U Chicago has one of the top Classics departments in the country. It would be silly to say that the “prestige” of Chicago plays no role in a kids decision to want to study Classics there. Because it is a prestigious university, it attracts some of the top faculty, grad students, has incredible fellowship opportunities, and yes- if a kid decides after a semester that he or she doesn’t want Classics but wants History or Math or Econ- all those departments are fabulous also- because that’s what you are getting at a “prestigious” university- real depth and breadth academically.
Does Chicago have everything? No. Don’t go there to become a nurse or an electrical engineer. But its “prestige” tells you a lot about the place-- for the disciplines it teaches, it is hard to go wrong.
So for my dollar (none of my kids went to Chicago so I’m using it as an example with no axe to grind) for a kid who wants academic intensity, the “prestige” of Chicago makes it a very solid deal (if your kid can get in and if you can afford it). There are dozens of “less prestigious” colleges where you really have to do your homework- departments which have a few faculty members but they are all almost retired or currently emeritus, majors which have been downgraded to certificate/concentrations because the college has opted not to invest there, problem with accreditation, etc. And a kid who can get into Chicago can likely get a free ride at many of these.
But for my dollar- I knew what I wanted to pay for.
@Twoin18 Being CA residents, we dutifully visited both UCLA and Berkeley as well as UCSD, UC Irvine and UCSB. Truthfully, we were glad to avoid the brewing potential conflict between my wife who wanted our kid to attend Berkeley vs. me who wanted our kid to attend Honors College. Berkeley would have been cheaper than Stanford by $$25K per year while the Honors College would have been cheaper by $60K per year. So if you are asking me, I would have advised my kid to go to Honors College because I am not crazy about UC Berkeley from everything I have heard (and I know many parents whose sons and daughters went or go to Berkeley), but my wife would beg to differ. You also have to keep in mind that my kid is a non-STEM interested kid so that sort of influenced our decision.
If I had to choose between UCs, I liked UCLA the best due to the school vibe and sports programs, even though I like SF more.
Really, whatever our kid did, I would have found a way to be happy with his decision. For example, if he went to either UCLA/Berkeley, I would have been happy because he’s going to a very good school at cheaper price than a private college. If he was going to Honors College, I would have been happy he was getting a solid education for almost free. If he’s going to Stanford (which he will next year), I will be happy he’s going to a great school (which is also very prestigious) which offers BING study abroad programs, study in NY or Wash DC programs and great internship programs with a great alumni network (and nice weather).
Because our kid is undecided what he will major, he needs to go to a college which has strong programs across the board.
@blossom I didn’t think you were being cute at all.
I thought you were making good arguments. I agree with you for the most part, sorry if I didn’t make myself clear in that regard. The “prestige” of Chicago in the example you cite has to do with well-recognized faculty, fellowships, etc. If someone wants to go there to get an excellent liberal arts education, then there are plenty of reasons to go there. I’m concerned with people who want their child to go to Chicago because of the prestige of being #3 in USNWR (I had to look that up) even though their kid wants a warm-weather school, big-time football, and an electrical engineering degree.
Nope. Fit, fit, fit. All the way. We knew more about different schools the second time around, so understood the choices better. But it was never about anything but fit. Neither one went to the highest ranked school they got into, and both had excellent experiences.
Interesting thread. Both my kids were very good students and applied to a range of schools including in-state flagship… K1 got into UChicago and is currently a 2nd year there. K2 got into Harvard in December and will most likely attend in the Fall. Did prestige play a role? Certainly, but it was not the primary driver. Academic rigor, breadth of choices, and unparalleled resources (especially at Harvard) were the primary factors. Also, UChicago and Harvard offered the best financial aid among the schools that my kids got into.
I’ve never equated prestige with academic rigor, but that’s a different topic. Regarding the OP, I interpreted the question as he/she is expected to attend a prestigious school more for the name than anything else. It sounds like the parents are applying the pressure. Maybe the OP will elaborate a bit.
Borgity- thanks for clarifying. I think Chicago’s workload is so well known and the academic flavor of its culture is hard to avoid… well, I can’t imagine a parent wanting their kid at Chicago if the kid didn’t want to work their tail off.
I know a lot of prestige-obsessed parents but their wants/needs/goals for the kids aren’t in fact the USNWR hit parade. (What prestige obsessed parent wants their kid at Swarthmore- nobody can spell it, or Amherst- nobody can find it on a map, or JHU which almost everyone mispronounces). These colleges are well known for being HARD.
I see the prestige manifested at a bunch of different colleges where the kid can have a nice social life, meet the “right” people, sail into a job at a bank or hedge fund by majoring in “business”, and have fabulous trips for Spring break.
I think it may be a bit disingenuous to say one is not into prestige, while spending time on a website whose main purpose is to help posters guide one another into getting into colleges for which admission is not assured.
