<p>It is a blessing if the child is pretty firm on what he wants to major in/do when he grows up. Some “no name” schools have terrific reputations in a certain area…for example, Music at University of North Texas. The old “normal schools” that are now large state universities usually have supurb teacher ed. programs. Getting into and graduating from such programs can often have more clout in the job market than a degree from a top tier schoool.</p>
<p>If your child wants a career in banking or real estate, for example, it is usually a big help to have gone to the big university in the city in which the child wants to work. For example, if you want to be a banker in Ft. Worth, or a real estate broker in Dallas, TCU and SMU, respectively, are where you would make the best possible contacts for your future career.</p>