<p>Or does it? Question that has been racking in my mind, after reading some (harmless) insults thrown at each other by Cal and Stanford students.</p>
<p>One side: Prestige only matters at graduate levels, because all your acceptance into a prestigious university/LAC for undergraduate studies just proves that you did well at high school. High schools vary completely across the nation in terms of curriculum, class size, etc. and most important of all, they all suck (I absolutely hated high school, and ditched whenever I could). Now, I won't go into "missing the high school experience," (in the way that I'm defining it, i.e. sex, drugs, and rock & roll) but suffice it to say, those who have worked hard on getting into the top schools have generally missed out on being a lame teenager. Parents also play a heavy role in the whole college admission process (a lot of us who screwed around in high school, been in a felony stop and/or got arrested didn't have parents/close parents). It upsets me when people are blindly insulting institutions such as UCR. You know how many don't go to a university ranked within the top 100? Some people work hard just to get into UCR. </p>
<p>Once you get into a top ranked graduate school, however, that proves that you did well at a higher learning institution.</p>
<p>The other: How many actually care about that "high school experience" anyway? Plus, others might define that experience as joining the chess club, going to prom, and staying sober. Those who worked hard in HS will be bound to work hard for the rest of their lives. Not all people will go onto graduate studies, so attending a top undergrad makes all the difference. Networking at the undergrad level (which will happen at the top levels) will open doors. And of course, attending a top ranked uni for your undergrad makes a difference (in some cases) when applying for grad school. There are some other points, I can't think of right now.</p>
<p>Argue for one or the other. Just want to see what I'm missing (a lot, I know).</p>
<p>It depends, for most colleges, presitge does not matter, and most people will talk about where they went for grad school rather than undergrad. The few people I know for where they got their undergrad is more important than their graduate degree are the Sevrvice Academies.</p>
<p>But on the otherside of the arguement you said that undergrad only proves how well you did in highschool, but in truth, that is only getting in. Actually graduating from one of those places is much harder.</p>
<p>After reading my post, I realize it goes everywhere.</p>
<p>I suppose the focal point of the arguement is, it really shouldn't (or doesn't) matter if you go to a top 20 university, versus the hundreds of others in terms of prestige/bragging rights/blah (so, not the quality of education is at stake).</p>
<p>SO, are undergrad courses offered at top universities and third tier universities relatively the same?
- Many of my teachers went to community colleges for their undergrad and then did their graduate at NYU and prestigious universities.
They all claim that "nobody looks at, or cares about, your undergraduate".
- Is this accurate?</p>
<p>Alumni tend to identify themselves with their undergraduate alma mater, despite later and perhaps multiple graduate degrees. </p>
<p>Whether prestige does matter or not is unclear. There are strong opinions as to whether prestige should matter. What is clear is in some fields, graduates of certain "prestigious" universities are more common. For instance, many of the current and former supreme court justices are alumni of well known universities.</p>
<p>*Alito Princeton
Roberts Harvard
Breyer Stanford (turned Harvard down due to family preference)
Ginsburg Cornell
Thomas Holy Cross (after initial education in seminary)
Souter Harvard
Kennedy Stanford
Rhenquist Stanford
Scalia Georgetown
O'Connor Stanford
Stevens University of Chicago</p>
<p>Of note, with the exception of Justice Stevens, who attended Northwestern Law School, all the the listed justices attended Harvard, Yale, or Stanford Law Schools.*</p>
<p>Is graduation from a prestigious university necessary to become a supreme court justice? No. Does attendance at a prestigious university facilitate nomination to the court by virtue of quality of education, exposure to strong peers, aquaintance with future leaders or entre to important clerking positions? Perhaps.</p>
<p>Most alumni of prestigious colleges won't tell you that their undergraduate affiliation got them the position they currently hold. What they will tell you is that graduating from a prestigious college didn't hurt and in some cases opened doors which gave them a chance to demonstrate personal merit. Attending a prestigious university may give you additional flexibility later on.</p>
<p>Talk to people who do attend prestigious graduate programs. I'm sure at least half of them come from equally prestigious undergraduate colleges.</p>
