DS just asked me if it matters which university you go to

[Fadedpicture]

And I couldn't really formulate an answer.

I know Oxbridge and RG are more highly thought of, but from an employer's POV, how much difference does it make where you studied?

Is it different according to which subject you're doing or which sector you hope to work in?

One of the most important factors when choosing a university is finding one that suits you, that ‘fits’. It might not necessarily be the ‘best’ in league tables etc but 3/4 years is a long time if you are unhappy.

@TizerorFizz exactly but people are snobby about it and degrees are needed now in jobs that you never needed before but not englsh degree from oxford , plus its can be the experience and all for some
My ds is at uni and I would say the whole experience has been good for him overall as a person , he is much more confident and focussed

It frustrates me how little people know about accessing law. Also if she’s just about scraping a 2:2 I doubt she’ll be bright enough. Money can buy you qualifications but long term it won’t get you making money. PS you’re coming across as bitter OP but I’m assuming it’s not that and you’re frustrated your sis is wasting her time. Which it sounds like she is.

@Riskofbeingsued , are you calling me a liar?
It does make a difference, but probably a whole lot less than for many other qualifications.

Not at all but just thought you might not be aware of how things have moved on.

So why are there lists of top medical schools?

When my home uni was a poly it was still renowned in one particular area as being one of the best places in the country to study that subject. I didn't go there but just because somewhere isn't RG or even middle tier doesn't mean it's no good for anything.

Agreed. I recruit machine learning roles. When our company required a personal statement, the biases of recruiters meant that the roles tended to go to white Oxbridge / RG grads. These grads tended to have a lot of support writing personal statements, were good at talking, but not always good at the jobs they were applying (or had studied for). There were several UCL / Oxbridge / RG STEM students, for example, who had scored 1sts but then couldn’t actually code or build / assess algorithms in a real world environment. When I questioned it, they told me they were encouraged to copy and paste code from the internet.

When we overhauled the whole recruitment system and replaced it with a multiple choice test followed by data analysis, machine learning and software development test projects (so hiring managers got a say), the successful applicants were far more diverse & we managed to quadruple the amount of women / black / Indian people we recruited. Since we started to offer tech schemes to 16-18 year olds the applicant pool has become even more diverse.

I would say yes it matters hugely and I wish I had known how much when I was applying.

Those lists are aimed for international students or students who eventually want to work abroad For UK students who intend to work for the NHS it makes no difference if their medical degree is from Buckinghamshire or Oxford.

Similarly RG status (or not) only applies if you want to do a phd / research MSc. For undergrad roles the focus should be UK rankings (that take into account teaching quality), and links to industry.

I think the medical school thing only matters if you are on Harley Street.
From people I’ve know who’ve been/kids are going there is a difference in how schools teach medicine so you need to find one, again, that fits you. Once you have a medical degree that’s all that matters.

DS is asking the question but needs to add for x career. Because it depends on what his life will look like. If he wants to be x or y then it may matter or not matter at all. Does he want to earn a lot or be something specific or is unsure right now.

I know lots of people with great careers (interesting and earn well) who went to Universities ranked in the 50’s.

I interview for not big 4 (number 5) professional services firm. We don't get too hung up on where someone studied. Similar when I was in big 4 I had colleagues from Oxford and Bradford so there was a real range. HR pre interview so I'm not sure if they have a view on this.

It's important to have relevant work experience, prove they actually want to do the job as a directed plan not just applying because they don't know what they want to do, and have lots of additional cv padding: activities, interests, achievements, has been involved in what their uni offers, clubs societies etc.

I really object to the concept of a joke university. There may be courses that don't really lead into graduate jobs, but there is no such thing as a joke university. My son went to a former polytechnic. I went to a former college of higher education. Both my son and I graduated with a 2:1 and went into professional careers for which a degree was a prerequisite. There was nothing jokey about any of it.

That’s lovely how supportive you are of your sister, isn’t it

Of course it matters. Look at where most members of parliament and leaders of the establishment went.

The tech company I work for doesn't care which institution for our grad recruitment - just 2:1. Very ruthless and at least 50% don't make it past probation. I see very little pattern in success Vs failure other than that Oxbridge don't apply. So for example 2 recent ones had degrees from Oxford Brookes and 2 from Nottingham Uni. One of each got made it past the 6m probation (which I know isn't legally binding in this country but they pay them off).

For non grads they want a degree, any degree but much more important is work experience and work history.

The initial recruitment process is supposedly 'institiution blind'.

Honestly? It depends on the company. For many companies top of their game, better career paths, better pay and benefits etc, yes it matters, although they will try to hide it. For the smaller or less prestigious middle of the road ones it usually matters less.

it also depends on what he wants to do. If he wishes to be a lawyer in magic/silver circle etc, it totally matters, if he wishes to do media studies and get a job in marketing in a small local company, it doesn’t really matter

Gosh, passive aggressive and snidey much?

the posters right, the woman’s chance of succcess are pretty much non existent . Being supportive isn’t lying.

Honestly? It depends on the company. For many companies top of their game, better career paths, better pay and benefits etc, yes it matters, although they will try to hide it. For the smaller or less prestigious middle of the road ones it usually matters less.

I agree. I was one of the interviewers for investment banking roles and it mattered. Most people were Oxbridge, Durham, Bristol, LSE, UCL, Imperial, Warwick and a handful of others.

Grades were important but people and communication skills were equally important. Were they personable and able to command respect from clients? I suspect that added to the inbuilt bias towards certain types of people (particularly the uber-confident alpha male...).

One of my best friends is quite an eminent cardiologist who is a consultant at a big London teaching hospital and frequently in court as an expert witness. He would agree with @RunLolaRun102's opinion that it doesn't really matter where you study medicine (2 of his children are at medical school right now).

Also our personal experience would indicate that RG isn't even important for a research MSc to be honest. DD got her under-graduate at a mid-range former poly, then 'upgraded' to a UK top two institution where she took a highly academic STEM research MSc, and got the equivalent of a first.

I agree and we aren’t doing young people any favours but not telling them this. There will always be outliers but if you’re looking at the top most prestigious internships and training schemes you’re going to stand a much better chance if you’ve a good degree from a traditional university. That’s just a fact we have to be honest avout

I was coming on to say for some courses such as medicine it doesn’t matter but see others have beaten me to that.

Thanks all. He's currently doing a stand alone foundation year at Bristol (he left school at 16) and hopes to be able to stay on, but is looking at his options.

@Fadedpicture
Options for what subject? Maths related?