<p>I know this is a gross oversimplification and generalization:</p>
<p>My brilliant son attends a top 20 school and is doing very well, but probably not as well as he could be if he attended local U (I know this is big assumption, but I am comparing him to the high school classmates he ran rings around).</p>
<p>Younger daughter is just starting the college search. She has no professional school (med or law) aspirations and is undecided of her major. In the long run, do you think she'll be better off going for the name or the grades? </p>
<p>P.S. Don't want to get into a discussion of grade inflation/deflation, state vs. private, etc. Just want to hear opinions on the one variable.</p>
<p>"Name" or grades? Maybe you should rephrase your question to be education or grades.</p>
<p>I encourged both of my kids to go for the education. They do best when challenged. Not all kids do, however, so your daughter should go where the fit is best for her.</p>
<p>How do we not get into grade deflation/inflation, considering it's at the heart of your question?</p>
<p>Anyway, my son had a friend who he "outshined" in hs. Friend goes to UCF, son UF. Friend has apparently done extremely well, and therefore son feels that UCF must be easier than UF. I, OTOH, don't believe this. At least with the evidence presented. Who's to say friend isn't trying a lot harder now than he did in hs? Or that friend isn't just a whole lot more interested in school now that the courses are taught at a higher level, the teachers "better", etc.?</p>
<p>That's not to say that there isn't bound to be differences in schools with HUGE disparities in grade and score selectivity. But in many cases, we're talking relatively minor disparities (how can one say that kids with 1200-1400s SAT are much smarter than ones with 1100-1300s?).</p>
<p>AND, to top it off, many times when you think you're going to do better because a class is supposedly easier, you do worse because you don't try as hard.</p>
<p>I'd go where you feel there is the best fit.</p>
<p>Maybe it depends on if it is a reputable flagship U or a smaller state U with lower standards. My son knew he wanted to go to grad or prof school, and to save money he attended a good state school - and has a 4.0. I have a younger daughter also and like yours, she is unsure of what she wants to study yet. It is my feeling that if grad/prof school is not in the cards, you should go to the best undergrad you can get into (that would suit your tastes, of course).</p>
<p>Both employers and graduate schools know how to take both factors into consideration... and neither will be as important as other factors, such as internships/extracurriculars/research experiences. That being said, there are two schools of thought on the subject, but here's my take: go where you can make good grades and still have time for friends, family, fun, and extras, like part-time jobs or special undergraduate work. There's no sense in stressing out over (possibly overrated) academics to the detriment of the rest of the college experience.</p>
<p>I also think it's best to go where the best fit is and where your d thinks she will be happiest. There are so many factors that make a college a good fit besides the academics. First make a list of possibilities based on your daughters stats and then go through the list for location, size, availability of majors she might consider, and any other factors that are important to her.</p>
<p>Good luck finding the right school for her.</p>
<p>Go to the best school with the best fit. This is especially true if there aren't med/law school aspirations. GPA doesn't matter much in the job search, though it certainly matters in graduate school admissions (though school and grading policies are taken into account). </p>
<p>I do know what you mean, though. I know students from my high school who are getting better grades than I am now in college even though I did better than them in high school. This is despite the fact that I work harder in college. It can be frustrating, particularly if you're faced with those students bragging about their grades.</p>