Is Leeds THE dark horse uni?
Leeds University is ranked 10th, 14th, 14th in the most up to date national rankings, and top 150 international. It has been rated gold in the TEF assessment. It has beautiful redbrick buildings in a trendy and up-and-coming city, a healthy income and endowment and good facilities. So why do I never see it mentioned anywhere as a good prospective uni? I have just added it to my UCAS and throughout my time at 6th form hardly a peep in real life and the internet, but other similar uni's like Nottingham, Manchester etc get all the praise? Leeds should be mentioned alongside Bristol, Durham, Warwick, UCL etc. Thoughts?
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Go leedsssssssss
I think Leeds and a few other of the original civic Redbricks are easily on a par with Bristol, Durham and (especially) Warwick (I don't know why this is always thrown in with those, it's more like York).
The original civic Redbricks are arguably even better than some of those because of their funding/enormous endowments, their historical reputation (this is MUCH more important than a university's 'ranking' in my view, not so much the university's age but whether or not it's consistently had an excellent reputation throughout much of its history, i.e. before league tables were devised), the number of Nobel Prize winners associated with those universities (not so much on based on temporary staff but amongst people who actually studied there), the level of contribution towards the academic community, and (to a lesser extent) the notable alumni. These things generally feed in to how 'respected' a university is, not where it stands on something as fluid and as changeable as league tables (often based on some very questionable criteria).
The only reason places like Leeds aren't quite as reputed as those universities on TSR (and it is mainly TSR) is because they aren't targets or semi-targets for IB, and because their average entry tariffs aren't quite as high. In the real world, most people don't care whether or not your university is strong for Maths and Economics, so for most subjects and careers this has no relevance. Also, the entry tariffs aren't as high because they tend to be bigger universities with big nursing schools, more foundation years and access schemes, which lowers the average. If you ignore those things, you'll find the average entry tariffs and the volume of people with top grades at all these universities is similar (there should be another measure for this such as "average entry tariff compared to student population size" to get a more accurate picture). Just because a university is smaller, that doesn't mean it's "better". Graduates aren't penalised for choosing to spend 3 years in Sheffield over Durham.
The original civic Redbricks are arguably even better than some of those because of their funding/enormous endowments, their historical reputation (this is MUCH more important than a university's 'ranking' in my view, not so much the university's age but whether or not it's consistently had an excellent reputation throughout much of its history, i.e. before league tables were devised), the number of Nobel Prize winners associated with those universities (not so much on based on temporary staff but amongst people who actually studied there), the level of contribution towards the academic community, and (to a lesser extent) the notable alumni. These things generally feed in to how 'respected' a university is, not where it stands on something as fluid and as changeable as league tables (often based on some very questionable criteria).
The only reason places like Leeds aren't quite as reputed as those universities on TSR (and it is mainly TSR) is because they aren't targets or semi-targets for IB, and because their average entry tariffs aren't quite as high. In the real world, most people don't care whether or not your university is strong for Maths and Economics, so for most subjects and careers this has no relevance. Also, the entry tariffs aren't as high because they tend to be bigger universities with big nursing schools, more foundation years and access schemes, which lowers the average. If you ignore those things, you'll find the average entry tariffs and the volume of people with top grades at all these universities is similar (there should be another measure for this such as "average entry tariff compared to student population size" to get a more accurate picture). Just because a university is smaller, that doesn't mean it's "better". Graduates aren't penalised for choosing to spend 3 years in Sheffield over Durham.
(edited 6 years ago)
i mean it did get unofficially uni of the year 2017
Original post by JohnGreek
I'm finding it fairly difficult to see how it can compete with UCL (or even Warwick/Bristol)
I'm finding it fairly difficult to see how Warwick can compete with Leeds.
