to ask if DC shouldn't bother with university if they can't get into a Russell Group one?

[TuTuTilly]

I'd never heard of the ruddy things before I joined MN. Didn't even realise I'd been to one. I do recall when I had a tedious summer job in Human Resources which included "sifting" job applications for an international firm of accountants, being told to dump any that weren't from a handful of universities.

So my question is; if your child can't get into an RG university - should they accept that they will be unemployable oiks upon graduation and resign themselves to a life working in call centres?

list of RG universities for the clueless

I went to uni not on that list

best not tell my employees as I seem to have a good job with a great career plan

Well, I went to an RG university but I only got a 2:2 and as a result I can't get on to any graduate schemes or courses - my university is irrelevant, basically.

Most jobs care about much more than your university.

I think it only matters for some jobs, not most.

Ex-polys actually sometimes have rather good employment rates for certain courses, as they tend to have more links with industry and so on.

For an academic subject, however, RG is probably best.

Never realised til just now that I turned down a RG Uni in favour of a non-RG one - can't say it made any difference (I've been employed continuosly since graduating about 15 years ago)

No that's clearly a silly question. I graduated from a former poly in 2005 and am doing well in a professional and decently paid job. Its more a question of if your DC have the aptitude for a university education and a clear career path. With the ludicrous fees now university in mainland Europe is definitely worth a look.

I went to one but didn't realise it at the time.

How things have changed.

Don't be bloody silly

It depends what you want to do as a career. You need to research the best place for your particular course. RG isn't a guarantee of getting a job.
My DS1 went to a RG university, his brother didn't want to- it would have been no good for his field.

I was offered a place at a RG university but opted to do a very similar course at a none RG university. I did this because the none RG university had the edge with a placement in industry and linked its courses to current cutting edge fields.

If you think that getting into a RG university is going to open doors you will be sadly disillusioned 3/4 yrs later.

Horseshit. Sorry, that attitude really annoys me. I went to an ex poly and was pulling in 85k by the time I was thirty. And it's a decent career too.

My sister dropped out of a RG uni and could only get work as a secretary for years be use she had no degree.

Not a silly question at all. Long time since I graduated and will be a long time before DC goes to university if at all so am out of the loop, just going by what I read on MN.

You really must do your homework and get far beyond the 'name'.

It didn't exist in my time either - but and accountant friend did say that it is a criteria in the sorting process for the big law and accounting firms.
An upper second from a RG uni seems to be what counts.

For some things it is important, but not many I don't think. I'm an academic and there is a lot of snobbery within academia about going to a RG uni. However I realise not many people want to be academics!

Never go by what you read on MN!!

I know someone who chose graduates for their company's sciencey graduate training course and only selected from Ox Camb, Edinburgh and Imperial College.

I went to a non-RG ex-technical college uni & have had a good career so far based upon my qualifications gained from uni so don't worry so much :)

I didn't know what RG universities were until I read it on Mumsnet and I also went to one .

There probably are some jobs/professions where it really matters what university you went to, but I think they're probably in the minority.

I think it also depends on what you want from university. I got far more in the way of confidence, life skills, friends, a bloody good time etc. than I did in the way of formal education (although I got a good degree, which is useful, but not essential to my job).

I think the universities on that list are not surprising! My friend did a science based degree and got a job in finance (no relation to degree) probably because she went to one if those unis
I think where is best for course and what you actually think you might do after uni is best, if it had a vocational aspect in the field you want to work in or more staff actively researching the area or the best teaching surely that's better than going to a less appealing course just because its on 'the list'

Gosh that sounds a bit ranty! I shall get down off my high horse now

I've got a 2.1 from a RG uni, I'm a SAHM who is virtually unemployable

Hmm..I work for a big 4 accounting firm (although I'm not in accounting) and almost everyone in my team is Russell Group - the only exceptions went to another local uni and did a degree in actuarial studies. I'm pretty sure the same is true for our (much larger) London office too. I would say there are some exceptions - I know we look at St Andrews too for example - but I think you do need to be picky and consider what you want to do afterwards.

I went to St Andrews - not a RG university, but the oldest one in Scotland and very highly respected - don't think any employer thought, "oh, not RG, won't look at her".

I then did an MSc at Reading, again not RG: I chose it rather than other RG options because at the time it was the best-regarded uni for the subject (directly related to the career I went into).

I get what you are saying, but RG is NOT everything.