is my father right - how much of a factor is the 'reputation' of the uni? usyd vs UTS (1 Viewer)

[madsam]

Re: is my father right - how much of a factor is the 'reputation' of the uni? usyd vs

size of the place is also a pretty big factor, as in the total student body in each faculty. Its strange how, USYD has the largest student body in Australia (roughly 47k) while UTS has only 32k yet usyd still has higher cut off's almost across the board. The more students in each faculty increases the total funding available, hence providing better facilities and ergo education.

Employers would know these things, and if not, a quick google search will make it apparent, and given a resume and only a resume to judge people by, the more prestigious university would probably be chosen, if that were the deciding factor

However it would depend upon the faculty before you commit to anything, engineering for example, UNSW is the best all rounder for engineering, followed by UTS for the compulsory 12 month employment, and then USYD. However, in the higher end of the engineering field, ie space, USYD is the only university with three courses devoted to this field, making it the best for those particular courses. I'm sure this would be the same with other faculties and universities with the degrees offered

 

[Scinery]

Re: is my father right - how much of a factor is the 'reputation' of the uni? usyd vs

UTS IS AN INCREDIBLE UNI

for communications degrees and sometimes even law

when it comes to your field of interest, GO TO USYD!

USYD has an amaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing arts faculty with so much flexibility

UTS has specialized and VERY PRACTICAL courses which certainly suit some people more than others, but i personally think the theoretical foundations and AMAZINGNESS of usyd will be kinder to you.

 

[Crestwood's_G]

Re: is my father right - how much of a factor is the 'reputation' of the uni? usyd vs

no it doesnt matter...UWS, uni of woolongong, syd uni...u get the same shit...by the way wtf is "atars"?

 

[philphie]

Re: is my father right - how much of a factor is the 'reputation' of the uni? usyd vs

no more uai, now atar, by 2011 it will be ranking everyone in the nation except queensland

 

[mystiques4]

Re: is my father right - how much of a factor is the 'reputation' of the uni? usyd vs

Don't forget that not every Uni will be better for everything.

I.E. I want to do Information Tech in Uni and i've chosen UNSW/UTS over USyd a long time ago simply because the IT course at USyd seems to be one of the weaker courses in the Uni.

 

[dan2452]

Re: is my father right - how much of a factor is the 'reputation' of the uni? usyd vs

From what i've seen, unless you got into Harvard, Oxford or any other prestigious universities, it won't really make a difference, its just how good an employee you are.

 

[strasiotto]

Re: is my father right - how much of a factor is the 'reputation' of the uni? usyd vs

The 'higher' class universities generally have a higher bench ATAR mark don't they? I think thats probably the deciding factor, the facilities and staff at all universities may be equal, but since for some you need a higher mark to get into, it indicates that you are more intelligent/ hardworking.

Thats probably already been said, but I'm far too lazy to read a whole thread thats longer than 2 pages.

 

[Survivor39]

Re: is my father right - how much of a factor is the 'reputation' of the uni? usyd vs

From what i've seen, unless you got into Harvard, Oxford or any other prestigious universities, it won't really make a difference, its just how good an employee you are.

Soon you will learn that's not true.

 

[msh]

Re: is my father right - how much of a factor is the 'reputation' of the uni? usyd vs

Companies are not stupid, they know where the more able students go. Let's face it, UAI cut-offs are almost uniformly higher in USyd/UNSW than others. Students with higher ATARs are going into such courses. You can argue university and post-university ability all you want but employers know where they have a better chance in getting a better candidate.

P.S of course not including some niche like Journalism at UTS (so I've heard).

Out of curiosity I did a google search titled "THE highest cut offs in the state" and this popped up.

UTS: Student applications - University of Technology, Sydney

"The UTS Bachelor of Design in Interior Design and Bachelor of International Studies had the highest UAI cut-off in the state in 2009. Three of the state's top 10 highest UAI cut-offs were UTS courses."

The 2009 UAI cut off for that degree was 99.9.

The second part to note is that:

"UTS attracted the highest number of FIRST preference applications for Creative Arts and Information Technology courses in the state and the second highest number of first preferences in the fields of Architecture & Building and Management & Commerce."

So in fact, UTS attracts PLENTY of high academic achievers. They just happen to not pursue in ARCHETYPAL fields of academia such as Law or Medicine.
I even know a person with a UAI of 100 doing a Design degree at UTS.

 

[runnable]

Re: is my father right - how much of a factor is the 'reputation' of the uni? usyd vs

Out of curiosity I did a google search titled "THE highest cut offs in the state" and this popped up.

UTS: Student applications - University of Technology, Sydney

"The UTS Bachelor of Design in Interior Design and Bachelor of International Studies had the highest UAI cut-off in the state in 2009. Three of the state's top 10 highest UAI cut-offs were UTS courses."

The 2009 UAI cut off for that degree was 99.9.

