<p>Maxk88 - are you in the honors college at U of A? I can understand why a top student might get frustrated (and bored) at a big state U where there are a lot of average students, but I was curious if being in a more concentrated group of higher achievers within the larger school would make a difference. My daughter may be facing the same issue as several of the posters here in a couple of months....</p>
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Lately, I'm considering that I might have been wrong in my decision, though. Without a doubt, Chicago has harder classes than Purdue, a better student body, and more (paid) research opportunities, but I wonder if any of these really matter once you come down to the cold hard facts of grad school admission. I could get the same or better education if I were to go to Purdue but self-educate myself on the topics that our classes failed to cover, and I would have more time to concentrate on my interests instead of on the terrible workload of Chicago classes. Then again, if I were to go by this argument, then I could simultaneously argue that it would've been wiser to refrain from going to college period. I also had a professor that wrote me a recommendation that told me that I should go to Purdue, since someone with passion and motivation does not need an education with an overbearing workload, since he can easily make up for it with his own independent studies. Thus, according to his opinions, $23k/year would just go to waste.
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Don't know how old are you now. But, imo, a good core curriculum from a good school will benefit you life time. Not necessary in a sense of carrer or more money, but as a well around person.....Even the most agressive and/or motivated person has a 'down'/ 'slack' time. So put your self in a 'better student body' will help push you, after all even for a person who has most competetive driving, the ones he set goal to compete against are the peers around him. jmho.</p>
<p>This person started a thread that shows some economic realities of paying full at Ivy or other costly private school. Some good info there</p>
<p>I was in a somewhat similar predicament. Lots of money to UM but got admitted to some Ivies. Fortunately, the FA package was very attractive and I was able to matriculate at one of the HYPs.</p>
<p>One of my good friends regretted going to our college -- she was pre-med and realized that she had to spend most of her education savings on the Ivy whereas she could have taken a full ride to U of I Urbana and then used the money to go to an Ivy med school. She had to go the reverse order. Ivy for undergrad and Illinois for med school.</p>
<p>go to the ivy, you see, you've got a higher chance of making a lot more money with a degree at an Ivy than a state unviersity. Also, if you are good enough to get into an Ivy, I don't think a state university would be the right place for you.</p>
<p>"Also, if you are good enough to get into an Ivy, I don't think a state university would be the right place for you." Hunh? What an esteemed view you have of other colleges. Many have Honors programs and will be able to challenge you fully.</p>
<p>If you're an excellent scholar, you'll be fine. You'll excel where you attend and bank yourself money for the best graduate pgm available.</p>
<p>^^
But wouldn't a state school be a lot easier to earn a high GPA in, negating the Ivy advantage? I got into Stanford and wish to pursue engineering...would a degree in engineering from a third tier institution with a near 4.0 (and free) be better or worse with a Stanford 3.0 at full freight? Consider Stanford has an international reputation for engineering.</p>
<p>If you intend to go to graduate school, it is a distinct advantage to have a high GPA and no debt during your undergraduate career. The vast majority of practicing engineers come from large, public universities.</p>
<p>I don't intend on going to graduate school. I plan to start working as soon as I'm out of college either in finance or engineering.</p>
<p>FredFred, it depends on the state university, but I'm not sure your idea about GPA are terribly realistic. I don't think Stanford grades that hard, and I don't think it's that easy to earn a high GPA in a good state university's engineering program. Also depends on what kind of engineering you want to do. If you want to do finance, you're going to have a much easier time getting a high-paying job if you go to Stanford. I think that's safe to say. For computers, it's good to be right there in silicon valley, but I don't think the advantage is that huge; if you're good you'll rise fast regardless. For mechanical or chemical or something, honestly, I doubt if it matters terribly much. It's not "worth it" moneywise I don't think.</p>
<p>I don't think I'd go to a very good state university. I'd probably choose U Oklahoma with it's near free ride for national merit finalists. I plan on majoring on both chem e and finance if I attend U Oklahoma vs chem e/economics(if feasible) at Stanford. I've heard engineering is a killer at Stanford but from Oklahoma's acceptance rate I don't think the engineering students at Oklahoma would be near my quality.</p>
<p>I think you're going to be much happier and better off long-term by going to Stanford, if those are the two options. Even if your parents foot the bill, if you graduate and make big bucks, you can always kick some back to your younger siblings for college. A lot of families do it that way. </p>
<p>I'm sure Chem E at Stanford will be brutal, Chem E is brutal by nature, that at least is my understanding.</p>
<p>I would go with the state U and full ride.</p>
<p>FredFred, I don't know anything about Oklahoma in particular, but at many public universities, the pool of freshman engineering students is not strong overall, but the flunk-out and transfer-out rate is extremely high. The students still studying engineering after sophomore year are likely to be pretty good.</p>
<p>I gather this is the reputation of Georgia Tech, among others: easy to get in, hard to stay in.</p>
<p>Are you sure you can do a double major in chem E and econ/finance at Oklahoma? Of all the engineering disciplines, I think chem E is the hardest to do a double major with. Some engr. schools don't even allow students to have an additional major outside of engineering, and if they do, it often requires an extra year because of scheduling difficulties.</p>
<p>As far as salary goes, people who are accepted to and matriculate at Ivy League schools have no long-term salary benefits over those who were accepted but chose to attend less prestigious schools. It seems that being able to get into an Ivy is more indicative of future success than actually going. Salaries may be slightly better at first but your performance in the workplace is what makes the real difference, not where you went to school.</p>
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go to the ivy, you see, you've got a higher chance of making a lot more money with a degree at an Ivy than a state unviersity. Also, if you are good enough to get into an Ivy, I don't think a state university would be the right place for you.
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Not really... People who were accepted to both ivy league schools and state schools who choose to go to state schools have no long term salary benefits over those that went to the ivy league schools. One's people skills and work habits are what determine salary raises and more money...</p>
<p>Plus, if your going to graduate school, it would make more sense to attend a prestigious graduate school than undergrad school, not vice versa.</p>
<p>Im facing Potential regents to UCLA (which would make tuition like 2000/ year according to collegeboard with some good perks)
versus... absolutely no financial aid to any other school I applied
I mean, I have a shot at a scholarship at Vanderbilt
USC I guess doesnt want me
but Penn, Harvard, Duke, ND... I just could never afford them (dad lost his job right after I applied).</p>
<p>Good thing I live in California!
Basically if I DO get Regents, no choice but UCLA
But I'm comfortable with that</p>
<p>I agree with Milkmagn. Overall, having a degree from a prestigious university doesn't make much of a difference. </p>
<p>I would choose the full ride. After having gone through the application process, I definitely think that while the overall fit of a school is exceedingly important, money should be 2nd to that. Having a lot of debt can seriously hurt you later on in life, as well as just be very stressful. I would never turn down the chance for a free education unless the school wasn't right for me. </p>
<p>People are way too concerned about prestige. It doesn't really make much of a difference, and I think a lot of it is simply people wanting to say that they go to a certain school. I'm not saying this because I'm resentful or jealous, I actually thought that way in high school. There was nothing more I wanted then to be admitted to a prestigious school and be able to say something like "oh, i'm choosing between harvard and brown right now."</p>
<p>haha it reminds me of Andy from the office..."i was just a cornell grad..."</p>
<p>what is U Dub</p>
<p>^^^Univ. of Washington, aka UW, aka U Dubbayou, shortened to U Dub.</p>
<p>I think.</p>
<p>Hopefully, for me it'll be a (near) full ride at a good Ivy because of their new financial aid incentives.</p>