This discussion was created from comments split from: What college would be best for me?.
Hi guys which would look better, getting a bachelors degree from an ivy only or getting a bachelors degree from a state university followed by one from an ivy? Thoughts…
Look better to whom, and for what purpose? It is way to specific a question to have a single answer!
It depends, may be about the same, some things would be different, some would not, so without context, can’t answer.
How about going to a state undergrad and then an ivy for law school? Is it better to go to a better grad school and a state school for undergrad to save money for law school? I’m between South Carolina with honors college and Tulane for undergrad knowing I want to go to law school.
South Carolina with honors. Save your money. Law school admission is primarily numbers based (GPA & LSAT), so if you focus on those things and work closely with the pre-law advisor you can get into a good law school from South Carolina.
@animallover345, for law, where you go for law school definitely matters more than where you went for undergrad.
Also, you’ll need to learn that not all the top law schools are Ivies. The top law schools are the T14.
@collegemom3717 on a resume
@animallover345 I’m talking about an undergrad degree from a top school vs two undergrad degrees (one from a state school followed by one from an ivy/top school)
This sort of hypothetical doesn’t withstand even a slight real world analysis, as it appears to assume that if you go to a state school, you’ll get into a “top” graduate school.
Could this happen? Yes. Will this happen? It all depends on how the student does at the state school. It’s not as if a state school is automatically easier so you’ll do better. There are many hardworking intelligent students at that state school with the same exact goal-and since admission is competitive, they aren’t all going to be accepted.
So yes, in certain professions(e.g. law) getting the professional degree from an Ivy makes a lot of difference-but you’ve got to get into that Ivy professional school first.
Old joke: How to make a million dollars and not pay a penny in taxes.
First, get the million dollars…
@Mysterycandy: Why do you want two undergraduate degrees ?
Better to just double major.
Note that the OP has oriented his question with respect to pursuing consecutive undergraduate degrees.
@Mysterycandy, the resume actually isn’t the most important thing.
OP: why do you want two UG degrees?
@PurpleTitan it is actually. I would think about your response first before posting it next time. Its kind of ridiculous and not well thought out to say that a resume does not matter. There is a reason why it’s there. How else would jobs know about it?
@oldlaw I’m not even talking about law school here. So your point doesn’t really make sense
OP, you are being less than helpful on this thread, as well as your transfer thread.
Having two undergrad degrees is generally not beneficial…on a resume, or in the workplace, or for your wallet. Some schools won’t even admit a student who already has a bachelor’s degree into their bachelor’s programs.
Generally there is limited data that suggest better outcomes for students who attended Ivies vs. non-Ivies. Some data show that low SES students are one of the groups that have better outcomes the more highly selective schools they attend.
Getting a master’s degree or PhD at some point can be beneficial, or even required to access certain opportunities. Many students do well in undergrad, wherever that might be, and step it up in selectivity for graduate school.
What are your career goals?
At Harvard, you can not even apply for a second undergraduate degree if you already have one from any other university.
There is no need to get a second undergraduate degree. Period full stop. Some institutions won’t allow someone who has a BA to study for another BA/BS, which takes care of the problem.
@Mysterycandy, can you read to me what I wrote? I hate people who put up strawmen.
Also please detail how much research you’ve done on job hunting dynamics in which industries. I can tell you that I’ve done quite a bit in various industries.