Best ex-poly Universities?

[McNutty]

So DS is looking at choosing an insurance universit. What are the top 5 from the ex polys in your opinion across the board? I don’t want to name any yet as it will skew things a bit.

Last but not the least, wish there was a poll function on MN.

Hi OP : sorry, went out! My DS is for 2019 too

University of Liverpool want ABB so worth applying to. I know someone who has completed this course in the last couple of years and done very well including a great placement year.

@Piggy - That's excellent! we can hand hold together till then. What does he want to study?

Heriot-Watt and Strathclyde both have good Computer Science courses. Some of the Investment Banks including Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan offer degree apprenticeships over four years where you also graduate with an honours degree in computing science or software engineering.

I think we use ex poly and RG because we know exactly which universities we are talking about! It’s not necessarily a judgement on quality or marketing! As if ex polys cannot market themselves via the post 92 group anyway! They pay their senior staff enough! There are also the new universities like Essex, Surrey, Kent and Sussex to consider. I forget their marketing name!!

My comments about the top 10 universities having spaces is quite important. They might ask for their stipulated grades but by being in clearing they haven’t got enough students with them. Lower ranking universities are definitely short of students too. Nearly every university is in clearing. For next year, it could mean the entry requirements of the top 20 could be more flexible. They might reduce from AAA to AAB for example or by even more. Lots of universities and courses are chasing the young people with high grade science A levels. There are clearly not enough to go round! Liverpool is already a lower entry requirement than some. I was amazed to see Warwick there at all. Therefore this is not an overly competitive subject and that opens up possibilities to trade up so to speak.

Just can't categorise them neatly under one name like you can with the others

A bit off topic, but if it helps, they have names too! The mission groups are:
Russell Group
University Alliance
Million +
GuildHE

Not an ex-Poly but a new university: University of Lincoln.
I hear rumours that those who get in over the next year or two may end up leaving with Russell Group degree. They are really stepping up their research departments.

@DerelictWreck - Not all universities are members of mission groups. (My own isn't, for example.)

@BubblesBuddy - Essex (1965), Surrey (1966), Kent (1965) and Sussex (1961) aren't "new", or no newer than Warwick (1965), York (1963) or Lancaster (1964), anyway. They all tend to be referred to as "plate-glass" universities to distinguish them from the mostly Victorian "red-brick" universities. Warwick & York are also members of the Russell Group, so plate-glass isn't a very helpful label for distinguishing institutions from one another.

Northumbria looks good for Comp Sci - new building opening this year and course contents / options look really good plus their work with Sony. Was ABB last year with the possibility of a linked foundation year with much lower entry requirements. Also - look for a course that is BCS accredited; not all ex polys are.

@skiiltan I know they’re not, I was just referring to the OP saying she handnt mentioned anything other than post92 and RG as they weren’t grouped, that’s all.

OP mine 'wants' to study politics/international relations ... or possibly criminology... or law... or langauges (which is actually what he is good at) ... or whatevere. he really doesn't know and does that squirming thing when you try and talk to him!

Goodness! I'm really surprised at how a mild comment can be turned into a massive catastrophy on MN. For the record, I know all about the post 1992 universities, the plate glass, the 1966 universities, the red bricks bla bla. I myself was one of the lucky ex-poly graduants of 1993 who left with 'University' rather than 'Polytechnic' on their certificate. I lived through the all excitement of it at the time.

The comment about not categorising them easily simply meant i couldn't be bothered on the thread because its irrelevant. Its ex polys that I am looking for!. They are the ones likely to have entry requirements within DS's grasp whilst also being very good at technology type subjects.

Do people really think if you've have a preference for ex-polys it must be because you are too stupid to realise there are other universities other than RG? really?

One mention of Russell Group and it sets em all off OP

FWIW, I knew what you meant!

On another note, back in the day was Salford not quite renowned for tech-y type things? It's entry requirements aren't so high .. and likewise Manchester Met (was that once UMIST?) has BBCish type offers.

Well I was too stupid to know what all the groups are called. That’s me in the dunce’s corner then!

@Piggy - I know and the more you try to explain the more they nit pick each sentence to death even though its irrelevant to the actual topic.

@BubblesBuddy - Yep! firmly in the dunce's corner. Next time I will word my thread thus:

"After thoroughly researching, the RG universities, Plate glass unis, University alliance, Guild HE, Million+ group, Cathedrals group and Unaffiliated, we have reached the conclusion that the post 1992 Universities will be more suitable for DS."

Yes Liverpool Hope is in South Liverpool, nice area.

Solent. When I was there it had the highest employment rate for graduates of anywhere in the country. Including red brick universities etc. I had the time of my life, but I don't know how it is for computing.

The groups of course, were all read off the internet, no one remembers off by heart what the hell they're all called except; 'RG/ex poly', which is why that's what the reasonable people on this thread used.

Salford is excellent for acoustic engineering if anyone is interested in that!
Piggy I believe there’s a big shortage of language applicants so unis are flexible on grades - would your DS consider combining Politics and Spanish?
Where DH works it matters less where people did their computer science degree because applicants have to sit the fiendish aptitude tests that his company uses. He did mention once that one of his team specifically chose Sheffield Hallam over Sheffield University because he preferred the computer course there, so it may be worth a look - but this was a few years ago.
The ex-polys all had and have particular strengths in things you can actually get jobs in! Incidentally, I did my PGCE via Canterbury Christ Church and I know from a visit that the campus is lovely apart from the wretched seagulls!

UWE Bristol is in the top 10 for student satisfaction from the NSS.

Lincoln has Gold TEF and also i believe in the top 10 this year for NSF.

Totally agree though you need to concentrate on the reputation of the individual course though not the overall uni reputation.

NSS not NSF.

What you meant was 'after thoroughly researching the RG universities I have realised my child will not get in and is now doomed so I am now sending him off for an apprenticeship down t'mill. I have heard some of these offer splendid opportunites for the working classes less academic DCs and that this a far more suitable option than a university not in the Russell Group as there is simply no point in offering HE to dimwits the less academic.'

DISCLAIMER : thoroughly tongue in cheek but could not resist