Does anyone have an opinion on this?

Would it be silly of me to dismiss a typically very good university because I didn’t like the ‘vibe’ of it and would prefer a university that offers more of a community feel?
Do people have any thoughts on whether it would put me at a disadvantage for future job opportunities if I went to a university that wasn’t as good as the Russell group (the one I’m not as keen on going to)?
Thanks.

Tbh it's important that you actually enjoy your uni experience seeing as you'll be staying there (presumably on campus) for 3+ years. What subject/unis is this about if you don't mind sharing? Because depending on how good the non-Russell group uni is, going there could be just as ok as the Russell group one

Would it be silly of me to dismiss a typically very good university because I didn’t like the ‘vibe’ of it and would prefer a university that offers more of a community feel?
Do people have any thoughts on whether it would put me at a disadvantage for future job opportunities if I went to a university that wasn’t as good as the Russell group (the one I’m not as keen on going to)?
Thanks.

Never go somewhere you don't like the vibe of. That's why it's always vital to visit first. I went to Leicester University, loved the vibe, loved the campus and the halls of residences. It's not Russell Group yet it's top 5 for research in about 5 subjects. For Medicine, it's a top 10 university for research. That said, don't go somewhere purely because you like the vibe. If that was my criteria, I might have studied at the University of Pub.

The Russell group is The university of York and I’ve applied for the law and criminology course. The other option I am considering is Nottingham Trent for the same course.
I’m unsure how reliable this is, but according to the complete university guide, York ranks 15th for law and NTU ranks 38th (if that is any value to you).
Thank you.

Not trying to be harsh - just realistic, but yes it would most likely affect your future employment (unless ur med/dent) as Russel groups look good on your cv - also tbh there is nothing special about russel groups, they are all relatively easy to get into (except oxbridge) as a lot Russel groups accept people who have just scraped passes at gcse (except med/dent) and A levels so not going to a Russel group uni could potentially reflect poor academic performance.

That’s very true, thank you, I really wish I considered this sooner as now I’m really stressed about what will happen. I wanted to go to the University of Leeds but they rejected me for a course which I don’t even want to do now. I still would’ve loved to go to Leeds and study the Law course but it’s too late now and I doubt it’ll be in clearing. York and NTU are the ones I applied for as well as Leeds and they both gave me conditional offers for the Law and criminology course. I visited York and when I saw it I didn’t like it but my parents said I shouldn’t base the selection of the uni on the social aspect especially considering York is a good university. This made me pick York for my firm and now I’m disappointed because say I don’t like York and decide not to go, then the likelihood of me getting into NTU is slim as the insurance goes once the firm is declined (I hope that makes sense).
Basically now my only option is to stick it out and go to York or attempt clearing (I feel confident in getting the grades to meet the conditions of York’s offer). I don’t even what to consider reapplying for next year after I’ve received my results, so I just don’t know what to do!!! I’m going to look at the courses available in clearing to see if there’s any hope. Do you have any advice on this? I know this is a lot of information but I’m really stressing right now and I’m so annoyed at myself as I feel like I didn’t put enough thought into carefully selecting what I want because truly I didn’t know. The UCAS system is so annoying because now I feel stuck; there’s so many 18 year olds that aren’t sure on what they want to do so it seems silly to not allow people to have more opportunities to change courses or unis as it’s a really big decision to be making.

Thank you, I’m hopefully going to the open day this weekend. Have you applied to uni for this year then? 😊

Yes, I have! I've firmed Sheffield; I just wished I had applied to a slightly different selection of unis because when I got rejected by my top choices I felt stuck on which to choose (mainly as my insurance). So if I had done more research about that specifically I would have saved myself a lot of stress ig

I hope you’re happy with your firm, I’m sure you’ll enjoy Sheffield, it’s a great city and hopefully the course you pick will be too.
This is what I mean, with the stress of a levels it’s hard to pick what uni and what course will be best for what you want. I do think a lot of people know what they want and are prepared but there’s a lot more who don’t and so I think the UCAS system should be explained a bit clearer and more emphasis on how important it is to make the right decision for you.

