Which University are you at? - Page 2

Provost Harrison · December 23, 2002, 18:29

Quote:

Originally posted by Sagacious Dolphin
Yes. University College.

That's where I went. If you'd have gone, you and I would have probably first met many, many years earlier. Now there is a scary thought

Dauphin · December 23, 2002, 18:33

You dodged a bullet there then.

Provost Harrison · December 23, 2002, 18:36

...or were you lucky. A 19 year old me would be a scary presence

Shi Huangdi · December 23, 2002, 19:03

University of Pittsburgh

*End Is Forever* · December 23, 2002, 19:50

Oxford is crap for undergraduates these days. It only maintains it's high league table standing through postgraduate and research work, and that's ****-all use if you're studying at undergraduate level. Cambridge, Warwick, York and others are soaring away... only one half of Oxbridge is prestigious any more, not like it was when Rich went there.

Provost Harrison · December 23, 2002, 19:55

It is rather concerning looking at it from my perspective because when I went there it was not the case...makes me wonder what is going on...still, it is certainly not a bad uni. But when I went the choice between Oxford and Cambridge for me was one of course structure, not reputation.

*End Is Forever* · December 23, 2002, 20:00

Times Higher Education Supplement, Teaching Rankings, August 2002.

YORK
Cambridge
Oxford
Warwick
Loughborough

Daily Telegraph, Teaching Quality, August 2002.

Cambridge
YORK
London School of Economics
Oxford
Imperial College

Provost Harrison · December 23, 2002, 20:04

You must have bribed the papers

Drogue · December 23, 2002, 20:12

True, but both league tables are both fickle and a oftenr wrong IMHO. I chose Oxford because speaking to admissions tutors at Cambridge, they advised me that for academic economics, Oxford was the place to be. I was also told this at LSE. Cambridge is better overall IMHO, and is better at some things, but for Politics, Economics, English or most other humanities or social sciences I believe Oxford is better.

Warwick is a great place, and the tuition is fantastic for some things (It's much better than Oxford for Maths and related subjects IMHO) but I would still give Oxford an overall edge. I think the supervision and collegiate structure (if both kept

) make it hard to draw direct comparisions with other Unis, thus most league tables should be taken with a large pinch of salt IMO. Although as Provost Harrison said, it's about course structure not reputation. I've found a course that suits me to a T, with tutors who are vibrant, open minded and exceptionally intelligent and I wouldn't want to go anywhere else.

Clear Skies: What subject are you going to do? At which college? Are you going to accept the offer.

Provost Harrison · December 23, 2002, 20:14

Yes, exactly. I had the choice of Oxford and Cambridge. I found the tripose system rather bewildering at Cambridge, as I wanted to do biochemistry so obviously I opted for Oxford.

*End Is Forever* · December 23, 2002, 20:35

Yes, that's certainly true Drogue. For certain subjects, particularly if you want to specialise early, Cambridge just isn't an option. I think at least part of the reason my application to Cambridge failed (which in hindsight I'm very glad about) was because the course was more general, and it must have been pretty clear I was only interested in one part of the course. Indeed, my other UCAS applications bore that out (SPS at Cambridge, Politics everywhere else).

Frankychan · December 23, 2002, 20:49

University of Hawaii-Manoa!

(But I gotta get into a good criminal justice program for my Master's)

Agathon · December 23, 2002, 21:06

Grad school - University of Toronto.

Don't be too hard on Oxford - the tutorial system is a good way to learn.

As for rankings - undergraduate rankings say more about the calibre of the applicants than the teachers. After all, History 101 is much the same everywhere you go. Graduate rankings, however, are a different story.

One thing - I would never, ever, do a PhD in a British University.

Lawrence of Arabia · December 23, 2002, 21:21

w00000t I just got a letter from the University of Chicago. They want to recruit me to play soccer.

