Is going to a Russell Group uni that important as an international student?

Polite response, but their statement wasn't true or useful. Spending overseas fees at Reading would be bonkers unless you were doing Food Technology, doubly so if you have the grades to get into a better Uni.

The Russell Group is a group of research intensive universities. They are richer than less research intensive universities which play out in the academic infrastructure, access to equipment and facilities etc. They create knowledge and therefore give the best access to early/emerging knowledge. There might not be any direct correlation between research ability and teaching ability, however, there's no evidence the two are not linked. There are a few weak Unis in the RG, and a few strong ones outside, but generally it is a measure of quality, especially for export overseas.

Thank you soooo much! I really really appreciate all of this. It's nice to hear that location doesn't matter because Liverpool or Leeds sound like nice unis but the only thing that was stopping me was that they're not London! And it's nice to know that domestic rankings don't matter because Leeds dropped 4 places and KCL dropped 1, I wasn't sure if I should be worried about that! I guess Reading is completely out of the question instead, I will focus on the RGs. Again, thank you and good luck in Sweden!

By the time I would have to apply in September I would at least have the equivalent of BB but more likely I'll get AB (I'll find out next week). Next year I'll take another AP class and I'll end up probably getting a 5/A so I guess my expected grades would be ABB or AAB. If the universities are less picky than what they say on paper, that would be absolutely amazing!

Would it make sense to go to Liverpool if I want to end up in London? I'm not sure how it works here, but in the US at least in NYC, you have a higher chance of landing a good/actual job if you went to school in NYC than if you went to school in a different state/area.

Just repeating what others have said, but if you have ABB-AAB, you could apply to some universities in that range, and then one or two safer options, asking for BBB, for example. But, realistically, if you have the grades in hand, I don't see any issues with you getting into somewhere that asks for AAB. Classics isn't massively competitive. I know someone who got into Ancient History at Liverpool with BBD, and they ask for ABB on paper.



Doesn't make any difference in the UK. A lot of people end up in London anyway.

Hi!
I am planning on applying to a classics program next year as an international student from the US. After I graduate, I plan to work in a business related field such as marketing. I was wondering if I would be at a disadvantage if I go to a non-Russell group university such as Reading? I would like to stay here after I graduate and hopefully live/work in London and in order to do that I would have to find a job that would sponsor me. I know that Russell group unis are prestigious, so I was just wondering if it’s even worth paying a ton of money for something that won’t benefit me in terms of name recognition? My first choice would be KCL but I’m just not sure if my grades are good enough... I would still really want to study in England, but I just want it to be worth it!

The only thing top employers will care about is if the university is considered as being good, and Reading is definitely considered a good university, as are most traditional universities in the UK. A lot of employers generally won't even care where you studied, as they will be more interested in your grades, potential, skills and work experience to date etc.

Internationally, Reading just doesn't hold as much weight as Russell Group universities.

Hi!
I am planning on applying to a classics program next year as an international student from the US. After I graduate, I plan to work in a business related field such as marketing. I was wondering if I would be at a disadvantage if I go to a non-Russell group university such as Reading? I would like to stay here after I graduate and hopefully live/work in London and in order to do that I would have to find a job that would sponsor me. I know that Russell group unis are prestigious, so I was just wondering if it’s even worth paying a ton of money for something that won’t benefit me in terms of name recognition? My first choice would be KCL but I’m just not sure if my grades are good enough... I would still really want to study in England, but I just want it to be worth it!

It holds up well against the bottom Russellers like Liverpool and QUB.

Not true. You'd be surprised just how many top employers target Liverpool.

The Russell group is literally just a group of self selected universities which lobby the government for research funding. It's literally a marketing tactic and whilst some unis may be seen as 'prestigious', others aren't as prestigious as they make themselves out to be. So yeah, pick the ones you want. I'd argue it's one of the best marketing tactics in education, the same goes for the Ivy League. Plus, outside the Uk, unis like Imperial, UCL, King's, LSE, Oxford and Cambridge are probably more well known than let's say, York or Liverpool. Then again, that's not to say that the other unis aren't great, but they kinda do lack recognition amongst the international common folk. You've also got unis which are known to be great, e.g. Bath and St. Andrews, but they're not in the 'prestigious' Russell Group.

1. The Russell Group is a metric that the government uses to judge the performance of schools. It might have started as a marketing tactic, but it sure has worked. This is a prestigious group of universities, world ranking ones.

2. You'd be surprised how well-received York is international. I've spoken to foreign academics, deans of universities, and they were all very positive towards York. Even Aberdeen, an ancient university, which I bet most TSR's don't give a second thought to.

3. Bath and St. Andrews are great, yes - domestically there's no question about it. But their research is not as strong as the Russell Group. They're far too small to conduct big research. That said, they are good at what they specialise in, e.g. Bath with STEM. These universities perform poorly in international rankings, and frankly, when I firmed Bath last year, for most of my relatives abroad, my mother, it was a very hard sell because it does not have big-name recognition. Exeter and York were a much easier sell.

So, no, I don't agree with you about what you're implying about the RG. It is important.

you're getting some incredibly bad advice here.

no employer in the UK carries around a list of RG unis when they look at applicants. just cuz a few prestigious universities (namely Oxford, Cambridge, LSE etc) fall into RG doesn't mean RG is prestigious in and of itself or will make a difference in whether a UK employer will sponsor you to stay in the UK.

when a UK employer sponsors someone they need to make a case to immigration that they should have hired you over a home applicant. attending an RG uni in itself probably won't qualify, sorry what's your CV look like atm?

Yes, I now realize how important RGs are. I will not be considering Reading anymore instead, I will focus strictly on RGs, preferably ones that are on the 'stronger side! I'm sure there are exceptions, just like we have exceptions in the US, but as an international student, it wouldn't make sense for me to focus on the exceptions. Thank you for your help!

Thank you! Honestly, I don't understand how people still believe that all members of the Russell group are prestigious and that employers really care. It's actually kinda sad.

... Sasha, just pick the ones you genuinely like don't focus on 'prestige' because, at the end of the day, a Russell group uni isn't going to land you a job. Just because someone goes there, doesn't mean they'll get straight into let's say investment banking or consultancy or whatever they're planning on going into. You would end up getting the job if you have experience, so focus on the experience. Maybe consider doing a placement year to make your self more employable that graduates who only do 3-year degrees and to add to that, you could do internships and volunteering so that you can really stand out and have as much experience as possible. The point is, just going to a Russell Group uni isn't going to land you a job, so you might as well focus on which uni you genuinely like.

Hi!
I am planning on applying to a classics program next year as an international student from the US. After I graduate, I plan to work in a business related field such as marketing. I was wondering if I would be at a disadvantage if I go to a non-Russell group university such as Reading? I would like to stay here after I graduate and hopefully live/work in London and in order to do that I would have to find a job that would sponsor me. I know that Russell group unis are prestigious, so I was just wondering if it’s even worth paying a ton of money for something that won’t benefit me in terms of name recognition? My first choice would be KCL but I’m just not sure if my grades are good enough... I would still really want to study in England, but I just want it to be worth it!