Can't decide between 2 universities

Would you consider applying to the RVC then? It's the oldest vet school in the English speaking world, so it has all the prestige that goes with old universities...

You should apply to unis that are good for the subject you want to do. For example, Oxford might be one of the best unis in the UK (if not the world), but it doesn't offer veterinary medicine (the subject I want to study). There is no point in applying there.

Grouping Aston and St Andrews together is like saying The University of Mozambique and Harvard are all great universities outside of the UK.

To OP: Nottingham is much more established and prestigious as a university compared to Aston.

I am a Nottingham graduate. If this were a square-go I'd expect Nottingham to come out on top. But it isn't that if the OP is happy enough to live at home in Birmingham if attending Aston (a signifcant financial saving) and wants that year in industry. He as well has the sense that he'd enjoy it there.

I don't think it would be crazy for the OP to choose Aston over Nottingham, no. Probably quite sensible.

A Russell Group university is a big deal to some

Some idiots, perhaps.

But I don't believe it anyway. When Exeter, Durham and York joined three years ago, did anyone think “now I can consider these ones as well"? If Imperial were to leave, would anyone scratch it from his list? They like the universities, not the Russell Group.

I'm the graduate of three RG universities and I have always thought it was bent and now feel it should probably be banned. When it was only a lobby group it was bad enough; since the introduction of fees, it looks more like a cartel. Certainly it is not the students' friend.

When Exeter, Durham, QMUL and York joined, it was met with great acclaim on both sides.

The Russell Group protects the interests of the the most research intensive universities that contribute much to our economy.

Some idiots, perhaps.

But I don't believe it anyway. When Exeter, Durham and York joined three years ago, did anyone think “now I can consider these ones as well"? If Imperial were to leave, would anyone scratch it from his list? They like the universities, not the Russell Group.

I'm the graduate of three RG universities and I have always thought it was bent and now feel it should probably be banned. When it was only a lobby group it was bad enough; since the introduction of fees, it looks more like a cartel. Certainly it is not the students' friend.

St Andrews attracts a lot of students whose parents are extremely wealthy, and quite possibly also in positions of power in industry. Aston is a second rank university, alongside Loughborough and Surrey.

This is a load of *******s. You bang on about "facts" but then repeatedly spurt around your opinion like it's "fact".

OP:
My perspective is as a CS grad that has already spent a year doing a PhD at another institution and will soon be moving into industry. Something that hasn't been discussed here is the actual content of the course which does have a big bearing on future prospects. For example would like a more "practical" degree that would easily get you a Software Dev. job or prefer something a bit more theoretical. Many universities definitely have a bias towards either being practical/theoretical with some giving you more flexibility in being balanced - you will need to consider the content of the course.

From my point of view, prestige is something that actually means jack if you're hoping to go into industry straight after; academia is a bit different and may place a stronger reliance on previous institutions' prestige.

From what I've seen, employers within CS want evidence of good grades and enthusiasm for the subject (i.e. going to loads of hackathons and stuff) both of which are heavily detached from the prestige of the university. I've drawn this from a fair few application processes since graduating as well as observing the rest of my year group doing the same.

Although this is all well and good, you will be spending the next 3/4 years of your life at this place so you want to go to an environment that you enjoy being in. This can have a large effect on your achievement.

TL;DR: balance between course content and environment, prestige should be at the bottom of your priority list.

I want to do computer science, and I have received offers from Aston and Nottingham. Both are ranked in the top 30 respectively, with Aston in the top 10 for computer science in the Guardian rankings. I know that these rankings must be taken with a pinch of salt, however, this shows that Aston's computer science department is respected and can teach to a certain degree.

Now Nottingham has a better campus, is Russell group, and is seen as the better university on the whole in terms of prestige and reputation.

Nottingham and Aston both have fairly good computer science departments, however I feel as if I would have a better experience at Aston. Smaller university, more sociable. Very close to where I live, so no need of accomodation.

Would firming Aston be crazy, seeing as it is generally the less 'prestigious' uni?

I would have a better experience there as opposed to Nottingham. I'm from birmimgham and Aston is slap bang in the centre of Birmingham, I would have a better experience there.

I'll also be doing a year in industry at Aston so I'll have that much needed experience when I finish my degree.

Thanks!

St Andrews attracts a lot of students whose parents are extremely wealthy, and quite possibly also in positions of power in industry. Aston is a second rank university, alongside Loughborough and Surrey.

This is a load of *******s. You bang on about "facts" but then repeatedly spurt around your opinion like it's "fact".

Actually, it's not a complete load of bs. St Andrews, back in 2014, had the second highest proportion of it's student coming from a private school. Oxford was first. 58.9% of their students were from state schools and 41.1% of their students were from private schools. In general, students who go to private schools generally tend to have wealthier parents so it isn't unheard of that it may attract students with wealthier parents more. However, I do not know about his statement of the people that in positions of power. Whilst it isn't 2014 right now, it is safe to assume they still most likely have a relatively higher proportion of private students compared to most other institutions.
Source: You can read about it here http://thetab.com/2014/03/31/revealed-top-ten-unis-for-privately-educated-students-13322
The statistics come from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.