<p>Unfortunately, for many interviews, you won't get very far if you focus on bragging about where you went rather than talking about what you've learned and experienced.</p>
<p>easy question!! overall prestige is much more important...</p>
<p>some1 above me said he would pick 4.0 cc student or 2.0 harvard student???heck no id pick 2.0 harvard student without a doubt....</p>
<p>Actually, meteorology is a good example for this thread. It is not offered at very many private colleges. It is offered at Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (the SUNY college), but it is a very small undergraduate program there with only a scant few professors and students. On the other hand, it is a well-known, highly regarded, and large program at Penn State with a booming graduate program, research, recruiting effort by employers, etc. Assuming he or she is accepted at both, which college should a student attend--the one with the highly known and regarded dept. in the field, or the Ivy with the tiny dept. but plenty of other opportunities (which PSU also has, of course)? I can see students struggling with a choice like that. At that point, it just might come down to fit.</p>
<p>Kheryn,</p>
<p>I'm not saying that one needs to focus on bragging. What I'm saying is that a look at one's resume can often yield a "I see you went to _______ and studied <strong><em>" This gives you an opportunity to work it in your favor and show how the competitive environment of _</em></strong>_ has helped you become a future asset to __________.</p>
<p>SmileDarling,</p>
<p>Exactly. When hiring, people are risk averse. They want someone that they can be assured will be good from day one. You do get duds from Harvard or Princeton or Berkeley or Michigan, but they're fewer and farther between. It's not like I'm saying that Podunk U's grad is forever doomed to a life of obscure middle-management at Podunk Co., but name brand gives you that little boost in the beginning.</p>
<p>Dr_Mom,</p>
<p>Giving up Cornell for Penn State isn't exactly the biggest fall from heaven. It's not like you're giving up Harvard for Liberty U.</p>
<p>thanks, vanessama! I concur with your statement.</p>
<p>What I'm saying is that, these days, a person can get a good education practically anywhere. The USA isn't ruled by the Ivies and the old-boy network anymore. It doesn't matter if the school is competitive or well-known or listed in "America's Best Colleges."</p>
<p>Example: I was once considering going to the University of Hawaii. Everyone told me that the school is AWFUL; yet it has one of the best Japanese programs in the country. If I went to the University of Hawaii, I would've learned Japanese better than I would have at some other school that's well known or considered "better." I would have learned Japanese damned well and, if I went on to teach Japanese, I would be able to do that really well too. But - had I chosen the other school with a Japanese program that isn't as good - then I wouldn't be able to teach Japanese as well. Tell me: what's the point of that? </p>
<p>Prestige is overrated.</p>
<p>UCLAri </p>
<p>well said!!!!</p>
<p>Kheryn,</p>
<p>That's only one career, however. As Roger Dooley pointed out at the beginning, most people are going to change majors.</p>
<p>Besides, having gone to one of the better Japanese-teaching universities in the country, I can tell you that the pedagogy isn't really what allows one to learn the language. It's the self-effort. Besides, the top schools all have excellent Japanese programs. You'll also get the chance to branch out a bit if you want to apply the language in other ways.</p>
<p>Prestige is overrated. But there's a reason why there's a strong correlation between good high school academics and a desire to go to top universities-- people know that the top schools are on top for a reason.</p>
<p>my sister was accepted to hopkins bme, and says that she regrets not applying for a less competitive major. she said that if she did apply to an "easier" major/art&sciences dept. rather than engineering dept., she most likely would have been accepted to a better school; she says that in the real world, people care what school you went to, not what program in that school, and thus it is important to get into the best SCHOOL you are able to get into, not the best department. i think it makes sense.</p>
<p>UCLAri & dnduswo--I disagree that there is no perceived difference; however, both are good schools.</p>
<p>No perceived difference between what?</p>
<p>Sorry, USLAri - I disagree. I've been teaching myself Japanese for the past three years. I've put a LOT of self-effort into it. But, without a teacher and classmates there, I haven't learned as much as I could have over these last years. I also don't think the "top schools" have excellent Japanese programs. Columbia's, for example, is underdeveloped. (They're also not very helpful to people looking for information.) You'll get a better education at the schools with better departments.</p>
<p>And believe me, you'll get chances for application everywhere.</p>
<p>The top schools are on top because of MONEY. It's a corrupt system. Surely you know that.</p>
<p>Between Michigan and Penn State, which school should one chose (for Business and Economics - assuming you do Economics at Michigan and Finance at Penn State). Prestige and academic quality wise, do you think Michigan is much better than Penn State?</p>
<p>I was in Boston University and transferred to Johnson and Wales to specialize in hotel management because that is one of the main programs at JWU. One of the dumbest decisions ever and I am trying to get back into BU as we speak. Though in some cases picking a worse school that has a better program in a certain major can work. My friend, who was fully capable of paying for Boston U, turned down their engineering program to go to our local college, Rutgers University, because, although the school itself isn't quite the level of BU, their engineering program is top notch</p>
<p>MANY of my former college classmates attended Ivy League & other top programs for MBAs & Masters of Engineering after graduating from our VERY unprestigious (in the eyes of the general public) co-op school. The upper ranks of numerous firms are peppered with alums from my school. From this, I surmise that neither grad schools nor employers saw the relatively unknown name of the school as a problem. Instead, they saw the hands-on engineering courses, the excellent academic preparation, and the in-depth cooperative work experience as a plus ... and they saw promise in the individuals. I just don't think it's necessary to go the the best-known, most prestigious school to succeed in life. I also don't think going to such a school guarantees anything. It's all up to the student. What you do with what you have to take advantage of is what makes the difference.</p>
<p>Of course, some employers would choose Harvard over podunk U just because it's Harvard. I believe many more employers don't care. And there are many more jobs with people hiring who don't care. SO ... my advice is GO FOR FIT and make the most of what you are offered.</p>
<p>Datkid: I have hired 4 people, had input into the hiring of 6 or 8 more, plus done many, many interviews, all in the computer science area. Plus, my husband has hired probably 3 times as many people and I listen to what he says.</p>
<p>I know someone who turned down Princeton for Duke this year. How about "THEM APPLES?" He says it was just a better fit for him all things considered. I guess that works for him.</p>
<p>Not everyone has such wonderful choices. But out of the limelight schools like Gonzaga or Santa Clare University are outstanding schools .....Or Hamilton College in New York, or Connecticut College or Colorado College....all great schools.</p>
<p>That is my point. One only has to peruse the Barrons directory of American Colleges.</p>
<p>Instead of going to private universities like Hofstra, and NYU. (Cornell and Columbia are good but they're VERY expensive and I don't have the GPA for them), CCNY is a overall better engineering school than the privates and it's way cheaper too.</p>
<p>ok, here's a poser for you. Patriotic sentiments aside, which school would you choose to read engineering in. Berkeley or Cambridge? </p>
<p>Berkeley's engineering faculty is top notch, but Cambridge isn't all that far off, but in terms of prestige there's a world of a difference.</p>