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Originally Posted by circusmind  Indeed. And that is precisely my point. Students should choose their degrees based on a finer apreciation of what various institutions have to offer. I didn't choose ANU because I thought: 'ANU > everyone else'. I thought that, for me, with an interest in public policy/govt. work, and a focus on public/constitutional/international law, ANU was the best uni for me. Making this sort of decision is harder than just saying Uni X > Uni Y, but it is also far more accurate. |
As has been elaborated, a prospective student coming out of high school cannot really know the quality of a prospective faculty outside of what can be (often mistakenly) extrapolated from entry requirements that do not reflect quality but demand.
I would argue, as has been touched on above, that the best way to decide the right university for
you is to consider more basic elements than nebulous notions of prestige. It is a mistake to follow prestige over practicality. Consider your needs, can you get there easily, is the campus serviced by public transport, does it have well maintained student facilities, an active campus life, affordable housing, etc. An unhappy student is not going to be a successful student. Nice buildings do not necessarily influence educational outcomes, but if you cannot access material because a terrible library, or you cannot get to the campus easily, I would think twice about your choice.
Regarding employment, I would not be too concerned about the 'prestige' element being the primary determinant. Most employers know that different universities attract different students and assess them differently. They take this into account when assessing an application. A poor performing student at an 'elite' university will not get a position ahead of a stellar performer at a notionally weaker institution.