graduating so you really need to go to a uni that will give you the chance to develop better opportunites e,g. contacts you can make there, opportunities for work experience etc...it's these things that will be more important when you apply for a job.

Plus if the only reason you want to go to UEA is because you'll miss your family and friends then personally i think you should just go to Warwick. You can't always be close to you friends and family....you need to break away at some point, university is the best opportunity for this. There'll be other people in the same situation as you.

Reply 6

ObaMartins9

Most employers will care about Experience, personality and skills above where your degree comes from. Just do what you WANT to do. However, Warwick is a great place and from what i;ve seen of it - it looks to be good fun with a lot on campus. You may regret staying near home later.

Reply 7

Good bloke

Lolly-88

: I think some employers (but not all) would perhaps look more highly on a degree from Warwick but not to the extent that they will throw your CV in the bin if you went to UEA :rolleyes:

Actualy, you are wrong. In some industries, such as banking and financial services, there are (perhaps even a majority of) employers that would do just that. They are interested only in Oxbridge, LSE, UCL, Kings, Imperial, Warwick, Bristol, and a few others at the top end.

Reply 8

Lolly-88

Good bloke

No I'm not wrong. I wasn't talking about banking or financial institutions because the OP hasn't referred to wanting a career in that industry and her degree choice suggests that she probably doesn't want to do something like that anyway. Therefore it's of no relevance what employers in those industries do.

People on TSR are so obsessed with financial institutions. :rolleyes:

Reply 9

digitalis

In some industries, such as banking and financial services, there are (perhaps even a majority of) employers that would do just that. They are interested only in Oxbridge, LSE, UCL, Kings, Imperial, Warwick, Bristol, and a few others at the top end.
Reply With Quote

Aye, I have to agree....banking, economics, law, finance, any good company with a decent graduate position it does matter where you got your degree from, but only if the course you did has a good reputation.

Reply 10

simon123

Lolly-88

I agree it doesnt look like she wants to go into something like that, but she might want to do a law conversion course with a degree in English and again Warwick is going to get you past the autofilters, UEA etc are not. As I say none of this may apply to the OP because she hasnt stated what kind of career she has in kind. However she did ask does university prestige matter to employers, and whether people like it or not it does in quite a lot graduate jobs.

Reply 11

hermaphrodite

Good bloke

What about Leeds, Manchester and Edinburgh . . . or are they not good enough?

Reply 12

simon123

hermaphrodite

What about Leeds, Manchester and Edinburgh . . . or are they not good enough?

It depends in what industry really.

Big 4 accountancy firms - yes you have a good chance
Investment Banks- Edinburgh you have an outside chance, Manchester, a bit of a smaller chance than that, and Leeds smaller again. In general you will find it very hard to break into IB from any of those universities.

Reply 13

Agamemnon

If all other things are equal, you should go to the most prestigious university you can, in my view, it does matter. It will also normally mean that your fellow students are of similar ability, the teaching may be better, and so on.

Reply 14

JohnyJ

Between the three universities mentioned, teaching quality will not differ at all. They are all respectable universities with strong faculties.

However, your other point hits closer to the mark. People usually are influenced by their environment. Students are generally harder working at Warwick and that will rub off on you. Whilst there will be plenty with similar ability at Essex and UEA, there will be more so at Warwick. The work ethic will also be stronger and so over all will have a better influence on your own performance.

End of the day, prestige does very much affect your career choices. If you want a high level job, whether its in the city, in government, or internationally, you will have a much easier time if you study at Warwick. It is of course possible to do so at the other two, but you have to really stand out to break the prejudice employers have. Right or wrong, that prejudice does exist.

If you aren't aiming as high and just want to settle into a comfortable graduate level 9-5 role, then any university is fine.

All three universities are great and will serve you well. Essex and UEA are great mid-tier universities so are definitely not the worst you could go for.

In the end, it always comes down to you and what you do and how hard you work. There are Warwick grads that will have trouble finding a job because they don't have the right package. But when you have two equally competent - or incompetent in fact- students, Warwick will hold the extra edge.

Reply 15

Acaila

Lolly-88

Quoted for emphasis, particularly the last sentence.

By FAR the majority of employers won't give a toss. There are a veritable horde of things far more important on a job application than where you went to uni. "Prestige" is a very wooly and rather idiotic concept anyway.

Reply 16

simon123

Acaila

That might be true to an extent. However its unclear what kind of job the OP even wants. Its just important to get accross the fact that at the top end of the jobs market, Warwick will open doors for you. At the other two you will really have to have done some extra amazing things to stand out.

Reply 17

Agamemnon

simon123

The OP has extremely high A level grades, so s/he may wish to aim for the highly competitive sections of the job market, if so, going to Warwick, rather than UEA will make a big difference (for instance s/he has an A in A level Economics, so a career in Finance et cetera might be suitable for him/her).

Reply 18

simon123

Agamemnon

Yes I didnt notice the A at A Level Economics. So your correct the OP may have an interest in a career in finance. Whether people like it or not, and whether its right or wrong at the top end of the graduate jobs market the reputation of the university matters. It would be wrong to tell the OP any different.