uk education access services - ukeas
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Rankings For many students when choosing their study destination they will pay a
lot of attention to rankings. Rankings are important as they give an independent
way of judging universities. However it is very important to understand that
every ranking has its own criteria and some maybe aimed at UK students or
undergraduate students so it is very important to understand what the rankings
are for and who they are aimed at. Below is a variety of rankings and your UKEAS
counselor will be able to guide you through the different rankings and which
ones focus on the aspects which are most important to you. Remember rankings
should just be one factor in selecting your chosen school and it also makes
sense to pay just as much attention to course content, location, cost, type of
university and student experience: Academically, school standards of teaching
are very close at the top; a schools ranking one year does not necessarily mean
that it will be in the top 100 by the time your son / daughter has competed
their studies as the smallest differences in GCSE and A level or IB results can
allow a school to move up or down several places. In addition, looking for a
school that excels at art or music for example is a folly. All UK schools have
to adhere to the national curriculum and the top schools will all have
exceptionally capable teachers for all subjects as they can pay for the best.
School curriculums are designed to give students a well rounded education and
allow them to explore a host of interests that in turn will prepare them for
specialist study at university in a specific subject. Finally, choosing a school
on rankings is only one criterion and as much as possible it is best for
students and parents to go and visit schools so that the student can determine
the best fit school for them. Public (private) schools come in a wide range of
guises from the small schools located in the countryside, to large schools in
the middle of cities. Using rankings tables should not be the be all and end all
of a decision that is going to have far reaching consequences for the student in
question; it should be one part of a process to help determine the best school
for a particular student.
