<p>Just thought this would be an interesting discussion to have. As hundreds of thousands of students this week await decisions from Harvard, UPenn, and the like, I've been thinking about why else (other than prestige) that students apply to these schools. So what do you think? Is it wrong or unwise for a student to apply or select a school based on the name brand or prestige of the school?</p>
<p>It’s unwise because(assuming the schools are not the best fit for you), the prestige factor or name brand of the school will fade after four years, but the consequences of going to a school that does not fit your academic or social needs, as well as the debt possibly incurred from not being able to afford such a school, can last much longer.</p>
<p>It’s not wrong.
I drive a 2006 Subaru and not a Bentley, even though a Bentley would be more prestigious.
I have more money for retirement which ranks high on my expense list.</p>
<p>My view is that it’s OK to decide based on prestige, when all other factors are equal. I suppose that is theoretically possible, but not likely.</p>
<p>Note: if you really care about prestige, but don’t want to admit it, just say that your paramount criterion is academic strength of student body. That tracks prestige amazingly well. And, it really is something that a lot of people care about strongly.</p>
<p>No, it is A factor to take into consideration, since it does impact employment imho, in many areas (not all). However, it is not THE factor, but it is not ‘wrong’ in any event. It is up to you.</p>
<p>One of my sons potentially wanted to go to UCLA, the other was just applying because if he got in he felt he would ‘have to go’ above mid tier UCs he frankly likes a lot more (he wants a college town). Neither got in. I’m only sorry about it for one of them. (Still waiting on Berkeley…) But in that case, the one who didn’t really want to go to UCLA intends to go to grad school, and he can get into any grad school from the mid tier UCs as well. I think there IS a point where the school might not even have grade credibility for grad schools, and that would have to be a factor. My sons weren’t applying to any of those, however. We were cost conscious though, in our applications. If you don’t have need for that consideration, I don’t see anything WRONG with choosing an extremely highly rated school above a highly rated school. </p>
<p>Not always. It CAN be a problem for someone who truly had no idea what a school was like and it turns out ALL wrong for them, and had the prestige/name thing not been in the picture, would never have picked the school. But most people with the right attitude can do well most anywhere, and the satisfaction of getting a name, prestigious school might do a lot to counter any issues with the situation. Some folks have trouble getting over these things and could get a real chip on the shoulder about not getting the level of prestige in their school. </p>
<p>As long as you like the school for its other qualities as well, there is nothing wrong with picking it for the prestige factor.</p>
<p>It’s only wrong if it’s the only reason for going there, otherwise, it’s perfectly fine to use it as a factor. I will be the first to admit we used the US News lists to select which colleges to visit, some of which we liked, and some we didn’t. Prestige certainly played a role in which colleges she choose to apply to, but she had to like them as well. Some of the top schools she didn’t care for, no matter how prestigious, some she wasn’t going to get in even if she loved them, so ultimately it became a compromise between prestige, love for the school, who’s going to let you in, and a million other little factors, some of which may make sense only to you. For those who have cost as an issue, that is also a BIG factor, and often the deciding one.</p>
<p>Bottom line is, most students in the end love where they go, especially if they had any sort of choice.</p>
<p>It is inherently wrong to choose a school based on name or prestige when it is the only factor that the student or family is considering. If in the unlikely event, as another poster said, all other factors are equal between schools, including affordability, then there isn’t any reason as to why a student shouldn’t choose Harvard over 'Bama. However, if the only aspect that Harvard has over the University of Alabama is that Harvard looks better on a bumper sticker, but Alabama is a better fit financially and academically, then it’d be foolish to go for prestige over all else. (I realize that financing a Harvard education is at times much easier than financing another slightly lower ranked private school education, like NYU. I used Harvard as it is the epitome of prestige.) </p>
<p>Prestige means very little once enrolled in a school. Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc. all lose their abstract wonder and beauty the moment you step foot into them and actually buckle down to take classes for four years there - Harvard stops being a bumper sticker, a sweatshirt, or a postcard to send home to your relatives - it becomes a very tangible institution where you must attend regularly. Harvard, despite all of its academic and cultural prowess, isn’t a perfect fit for everyone - it isn’t even a perfect fit for <em>all</em> of the nation’s brightest and most accomplished students. Prestige will do very little for you when you dread impersonal 400 person lectures when all your life you’ve known that you learned best in small classes but your freshman schedule is packed with them. </p>
<p>Usually college admissions isn’t two extremes (it can be, but not typically) - rarely will a student be deciding between Stanford and their local community college - more often than not, students who are ivy material will have an array of options from all parts of the “prestige” spectrum - so compromise is always a possibility. </p>
<p>I think it’s wrong to apply to a college solely because of prestige, but I don’t think it’s wrong to take it into account ad one of the factors. </p>
<p>I can understand that you can have more stimulating intellectual conversations with people at a higher academic level, than at a school where students are more initerested in football and alcohol.</p>
<p>However, you can find brilliant students at any state flagship, at any state honors college and at any of the top 100 schools. You will even find bright people at your local CC.</p>
<p>However, at any of the top 50 universities, you will have classmates who took the most challenging curriculum in HS, scored high on tests and had high GPAs. Many people are capable of performing the academic work at an Ivy league school, but the chances of acceptance are still extremely low for the well qualified.</p>
<p>I’m in a similar dilemma. I’ve gotten into WashU (Olin), Claremont McKenna, UCLA (Pre-Econ) and UNC Chapel Hill so far, and for the sake of this argument, am assuming that I won’t get into Berkeley, Duke or the Ivies (any of those would be so awesome, though).
