<p>I've been under the impression that Ivy League universities and top 20 universities are a make or break type universities. What I mean is, if you get in, it makes you successful, and if you don't get in, it breaks you.</p>
<p>However this impression is what I got off of College Confidential. Don't get me wrong, my grades are good, however...</p>
<p>What if you don't get into top 20 universities? How about the top 50 universities? Upto what extent does the prestige and quality of the university stop at? Top 100 university? </p>
<p>Since most people around here think that anything further then top 50 universities are taboo in this forum. </p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>And those people are wrong. Going to a college outside of the top-50 doesn’t mean you will never be as successful as kids who go to MIT, Harvard, Princeton. I’ve started to look into Rutgers (my safety school) and, of all the colleges I’m applying to, I can really see myself being there. Does that mean I won’t ever have the success as my friend who wants to go to UPenn? Of course not.</p>
<p>In the end college is just a stepping stone to the real world, but it’s not the magic key to success.</p>
<p>No! No! Many people are successful without going to ivy league! It won’t break you. I come from a family of teachers and my uncle just retired in his early 50’s and has great benefits for the rest of his life. He is happy and putters around on his little farm and hauls Amish! Nothing glamorous for sure but he is content. I don’t think you need to be a millionaire to be happy. And even then, there are plenty of millionaires that didn’t goto ivy league or any college for that matter. You will be fine.</p>
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<p>This is nonsense. Research has been done showing that the kids who get into HYP etc. are smart, ambitious achievers who do well in life whether or not the end up going to or graduating from such places. A degree from a top school may say more about the quality of work you did in High School (to be admitted) than the kind of work you ended up doing in college. You can be successful by doing committed and targeted work in a subject that interests you at any number of non-elite colleges and universities.</p>