<p>“You should try to get into the best college you are able to get admission to.”</p>
<p>At the risk of being miserable and/or in debt for the next 2 decades? Hmm.</p>
<p>sakky,</p>
<p>We know that smoking is bad for you. But going to a less prestigious college isn’t necessarily bad for you. The analogy isn’t perfect. The problem with your argument, which is basically that we shouldn’t delude ourselves if we don’t go to HYPMSC, is that it doesn’t HELP anyone. Telling people to not smoke HELPS people.</p>
<p>Let people stay motivated. One of the biggest factors, I think, in people getting good jobs after school is their levels of motivation. There’s no point in not letting the good examples serve as a motivating force.</p>
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<p>I think the poster meant the best school you can gain admissions to in which you feel is a good fit and that is within your price range. No sacrifice, no gain.</p>
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<p>Well, actually, there are *some * studies that indicate a few beneficial effects to smoking. It’s just obviously there are many more harmful effects. </p>
<p>But that’s not really the point. The point is to demonstrate how dangerous it is to rely on anecdotes. I know people who have won money in Vegas, but that doesn’t mean that everybody should gamble all their money in Vegas.</p>
<p>sakky,</p>
<p>Of course. But you’re really stretching this analogy.</p>
<p>Going to UCI instead of, say, Cornell is not really “bad” for you as a person. Smoking is almost certainly bad. Going to Vegas is almost certainly a waste of money.</p>
<p>I agree that relying on anecdotes is a failure to look at the aggregate, but it doesn’t mean we can’t be inspired by them. I mean, if everyone just looked at the aggregate alone, we’d have very few interesting people.</p>
<p>“I think the poster meant the best school you can gain admissions to in which you feel is a good fit and that is within your price range. No sacrifice, no gain.”</p>
<p>Fair enough.</p>
<p>loyola’s an excellent school. and consider this: there is always the option of transferring if you feel compelled to leave</p>
<p>I would think most reputable and smart employers would look at more than just your college transcript. I go to a public state liberal arts school and they have produced tons of successful actors and musicians that are one the same level as kids who come out of Juilliard (I am in music/theatre). Although it’s not the same, you get what I mean.</p>
<p>Think about it statistically…couldn’t MOST college students have gotten into a school that is ranked higher than the one in which they are enrolled?</p>
<p>Make the most of the fact that Jesuit colleges’ curricula usually stress the humanities (English, philosophy, theology, history) in a way that gets you thinking deeply and writing precisely. I did my undergrad at Boston College (and was an average student at best). After that I went to grad school in education at Indiana University. Other grad students, some of whom had gone to splashier colleges than BC, used to come to me to to get pointers on how to improve their term papers.</p>
<p>Being at a “top” college is like being a “tough” guy. There’s always somebody tougher who can wipe up the floor with you…you’re always looking up at SOMEBODY. Even if you’re graduating magna cum laude in physics from Dartmouth, there are summa cum laude grads in physics at Princeton or MIT or Cambridge U. who probably think you are a slacker. NOT being #1 is the universal condition, and we all have to get used to it. The fact that Tony Bennett was never going to be better than Frank Sinatra did not keep him from singing.</p>
<p>I go to Northwestern, and I can tell you this much: getting into a school of this caliber says very little about the intellect of the student. Sure, most kids I know are very goal-oriented and over achieving, but when you get down to have a conversation, you’ll be surprised how many Northwestern kids could care less about what they learn; it’s the A they want, the 4.00, the success.</p>
<p>I am, by no means, ripping on my classmates, what I’m trying to say is that the institution you attend is hardly a reflection of your intellect, and I am absolutely positive that employers and grad school adcoms know about this far better than I do.</p>
<p>Loyola is a great school, but it matters more that you’re a great student.</p>
<p>My two cents.</p>
<p>Both excellent points gd and tour guide! And I like the tony bennett analogy! I liked Sinatra and still like Bennett. I never fail to watch his Valentines Day television show…but I guess I am showing my age! </p>
<p>I once met an admissions counselor (minority) at Washington and Lee and she graduated from Harvard. She didnt have many nice things to say about Harvard, which I thought was interesting. She has since moved on to another job. But we were talking about the passion of professors and the importance of the teaching skills, as opposed to the credentials, of professors.</p>
<p>Since when is mediocrity “bad”?
