<p>It seems like many people on this website are giving up their high school lives in order to get into a top college. Whats the point? From what i've seen, your grades in college and your job performance are much more important than the name on the degree. So for people trying to cloud their application with hours of activities that they dont like, why do it?.</p>
<p>One of the common reasons is that if you graduate from an elite university, you WILL find it much easier to find a GOOD job and lots of people from top unis get recruited by big companies before they graduate. Also, graduating from an elite university will make it much easier to get into good grad school. Ppl from top universities tend to get a higher starting salary too.</p>
<p>i would just say do what makes you happy. if trying to get in to a top colleg makes you happy, go for it. if something else would make you happy, do that.</p>
<p>In some cultures, admittance and graduating from a prestigious elevates the social status of the family within their community rather it be ethnic, academic or within an extended family.
It’s an embodiment of the “American Dream” coming to fruition for a first generation immigrant family.
Highly educated parents expect nothing less than top 10 or 25 or whatever schools for their offspring.</p>
<p>Actually, the idea that people from top colleges make more money has a confounding variable because people at top universities tend to be of higher intelligence. I think going to a top university has its benefits, but going to a state flagship and saving money also has strong benefits too. I believe that if you are smart and work hard and major in something practical (eg. business, engineering) you will be able to do well for yourself if you go anywhere from a state university to Harvard.</p>
<p>In MANY cases, the need to go to a top 25 school is very overrated.</p>
<p>As for making more money - not. (for most careers)</p>
<p>As for ease of getting the first job - not. (for most careers)</p>
<p>If you choose a good school that has internship or co-op connections, then you’ll likely graduate with a job in hand. </p>
<p>My friend’s son graduated in engineering from Columbia last May…he is STILL unemployed. My H hires engineers from local universities that are mid-tier and 3rd tier (but good in engineering). My H starts them all at $60k - no matter where they got their degrees from. He would not give start someone at a higher salary just because they graduated from a top 25 school. As a matter of fact, he still laughs about an MIT grad he once hired who was so bizarre that he laid him off as soon as he could.</p>
<p>University of Delaware actually has a great engineering program where many grads go straight to GoreTex or DuPont.</p>
<p>well going to a top college is kinda like buying a good car~
I mean, is it really necessary to buy a BMW instead of a Honda? no. But would you get one if you can? heck yea :)</p>
<p>Going to a top rated school is only as good as the student makes it. I guess that goes for any school. However, the opportunities and networks are tremendous at top schools. But if not taken advantage of, then you might as well have gone to a cheaper state school.</p>
<p>It’s certainly overrated on CC. But in other venues, people understand and prove everyday that demonstrated talent, character, and experience are far more important than the name of your school. However, to the extent possible, many want to have it all, including a top 25 school. Nothing wrong with that. It’s only a problem when people think the name of their school is the most important factor, or the only path to success. Unfortunately, many of those types roam these boards daily. </p>
<p>Don’t let them draw you into their madness.</p>
<p>Ivy, yes
Top 25, no</p>
<p>I hate when other people degrade great universities or pretend they’re not as good(U Chicago, WUSTL, Northwestern, JHU) just because they’re not in the “Ivy League,” not even realizing that it’s a sports league that just happens to have 8 stellar colleges. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to go to a top school because it really does put a foot in the door-opening the door is up to you, but it definitely helps to have that start!</p>
<p>Top 25 schools give the opportunity for an occupational routing to alleopathetic med school ( and specialist residencies), T-14 (and top 100 firm) law school and top 10 MBA school (leading to investment banks, private equity, venture capital, and top 5 strategy consulting). If the top 25 grad fails to get this routing, his/her degree does not have a differential value in the Fortune 500, cubicle, pay-pool ,team building, work a day world. As a matter of fact, an Ivy grad probably has a harder time in the latter environment, since both his peers and superiors will perceive that he has options they don’t have. Consequently, the Ivy guy in the corporate controller, project manager, district sales director world has to overcome the perception of “slumming” which makes his treck harder. If you go top 25, in my view, make it count since it will be a hard route if you don’t get the top occupational routing initially.</p>
<p>As another (minority) perspective, some students bust their behinds for “top 25” schools because they are the only schools we can afford. I wouldn’t say I busted my behind by any means for the narrow purpose of getting into one of these schools (really for scholarships and out of necessity), but I’m sure there are low-income students out there who do.</p>
<p>Getting back to the OP, yes it’s overrated, very overrated. At best it will give you a foot in the door at the beginning of your career and once in a while after that. But once you are past the door you have to sink or swim on your own.</p>
<p>At worst you’ll spend four years out of place and feeling badly about yourself and feel depressed for the rest of your life as a result.</p>
<p>^you used my foot in the door example! <em>see post #11</em></p>
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<p>I guess it is not when you’re planning on joining with the banking and finance industry after college. The companies that fall under these areas are quite choosy in hiring talents. They only pick grads from the best of the best schools such as the ivies, Stanford, MIT, Duke and, top business schools such as Ross, Haas and Stern.</p>
<p>^Disagree. I can name many top MBNA executives making multi millions who graduated from state flagships. I’m not discrediting the value of a top notch education, my first choice is Swarthmore with my second choice being Brown, but I think in terms of jobs, I think it is more dependent on the person and the experiences they had than the degree.</p>
<p>^Actually, RML is not far from the truth. Elite firms such as JPMorgan, Goldman, McKinsey, Merill Lynch, etcetc only have a select group of target schools through which they actively recruit. Those schools tend to be the ivies, Stanford, Duke, UChicago, MIT, etc</p>
<p>There are about 50 top schools in the US. Just find the ones that fit your needs and life will take care of itself. There are happy Claremont Mckenna grads and miserable Harvard grads.</p>
<p>Work hard, take smart risks, and be true to yourself.</p>
<p>i have to agree with RML and eatsalot. in the finance industry, everything i’ve heard indicates that the top firms only hire from the top target schools. prestige matters in this respect.</p>
<p>we’re not talking about the top executives here that make multi-millions, we’re just talking about getting a job out of college</p>