Speaking just for myself, yes, my kid wanted to get into a top college, and I wanted that for him too. Within reason. If he had wanted a different type of college, I would have supported him in whatever decision he made. As it was, I tried to make it obvious that his happiness matters much more to me than bragging rights. If he had been a different kid and could not have gotten into a top college or any college at all, I would have loved him for who he was and rooted for his success in whatever life he could shape for himself. But then I also never would have been playing on College Confidential.
Prestige is related to overall quality of education, opportunities, and the students who will be your peers. While I do not think it is preferable to attend the #1 ranked and regarded school above the #20, because both will provide similar types of experiences, I do think there are serious qualitative differences between a Middlebury and a Molloy, or a Columbia and a C.W. Post. You can get a good education almost anywhere. And your personality determines your future more than does the name on your degreee. But the educational experience will not be exactly the same, nor will the advantages you accrue.
“I see the prestige manifested at a bunch of different colleges where the kid can have a nice social life, meet the “right” people, sail into a job at a bank or hedge fund by majoring in “business”, and have fabulous trips for Spring break.”
I thought you were describing my kid there. lol At Stanford, he wants to become a best friend to a Silicon Valley billionaire’s son or daughter. jk
@TheGreyKing I got into CC because my kid initially used CC to try to find a person who got into Stanford who was most similar to his background and ECs, and he found such person and got some ideas on how to improve his chances at Stanford. I then researched on CC because I wanted to find out how to get most merit money from an Honors Colleges and research on them, and then I wanted to research about UCLA/Berkeley and then I had to research on what benefits being a NMF brings when my kid unexpectedly became a NM Semifinalist. I had never been on CC until my kid suddenly made NM Semifinalist. Then, I asked myself “What the heck are the benefits, and how do you become a NMF?” So began my CC journey.
@TheGreyKing I got into CC because my kid initially used CC to try to find a person who got into Stanford who was most similar to his background and ECs, and he found such person and got some ideas on how to improve his chances at Stanford. I then researched on CC because I wanted to find out how to get most merit money from an Honors Colleges and research on them, and then I wanted to research about UCLA/Berkeley and then I had to research on what benefits being a NMF brings when my kid unexpectedly became a NM Semifinalist. I had never been on CC until my kid suddenly made NM Semifinalist. Then, I asked myself “What the heck are the benefits, and how do you become a NMF?” So began my CC journey.
@thegreyking - Would like 10 times if I could. I didn’t know how to say prestige matters in a way that is PC on CC. It’s like saying borrowing money or paying full boat for college is a good idea - one is bound to get blasted for having such thoughts. Well done.
Some of us had kids who didn’t go to the “most prestigious” (highest ranked) school they got into. My kids both turned down at least 2 schools that were higher ranked than the ones they decided to attend.
I think you are splitting hairs a bit. There is a pretty obvious set of “prestige” schools – Ivies, Duke, Michigan, UChicago, Berkeley, Amherst, Swat, Williams, etc. Then there are a lot of schools that are very good, don’t accept all students, may give decent aid – I would not say that parents looking at those are hung up on prestige. And lots of people come out here to talk about their state school options, understand FA, etc.
So… maybe you are here for prestige? But lots of us aren’t.
I get when people say they want their kids to be at a school with academic peers. But I don’t get when they say they are worried they won’t be surrounded by enough ‘smart’ kids and then name for instance a top 25-50 LAC. There will be plenty of really smart kids and academic opportunities at those schools.
I also thinks some parents and kids view getting into a top 20 as a ‘reward’ for working so hard in high school. There is a certain expectation, that because one has scored well and achieved high grades, that they ‘deserve’ a spot at a very selective school. I get how that happens, just calling it out here.
This much was true from my own experience. Among Stanford, UCLA, Berkeley, Univ of South Carolina and another Honors College, Stanford’s operation seemed best put together. I mean as soon as my kid was accepted, I got a letter from the adcom, an invitation to a reception at an alumnus’ house. And let’s face it; they seemed to have best classes across the board. I mean, there were some differences there for sure. Not saying $70K per year difference worth, but Stanford was also pretty high up there in the “value” college list. I was also pretty impressed by their alumni support and network. So it’s not as if you are throwing money away.
For comfort and fit, we intentionally chose against schools with reputations for elitist or competitive or highly polished undergraduate populations, so prestige (which correlates, albeit imperfectly, with those factors) played a role in reverse. But good reputation for academics among grad schools mattered. Fit was most important, and the opportunity for merit aid was a plus.
Elitism can look good or bad depending on where you are viewing it from. I heard from all the undergraduates who graduated from Berkeley that the students there were too competitive but I have yet to see “highly polished undergraduate populations” when I visited top colleges, and I visited Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley and UCLA. Many of them were goofy and nice kids, especially MIT and CalTech kids who can go on and on talking about some stuff they are into.
In my experience, the parents/students most caught up in prestige universities are the same ones who have to drive a prestige auto (even if it’s leased) and make sure their clothes, handbags and sunglasses are stamped with easily-identifiable designer logos. Not much thought goes into value for money spent. It’s all about the name.