We live in a capitalist society, driven by competition.
If someone’s on the top, then someone has to be in the middle and on the bottom.
It’s simply a fact of life.
You can’t control your intellectual genetic potential (I’m NOT saying its all genetics, I am saying some people have higher potential than others)
However, you can DEFINITELY control how happy you are.
Live a mediocre and happy life and at the end of the day, you can tell yourself you were happy. That’s all that matters.
And I go to Columbia. Although it’s nice to get the diploma with those 8 letters, all I really want is to be happy.</p>
<p>Nobody wants to be “mediocre.” Maybe some people don’t mind being “average,” but telling someone he’s mediocre and he should be happy with it is pretty disparaging.</p>
<p>I’d rather try to be great than just accept myself as not being very good.</p>
<p>LOL. And who says Loyola is “mediocre?” I agree that being happy and content is more important than status and that is perhaps what he meant.</p>
<p>My empty wallet’s worth.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Life isn’t fair. So, some people who are less qualified that you may get into the top, prestigious schools that denied you admission. You have to come to terms with that. Sure, we should all look to improving the admissions process, but at the same time remember that being shortchanged is not a signal of your ‘inferiority’.</p></li>
<li><p>Prestige matters. Period. Prestige is a factor in the admissions and college selection. Period. An ivy gives you nearly unmatched contacts and networking opportunities. But then again, so does Claremont McKenna college (=p). </p></li>
</ol>
<p>But it should not be the sole reason that you choose a college. As a general guideline, the top 10 schools will be different from the next 20 schools who will be different from the next 40 and so on. But if you know your school has a good program, and you like the atmosphere, your peers, and your profs, and the school has good career development offices and other good stuff, do not let the (relative) lack of prestige cloud your vision. If you’re miserable in the school you’re in, prestige will do very little to make you feel better, and you’ll sink in a hurry.</p>
<ol>
<li>So get involved. Join debate. Or enter student govt. Or start a club that you feel is lacking in your school. Meet people. Meet new people. Study hard. Be passionate about what you study. Get to know your profs. Don’t be afraid to be criticized. Party, relax, and drink coffee. Study abroad. There’s so much to do.</li>
</ol>
<p>And if you still feel shortchanged, then don’t spend your time feeling bummed and sorry for yourself. It’s fine to go through a sullen period, but you need to come to terms with it, then work hard, then work hard to transfer out. Don’t be afraid to do so if you really want to.</p>
<p>Yup.</p>
<p>You’re just wrong here…a 4.0 student from anywhere will have a better chance than a 2.5 student anywhere else (except perhaps from a school very notorious for grade deflation, MIT comes to mind). </p>
<p>You are where you are so make the best out of it. If you don’t like it, do well and transfer.</p>
<p>"I go to Northwestern, and I can tell you this much: getting into a school of this caliber says very little about the intellect of the student. Sure, most kids I know are very goal-oriented and over achieving, but when you get down to have a conversation, you’ll be surprised how many Northwestern kids could care less about what they learn; it’s the A they want, the 4.00, the success.</p>
<p>I am, by no means, ripping on my classmates, what I’m trying to say is that the institution you attend is hardly a reflection of your intellect, and I am absolutely positive that employers and grad school adcoms know about this far better than I do.</p>
<p>Loyola is a great school, but it matters more that you’re a great student.</p>
<p>My two cents."</p>
<p>In response to this, I am going to be a pain in the butt and promote Brown University. Students here are just the opposite – they care deeply about what they learn, and hardly about the grade. That doesn’t mean they don’t work hard and want to succeed – we do! But it’s not about just the success by any means. And the curriculum and grading system fosters exactly this attitude. Yay Brown!!!</p>
<p>You know guys, there are worse things than being in debt. I am gladly taking on the debt I am accruing in school because I love my school. Being in debt DOES NOT mean being miserable. </p>
<p>Speaking as someone who is currently in debt (not school debt – long, not fun story), it’s hard, sometimes it sucks, you have to make a few sacrifices, but it is definitely, completely manageable. Keep up with your payments and your credit will be fine. Be more careful with your bank balance and you will still be able to do a lot of things. </p>
<p>Taking on debt for something like college is not so bad. In my opinion, it’s completely worth it.</p>
<p>I know at least four millionaires from Loyola Chicago. Stop whining.</p>