Would it be foolish to not choose a Russell Group uni?

[MollyHuaCha]

DD has 5 uni offers inc. two from RG universities to study history. Mock exams and grade predictions indicate that she is likely to achieve the required grades for all five places.

Common sense tells me she should put the two RG unis as 1st and insurance choices.

But she is now talking of putting one of the other unis as 1st choice simply because she prefers the city it's in.

Ultimately it's her decision not mine, but she's unsure and keeps asking other people that they think of this.

College tutor recommends the RG universities. But DD says this is for their own benefit, not hers.

Any thoughts from anyone about this I could share with her please?

Go to the uni that suits dd best in term of location,vibe,course content
You shouldn’t exert a parental preference that she attend RG
But do solidly work through reasons,pro/cons etc
Some RG unis do have a cachet but that in itself won’t guarantee contentment
However a highly rated uni will attract better staff & students,will be academically stretching

In my opinion yes it would be foolish.
I’m a teacher with 2 kids at Russell group unis. Generally Russell group unis offer more small group teaching and just more attention. DH interviews a lot for roles in the science area and always favours RG candidates.
I went to an RG too and loved it.

Not all highly rated Unis are RG e.g Bath

For a non vocational subject like History, I would be recommend a top rated Uni whether its RG or not.

It is important that your DC enjoys living in the city the Uni is based in. Would another look at the city and the Uni etc help with the decision making?

Also looking at her choices on Unistats will help her make an informed decision.

It depends on the unis really. Not all Russell group unis are equal. There is still a very clear hierarchy within the group with oxbridge at the top, then imperial, Durham, ucl, lse, Warwick. Exeter, Bristol, kings, Nottingham. If you’re comparing RG unis like Queen Mary/Liverpool/Cardiff to non RGs like Sussex, Loughborough or UEA, then those particular non RG unis are much higher ranked than the RG ones I mentioned - both nationally and for history.

I have only heard of the Russell Group thing from Mumsnet..... And I apparently went to one!

Is it in the 1994 Group?

I think it's really important where you study - obviously it's got to be in a city you like, but nowadays with so many people having degrees, surely the more prestigious the university the better?

St. Andrews isn’t RG either and is currently ranked 3rd in the national league table (times)

She has offers at Exeter and Warwick, has visited them once each and says there's no need to go again as she remembers clearly they are like.

But prefers Sussex - has visited twice.

To be fair Brighton is a much more exciting city/town than Exeter or Warwick. What about the other Unis she has been offered a place at?

There is the option of applying for an adjustment to an Uni based in a larger city or taking a gap year and then reapplying.

If I was a school leaver I’d rather go to uni in funky Brighton than Warwick or exeter

Warwick and Exeter have better reputations for history. But Sussex does have a lovely welcoming vibe to it. I’d say it has a more relaxed atmosphere compared to Warwick certainly. I can empathise with her dilemma

If I was a school leaver I’d rather go to uni in funky Brighton than Warwick or exeter

Yup, I think that's her thinking.

She's not interested at all in the final two choices out of the five. It will be one of the above three. Such a difficult decision. Is Sussex considered a good uni?

If depends on the offers I think. DC did History and had offers from 3 RG and 2 not RG but well regarded for history ( Leicester and Lancaster).
He chose RG as first choice and a non RG as second as they had made a lower offer. Interestingly one of the RGs he declined contacted him just before the resuts came out offering him the opportunity to change his mind and go there instead, he refused as he did not like it so much at the post offer day.
As 4 had made the same offer he decided to have the lower offer as reserve but if the other RG he declined had offered lower grades he would have had it as a reserve instead.
However, if she can manage it, it is worth going to the post offer days as they are more open then we found and poeple talked in detail about the course content.
IME teachers like pupils to go to the best Uni for them.

Look online for ratings for the designated course.no idea about Sussex or the others I’m afraid

Isn't Sussex really wellregarde even though not RG?

RG in itself isn’t the gold standard it was a self appointed group of unis

My DD is choosing Exeter over Warwick for maths even though Warwick might seem the obvious choice for most people as it’s ranked higher and has a better reputation for maths. She prefers Exeter because of the city, campus and people she met on the offer holder days. Ultimately, she wants to be happy, enjoy herself, but also finish with a good degree at the uni. I do think a lot of it has to come down to the student’s ‘gut’ feeling of whether or not they’ll fit in, be able to study the university and live in the city for 3 years.

According to the current times league table, Exeter is ranked 3rd for history, Warwick 6th and Sussex 19th.

Sorry, Exeter is ranked 5th, not 3rd

Look up the history of the Russell Group and then make your choice

Thanks for all the views. DD has researched league tables and knows Sussex is ranked below the other two. That's the dilemma really - her heart is telling her to go against common sense.

Does your DD know what she wants to do after uni? If she does end up applying to grad schemes, going to a Russell group uni may make her application more favourable.

Just a reminder that Warwick Uni isn't in sleepy Warwick, but on the outskirts of Coventry, our Cuty if Culture for 2021.

Has she compared course structure / modules/ options? What are her plans post uni? Were will she get most value for her£50k? And where will she thrive?