Why do higher (Ranked) uni&#x27;s....simply have better Websites?

OP

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by MajorFader

I’ve always wondered this as well...

The unis I was searching for back in year 10 I remember that their websites used to have a slight ‘pop to it’; just to find out that they were really highly regarded universities later on.

Yeah it's odd because it seems like such a small area of care for a university....like fixing a website isn't nearly as expensive as building new buildings or launching vast marketing campaigns and buying all these ridiculous ads we see on facebook.

A really sleek website will give you great belief in anything...how could they have missed this...baffles me.....

Reply 3

PQ

21

Could you give some examples of good high ranked sites and poor low ranked sites?

Reply 4

Sinnoh

Nah look at Winchester, Ravensbourne, UEL, UWL etc. Beautiful websites, way low rankings.

In fact Cambridge has got quite an old-looking website.

Reply 5

15Characters...

16

I don't think top unis have uniformly good sites. I don't remember much about undergrad application pages, but I never thought Oxford and Cambridge had particularly flashy websites, and neither did a lot of other Russell Group unis (I'm thinking Nottingham and Sheffield particularly) I looked at for postgrad.

Reply 6

renaamz

17

I disagree with this, this may be the case for some high ranked universities but I don't think this is true

Reply 7

Nautilus

17

I have always had the impression that the lower ranked universities spend more effort into attracting students. After the UCAS convention in 2017 I was bombarded with emails, and some phone calls from some of the lower ranked universities.

Reply 8

Sinnoh

Original post by Nautilus

I have always had the impression that the lower ranked universities spend more effort into attracting students. After the UCAS convention in 2017 I was bombarded with emails, and some phone calls from some of the lower ranked universities.

The ranking of a university is inversely proportional to how many free goodies they send applicants.
In my experience: Cambridge and Imperial, sent me nothing. Birmingham sent me a Christmas card, Warwick sent me a little brochure, Southampton actually didn't send me stuff but they sent other people some kind of augmented reality glasses.

Oh and last year Solent sent their applicants easter eggs, and a friend of mine who applied to Winchester got sent - I sh*t you not - a chocolate bar branded with the Winchester university crest, in their purple and gold colours, and in the same envelope was the offer of an unconditional place.

Reply 9

etienne26

14

London Met has a good website imo

Reply 10

OP

Original post by PQ

Could you give some examples of good high ranked sites and poor low ranked sites?

Liverpool hope vs Liverpool University..
Leeds Trinity vs Leeds......
London South Bank University vs UCL
Chicester
Plymouth Marjon, Which i'll include an example of....like pls pick a color scheme....i don't want to feel like i'm applying to primary school or daycare.
And i'll also add that alot of time's it isn't the front page that is worrisome...often course descriptions are less than inspiring...and other info.

plymouth marjon.PNG

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 11

Original post by Sinnoh

The ranking of a university is inversely proportional to how many free goodies they send applicants.
In my experience: Cambridge and Imperial, sent me nothing. Birmingham sent me a Christmas card, Warwick sent me a little brochure, Southampton actually didn't send me stuff but they sent other people some kind of augmented reality glasses.

Oh and last year Solent sent their applicants easter eggs, and a friend of mine who applied to Winchester got sent - I sh*t you not - a chocolate bar branded with the Winchester university crest, in their purple and gold colours, and in the same envelope was the offer of an unconditional place.

Same, when I went to an open day for Winchester, I got your standard tote bag and pen but also a metal straw and a pencil that you could plant into the soil and it would grow into a little plant?

Royal Holloway gave me the standard stuff plus some jelly beans in their uni colours and free water + biscuits and free ice cream. SOAS gave me a branded mug! - which I proudly display on my desk. Southampton gave me a branded water bottle and sent me loads of brochures afterwards and an ADVENT CALENDAR! (ok not a chocolate one but still)

And then Warwick. Not even a pen. Did get a tote bag though but that was only because I wandered into their SU trying to find a toilet and saw they had some lying on a random table. Otherwise I wouldn't have even gotten that.

Reply 12

OP

Original post by Nautilus

I have always had the impression that the lower ranked universities spend more effort into attracting students. After the UCAS convention in 2017 I was bombarded with emails, and some phone calls from some of the lower ranked universities.

just because you work harder, doesn't mean they work smarter.

Reply 13

OP

Original post by neko no basu

Same, when I went to an open day for Winchester, I got your standard tote bag and pen but also a metal straw and a pencil that you could plant into the soil and it would grow into a little plant?

Royal Holloway gave me the standard stuff plus some jelly beans in their uni colours and free water + biscuits and free ice cream. SOAS gave me a branded mug! - which I proudly display on my desk. Southampton gave me a branded water bottle and sent me loads of brochures afterwards and an ADVENT CALENDAR! (ok not a chocolate one but still)

And then Warwick. Not even a pen. Did get a tote bag though but that was only because I wandered into their SU trying to find a toilet and saw they had some lying on a random table. Otherwise I wouldn't have even gotten that.

where did you end up? lol
I wouldn't consider Royal Holloway low ranking....per say...

Reply 14

username5243714

15

What do you think of St Andrews' website?

https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/

Reply 15

Original post by Realitysreflexx

where did you end up? lol
I wouldn't consider Royal Holloway low ranking....per say...

Yeah I wouldn't say Royal Holloway is low ranking either but out of the uni open days I went to, they definitely seemed to have put in the most effort imo

I don't know where I'm going to end up yet! Waiting for my A level results in August. I've firmed Warwick, despite the lack of a free pen haha.

Reply 16

Original post by Lightning720

What do you think of St Andrews' website?

https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/

Looks very standard on my phone. Doesn't necessarily jump out as "modern" or "snazzy" but I guess that's not very St. Andrews vibe anyway. Sort of reminds me of the NHS website for some reason? Maybe it's all the blue idk

Reply 17

harrysbar

21

Original post by neko no basu

And then Warwick. Not even a pen. Did get a tote bag though but that was only because I wandered into their SU trying to find a toilet and saw they had some lying on a random table. Otherwise I wouldn't have even gotten that.

Tight gits .....I remember being impressed by Cardiff when visited as they gave away free popcorn and drinks :h:

Reply 18

Original post by harrysbar

Tight gits .....I remember being impressed by Cardiff when visited as they gave away free popcorn and drinks :h:

Free popcorn!? I would have totally gone to their open day just for that hahaha

Reply 19

OP