The second part to note is that:

"UTS attracted the highest number of FIRST preference applications for Creative Arts and Information Technology courses in the state and the second highest number of first preferences in the fields of Architecture & Building and Management & Commerce."

So in fact, UTS attracts PLENTY of high academic achievers. They just happen to not pursue in ARCHETYPAL fields of academia such as Law or Medicine.
I even know a person with a UAI of 100 doing a Design degree at UTS.

That's good. UTS does have its niche attraction.

My point was that across the board, over thousands and thousands of students, USyd/UNSW have students with higher UAIs.

 

[jet]

Re: is my father right - how much of a factor is the 'reputation' of the uni? usyd vs

Out of curiosity I did a google search titled "THE highest cut offs in the state" and this popped up.

UTS: Student applications - University of Technology, Sydney

"The UTS Bachelor of Design in Interior Design and Bachelor of International Studies had the highest UAI cut-off in the state in 2009. Three of the state's top 10 highest UAI cut-offs were UTS courses."

The 2009 UAI cut off for that degree was 99.9.

The second part to note is that:

"UTS attracted the highest number of FIRST preference applications for Creative Arts and Information Technology courses in the state and the second highest number of first preferences in the fields of Architecture & Building and Management & Commerce."

So in fact, UTS attracts PLENTY of high academic achievers. They just happen to not pursue in ARCHETYPAL fields of academia such as Law or Medicine.
I even know a person with a UAI of 100 doing a Design degree at UTS.

USyd Med/Science had a cutoff of 99.95-100

 

[msh]

Re: is my father right - how much of a factor is the 'reputation' of the uni? usyd vs

USyd Med/Science had a cutoff of 99.95-100

Well a Medicine degree requiring a high UAI though unpublished, (due to additional selection criteria) is an obvious knowledge, as opposed to the fact that B Interior Design / International Studies at UTS had the highest published cut-off of 2009.

The point is, in some disciplines such as design (creative arts), communication (creative arts) and IT, UTS outdoes USyd as the first preference university based on popularity, prestige and demand.

It'd be unfair to make such affirmation that UTS always comes second to USyd for high UAI achievers.

Thus, UTS is not such a 'disreputable' institution as what vaguespecifics's father is claiming.

 

[strasiotto]

Re: is my father right - how much of a factor is the 'reputation' of the uni? usyd vs

USyd Med/Science had a cutoff of 99.95-100

I'm hoping that changes, since 99.95 is now the highest mark you get

 

[jet]

Re: is my father right - how much of a factor is the 'reputation' of the uni? usyd vs

I'm hoping that changes, since 99.95 is now the highest mark you get

That was in 2008. In 2009 cutoff was 99.95

 

[Trebla]

Re: is my father right - how much of a factor is the 'reputation' of the uni? usyd vs

Ideally, it shouldn't matter and any good employer would only discriminate between applicants based on a combination of work experience, academic abilities and suitability of personality. Employers from many of the larger companies also have their own psychometric assessments and personality quizzes to help with their decisions.

Unfortunately, there are also many anal employers out there who are quite judgemental and do factor in what university you are from in their decisions...

 

[wendybird]

Re: is my father right - how much of a factor is the 'reputation' of the uni? usyd vs

Haha I only said it cuz I wanted to astound. And if so many people go there, do you really think it was super hard for every single one to get in? I doubt it. If your Dad's a law professor there maybe you'd get an advantage,lol

Harvard isn't the king shit of universities. A Journalism degree from UTS is amazing. A nursing degree from UTS is the best one you can get in the Southern Hemisphere. UTS is awesome, unlike USYD they teach you how to do the job, not how to teach your discipline. USYD is too academic for practical things like Journalism. Jennifer Duke (BoS avatar=jennieTalia) is doing UTS Journalism and she loves it. She wouldn't have done it at USYD if you paid her.

All the "good" universities don't earn their reputation in a valid way/form. Saying that you're good cuz of successful graduates is obviously a flawed statement. The graduates are the successful ones because they worked hard and smart. The Uni gave very limited guidance and some structure for a prescribed pattern of study

Gone are the days where one would learn for the sake of learning, and not to earn and store and use some useless paper. Economics boofheads neg rep all you like; but money has got us nowhere. It's started wars (e.g. Iraq War where the US invaded because of "terrorism" (oil) and it just stuffs things up and makes people uneccessarily miserable because they never learn how to survive without money, which is highly possible and an ideal)

I'm amazed at the fact that you make pronouncements as if it were a categorical truth. Being that you are 2 years away from even GETTING an ATAR, and being that you have no direct experience with tertiary education, what exactly qualifies you to make such bold statements o enlightened one?

Re: Harvard, I think you should check the verity of your statements (or opinions) before you speak.

The acceptance rate is around 7% out of around 30,000 applicants from around the world. It is literally the hardest university to get into. Not only that but most of these applicants are QUALIFIED enough to get in - there are few dud applicants.

