College "Rankings"

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Do they really matter? And does a student at a top 10, 50, or 100 school really learn more than someone at a community college or unknown school?</p>

<p>I'm a attending Binghamton University right now and while it's not in the top 50, it's a good school nonetheless. However, all 4 of my classes are on par with the courses I took out Westchester Community College (for example, took Macro there and the teacher was just as good as my Micro teacher at Bing) or Hofstra University (where I went freshmen year).</p>

<p>Even my Int. Acct. class isn't extremely difficult. You read the book, you take notes, do the HW due on every class or two. Then there are gonna be tests, project or two, done.</p>

<p>It wasn't different anywhere else. Same books. Same main points to be made by teachers, similar workload. </p>

<p>And I've looked at workloads from friends at other (better than Bing) schools. Still don't see it.</p>

<p>It's all hype. If you can read a book and comprehend it and absorb info from a teacher... you'll learn the same thing at any school I'd assume. And seems courseload isn't drastically different anywhere either. </p>

<p>Am I wrong here? I just feel like, with the exception of the fact that maybe at the better schools the students all want to do well, you can learn the same thing anywhere. Plus, gradewise and workloadwise, it's about using your time efficiently. </p>

<p>I just don't see the big deal. I feel like you get what you want out of your education. Plus, jobwise, reputation just helps you get your fit in, it's your own skills and personality that get you where you want to be.</p>

<p>To me this kind of proves how overrated highly ranked schools are, beyond the initial first step they might help you get through connections and such.</p>

<p>Anyone agree?</p>

2

<p>There's much more to a college education than classes. The top schools give you access to grants, professors, and resources beyond what you get at lesser schools. Add in far better recruiters (that lower ranked schools cannot access), a stronger alumni network, more ambitious peers, etc and the benefits of a top education start to become very real.</p>

3

<p>Slipper nailed it.</p>

<p>While there are people who do just as well coming out of Penn State as those coming out of Penn, a disproportionate amount of them will be coming out of the latter school.</p>

<p>In short, a super awesome school is by no means a prerequisite to success, but that it helps is rationally and empirically undeniable.</p>

4

<p>
[quote]

While there are people who do just as well coming out of Penn State as those coming out of Penn, a disproportionate amount of them will be coming out of the latter school.

[/quote]

But keep in mind that the student population entering Penn State and the ones entering Penn are of different quality. There's always the possibility that the school didn't make a difference at all, and the student were on the same track to success when they graduated as when they started college. </p>

<p>I still think that going to a better school is more advantageous though, mostly because of the stronger alumni network. Better schools have more successful alumni, which will help with jobs and connections.</p>

<p>
[quote]
To me this kind of proves how overrated highly ranked schools are, beyond the initial first step they might help you get through connections and such.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Don't underestimate how important that first step is though. I went to a school prestigious in my field, and got an internship because of someone I knew there. Two years later, I decided I didn't want a career in this specialization, and the vice-prez at the company (who was also an alum of my school) helped me secure a position at another firm who did the type of work I was interested in. I had actually applied to the new company for an internships a few times already unsuccessfully, so going to the school that I did has been a major help for me in terms of finding a job.</p>

5

<p>I strongly disagree. I'm studying abroad this semester at a decent university, but I've already come across HUGE differences. The library resources aren't nearly as useful (1/6 the holdings), the departments aren't nearly as well funded, students are expected to pay for more things (copies, handouts, interlibrary loans, campus buses), tedious registration, etc. Although the department I'm studying in is one of the top 3-4 in the UK, the academic experience simply doesn't compare. I've been very spoiled at my school, so it's been an eye-opening experience. :eek:</p>

6

<p>
[quote]

Senior Member</p>

<p>Join Date: Nov 2004
Threads: 111
Posts: 5,218</p>

<p>I strongly disagree. I'm studying abroad this semester at a decent university, but I've already come across HUGE differences. The library resources aren't nearly as useful (1/6 the holdings), the departments aren't nearly as well funded, students are expected to pay for more things (copies, handouts, interlibrary loans, campus buses), tedious registration, etc. Although the department I'm studying in is one of the top 3-4 in the UK, the academic experience simply doesn't compare. I've been very spoiled at my school, so it's been an eye-opening experience.

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</p>

<p>Cambridge, Oxford, LSE and Imperial are comparable to top 20 universities in the US. In fact, I'd say that, depending on your major, you'll probably get a better education at any of those 4 UK universities than in the US (Ivies included).</p>

7

<p>One guy in my singing group went to Oxford for a while. He said the buildings were beautiful but the differences in quality of student life were staggering</p>

8

<p>
[quote]
One guy in my singing group went to Oxford for a while. He said the buildings were beautiful but the differences in quality of student life were staggering

[/quote]
</p>

<p>What do you mean exactly by "quality of student life" ?</p>

9

<p>The resources, comforts, etc that students have in the US, meet higher standards than what you can experience in any european university for that matter. I believe that's what both warbler and johnny are referring to. </p>

<p>Of course, socioeconomic issues and culture play a very important role here. The expectations of an american student are a lot higher. We certainly could be very "spoiled" here.</p>

10

<p>
[quote]
The resources, comforts, etc that students have in the US, meet higher standards than what you can experience in any european university for that matter. I believe that's what both warbler and johnny are referring to.

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</p>

<p>Is that so ? I was actually under the impression that student housing at Oxbridge was far better than the average American dorm. I suppose teaching and learning are also better at Oxford and Cambridge considering the tutorial system, which consists of two to four hours/week of private tutoring for each student by a senior college fellow who normally also holds a full-time faculty position in the university. </p>

<p>I must admit though that I did hear a few negative reviews of U.S. exchange students who went to Oxford in particular. Considering that Oxford, like Yale in the US, is IMHO overrated and not really that strong academically (except for certain areas like biological sciences/medicine, law, and humanities) , that doesn't surprise me. I tend to think that Cambridge on the other hand is on a entirely different league. I would say Cambridge actually beats any other university in the world except possibly Harvard.</p>

<p>As for the London colleges like Imperial and LSE, I suppose they might indeed compare unfavorably to top US colleges in terms of comfort and resources, but they are excellent specialist schools (LSE for economics, law and social/political sciences, and Imperial for engineering, natural sciences and medicine).</p>

11

<p>There have been data indicating that students who go to top selective schools don't do any better after graduation than students who were admitted to those schools but chose to go to a less selective school--suggesting that it's more about the student's personal qualities than the school itself that leads to success. So, more graduates of selective schools are successfull because those schools attract highly intelligent motivated people--people who will learn a lot anywhere.</p>

<p>However, I still think that those highly intelligent motivated people will probably be happier in an environment where most of the other students around them share those characteristics.</p>