Ivy League vs Regular College

Student Lounge College Life
1

<p>if its one thing that permeates throught this board is a perpetuated dominance by well known schools (Brown, Yale, USC etc) over less known schools. There's a lot of the-ceo-of-here-went-to-my-school posts, that doesn't mean that you are going to be a CEO too. Some people go to the best of schools and are serving my Big Mac.</p>

<p>Even funnier, just because you dont go to an Ivy League school doesnt mean you didnt get accepted. A lot of people get accepted but they just dont go because they either cant afford it or dont like the elitism etc etc. I got accepted to an Ivy, but got a full ride a less known school. And you best believe i took the full ride. The money I save goes toward graduate school. Or if you just stop right there then you dont have any substancial debt to worry about. Its like a two for one special, a bachelor's and a jd for the price of one. A Yale 3.5 engineer, in the eyes of a grad admissions officer, is the same as a [insert other school here] 3.5 history major.</p>

<p>Its amazing.</p>

2

<p>There was a thread a while ago about how there are many many CEOs that are not Ivy grads. It was even mentioned that some companies don't want ivy grads because they are pretentious or something.</p>

<p>The CEO of McDonalds started out by serving burgers in McDonalds actually...</p>

3

<p>I really doubt that in 10 years anybody will care where you wnt to school. Whether it be Harvard or a Community college. Nobody cares. when going to a CC you may have to do a little more work on your part in getting a job. Harvaed might help you a bit in that.</p>

<p>Once you get 3 years of work experiece. It doeant matter. sorry but it doesent.</p>

4

<p>Very very true. But if you have aspirations of holding lofty political positions, I think Ivy League/well known schools tend to have some effect. For instance I think most or all of the Supreme Court justices attended an Ivy League or Standard at some point. I suppose that it could be argued that graduates from these places tend to be go-getters and therefore end up getting these positions, but it seems to me that it carries a lot of weight in this field.</p>

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<p>"For instance I think most or all of the Supreme Court justices attended an Ivy League or Standard at some point."</p>

<p>If Roberts is confirmed, six of the justices will have degrees from Harvard.</p>

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<p>UVA is NOT an IVy, it produced COUNTLESS congressmen/senators/governors..........and ambassadors</p>

7

<p>I still debate with myself this very topic. I completely understand the OP's points, but I have a few things to add. I also could have gotten full rides, but instead took a much smaller scholarship to an Ivy. So now I figure that with Fin Aid, etc, I will be paying around 80k or so more to go to Ivy than to go to local USNews <70 schools. To me, though, even though the cost is greater, I just couldn't help but take the opportunity to go to one of the best places for physics in the world. </p>

<p>Also, with the average person making over $1 Million in their lifetime, and certainly much more for college grads, if I can use my Ivy name and connections and education to help me make only 5% more per year, than I'll have negated the money effects. </p>

<p>I respect those who turned down Ivy's, etc, because it shows planning and pragmatism that transcends a personal need for prestige, but I wouldn't say that those who turned down full rides to pay thousands more for another school are really foolish at all. </p>

<p>I guess it also makes a difference as to what field one wants to go into. I would love to be a professor of physics, and looking at the educations of physics professors at all types of schools, I can really see a difference. CalTech has 85%+ professors that went to top schools, most going to CalTech, Berkeley, Stanford, MIT, Harvard, Princeton, and Cornell. My cheaper local school has about 15%, and they are department chairs. Looking at that and at my own education, I had no choice but to pay the money. My life goal is to understand physics as best I can. Making/saving lots of money is around number 5 on my list. With that rationalization, what's 80k to go to the best? Not much in my book.</p>

<p>Plus, I am kinda selfish and I like to stand out. Part of my reason to go Ivy was in defiance to my school for seemingly actively discouraging kids to try for the best. Next year and in years to come, kids are going to apply to WUSTL, Stanford, and Cornell, kinda cuz I helped show it could be done. That might make my situation a little different from yours. Like I said in my opening sentence, I don't think I'll know for sure that my decision was the best one for many years. </p>

<p>I also know that some of my money goes to buy a name (which sucks because most people around here don't know that name). But on the flip side, I am always proud to show some school spirit!</p>

<p>From a foolish Cornell 09er.</p>

8

<p>College should not just be about money and getting a dollar return. There is something to be said about a love of learning and a stimulating environment with enthusiastic fellow students. Sure there are lazy bums at Ivy and motivated students at State U, but on the whole the culture is much different.</p>