Warwick
established: 1965
Nobel laureates: 2
Endowment: £4.3 million
Leeds
established: 1904
Nobel laureates: 6
Endowment: £67.7 million
I don't understand why some people automatically think places like Warwick are 'better' than these architecturally superior, traditional redbrick giants steeped in history. Is it because it's ranked a whopping 1 to 6 (out of 120) places ahead of Leeds? Are people really that blinded by such minuscule differences in something as trivial as league table performances?
Warwick always does better on those mickey mouse tables but Leeds arguably has more 'substance' as a university than Warwick.
Original post by JohnGreek
Leeds is the sort of place your blonde cousin from Northampton goes to to study Geography with ABB.
This is the problem. Remarks like that about the university probably stem from what you perceive Leeds as a city to be like (down to its reputation for great nightlife) attracting 'outgoing' rather than 'studious' stereotypes. It's possible to be studious and want to live in a big city at the same time - lots of ambitious, high achieving people want a city lifestyle. Also Geography at Leeds is AAA.
(edited 6 years ago)
Its the uni everyone goes to to smash drugs and party. Everything is cheaper up north. Especially the drugs lol.
Original post by JohnGreek
Leeds is the sort of place your blonde cousin from Northampton goes to to study Geography with ABB.
Oddly specific.
Original post by DanTudor
Leeds University is ranked 10th, 14th, 14th in the most up to date national rankings, and top 150 international. It has been rated gold in the TEF assessment. It has beautiful redbrick buildings in a trendy and up-and-coming city, a healthy income and endowment and good facilities. So why do I never see it mentioned anywhere as a good prospective uni? I have just added it to my UCAS and throughout my time at 6th form hardly a peep in real life and the internet, but other similar uni's like Nottingham, Manchester etc get all the praise? Leeds should be mentioned alongside Bristol, Durham, Warwick, UCL etc. Thoughts?
Leeds is comparable to London Met. Fact.
Original post by Realitycheck4
Leeds is comparable to London Met. Fact.
A comment completely matched by your intelligence.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by ageshallnot
A level of intelligence that you don't have, evidently.
Original post by Realitycheck4
A level of intelligence that you don't have, evidently.
I am demonstrably more intelligent than someone who posts ridiculous advice under names designed to mimic a contributor who knows what they are talking about. Go away.
Posted from TSR Mobile
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by ageshallnot
I am demonstrably more intelligent than someone who posts ridiculous advice under names designed to mimic a contributor who knows what they are taking about. Go away.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Posted from TSR Mobile
Just giving a reality check
Deal with the fact that Leed's is ... well. You know...
Spoiler
What about London met?
I swear that's a dark horse too
I swear that's a dark horse too
Original post by Realitycheck4
Just giving a reality check
Deal with the fact that Leed's is ... well. You know...
Deal with the fact that Leed's is ... well. You know...
Spoiler
University of the year 2017 comparable to London Met
Spoiler
Original post by Realitycheck4
Just giving a reality check
Deal with the fact that Leed's is ... well. You know...
Deal with the fact that Leed's is ... well. You know...
Spoiler
Except for the fact that you're not giving a reality check, as you well know. The original bearer of the RealityCheck name did just that; you, however, offer childish simplicities. If your own life is so dull that you can't offer any useful advice, I suggest you stay in your bedroom and indulge yourself until you pass out.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Realitycheck4
Just giving a reality check
Deal with the fact that Leed's is ... well. You know...
Deal with the fact that Leed's is ... well. You know...
Spoiler
Where is this "Leed's" you speak of?
We have the second longest corridor in Europe
And we have Damien Hirst's favourite building in the UK (He's clearly never been inside it)
(Also, I have no idea how we got Uni of Year 2017, IT department couldn't even get a bluetooth login system to work)
And we have Damien Hirst's favourite building in the UK (He's clearly never been inside it)
(Also, I have no idea how we got Uni of Year 2017, IT department couldn't even get a bluetooth login system to work)
(edited 6 years ago)
lol this is like a throwback to the kind of thread that used to dominate TSR 10 years ago when I was at uni, before everyone was obsessed with identity politics and feminism and the alt right.
Leeds is a cool city.
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