<p>People always say "where you go to undergrad doesn't matter, only grad," and that is true at one level, meaning that if you compare two students, one who went to Arizona State for undergrad and then Harvard for grad school, and then another who went to MIT for undergrad and Harvard for grad school, yes they will be looked at roughly the same. But this is the part everyone misses: it is much much harder to get to Harvard grad school from ASU than from MIT, even if the students are of roughly the same caliber. Point: prestigious grad schools tend to accept students from prestigious undergrad universities. Hence, it does matter.</p>
<p>First, not all high schools nare a waste of time. This country has many amazing high schools. Colleges know the difference between schools and those they deem to have done well in high school are likely to do well at top colleges. While you can still do well not going to a top co9llege, going to one is deffinitely a boost for most things. Good jobs right out of college and admission to top grade schools to name two. Graduate business and law schools favor top school grads in the extreme. If you want to be a nurse or a teacher at an average school, college probably won't matter. Med school also seems to be more about grades than school. But for most other things, the college does seem to matter.</p>
<p>
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First, not all high schools nare a waste of time. This country has many amazing high schools. Colleges know the difference between schools and those they deem to have done well in high school are likely to do well at top colleges.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I know that, but how many of these notable high shcool are out there? A hundred (if that, even) out of how many? Thousands upon thousands?</p>
<p>Drew, the poster Alexander has posted colleges that top law schools aceptees attended. It is HEAVILY weighted in the favor of very top colleges. Even good solid colleges like UCLA palesd in comparison to top 10 schools at top law schools by a huge margin. If you have info to the contrary, please post it.</p>
<p>Just because there are a lot from top schools doesn't mean that the law school in question favors top schools. Most students at top schools are very motivated and intelligent from the start, so of course they'll probably get into a top law school. But, if you have a 3.8 + 170LSAT you're most likely going to get into a top LS regardless of your undergraduate institution.</p>
<p>Why does everyone here put so much importance on grad school? Why become another lawyer or doctor, like the countless cogs in this education system who worship the almighty dollar? It's not like there's a shortage of either in this country.</p>
<p>It seems like people go to grad school only for two reasons:
1. they don't know what to do with themselves, and its more secure/comforting to go to grad school rather than go out in the real world
2. in pursuit of the almighty dollar (well, not even so, you probably already have substantial money and are in the top 1% of the world in terms of wealth, yet you want even MORE money).</p>
<p>Then again, I guess some people want to become doctors in order to help people. Yet trying to find a valid reason for becoming a lawyer, other than the money, is more difficult. I mean, let's face it, when you become a lawyer you're not exactly trying to defend constitutional principles of the United States here. Moreover, lawyers are stereotypically seen as liars and scam artists rather than promoters of justice.</p>
<p>It seems the primary reason people become lawyers or doctors is simply for the high salaries, or even because of the esteem or prestige society places on those jobs (I mean let's face it, look how many people on this board are obsessed with the "prestige" factor, and all the threads centered on "prestige"). So it seems that most people become doctors or lawyers for the money or to receive validation from others (which, by the way, can only come from oneself). Both of these seem like pretty poor reasons.</p>
<p>Well, that's just my thought process. Am I missing something? Please, someone, if I'm wrong tell me. That's just my two cents.</p>
<p>Prestigious schools are like a modeling agency - they hire you because you're attractive and they show you how to develop and market your attractiveness.</p>
<p>However, not all people who turn into top models go through the agency; it just so happens that they're at a disadvantage.</p>
<p>But if you're hot enough, it doesn't matter what method you use, chances are you're still going to end up on your share of ad campaigns, just the degree of blood, sweat, tears (and makeup) varies.</p>
<p>People who make it into a top 30 school for undergrad and more likely than others to have the grades and test scores to make it into a top professional school.</p>
<p>Are you talking about the prestige of the school or the specific engineering program? Overall, if you are not going to pursue graduate studies, then the prestige of undergrad will matter. But if you are going to grad school then it really doesnt matter.</p>
<p>Second point: If you are an engineer, you should definitely choose prestige of program over prestige of school. I was faced with this several weeks ago. UCSD Bioengineering or Rice. I chose UCSD.</p>