Is Prestige THAT Important? I Really Need to Know...

Parents Forum
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<p>I recently transferred from my state's flagship (Big 10) university to a top 15 private university (or so US News says). To make a long story short, my state school has terrible financial aid and I received a large scholarship from my current university. With this scholarship and a great loan package, my current school is actually a tiny bit cheaper than the state university. Honestly, the great financial aid and excellent reputation are the main reasons that I applied to this school. I didn't even visit until after I accepted the offer of admission (and that was during summer vacation). </p>

<p>Now that I'm a student here, I realize that my current university is a great school. However, my state university was a much better fit and I plan to transfer back next semester. My parents support my decision and say that the price difference is not that big of an issue. My mother also likes the state school better and when she came to visit me last month, she could see why I don't care for this school as much. However, I recently mentioned my decision to one of my professors and she encouraged me to stay because a.) I'm a high achieving student and my current university can better serve my needs and b.) This school is super prestigious and the name alone will open doors for me. </p>

<p>So, how much does prestige truly matter? My state school has some of the country's top programs in my majors and while it is no UC Berkeley or UVA, the school gaining more and more academic clout. I never felt as if my public university would limit me in the long run. I actually find my current university more limiting, aside from the stellar reputation.</p>

<p>Also, I do want to go to grad school, but not med or law school. An Ivy would be nice but unnecessary for my future career. Would I be completely limited in my choice of grad schools if I return to my state school? I mean, I know people who graduated from the state school last year and are currently in grad school at places like MIT and Georgetown.</p>

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<p>If you prefer the state school, go there. :)</p>

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<p>why can you not reveal either your previous or current school? i dont really think the element of mystery is necessary here, especially since you're asking us for a constructive opinion</p>

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<p>Any school in the Big 10 is going to be well known. If you do well at your state school and demonstrate that you are graduate student material, it won't matter much where you do your undergrad. My hubby does admissions for a top 10 grad program. They take students from all kinds of schools - some that even he hasn't heard of until someone applies. If you like your state school better, then go there. The prestige of the other school, while nice, is not a necessity to your future success.</p>

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<p>It will be interesting to read all the replies. I'm a parent who would say, if you were my child, you need to be where you will thrive and grow. It is unfortunate that there seems to be this perception that state schools do not have the prestige of the selective liberal arts colleges. I think that is unfortunate. It's difficult to make a judgement on whether your state school or the selective college will propel you into your choice of grad school. Quite often it is related to the particular field you hope to pursue. You might look at your curent selective school in your planned major and see where graduating students are accepted. You could certainly find the same information from the major at the state school. You have a tough decision, no doubt.</p>

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<p>Based on my detective work I have figured out the two schools you are talking about and my advice is to transfer back. </p>

<p>I don't think your current school is "super-prestigious" and the name ALONE will not open so many doors.</p>

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<p>Thanks everyone!</p>

<p>Also, I agree with vicariousparent. This school (okay GreenDayFan, it's WashU in St. Louis) is a really good school, but it isn't like I'm deciding to transfer back from Harvard or Yale. I had to explain to a lot of my family members that the school isn't even in Washington state or DC.</p>

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<p>I wanted to say that the name ALONE will just confuse the heck out of people about where you are based...Seattle? DC? </p>

<p>But I didn't want to give away your little secret.</p>

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<p>Wash U, like Penn, has an unfortunate problem with its name. ("No, it's not the one in Seattle" is a lot like "No, not Penn State.") But I think that sophisticated people -- like those who will be hiring you in a few years -- know what Wash U is.</p>

<p>My take on your situation is as follows:</p>

<p>If you're absolutely miserable at Wash U, get out of there. There's no need to torture yourself.</p>

<p>If you're not that miserable, consider whether your career plans involve going to graduate or professional school immediately after college.</p>

<p>For people who have graduate or professional degrees, it's the name of the graduate or professional school that people judge them by, not the name of their undergraduate college. </p>

