AIBU to think going to an RG university means absolutely nothing

This debate over RG always makes me laugh.
It's a self appointed title based on where the group held their first meeting.
All it means is that they share the same broad values in relation to research.

Employers are increasingly looking at and engaging with a wider range of universities.

Students are better looking at subject rankings and subject specific employability data.

Only yesterday, my DD who will shortly graduate from a Uni that is not in the RG, saw a job that really appealed to her. She met all the criteria until the last point - 'Applications will only be considered from those attending a Russell Group University'. So, yes, in some industries it is very much a thing!

The problem for students these days though is that so many more are doing degrees so there’s far more competition for jobs. Getting that first job without prior relevant experience is the hardest.
So these days it’s key to pick the best of the best and do the best you can.

The best of the best isn’t whatever Uni was high up in the league tables in the year you happened to apply in. They could be number 40 in a couple of years so employers look at their traditional trusted favourites.

RG didn’t exist when I first started. My uni became RG, I’ve been to three. My kids happen to be/will be at RG.

I’ve recruited for two decades, I think a lot of its hype.

It started as a group to lobby the government for funding and has turned into a huge marketing strategy.

It really depends not only on what subject you want to study, but predominantly on whether you're intending to continue with doing research after you finish your undergraduate studies. It's definitely not meaningless. At the same time, depending on context, it's definitely not the be all and end all either.

It really isn’t life everywhere as you’ve illustrated. There are plenty of unis rated a lot higher than many Russel Groups and employers aren’t going to pick lesser candidates simply because of a self appointed label.

You know I know sod all about Liverpool. I threw it out there as an example because it’s a city with one RG and two other Unis that aren’t
I could have picked anywhere.

The point is
If you are an employer there are too many kids these days with degrees chasing the same jobs. Employers in the main and in the top institutions and professions will have too many applicants to start trawling through league tables to decide who to bin first.

They will, and do, go for the top Uni applicants first
They are
Oxbridge, St. Andrews and RG unis.
Thats life.

Also, I love the concept of a Russell Grant uni. I know him and 100% would go, he's a lovely guy 😅

I suppose it depends on the industry you're going into.

I've never had an issue getting a job, when I was able to work, despite having a Mickey Mouse degree from en ex poly at the bottom of most league tables.

I think part of it is employers seeing "First Class" and ignoring the rest, part of it is that I've gone on to do two postgrads (still not at RG unis), partly that I interview very well and partly that I had the A Level grades for Russell Group (I just really wanted to do the Mickey Mouse degree that let anyone in regardless of A Levels, and have zero regrets 🤣).

I've never wanted to go into law / accounting / any type of role where the uni really matters though, so it hasn't bothered me.

I love this OP 😆

Yep and Liverpool is consistently lower down than non Russel groups unis such as those I’ve mentioned who are consistently higher up.

Exactly

League tables change all the time.
The few at the top rarely move far but they do change a lot otherwise.
Students, parents and Universities are obsesssed with league tables but employers really aren’t

Employers don’t keep tabs on whether Bristol, or LJM was number 5 the year you started there even though they may be number 10 the year you applied for the job. They simply don’t keep an eye on these league tables
They know the traditionall top Unis in their field and faced with far too many applicants weed the rest out.

Thats not to say Unis can’t rise up and change the narrative. Some do but that doesn’t happen that much and perhaps not as much as it should particularly with new courses

Good luck with this idea and I suggest you do some research. If you’re going to pick Liverpool “because it’s RG” as opposed to non RG unis like St Andrews , Bath, Lancaster , Loughborough etc you’re going to be a tad disappointed.

But Liverpool is rated 28th for maths. There are loads of non Russell groups rated higher with higher entry, higher research and higher job prospects. Why would young people ignore those and pick Liverpool and why would recruiters think oh you know what I’ll go for her because her degree is from Liverpool and it’s a “Russel Group” even though I know other non Russel groups unis that are better?

I don't buy this university equality thing as if all this were equal we wouldn't bother motivating our children to do well in exams and teachers could just coast. Of course employers are wanting to see a track record of intellectual abiliry, effort and aspiration and this can be demonstrated by attendance at a high tariff righteous university.

A lot of the more desirable professions recruit from RG unis and this is going to remain the case for the forseeable.

I've always assumed I went to an RG university - Bath - but have found out, via this thread, that I didn't.

I graduated in 1994 and assumed I was OG RG alumni!

For what it's worth, my husband did PPE at Oxford and we have the same job (different organisations). I earn slightly more.

In our line of work, you're either good at it or you're not.

Where you studied is wholly irrelevant.

We've never chased the money though and are driven more by purpose and job satisfaction.

So I'm not sure our career paths would be the first choice for overly ambitious parents to push their beleaguered, high achieving offspring along for kudos points on te interwebs.

Architecture

But what you’ve said isn’t true. Also why are companies going to pick somebody from Liverpool just because it’s RG when there are non Russel groups unis rated higher that are harder to get into with higher graduate prospects and the same and even higher research quality?

You have made up your mind.
Stand on the world stage with your degree from an RG and one that isn’t in ….let’s say Maths ( as a random example ) and see who gets the most job offers

I can assure you I know for sure which it will be

I have kids at both and my bachelors wasn’t an RG although my masters was

There’s no need to be snobbish about these things. This is reality. This is how Universities are graded in the boardroom and the mindsets of many employers.

Just because you don’t like it or you don’t agree with it doesn’t make it not real.

The only deluded ones are those who believe all Universities are equal. They aren’t and never have been

Non Russell group unis are also well respected for research. Re Liverpool uni it’s quite a way down the list and scores lower than non Russel groups for research.

For our recruitment (global Big 4 accountancy) we don’t see the University, degree or predicted grade- not relevant.

What industry are you in that knowing the university is crucial?

Do you not realise that many non Russel group unis are not ex polys and harder to get into than Russel group unis.

They are well regarded as research Institutes
They carry out the vast majority of research carried out in all Universities and in fact in the country as a whole.
They are known globally for this research element and as such students looking to work abroad will carry with then a known and well regarded Degree.

There is no comparison, I’m afraid, to Liverpool John Moores and Liverpool Uni.
for example.

Employers can be ruthless when they have thousands of applications on their desk.

We do it. We have our favourite Unis although for Architecture the choice is based on slightly different reasoning