9

<p>As someone who has worked in a reknown law firm since my 10th grade year, maybe I'm just speaking fo myself. I haven't even had one day in an undergraduate class, yet I have contacts (and pay) that law students would die for, have eaten lunch with senators, chief judges, mayors, and even someone on the 9/11 commission. I think that work experience, combined with an educational background is key to being successful. You have to do a lot of networking, and you may argue that only that networking can be done at an Ivy, it can be done anywhere as long as there is food and wine around. My employer is on the state bar association committee and he interviews and approves Bar applicants and I will tell you that it doesn't matter if you went to Ivy or State U. Even when you apply for law school it doesn't matter, but thats not to say there wont be a slight preference.</p>

<p>I still dont get how going to an Ivy makes you a go getter, doesn't going to any college? Its all about the contacts that you make, your previous salaries, recommendations and references. i dont exactly see people getting jobs because they listed a harvard professor as a reference as supposed to the judge they clerked for.</p>

<p>All in all is that we get accepted to Ivy's but we just dont go. I dont want to pay an extra 100k to say that i went to an Ivy, that I dined at an eating club, that I watched a final four game and that I went to the school that John Kerry and George Bush went to.</p>

10

<p>Thats my point edad, the same "stimulating environment" at Stanford can be found at Middleofnowhere University for thousands of dollars less. All Ivys really have today is a name and there is less and less to back that up. You went to an Ivy, so what. You got accepted to three Ivy's- thats whatsup.</p>

<p>I value acceptions over enrolling for some odd reason.</p>

11

<p>
[quote]

A Yale 3.5 engineer, in the eyes of a grad admissions officer, is the same as a [insert other school here] 3.5 history major.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Although generally I am an advocate of people going where they feel they fit in best rather than the place some magazine says is most "prestigious", I have to disagree here slightly. There are some real advantages to attending a top school, at least in terms of graduate school.</p>

<p>As an MIT kid with a 3.5 GPA, it will be easier for me to get into top biology grad schools than an Ohio State kid with a 3.5, just because there are relatively fewer MIT kids with a 3.5 than there are kids from state schools with a 3.5. The people admitting you to grad school are professors in your department, and they will care, at least a little, about where you went to school. And you can't write "accepted to three Ivys" on your grad school application.</p>

<p>That's not to say that every person who attends a top school will have excellent job/grad school/what have you prospects. But if you're successful at a top school, doors open for you.</p>

12

<p>Politics aren't about Ivies or academics. Look who's running the country.</p>

13

<p>
[quote]
Thats my point edad, the same "stimulating environment" at Stanford can be found at Middleofnowhere University for thousands of dollars less. All Ivys really have today is a name and there is less and less to back that up. You went to an Ivy, so what. You got accepted to three Ivy's- thats whatsup.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>No it cannot; the lower in rank you go, in my opinion, the more vocational/pre-professional the school is. Even high-ranking schools endorse this attitude toward education (Northwestern, anyone?). What you will find at Stanford and most of the Ivys is a tendency toward intellectualism, not job-security/job-training.</p>

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<p>I have to agree with nspeds. I have toured colleges and made a lot of friends at a lot of places. There is simply no way that the intellectualism is the same at local-state U as it is at the Ivies. I just spent two full days with a good friend of mine on his local-state U. It's unbelievable the difference. He will pay about a third what I pay, but I believe will receive opportunites and an education at at least a fourth of Cornell. Seeing as no one here knows about Cornell, it can't really be said that I fought my way in for prestige. I chose it because of top notch professors with connections, an amazing student body, rare physics tool and facilities, fantastic quality of life (food, eh), and many other factors that I will not find at many other places in the world. As a person who loves education, and wants to be a professor, there was no choice for me. </p>

<p>Plus, we also have to consider that my parents are on the financial aid line. This year I got money, next year, I may get more due to personal finances. Bottom line, we found a way to pay, and my dad (who is footing much of the bill) specifically told me to ignore U of Minnesota and others and go to Cornell. Not because of prestige, but because as a person with a Stanford PhD in EE, he knows where good workers come from and why they got to be that way.</p>

<p>I guess what I tell people in choosing colleges is this:</p>

<p>Are you able to find a way financially?</p>

<p>What are you willing to give up?</p>

<p>I answerd Yes to the first and "a lot" to the second. I bought a $9000 car by working very hard at a grocery store for many years. I sold it a year or so ago to pay for college. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. Would I give up a $100,000 car for a $20,000 car? A $300,000 for a $200,000 house? No question. Making myself the best I can be will always trump money.</p>