Here in India, UCLA (great school, by all means) is extremely well-known and is considered “prestigious”, whereas WashU (arguably better for my intended major; Econ and/or business) is not. Claremont McKenna walks the line between the two, and next to no-one knows how much it means to get into UNC as an OOS applicant. So every single person I consult-mostly friends and teachers-suggests UCLA and not WashU/CMC/UNC, solely because of the brand name. Usually this wouldn’t affect me, but when a number of pretty intelligent people give exactly the same advice, one tends to question ones own judgment. I can’t take either side of the debate because introspection and internet research have yielded nada. </p>
<p>Bottom line: I’m tempted to go with prestige, but I think a matter such as this cannot be settled through temptation and intuition alone. Also, would really appreciate your opinion on my dilemma.</p>
<p>@Stanfordmania: I can totally relate to your dilemma. When I applied ED to Columbia University (I was not accepted but keep in mind this was in the weeks leading up to the decision) I had numerous classmates (even the brilliant ones) question me as to why I would ‘waste’ my ED application to Columbia rather than to a really good school like Harvard. I would not listen to what anyone else says and go with your instincts. If, like other posters have commented, that all other factors are equal, then by all means go to UCLA. But if other factors are drawing you toward one of the other schools (they are all great, congratulations by the way) then go there. It may be tempting to just go with prestige to impress your friends, but their opinions will only matter for the next three or four months.</p>
<p>@Smithg1227 I EDed to Columbia too! Straight up rejected, sadly. I think what you’re saying makes sense. This is not a black and white issue, because the importance of prestige is subjective. At the end of the day, I would personally take a better education versus more prestige. </p>
<p>
This also shows the relative nature of prestige–in the US, many people would think of Wash U, and probably Claremont McKenna as well, as more prestigious than UCLA. But if you’re planning to live in India, there may be a reason to prefer UCLA, other things being more or less equal.</p>
<p>I think many people value “prestige” a bit too much in their matrix of factors for selecting colleges to apply to. We did an informal poll in the Prep School sub-forum of parents who attended Ivies — and very few had the goal of their own kids to following in their footsteps. Once you’ve been there, done that, the mystique is gone…IMO.</p>
<p>@Stanfordmania Haha We’re in the same boat then, as far as Columbia goes! And yes, I agree, there probably is no clear cut answer to this issue. Best of luck with your remaining decisons! I also applied to Duke and some Ivies so <em>fingers crossed</em></p>
<p>
Not my experience. Perhaps prep school parents have a different outlook on this, though.</p>
<p>@Hunt Spot on. I’m not sure if I want to return to India, but personally, I’m more inclined towards WashU/CMC despite the lower “prestige”. I like to call this the “Dinner Party Index”, so as to quantify the reactions of people at dinner parties when you tell them what college you go to. </p>
<p>@Smithg1227 To you too! 
</p>
<p>@SevenDad: Wow, that actually really surprises me! I would’ve assumed most parents (who had to work so hard to get into an Ivy) would want (if not force) their kids to go to their Alma Mater or a similarly reputable school. I, personally, put prestige as one of the top factors of my applications, not just to say “I go to such and such” but more because you know you’re getting a world class education. The only school I applied to solely based on name is Harvard and as we all know, my odds of getting in are as good as a snowballs chance–well—in a very warm climate. </p>