Why do schools and colleges focus so much on Oxbridge?

UOM2024

You can have a good career regardless of what university you go to or even if you go to university and yet schools and colleges obsess over Oxbridge and top universities as if they are somehow better than the rest. Maybe I'm cynical because I don't like universities but schools and colleges are only interested in getting people to Oxbridge because it gives them something to brag about at open evening. That's the problem with education in today's society - it's all about league tables and reputation. You never hear of schools and colleges talking about how they have students going straight into a job or starting a business, instead they focus on Oxbridge.

(edited 2 weeks ago)

Reply 1

sound-famous-

Oxbridge entrance processes are some of the most competitive and rigorous, with extra entrance exams and interviews. In a way yes, it is to "show off", because getting into Oxbridge is an impressive feat, and the higher this number is the better it reflects on the academic achievement of the school. This isn't true in all cases, some less mainstream courses may be fairly easy to get into, and some popular courses in other competitive universities may be harder to get into. But overall it's because people regard Oxbridge with a certain respect (correctly or otherwise).

However, getting into Oxbridge or another top university is not just about "league tables and reputation", they have a record of high quality education and students end up well connected for their future graduate careers.

I find it strange that you compare going to a top university to "going straight into a job". First of all schools are academic institutions so it makes sense that their academic ability as a system is reflected by the number of students going into higher education. Secondly, the jobs that an 18 year old can go straight into are often not the most desired or respected professions, as in many cases these would require a degree to pursue, so it wouldn't be of interest to most prospective parents to hear about these.

Reply 2

UOM2024

Original post by sound-famous-

Oxbridge entrance processes are some of the most competitive and rigorous, with extra entrance exams and interviews. In a way yes, it is to "show off", because getting into Oxbridge is an impressive feat, and the higher this number is the better it reflects on the academic achievement of the school. This isn't true in all cases, some less mainstream courses may be fairly easy to get into, and some popular courses in other competitive universities may be harder to get into. But overall it's because people regard Oxbridge with a certain respect (correctly or otherwise).
However, getting into Oxbridge or another top university is not just about "league tables and reputation", they have a record of high quality education and students end up well connected for their future graduate careers.
I find it strange that you compare going to a top university to "going straight into a job". First of all schools are academic institutions so it makes sense that their academic ability as a system is reflected by the number of students going into higher education. Secondly, the jobs that an 18 year old can go straight into are often not the most desired or respected professions, as in many cases these would require a degree to pursue, so it wouldn't be of interest to most prospective parents to hear about these.

It's just snobbery to me.
Most parents that want their child to go to university only do so because they are concerned about their image and falsely believe that a degree will make you more money.
My parents told me uni is a scam and not worth it.
The only reason anyone should go to university is if they want to be a doctor, dentist, lawyer or teacher.

(edited 2 weeks ago)

Reply 3

Talkative Toad

Volunteer Team

Tough admissions process compared to other universities I think.

Gives the school along with websites like Reddit and TSR (its users, not the companies themselves) something to brag about.

Reply 4

sound-famous-

Original post by UOM2024

Okay. I would argue against that if I thought there was any point, but I have a feeling you aren't asking this because you're open minded to other views.

Reply 5

Admit-One

Universities Forum Helper

Presumed prestige and bragging rights when recruiting new students.

Nothing to do with what’s best for individuals sadly.

Reply 6

Labradoodle1

It's mostly elitism. There are plenty of other great universities besides oxbridge (some offering even better courses in certain subject areas) and academics and employers are very much aware of this, but I think to a lot of the general public oxbridge has an extra bit of wow factor because of its history and prevalence in the media.

Reply 7

Labradoodle1

Original post by UOM2024

Your parents are wrong too tbh. There are so many reasons to go to university even if it isn't essential for your desired career path. I agree that people should question whether or not university is the right choice for them (as it is a significant investment of time and money), but to say that no one should go to university unless they are pursuing a career that requires it is straight up bad advice.