<p>That said, (I know it may start some arguing) I know people who answered "no" to the first question. Will I ever tell them they made the wrong choice by choosing a lesser college? Never. If the extra 80k is too much to ever possibly handle (in the likely case that parents don't help as much as they should. Top colleges usually give out top aid), I tell them the truth: in the end, it probably won't matter. But inside, I know that in my life, my financial situation, my hopes, my goals, my next MAJOR part of LIFE, I just wouldn't be as happy at the same place as them. Make me better than them? Of course not. Make me luckier than them? Yup. Life ain't fair, and at least for now, I got the nicer half.</p>

15

<p>"Politics aren't about Ivies or academics. Look who's running the country." Yeah, without dad, he may not have made it into Yale. Weren't his SATs about 1300 or something? But still, Washington is packed with Ivies. But then again, many make it without them. (US Representative who lives down the street from me went to decent, but cheap State U). Sure, anyone can really make it from anywhere they go if they work hard. It's just that it's still much harder to get to England in a row boat.</p>

<p>bmoreyo, I wish I had the opportunites you've had. If you know the right people, why spend the money on an Ivy if you want to get a certain job? But I think I speak for most people when I say that you've lived with more privilege than most of us. Therefore, it may be true that for those who want to get the jobs you are talking about, even an Ivy Degree couldn't beat your connections. But then again, it's probably as close as they're going to get.</p>

16

<p>You can only stand on the reputation of your college for so long. After a while, the only thing that matters is what YOU did with your education. If you went to Harvard and you're asking "Do you want fries with that?", nobody's going to be impressed. If you went to CalState Chico and you're the CEO of Microsoft, well, then you're going to impress.</p>

17

<p>
[quote]
if its one thing that permeates throught this board is a perpetuated dominance by well known schools (Brown, Yale, USC etc) over less known schools. There's a lot of the-ceo-of-here-went-to-my-school posts, that doesn't mean that you are going to be a CEO too. Some people go to the best of schools and are serving my Big Mac.</p>

<p>Even funnier, just because you dont go to an Ivy League school doesnt mean you didnt get accepted. A lot of people get accepted but they just dont go because they either cant afford it or dont like the elitism etc etc. I got accepted to an Ivy, but got a full ride a less known school. And you best believe i took the full ride. The money I save goes toward graduate school. Or if you just stop right there then you dont have any substancial debt to worry about. Its like a two for one special, a bachelor's and a jd for the price of one. A Yale 3.5 engineer, in the eyes of a grad admissions officer, is the same as a [insert other school here] 3.5 history major.</p>

<p>Its amazing.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>im sorry but you sound jealous of the ivy leaguers</p>

18

<p>Hmm, I wonder if you can have your cake and eat it too. Like Bmorey said, Ivy acceptance but chose another full-ride school. How does one insert the Ivy acceptance in eg, grad school application, or employment application? I suppose you can explain your choice of school in essays and resume if you are looking for work right away after undergrad. Would you not have bests of both world: recognition, full-ride and GPA ?</p>

19

<p>"You can only stand on the reputation of your college for so long. After a while, the only thing that matters is what YOU did with your education. If you went to Harvard and you're asking "Do you want fries with that?", nobody's going to be impressed. If you went to CalState Chico and you're the CEO of Microsoft, well, then you're going to impress."</p>

<p>I think that goes without saying. A lot of people say "I know someone who went to Ivy and is now working at a grocery store, so therefore, Ivies are of no help." Those stories are ceratinly true, but they aren't then norm. I know 20 people who went to state-U and are now working at a grocery store. So mathematically and statistically, no one will say that one's opportunities are LESS by going to Ivy. They may be the same, but most likely, the opportunities will be greater. Enough greater to warrant 80K? That's a personal decision. I repsect both sides. </p>

<p>But that Harvard grad flipping burgers would be flipping burgers if he went to a lesser school. </p>

<p>CEOs, etc, from state U would still have the entrepreneurship to be CEOs despite having gone to Ivy instead. ;)</p>

20

<p>
[quote]
Its like a two for one special, a bachelor's and a jd for the price of one. A Yale 3.5 engineer, in the eyes of a grad admissions officer, is the same as a [insert other school here] 3.5 history major.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>If you are applying to law school, Yale will make a difference.</p>