Most university application platforms for universities in the northern hemisphere are opening at this time of the year. This is an exciting time for high school students and at the same time it is a time that is accompanied by a lot of decision making, conversations around the dinner table as well as with counsellors at schools.
At WIS, we use Unifrog for university guidance as well as social emotional learning. But a virtual platform alone does not make the decision. These critically important and difficult decisions for young people need to be made following intensive research and looking at what is best for this individual young person’s future. Not everyone goes to university, not everyone can afford or wants to study abroad. But how do we decide?
Sometimes our decisions are based on what we know, what we have been exposed to and what we feel is right. But is that right for the generation that has to enter the workplace in the next ten years? Most certainly not. We - older generation - therefore have to listen, adapt and understand what the needs, goals and dreams are of the generation that is on the verge of entering the workforce of the future.
I want to share an article from Times Higher Education today with information on this process and my advice as University Guidance Counsellor at WIS to parents and students is: Familiarise yourself with current trends, but most importantly, look at what is the best fit for YOU, who will need to study and start working in a few years time.
Families regularly use the term “good” to describe the university they want their child to attend.
I always ask them, “What is your definition of good?” and their response is normally something along the lines of “it’s well known.”
But there are so many institutions they’ve never heard of that might be good for their child. So how can we sway them away from applying to universities just for their strong brand names and direct their attention towards institutions that would provide their children with the right learning environment? How can counsellors use university rankings in a healthy manner to open parents’ eyes to possible options for their children?
Best fit versus best known
When looking at rankings, please keep in mind that they’re all different. There are rankings that compare institutions around the world and those that are country specific. Some countries invest heavily in their post-secondary institutions, ensuring that their citizens have access to high-quality and affordable education. Elsewhere, there are institutions that rely heavily on donors, endowments and high tuition fees. Some universities focus mostly on undergraduate education, while others invest deeply in their postgraduate research.
The most recognised rankings are Times Higher Education World University Rankings (THE), QS World University Rankings (QS), and the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). The methodologies used for these three major world university rankings show that each ranking uses different criteria, placing different weights on various issues, and that only some of these factors are related to their undergraduate offerings.
To bring students and their families back on track, teach them to focus on “best fit”. And encourage them to look at these criteria when putting together their university list:
Does the university offer their programme of interest?
Do the teaching and learning styles fit the student’s needs and abilities?
Will students get the attention and support they need and deserve?
Considering the pros and cons of big and small institutions, what is best for the student?
Considering the surrounding environment (urban, suburban, rural), the weather, availability of dorms, what environment would best suit them?
Will the university prepare them properly for their future career?
When the best isn't actually the best
The power of word of mouth is very strong, and many people only remember the universities that they’ve heard of. This is where you can introduce university rankings in a healthy manner, to open families’ eyes to options they hadn’t considered before.
Everyone knows Oxford and Cambridge and the Ivy League institutions, but do they know that UCL, MIT and Delft University of Technology have the top three architecture programmes in the world? Do they know that Princeton University isn’t one of the top 10 universities in computer science? Do they know that Bocconi University in Milan, Italy, ranks higher than Cambridge and Oxford in the field of business management?
How to use university rankings
So, how can rankings be used in a healthy manner?
1. Encourage students not to be too particular over which university came third versus fourth, since rankings change every year. Look at the list in batches: top 10, top 50, top 100, depending on the student’s academic profile.
2. Use subject-specific rankings, as not all universities are strong in all fields.
3. Keep an open mind. There are many amazing universities in Europe that students and their parents may not have heard of.
4. Once they've used the rankings to create a list of possible university options, ensure that they research the following:
Size of student population
Faculty-to-student ratio
Average class size
Teaching style
Research opportunities for undergraduate students
Campus location: urban, suburban or rural
The weather (more important than you think for some students)
Halls of residence: distance from campus, single-sex, shared or private bathrooms
Travel time and route to reach the university from their home town or country
Student diversity
Access to internship or coop opportunities
Student support services
Availability of merit scholarships or needs-based financial aid
There is no one perfect university – everybody’s needs and wants differ. Encourage families to set their priorities in order, with points for each factor. Then they can score each university accordingly, and then they’ll have produced a more personalised – and therefore much more accurate – university rankings system.
Maggie Reiff
Secondary Principal/ Deputy Director &
Career Guidance Counsellor
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