Are you in the slightest familiar with the ivy league applications process?

If you were, you would be aware that the admissions is MUCH more rigorous than Australian universities (or universities generally), as it practices holistic admissions - you not only have to be academically qualified, you have to demonstrate that you are well rounded with participation in a breadth of extracurriculars as well as a depth of passion in a field.

In australia, we just admit whoever meets a particular ATAR level.

As for learning for learning's sake - that's EXACTLY what places like Harvard/Yale/Princeton or liberal arts colleges like Amherst in America emphasises. Because its a liberal arts degree and not a professional one, it gives students that freedom to explore and find intellectual freedom. Add to that the amazing resources and incredible faculty - and you literally have the best possible learning environment in which to LEARN.

Heard of Harold Bloom? He teaches at Yale. Heard of Tony Blair? So does he.
Stephen Greenblatt? Harvard.

I'm not saying that Harvard or indeed ANY university is necessarily the best for any one particular person. However you would be incredibly foolish, and would indeed look like a plain idiot to suggest that Harvard, or any of the elite universities are somehow not at the very top of what can be offered academically.

 

[jet]

Re: is my father right - how much of a factor is the 'reputation' of the uni? usyd vs

Heard of Harold Bloom? He teaches at Yale. Heard of Tony Blair? So does he.
Stephen Greenblatt? Harvard.

I read Greenblatt's New Historicist analysis of Hamlet for Module B. It was excellent.

 

[wendybird]

Re: is my father right - how much of a factor is the 'reputation' of the uni? usyd vs

I read Greenblatt's New Historicist analysis of Hamlet for Module B. It was excellent.

A friend of mine was actually taught by him. As a freshman.

(Because all the faculty, famous or not have to teach undergrad classes).

We're talking about THAT kind of opportunity to learn from the best of the best.

ETA: Oh and I read that as well for Hammie New Historicism is pretty cool.

 

[vaguespecifics]

Re: is my father right - how much of a factor is the 'reputation' of the uni? usyd vs

thank you all heaps for the response!

The Bachelor of International and Global Studies degree program is a complete marketing gimmick used to compete with other similarly named programs (word on the grapevine has it that USyd was losing politics students and whatnot to the UNSW Int Studies program).

Just do a regular BA at USyd and take the same units. There is close to nothing you can do in the B.I.G.S program that you can't do in a BA.

Also, the USyd arts faculty is much larger and better funded than its UTS counterpart (and the same goes for UNSW which is similarly small in comparison). USyd will tend to have more diverse course options which are more likely to be taught by individuals with a research interest in that particular area.

In short: I'm not sure why you would pass up a USyd BA? (unless you view the degree name as another key employment factor)

job prospects would be a factor, yes (even more so for my dad of course)
would a specific degree not strengthen one's employment prospects in contrast to a generic one though? idk, but i think i may very well end up doing a BA at usyd which would most likely be followed by a masters i trust

yeah i've heard most people have issues with the core units. what's so bad about them?

this.
@KFunk, would you mind elaborating on the BIGS issue?

 

[babikakez]

Re: is my father right - how much of a factor is the 'reputation' of the uni? usyd vs

I'm amazed at the fact that you make pronouncements as if it were a categorical truth. Being that you are 2 years away from even GETTING an ATAR, and being that you have no direct experience with tertiary education, what exactly qualifies you to make such bold statements o enlightened one?

Re: Harvard, I think you should check the verity of your statements (or opinions) before you speak.

The acceptance rate is around 7% out of around 30,000 applicants from around the world. It is literally the hardest university to get into. Not only that but most of these applicants are QUALIFIED enough to get in - there are few dud applicants.

Are you in the slightest familiar with the ivy league applications process?

If you were, you would be aware that the admissions is MUCH more rigorous than Australian universities (or universities generally), as it practices holistic admissions - you not only have to be academically qualified, you have to demonstrate that you are well rounded with participation in a breadth of extracurriculars as well as a depth of passion in a field.

In australia, we just admit whoever meets a particular ATAR level.

As for learning for learning's sake - that's EXACTLY what places like Harvard/Yale/Princeton or liberal arts colleges like Amherst in America emphasises. Because its a liberal arts degree and not a professional one, it gives students that freedom to explore and find intellectual freedom. Add to that the amazing resources and incredible faculty - and you literally have the best possible learning environment in which to LEARN.

Heard of Harold Bloom? He teaches at Yale. Heard of Tony Blair? So does he.
Stephen Greenblatt? Harvard.

I'm not saying that Harvard or indeed ANY university is necessarily the best for any one particular person. However you would be incredibly foolish, and would indeed look like a plain idiot to suggest that Harvard, or any of the elite universities are somehow not at the very top of what can be offered academically.

repped, also I really wish that we had the same liberal arts culture in Australia.