Best UK Semi-Target Uni

Interested to hear what people’s opinions on the best UK Semi-Target University is based on working alongside Analysts / Associates from those universities in FT roles, as well as based on how well those uni’s perform in interviews etc

UK Semi-Targets (apologies if i missed any): Bath Bristol Durham Exeter King’s Nottingham Manchester St Andrews

17 Comments
 

https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/20-most-frequently-asked-questio…

All place well. Wouldn't consider Manchester a semi-target. There is like 1 person per year making it to FO roles from there.

Quality of the analyst/associate is completely independant from the uni - I must say though that I have a good friend from Durham and he is good fun.

 

Edinburgh definitely deserves to be there - the "culture" is right for banking (as sad as that may be) and it's a solid uni, especially as many Scots will choose it (and St Andrews) over Oxford-Cambridge-Imperial-LSE due to fees. 

Nottingham seems well-represented in most banks (strong economics programme). Bath has very strong econ/maths departments which naturally mean it places quite well. Exeter, Manchester, and Bristol seem to be less common IMO, even though you could argue they're marginally more prestigious unis and Bristol is very strong at engineering, which usually would place well. King's is overrated because it's in London - better rep. outside the UK than in due to the name and location - but doesn't seem to place very well into banking (or consultancy, for that matter). Most King's folk I know are having to do a Masters at Oxbridge/LSE to get a decent job, but make of that what you will. Except for the Scottish unis, Durham is the most traditionally "prestigious" of this lot and I'd suggest it would place the best if you opt for a non-STEM/econ subject (i.e. social sciences/humanities); a lot of people outside of London really do see it as "that step below Oxford" (equal to Imperial, LSE, UCL), and while they're wrong, I think that reputation still persists a little.
 

 

I graduated ages ago, can someone explain how competitive unis are these days? I see people from top independent schools with like 10A* at GCSEs and 3-4A* at A level ending up in eg Bath, Exeter and Notts for economics? The only guess I can make is they didn't want to go to London (if they went to school there), didn't like Warwick campus and didn't get into Bristol because so many Oxbridge rejects go there? Back in my day 10A* at GCSEs was like auto offer for LSE. 

 

They are not competitive at all - Bristol Econ has an offer rate of like 85%. I think it’s just a posh people thing where they just seem to view all targets/semi-targets to be the same except for Oxbridge, so just choose to go to the one they like the most.

 
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