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[quote]
Unless such a study is conducted and find there to be no association, your point remains invalid.
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</p>
<p>His point remains unsound because it is not empirically verifiable.</p>
<p>I never said "positively" correlate. I said "automatically" correlate. Meaning that it does not guarantee success. It doesn't make it automatic. Obviously, it positively correlates with success-- I'm not stupid.</p>
<p>I didn't say that getting into a good school has NO bearing. Just that it wasn't the most important factor in achieving success. In short, this is what I am trying to say: if you cannot get into Harvard, but know that you have the merit to achieve great success, it can be done regardless. I never said that having Harvard on your job application doesn't give you an upper hand.</p>
<p>And, duality, the problem with your argument is that the group of students attending Harvard will most likely be all around better students, more hard working etc. I am saying that exceptionally motivated students who do not get into Harvard can still become extremely successful (or even attend H for grad school which is honestly more important). I am saying that this does not apply to all Harvard rejects. In fact, it doesn't apply to very many people at all, but on CC, I'm sure there are plenty of determined people who don't get into their dream school. </p>
<p>If you are not a perfect student, don't have good grades until 11th grade or have mediocre SAT scores, this does not devalue your personal characteristics. It only makes you much less likely to attend Harvard. Therefore, your chance to become successful is less since the school you will attend is not as prestigious, but you still have a great chance for success assuming that you are determined.</p>
<p>This is pretty much my whole argument: getting into a good college and strong personal characteristics both positively correlate with success. Having both on your side almost guarantees success. This is where opinion comes in for me (since there are obviously no studies on it-- Also, statistically, this would not reflect reality as most extremely determined students get into relatively good colleges). Motivation will outweight going to a good college. </p>
<p>RajamundoFlavor-- I hate when people like you intervene in fun debate. Really, there's no reason to personally attack me. Have anything interesting to add to the debate?</p>
<p>This isn't fun debate, this is you justifying your rejection letter-to be in April And you wrote so much, do you honestly have nothing better to do?</p>
<p>Of course Harvard doesn't equal success. Nothing does.</p>
<p>Success is defined by YOU. if you want to go to Harvard and be an alcoholic, that is fine... you'll be a damn smart one.</p>
<p>Harvard students prefer cocaine.</p>
<p>guys you are all retarded.</p>
<p>a harvard degree equals success. it's that simple of an equation.</p>
<p>ofcourse you can be a tool and go to a bad college and be succesful but your life is secured with a harvard degree.</p>
<p>end of thread.</p>
<p>Indeed, attending a good college and personal merits are two factors that are hopelessly entangled with each other that it is difficult to determine whether the former by itself has any association with success from an empirical study. I think, the best way to go about it would be to study a group of students who had been accepted to Harvard and who had turned it down, compared to a group of similar students who chose to attend Harvard. In this study the factor of the school would probably be as isolated as we could make it. That would certainly be an interesting study.</p>
<p>Agreed. I would definitely like to conduct such a study and see the results.</p>
<p>straight up fagits.</p>
<p>what's the point of this 'argument'? Please inform us of something we don't already know.</p>