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Should I go to a lower rated university after receiving high a level results?

Hi guys, please don’t take this as me looking down on lower universities I’m only here for advice. I received my results and got way higher than I expected(AAA) and now people are saying my university choice which I accepted as an unconditional months ago is not good enough for me. I won’t name the uni as I don’t want to offend anybody but they require bcc to get in, although I’ve heard people getting in with as low as ds. I really like the uni tho and even tho this won’t affect my decision majorly my best friends of 15 years are both going and we olanned on living together. Any ‘better’ unis I applied for through clearing have said to come back next year but I don’t want to set my studying back a hole year. What do you guys think I should do? Go to a more prestigious uni and wait a year or go to a lower rated uni where I believe I’ll be just as happy? Thanks for any replies

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It depends somewhat on the course and uni in question. A "better" uni might not matter for some courses/careers (e.g. engineering, allied health professions, and some other similar things), and for others your "lower" overall ranked uni may actually be better for that particular course (for example while City is considered somewhat average overall they are extremely well regarded for their Business School).

Beyond that, if you would be happy on the course you've selected at the uni you're otherwise going to attend, then that may not be worth changing - doing a "lower ranked" course that you are content with and able to do your academic best in (and hence get a 2:1/1st) is better than going to a "higher ranked" uni and hating your course, the uni, the location, and struggling to even get a 2:2.

It can of course potentially be worthwhile; if you weren't really that keen on the course you applied to initially, have other reservations about the uni/living area, or if you want to go into a field where the "prestige" of your uni does matter (e.g. banking, law) then it might be worth considering. But I definitely wouldn't suggest automatically assuming you should go down that route...
Reply 2
I think the answer is simple, just do whatever you feel most comfortable with. If you want to 'trade up' so to speak then remember to consider the factors you mentioned. Is it worth waiting a whole year for it? Or another question is, do you think its worth sacrificing a place at a uni that you seem to be very happy going to for some extra prestige?
negl, i would have gone for adjustment what are you doing?
Your very late to change course now, only thing you could do is take a gap year. (Applying for 2019) Or quickly call around. But you would need to be released etc, you've wasted really precious time with this...
Go to a better uni or you’ll regret it later on.
Original post by Mmenrirbdhsjs
Hi guys, please don’t take this as me looking down on lower universities I’m only here for advice. I received my results and got way higher than I expected(AAA) and now people are saying my university choice which I accepted as an unconditional months ago is not good enough for me. I won’t name the uni as I don’t want to offend anybody but they require bcc to get in, although I’ve heard people getting in with as low as ds. I really like the uni tho and even tho this won’t affect my decision majorly my best friends of 15 years are both going and we olanned on living together. Any ‘better’ unis I applied for through clearing have said to come back next year but I don’t want to set my studying back a hole year. What do you guys think I should do? Go to a more prestigious uni and wait a year or go to a lower rated uni where I believe I’ll be just as happy? Thanks for any replies


Reapply for the next ucas cycle as AAA opens your opportunities a lot. Regardless what degree you chose and what post-degree careers you might want to explore, a better ranked uni will do you better.
Original post by Mmenrirbdhsjs
Hi guys, please don’t take this as me looking down on lower universities I’m only here for advice. I received my results and got way higher than I expected(AAA) and now people are saying my university choice which I accepted as an unconditional months ago is not good enough for me. I won’t name the uni as I don’t want to offend anybody but they require bcc to get in, although I’ve heard people getting in with as low as ds. I really like the uni tho and even tho this won’t affect my decision majorly my best friends of 15 years are both going and we olanned on living together. Any ‘better’ unis I applied for through clearing have said to come back next year but I don’t want to set my studying back a hole year. What do you guys think I should do? Go to a more prestigious uni and wait a year or go to a lower rated uni where I believe I’ll be just as happy? Thanks for any replies


Not sure you should prioritise what you feel might make you 'happy' at this point. I don't think you have enough objective experiences of different universities to judge and it's possibly to really enjoy yourself at any location, as that's mainly a function of your efforts to network, make friends, enjoy the course, etc.

So I would try to look at objective factors like the quality of courses, the likely prestige of your degree once you have it, to what extent the courses at 'upper' universities fit with your views on what you want to study and any other factors you can assess like that.

Generally it's probably better to get a degree from the higher ranking universities, not least because they often (not exclusively, but generalising) have more interesting teaching and teachers and more opportunities, sharper and more intelligent people to make friends with, etc.
You need to look at this objectively and identify the pros and cons of your decisions. I picked a rank 50s uni over possible top 20 unis coz they were either too far (can't move coz of family circumstances) and/or don't offer a industrial year with the course. You might have to think about factors like these and come to a decision based on facts that matter to you.
Original post by SomMC1
Reapply for the next ucas cycle as AAA opens your opportunities a lot. Regardless what degree you chose and what post-degree careers you might want to explore, a better ranked uni will do you better.


