<p>Before I came on this site I guess I was super ignorant. I didn't even know what an ivy league school WAS. I just thought HYP where just colleges. I didn't know it was super important to go to one or that there was anything special about them. I had never even heard of Stanford.</p>
<p>And I didn't know how hard it was to get into these schools. I thought as long as you went to school made a's and b's and stayed out of trouble you were set. Guess not!</p>
<p>So now that I know about all this stuff it's kind of depressing. Specially since I don't have a snowballs chance in hell of getting into any of these schools. Freshman year is already over and it was pretty average. 2 a's 2 b's. I wish I had found this site BEFORE I started high school cuz I would have went in an killed it. But hindsight is a wasteful thing.</p>
<p>So my question is what if I don't go to one of these schools?</p>
<p>Why do people that go to those schools make more money? Is it because they get better jobs?</p>
<p>Do people care about it as much in the real world as they do on CC? Do employers care THAT much about the prestige?</p>
<p>If I make all A's from now and do great EC's, etc etc and get into a school like Vanderbilt or Emory can I make as much money as them to?</p>
<p>Can you go into investment banking from Vandy?</p>
<p>Ugh I've been mentally kicking myself all month for not trying to get into one of the HYP schools!!!</p>
<p>This forum often makes out HYP to be everything, but that’s not the reality. If you don’t get into any of these schools, you can go to another that you like. You’ll be fine.</p>
<p>ETA: Don’t worry. Students are allowed to post in the parents forum.</p>
<p>I think the reason a lot of people who go to these schools make more money is that they disproportionately go into high paying professions like I-banking or corporate law firms. There are plenty of fine schools in the country beyond the Ivy League some of which - especially in particular majors - have more to offer.</p>
<p>If you don’t get accepted and attend one of “those schools”, you will join the VAST majority of college students who also don’t go to one of “those schools”. Somehow, many become successful.</p>
<p>@Thumper Lol I know you’ve told me this before and thanks for putting up with me. I know it’s irrational but sometimes it seems like the be all end all. I worry to much. My mom thinks I’m nuts. :P</p>
<p>nah, ivy league is just a sports league. there are plenty of schools that are just as good or even better. even if you go to a school that’s “almost” as good, you’ll also do fine. in fact, as long as you do well in whatever college you go to and you’re proactive in the real world, you’ll do well.</p>
<p>If you’re just finishing Freshman year, you’ve got nothing to worry about. I had half Bs, half As at the end of Freshman year, and then didn’t get straight As the rest of high school and still got into Cornell. </p>
<p>Oh, and yeah, Ivy League isn’t everything. There’s plenty of other awesome schools out there.</p>
<p>Yes, this is true. And you should also be a little concerned if you only go to a lesser ivy, where you still may end up a drug-addicted homeless criminal.</p>
<p>We are just asking you to think critically. I want you to drive down the street of any “nice” neighborhood. Do you think everyone there went to an Ivy? Of course not.</p>
<p>Dogxlover - you have nothing to worry about. Less than one percent of each graduating class is going to the Ivy league (god only knows what they do once they get in since very few are interested in or play sports and it is a sports league after all). </p>
<p>So the other 99+% will be drug addicted homeless criminals which means you will be in the majority. On the brightside, when you are homeless, there should be plenty of dogwalking jobs coming your way since people can easily find you in the park.</p>
<p>@Texas Okay, I had to admit that made me smile.</p>
<p>Well if not getting into one of them isn’t that big of a deal then why do people go through such lengths to get in them? I mean there has to be SOMETHING special about them if people pay $$$ for college consultants and stuff…</p>
<p>And wasn’t there some kind of study that proved ivy grads earn more or something?</p>
<p>Ivies are wonderful schools, with terrific learning and networking opportunities.</p>
<p>Two studies have shown that when you eliminate the advantage that comes from the family wealth one had upon entry, in terms of earning power, the only ones who distinctly benefited financially from an Ivy education were those who were economically poor. </p>
<p>But that doesn’t mean that they aren’t wonderful schools, among many wonderful schools.</p>
<p>Just want to clear this up, Stanford isn’t an Ivy League. And it’s not “super important” to go to an Ivy League school. However, some people will spend a lot of time, effort, and $$$ to try to get their kid into an Ivy school because it’s prestigious. And Ivies (along with many other schools) offer a top-notch education. But Ivies are by no means the be-all end-all, and there are plenty of excellent schools which are not Ivy Leagues. What matters most in how successful you’ll be later on in life is YOU, not where you go to school.</p>
<p>Hi dogxlover, You’re very lucky thinking ahead about college as a sophomore(?) in HS! Do try reaching for a GPA of at least 3.8 or so, for that will help you have instant access to apply to most Ivy schools. Do you run any clubs or volunteer full-time in your community? You need to make yourself stand out in a way that any school will beg and drool to have you! But for now, work on your “applicant resume”.</p>
<p>In response to your question about ivy grads earning more money, it is the reputation of the Ivy schools that make their graduates appealing to employers. I think it has to do with “first impression”; the diploma shows something that cannot be told, probably. This is not always the case! I believe there are also some Ivy League graduates who don’t earn top-notch careers. It depends on how well you use your education, but oftentimes, a very renowned and rigorous program will help your expertise sensibilities without you realizing it! </p>
<p>Nonetheless, I second quomodo’s last sentence!</p>