OP, I understand you not liking the vibe of the University of York. I was there for a year (over 20 years ago) and I developed depression as a reaction to my environment. 1960s origin campuses can be too samey and isolating, even for people like me who can admire 60s architecture if it's of sufficient interest (which CLASP isn't). York didn't seem to invest in updating its original colleges and accommodation for years. The whole feel of the place is like a science park and not somewhere I'd recommend living. That said, I had a disappointing feel from Nottingham Trent when I visited (over 20 years ago).
Can you not apply to any other non-ex polytechnic universities like Newcastle, Sheffield, Birmingham, Leicester, Royal Holloway University of London, Reading?

Would it be silly of me to dismiss a typically very good university because I didn’t like the ‘vibe’ of it and would prefer a university that offers more of a community feel?
Do people have any thoughts on whether it would put me at a disadvantage for future job opportunities if I went to a university that wasn’t as good as the Russell group (the one I’m not as keen on going to)?
Thanks.

Thank you for this, I feel like I really do need to consider the future and employability. Also though, if I were to begin the next 3 years and found myself to not enjoy it and feel regret, could this effect how well I do academically; this is really something I need to consider, so thank you for your advice.

I'm not too knowledgeable about the quality of law schools but apparently Chambers (https://www.chambersstudent.co.uk/) have said this before:
"What we're saying is that yes, there are certainly a group of universities that are popular with law firms, but there are always exceptions. If you're at an institution that isn't one of the best-regarded, it's not the end of the world – make sure you concentrate on getting the best degree result possible and work on enhancing your CV in other ways. And if you're studying at one of the 'big names' don't get complacent – yes you're well-placed to succeed, but these days simply having a Russell Group uni on your CV is not enough."

OP, I understand you not liking the vibe of the University of York. I was there for a year (over 20 years ago) and I developed depression as a reaction to my environment. 1960s origin campuses can be too samey and isolating, even for people like me who strongly admire 60s architecture if it's of sufficient interest (which CLASP isn't - Central Hall was interesting). York didn't seem to invest in updating its original colleges and accommodation for years. The whole feel of the place is like a science park and not somewhere I'd recommend living. That said, I had a disappointing feel from Nottingham Trent when I visited (over 20 years ago).
Can you not apply to any other non-ex polytechnic universities like Newcastle, Sheffield, Birmingham, Leicester, Royal Holloway University of London, Reading? The best ex-polytechnic academically is arguably Northumbria (in Newcastle).

Hi there,
I think that the feel of a university is very important as this is where you will be living and studying for quite a few years so you have to be happy there. I personally would not have gone to a university that I didn't like the feel of as I knew I would be happier somewhere that I liked the look of and liked the community feel.
This is why it is important going to open days as this is usually the best indicator of whether you would enjoy going to that uni. If you liked the look of Nottingham Trent better, I would say that it is worth considering attending there.
You do have to consider that while getting the degree is the most important part of university, you also have to enjoy living there as otherwise this will compromise your results. You are better off doing better in your degree because you feel supported and you like studying, rather than not doing as well at a Russel Group university because you are unhappy.
It is true that some jobs would look at where you went to university and favour those who went to a Russel Group uni, but not all of them would. If you have done really well and got a good degree, you would still have plenty of job options available for you. However if you have a specific place you want to work or specific career that you know you would be better off going to a Russel Group uni for, this may affect your decision. If not though, I would say your happiness is more important.
As others have said, you could potentially try and go to another uni through clearing if you had anywhere else in mind that you may want to go to. I would suggest you go to some open days and see if there is anywhere else you might want to go where you would be happy as you like the feel of it and it will look good in terms of getting a job in the future. If you visit some places, you might find somewhere else you like?
I do think though that it seems you have decided that York is not for you, otherwise you would not be considering turning it down despite it being a Russell Group so keep this in mind when you are making your final decision.
I hope some of this helps and good luck,
Lucy -SHU student ambassador.