That's not true at all. In engineering for example, your university choice doesn't matter much at all. Why would it? Most of the criteria used for rankings is irrelevant to employers.
Original post by Student-95
That's not true at all. In engineering for example, your university choice doesn't matter much at all. Why would it? Most of the criteria used for rankings is irrelevant to employers.


The people who claim that rankings dont matter are the people in those low ranked unis and are not trying to defend themselves. Medicine doesn't matter, that's true.

Let's take an example of investment banking or just banking in general; Would an investment bank like BOAML employ someone from LSE, Oxbridge, UCL, Imperial OR someone from a ranked 250-350 uni? Exactly, I thought so. Search Efinancecareers and see for yourself from where they hire and you'll see all those unis up top. Others such as Durham, Bristol, Exeter have lower percentages but are still quite good.
Reply 11
Original post by SomMC1
The people who claim that rankings dont matter are the people in those low ranked unis and are not trying to defend themselves. Medicine doesn't matter, that's true.

Let's take an example of investment banking or just banking in general; Would an investment bank like BOAML employ someone from LSE, Oxbridge, UCL, Imperial OR someone from a ranked 250-350 uni? Exactly, I thought so. Search Efinancecareers and see for yourself from where they hire and you'll see all those unis up top. Others such as Durham, Bristol, Exeter have lower percentages but are still quite good.


IB perhaps, banking in general, nah.

Does OP want a career in IB? Most people don't.

And most Engineering grads don't go into IB (or banking) either.
go to a better uni, it's legitimately night and day vis a vis an average one - been there done that.

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It's not just the 'prestige' it's the fact that generally speaking, the better ranked a university is the better facilities and opportunities it offers .... on-campus workshops/events/talks, exclusive work experience opportunities, resources of sports clubs/societies, career advice/interview prep, academic support, general impression of the campus/buildings, loads of extracurricular schemes/competitions/programmes to take part in ....
Reply 14
100% go for the better uni.

I'm not sure if adjustment is still available?

But you could take a year out now and use it productively to get some relevant work experience, earn some extra money to help for when you start uni next year and just use the time to research and visit where the best uni for you would be so you can make a well informed decision.

With AAA already achieved you'll have the pick of most top unis.

As you said, not trying to be offensive to lower universities, but, the standards do really differ between good and bad universities especially where there are so many now. Attending the best uni that you can has real advantages and you'll (most likely) receive a much stronger education than if you attended a not so great BCC uni and just coasted through it.
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by SomMC1
The people who claim that rankings dont matter are the people in those low ranked unis and are not trying to defend themselves. Medicine doesn't matter, that's true.

Let's take an example of investment banking or just banking in general; Would an investment bank like BOAML employ someone from LSE, Oxbridge, UCL, Imperial OR someone from a ranked 250-350 uni? Exactly, I thought so. Search Efinancecareers and see for yourself from where they hire and you'll see all those unis up top. Others such as Durham, Bristol, Exeter have lower percentages but are still quite good.


Not everyone wants to go into IB despite you posting the same comments everywhere! Lmao!
Original post by Mmenrirbdhsjs
Hi guys, please don’t take this as me looking down on lower universities I’m only here for advice. I received my results and got way higher than I expected(AAA) and now people are saying my university choice which I accepted as an unconditional months ago is not good enough for me. I won’t name the uni as I don’t want to offend anybody but they require bcc to get in, although I’ve heard people getting in with as low as ds. I really like the uni tho and even tho this won’t affect my decision majorly my best friends of 15 years are both going and we olanned on living together. Any ‘better’ unis I applied for through clearing have said to come back next year but I don’t want to set my studying back a hole year. What do you guys think I should do? Go to a more prestigious uni and wait a year or go to a lower rated uni where I believe I’ll be just as happy? Thanks for any replies

Considering you qualify for around half of the courses at Oxford and LSE with those grades, I would recommend taking a gap year, getting a job and reapplying. You have already achieved those grades so you may have an advantage over other applicants. I wouldn't recommend anyone going to a uni requiring 4 grades below their grades; whatever people say, the uni you attend plays a massive role in your future career and salary.
Just to add as no one seems to have mentioned it, following friends is not a good reason to choose a university. You will make new friends. Also with old friends you will keep harping on to new people about all your old stories instead of making new ones. Just my 2 cents.
Reply 18
You are making massive assumptions here
- Going to the better uni is guaranteed to be life changing i.e. going to a higher uni = greater success
- Going to the better uni has equal amount of positive and negative experiences i.e. you will make the exact amount of friends, have the same opportunities etc

It doesnt work like that
Original post by SomMC1
The people who claim that rankings dont matter are the people in those low ranked unis and are not trying to defend themselves. Medicine doesn't matter, that's true.


Rankings matter to a point, and mostly only for the top 10-15 universities. There is hardly much difference between a university ranked 29th and a university ranked 37th, a 8 place difference, yet there is obviously significant difference between #2 and #10.

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