<p>Is it more important to go to a college that you feel will be better for you based on the atmosphere, people, location, ect. than going to a college that is ranked high yet you don't see yourself comfortable there? Or should you stop being so full of yourself and just go to a highly-ranked college because it means easier access to law school?</p>
<p>(I am really concerned about getting into a top law school and want to have a good chance at getting there!)</p>
<p>Absolutely go to the college that is the best fit for you. Fit means several things: your comfort level, reasonably strong academics, and finances you can handle. Remember that law school is expensive, so minimize your undergrad debt. Both of my kids turned down higher ranked schools they were admitted to for the better fit. Both were very happy. One is out of college a couple of years and doing great in her career. The other is a sophomore at her school and could not be more pleased with her choice. </p>
<p>^ ^ ^ ^
VERY sound advice! </p>
<p>Do you pick your clothes just to impress other people?</p>
<p>Well… I do know a lot of people who do that…</p>
<p>Of course you should choose an atmosphere that suits you over the determination of a for-profit entity that ranks colleges. You’re more “full of yourself” if you prioritize ranking over fit.</p>
<p>I do, actually. Well, I pick what I like and expect it to be admired.</p>
<p>Thank you so much for your insightful comment! I am glad that your kids are happy with their choices! Now I just need to convince my parents, haha</p>
<p>Grad and professional school do not care where you went to school. They care what you DO at the school you go to. A high GPA is necessary, along with LSAT scores, internships, etc. They want the brightest and hardest working applicants, not necessarily the ones who could afford higher ranked schools.</p>
<p>Why is this an either/or proposition?
Can’t you find a school you like that also has a very good reputation?
I don’t mean you need to limit yourself to schools with the very highest rankings, or make a final choice based on rankings. However, among the US News or Forbes top ~50 schools, there is a fairly wide range of size, location, sports/Greek emphasis, etc. </p>
<p>Doesn’t it depend on the difference in the quality of the institutions? If one school is marginally better than the other, then fit should be the deciding factor. But what if the better school is significantly better? I agree with tk. Considering the number of excellent colleges and universities out there, it should not be a either/or proposition. The OP should continue researching universities until he/she has found a group of good reaches/targets/safeties he/she knows will be a good fit.</p>
<p>To add to GMT’s point. Do you regularly dress in uncomfortable clothes to impress other people?</p>
<p>Alexandre’s point is well-taken also. I think that there is really little tangible difference between the top 10 schools and the top 100 schools in terms of academic quality. You may see differences, but most of it is perception, not reality.</p>
<p>Which ranking? If it’s a “fame ranking” like USNews’s and Forbes’s listings, it’s not worth much attention.</p>
<p>The few student and alumni satisfaction rankings available warrant a look. Until colleges decide that they can run on ideas rather than money, looking for their internal survey results will be like looking for Yahweh in the Book of Job. I asked Reed College if it publishes Senior Survey data; I was told to look at the Princeton Review listings. Swarthmore representative told me that the College does not publish any survey results that are not on its website.</p>
<p>it depends whether you mean Top 10 vs . Top 50 (or Honors program at flagship vs. top-ranked private U) => then, yes, FIT is what matters
OR
directional ranked 152 regionally vs. national university ranked 47 nationally… => then you have to wonder whether you’ll be in the right environment to grow intellectually and personally</p>
<p>The probably is that the college that I always thought would be my first choice made me change my mind after I visited, but now I have no clue where to go anymore because anything I talked to my counselor about was shot down and anything else seemed like no chance at all or they were not as well-known as others. So I don’t know where to go anymore.</p>
<p>Why don’t you give us your actual list, proposed major, and thinking on your current schools? We might be able to make suggestions, or at least tell you if you are right to worry about the “not as well known” schools. I am sympathetic to your top choice not being everything you wanted when you visited. My D2 thought she knew her order of preference AFTER initial visits, but went back to her “top 3” for accepted visits. They turned her thinking around… her top two choices didn’t really live up to her expectations when she spent 24 hours on campus, and the “dark horse” 3rd place school really shone. Lower ranked than the other two, not as well known (at least where we live), but she picked that school that had been 3rd on her list and is super happy there now.</p>
<p>I second what inparent said.
What college did you visit and what made you change your mind?
What had made it your “top choice” before, what qualities did you see in it that you’d want in your new top choices?
What colleges are on your list?
What’s your parents’ budget?</p>
<p>We might be able to help more than your GC (wouldn’t be the first time!). Give us a try.</p>
<p>I’ll third the suggestion - if you have one school you like and one you don’t like, but it’s much higher ranked and you’re qualified, it’s generally possible to find a similar higher ranked school that has the characteristics of the well-liked lower ranked school. </p>
<p>The exception would be if you are looking for something very specific and rare - top-ranked politically conservative LACs, for example. If you don’t like W&L, you’re pretty much out of luck in that case, though if you loosen your requirements a bit, a compromise can generally be found.</p>
<p>^Uh… CMC. But since we have no idea what the OP is looking for, we probably shouldn’t go any further down that rabbit hole. :)</p>