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I don't know about the Netherlands, but at least for the UK and France which university you go to is extremely important. At least there's a big divide between

by treis 5y ago

I don't know about the Netherlands, but at least for the UK and France which university you go to is extremely important. At least there's a big divide between top schools and the rest.

detritus 5y ago
In the UK at least, this is only true for a certain type or - shudder - class of person. For the vast majority of people, just getting the right course is the reason for the choice of university to attend. Certainly, for the vast majority of people I've ever known, getting a spot at Oxbridge not only was not 'extremely important' - it wasn't even a consideration.
- maccard 5y ago
  You don't have to be talking about Oxford or Cambridge for this to be true. There's a world of difference between warwick and Wolverhampton universities for example
  - detritus 5y ago
    Or Newcastle, or Durham, or St Andrews, or St Martin's (if you're that way inclined), or... . I know, the list is longer than Oxford and Cambridge. But it's a neat shorthand.
- growse 5y ago
  > Certainly, for the vast majority of people I've ever known, getting a spot at Oxbridge not only was not 'extremely important' - it wasn't even a consideration. Having spent a bunch of time working with people on these particular universities' access programs (where they essentially spend a lot of time and money encouraging more people to apply, especially from disadvantaged backgrounds), this "consideration" is often a deeply ingrained bias in the school teaching staff. There are large numbers of students who are both good enough to go to Oxbridge and would thrive there, who aren't getting that opportunity because their teachers have already decided it's "not for them".
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
Aeolun 5y ago
I guess maybe the Netherlands seems special in that all education is already split into 3 levels after elementary school, with similar (corresponding) levels for university education. If any distinction is made, it’ll be on the ‘level’ of education you went to, not what school.

by treis 5y ago

I don't know about the Netherlands, but at least for the UK and France which university you go to is extremely important. At least there's a big divide between top schools and the rest.

detritus 5y ago

In the UK at least, this is only true for a certain type or - shudder - class of person. For the vast majority of people, just getting the right course is the reason for the choice of university to attend. Certainly, for the vast majority of people I've ever known, getting a spot at Oxbridge not only was not 'extremely important' - it wasn't even a consideration.

maccard 5y ago
You don't have to be talking about Oxford or Cambridge for this to be true. There's a world of difference between warwick and Wolverhampton universities for example
- detritus 5y ago
  Or Newcastle, or Durham, or St Andrews, or St Martin's (if you're that way inclined), or... . I know, the list is longer than Oxford and Cambridge. But it's a neat shorthand.
growse 5y ago
> Certainly, for the vast majority of people I've ever known, getting a spot at Oxbridge not only was not 'extremely important' - it wasn't even a consideration. Having spent a bunch of time working with people on these particular universities' access programs (where they essentially spend a lot of time and money encouraging more people to apply, especially from disadvantaged backgrounds), this "consideration" is often a deeply ingrained bias in the school teaching staff. There are large numbers of students who are both good enough to go to Oxbridge and would thrive there, who aren't getting that opportunity because their teachers have already decided it's "not for them".

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

Aeolun 5y ago

I guess maybe the Netherlands seems special in that all education is already split into 3 levels after elementary school, with similar (corresponding) levels for university education. If any distinction is made, it’ll be on the ‘level’ of education you went to, not what school.