Asher · December 23, 2002, 22:03

University of Calgary

Drogue · December 23, 2002, 22:09

Agathon: Why not a PhD in Britain?
I think about the similarity is exactly the opposite. Our rankings are partly done on the number of students getting 1st and 2:1s, but the Univrsities themselves set the papers. By most accoutns I've seen, Oxbridge papers seem to be harder than most others. We don't have classes like in the US (like history 101), so many degrees are unique. For instance economics at Durham is quite different to economics at LSE or at Cambridge.

*End Is Forever*: Yeh, SPS doesn't seem like one of Cambridge's best courses. Talked to a few people doing it, didn't exactly fill me with a desire to do it. PPE at Oxford is great (and very popular) but if you wanted to do straight politics, I guess you're a bit stuck as far as Oxbridge goes.

*End Is Forever* · December 23, 2002, 22:59

Glad I didn't choose PPE. Did a couple of Philosophy modules last year and hated them... meaningless rubbish. Can just about stand political philosophy providing it's rooted in reality...

DinoDoc · December 24, 2002, 00:57

University of Mississippi

loinburger · December 24, 2002, 01:08

Graduated from Wittenberg University last May. Currently going to Wright State University, hoping to get my M.S. in May 2004. Might stay on for a Ph.D (my sugar daddy is already trying to push me in that direction), but I doubt I will.

DinoDoc · December 24, 2002, 01:20

What major?

loinburger · December 24, 2002, 01:26

Computer Science (for both the B.S. and the M.S.), currently with a focus on numerical analysis and AI.

The Emperor Fabulous · December 24, 2002, 01:47

Ursinus College

...yeah, I'd never heard of it either

Its a highly-respected liberal arts school, especially for pre-med. Unfortunately, I'm an Anthropology/Theatre double major...but its still really good.

INTERESTING TIDBIT ALERT:

J.D. Salinger went to my school, and actually wrote parts, if not all of, "Catcher in the Rye" there. A tree he wrote under is preserved...in the endzone of the football field.

Clear Skies · December 24, 2002, 07:43

Quote:

Originally posted by Drogue
Clear Skies: What subject are you going to do? At which college? Are you going to accept the offer.

In that order: PPE, at St Annes, and quite probably. I've been wondering a little...
They gave me three A's (my friend, who applied for Biology at Balliol, got two A's and a B, and I was so jealous) and Economics could be tricky to get an A in. If I don't, or on the off-chance that I do decide not to accept the offer, I'm off to York.

St Annes is a great college, though. No stuffy traditions, nice friendly place, great academic atmosphere. Politics tutor is the best person on the face of the planet - world authority on American Politics and a really nice bloke to boot. The Economics tutor is really friendly, and the Philosophy tutor...well, I don't really know her, and I'm already biased against her from the horrible logic problem she set me in the interview

but she seems OK.
It's going to be so cool - my best friend got into Balliol and another friend is going to be organ scholar at Keble. I'm taking everyone with me!!!

*End Is Forever* · December 24, 2002, 15:37

Hate to put the skids on Oxford but the best ranked Politics department in the country is... York.

Drogue · December 24, 2002, 16:14

By what ranking? Oxford doesn't have a Politics course, so it that probably would account for some lack. In The Times Oxford came 10th for Economics, but is generally regarded (talking to tutors at different unis) to be very near the top. I know York's politics is good, but that good

I have to say, I visited it on an open day and didn't like the place, but that's just me

And come on, The Times put UCL at the top. I know it's good, but really, it's not even top of University of London (I think LSE is).

They asked me for AAA too

but hey, if you're good enough to get into Oxford, you'll probably get 3 As (just guessing

). And even if you don't, they only give out as many offers as they have places, so I bet you'd be accepted with AAB, my friend did and he still got in. Only two of us applied to Oxford from my school, but then it is just a comprehensive.

And Balliol

that's too bad...

(There's a big rivalry between Balliol and Trinity, when I was on the open day, a couple of students broke into Balliol and stol their kitchen sign from above the hall

)