<p>You can ask my husband, who got his undergraduate degree from a not-particularly-good state university and his graduate degree from one of the top 10 programs in his field. Nobody knows, cares, or even asks where he got his bachelor's degree, but people do ask -- and to some extent, judge him -- by where he got his Ph.D.</p>

<p>Or consider your doctor. He/she has a medical diploma on the office wall, right? It says what medical school your doctor graduated from. But does the doctor have an undergraduate diploma hanging there? Probably not. Nobody cares about it.</p>

<p>On the other hand, if you don't plan to go beyond a bachelor's degree, or if you anticipate that there may be a several-year gap before you go on, during which you will need to get jobs (as is the case for most people who eventually get M.B.A. degrees), maybe the prestige of Wash U, which would be the only college named on your resume, would work in your favor.</p>

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<p>I am a big fan of Harvard and Yale, but even if that's where you were, I would say go ahead and transfer back. I think it's possible to get a better education at Harvard than at, say, Indiana, but also possible not to get a better education. If you are miserable, and don't like Harvard, and if you know how to take advantage of the zillions of opportunities Indiana offers, then Indiana is the place where you will do best, learn most, and build the best relationships. And THAT -- not the name on your diploma -- is what puts you on the road to success.</p>

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<p>If the original school is a better fit, there's really no reason not to transfer back. WUSL is really not that well known. (The only reason it was ever on my radar was it had (has?) an excellent undergrad arch. program.) I can tell you that my dh's biology cohort at Caltech had students from all over, but more from less well known schools than from the big names and you could say the same thing about my grad school class at Columbia.</p>

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<p>I'll stick with my early thoughts. But I will chime in and say Wash U is not that well known. I would not classify it as a "prestigious" place outside the context of the educational community which would have bearing if you were working toward becoming professor or some position in the educational system. Harvard, Yale, University of Michigan, UCLA, Berkeley...and that genre have brand power and are known globally. If that is what you are seeking...brand recognition....Wash U not so much.</p>

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<p>The advantage of places like WUSTL (aside from it being very well known in academic circles) is that you usually have a much better chance to work closely with the professors and get to know them well (which is extremely important if you plan to apply to grad schools and will need recommendations). Of course, the same can be achieved at the state U, you would just have to be more aggressive and proactive there.</p>

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<p>Prestige matters in some limited circumstances. It is easier to get a job interview if your resume says Yale instead of a local state college. Some big name private law firms only hire graduates from certain law schools.</p>

<p>However, I am a lawyer and a graduate of a no name state college and have supervised Ivy League graduates. </p>

<p>Frankly, I cannot imagine selecting a college based on its prestige. Go to learn, grow, mature.</p>

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<p>Fit is more important than prestige. If you are happy, you will do better, you will be more involved, and you are more likely to excel.
One caveat, though: think about what you really mean by fit. Do you mean academic fit? Social fit? There's no hint that this is your situation, but the presence of an actual or potential boyfriend/girlfriend is not really fit. If the fit problem is some kind of minor annoyance, like the weather or the food, or something that's likely to be temporary, then think it through carefully.</p>

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<p>I have heard that for Med. school it is not important, since Ad Com look primarily at GPA and MCAT score. But you are not going there. Since there is not info about your major / current and previous school, there is not way to even guess if it is important or not in your case.</p>

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<p>Which Big 10 school did you transfer from? There's 11 Big 10 schools and most of them are located in the Upper Midwest. (I'm a Big 10 alum myself)</p>

<p>I agree that most of the Big 10 schools > WUSTL</p>

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<p>Did y'all hear the report on NPR yesterday about the movie made about the Harvard-Yale football game of 1968? What struck me is who was either in the stands at the game or on the field-Tommy Lee Jones, Gary Trudeau, Ted Kennedy, etc. If you want a career where knowing "the brightest and best" will matter, then I guess prestige is important.</p>

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<p>How long were you at the state u before you transferred?</p>

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<p>Game, set, match in favor of the state school. </p>

<p>And when applying to graduate programs do not make the mistake of not applying to the top programs. The very top programs are just looking for the best qualified people. The second tier programs are far more likely to favor applicants from 'brand name' colleges. That's just the way it works in my experience.</p>