<p>@gadiii - You make some interesting points, and I’d specifically like to address the idea that “a school’s prestige will help [students] get better jobs post-grad.”</p>
<p>Actually, a few years ago, Princeton released a study that showed that Ivy League accepted students averaged the same incomes 20 years later–regardless of whether they had actually attended the Ivy. That seems to indicate that it’s really about the individual, not the college.</p>
<p>I know of at least a handful of HYPS seniors who still do not have job offers, and I know of at least a handful of non-top 20 college students headed to incredible med schools, law schools, investment firms, etc. If you have the drive, the ability, and some luck, your college choice will not limit you, regardless of its “prestige”.</p>
<p>Why can’t you? You’re just basing it off impressions – you have this feeling that Brown has got to be better than WashU, or that Georgetown has got to be better than Emory, and that’s based purely off general perceptions / impressions that you have – which are VERY influenced by your social circles and the part of the country in which you live and the likelihood that you know successful people who went to these schools, not any REAL data. I mean, plenty of people in Boston are “surprised” that WashU is rated so highly – but no one in St. Louis is, since they all know brilliant and successful people who went there.</p>
<p>Why? I think the US News comes very close to measuring our general perceptions of prestige, even if there are a few schools that are arguably 5 or so places out of order. I don’t see why you think that Brown belongs above WashU. Most people would see them as about equal, albeit with some regional differences. </p>
<p>Why should Georgetown go above Emory? Again, both names strike me as about equally prestigious. They both have a better reputation than, say, a state flagship, but most people wouldn’t place them in the top 10. </p>
<p>If you want a measure of academic prestige, look at US News peer assessment.</p>
<p>You’d have to look at some of the individual metrics that drive the rankings. WUSTL (in some years anyway) has been slightly more selective than Brown based on the USNWR formula (using a composite of average SAT scores, grades/rank, and admit rates.) WUSTL’s average class sizes are just slightly smaller (according to poster hawkette’s data compiled from CDS records). WUSTL’s faculty salaries are a bit higher (according to stateuniversity.com). WUSTL has a higher 4 year graduation rate (according to Kiplinger).</p>
<p>USNWR ranks WUSTL higher than Brown. However, Washington Monthly, stateuniversity.com, Forbes, and Kiplinger all rate Brown higher than WUSTL. It depends on what metrics you use and how you weight them.</p>
<p>Z.Exodus 2008:
I agree with you completely. It’s more about the student and what they make of a college.
Different people do best in different environments. Some people do best in big lecture halls, others in small classrooms. Some at party schools, some at very academic schools.</p>
<p>In the part of Michigan I am from, Michigan State is amazing, Central Michigan is really good, but everybody knows Western throws the best parties. Wayne State is great for those who don’t want to leave home. Nobody really cares about HYPSMCCBDPTDCCW&MVVOCWUSTLNNDSAW or Ohio State.</p>
<p>In the US, sll other things being approximately equal (which they never are), the graduating student from a more prestigous university (defined in the eye of the employer) may well have a higher probability of being hired or being offered a better position. This advantage will likely disappear for all subsequent promotions, job changes, etc. after the first.</p>
<p>An interesting contrast is to consider France. Twenty or thirty years into a career, employers (I have first hand knowledge on this one) still know and take into account which school the person went to AND their approximate rank within their class (especially if they graduated at the top of their class) EVEN WHEN their actual work performance history has been dismal!</p>
Why do we care about what laymen think? Most couldn’t name a supreme court judge or case, explain what the Fed is, names of their senators and local congressman. Don’t base your decision on dumb people!