<p>Hi
I was wondering how important it is to go to a shcool with a national reputation. Some background info: I have a 3.25 UW GPA, 2060 SAT, and a ton of EC's and community service. I have applied to Whitman, Santa Clara, Colorado, Western Washington, Washington State, and UW. I know taht if I went to UW, Colorado or Whitman, I would be in good shape to continue my learning or get a good job out of college. I was just wondering if my results would be much different if I went to a school like Western Washington or Santa Clara, which are very well respected in their areas but not necessarily nationally. I have no interest in staying in the Seattle area after college.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Also, any other schools I should consider?</p>
<p>I have the same question because I eventually want to be a teacher so I don't know if I care about getting into a good school. I think there are instances where going to a good school might raise a few eyebrows but that doesn't really say so much. I have a cousin who went to a California State University for Business management and made 60K his first year out of college. So, I don't know; I guess its part luck and part how much you want to get out of the experience of going to that college.</p>
<p>If you can be near the top of your class (a good worker) at whatever school you go to, opportunities will always open for you. Going to UW and making a 3.0 is not heading in that direction.</p>
<p>When go looking for your second job, how you performed on your first job will matter more than the name on your diploma. If you decide to apply to grad/professional school, how you performed as an undergrad is as or more important than where you went. </p>
<p>Go where you will feel most inspired to get up every morning and make the most out of your educational opportunities. The rest will follow. </p>
<p>UW and Whitman could not be more different. One is a tiny little LAC in the middle of absolutely nowhere where professors will invite you home for dinner and stop you on the sidewalk in front of Starbucks and ask why you weren't in class the day before, and the other is an enormous research institution with tremendous course offerings in the middle of a city where you might spend a great deal of time in very large classes with TA's for the first couple of years and professors won't notice if you are in class or not and might not recognize you if you spilled your latte in their lap at Starbucks. Some students will thrive in one environment and suffer in the other, and vice versa, and there are also students who could do well either way. What you want is to find the type of environment where you have the greatest chance of success.</p>
<p>School fame is highly overrated in terms of where it gets you in life. The value is largely intangible.</p>
<p>I was just having this discussion with a friend about Rhodes College. It has a very good academic reputation, but then she said, 'yes, but no one's ever heard of it in NYC. Could be a hindrance in the northern job market"...I don't know if she's right or not.</p>
<p>Absolutely go where the fit is best. Look for the programs, type and size of school and campus environment which fits your interests. Usually reasons to go to an elite school are because of the academic orientation and intensity. Not everyone does their best when highly challenged. Never pick a school because of the name.</p>