<p>How do you think the prestigious names of Williams, Amherst, Sworthmore, Pomona, etc. match up to the names of IVY leagues? Now a days, people, including employees, hardly know the LACs at all. Do you think state universities appeal more to most employees than Amherst (since say... a UFlorida is much more well known and probrably in their opinion, produce better grads)? Do people consider Cornell (worst ivy imo) better than Williams? Will it grant LAC grads offer the same job opportunites as ivies, how bout worldwide?</p>
<p>Most people you come across will never have heard of the elite LACs.</p>
<p>But they are, on average, academically better than ivies and a few just as hard to get into. This holds the name of "Little ivies" and rare to people. This could mean be a disadvantage to the LACs and so it's fair to say that the LACs should hold the same prestige as Columbia or Brown right?</p>
<p>Now a days do you think LACs are valued much less than universities. Say a resume from UMich, "Wow that's amazing, congratulations you're up for the interview" versus Amherst, "Err, sorry never heard of it, sounds too small, sorry".</p>
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But they are, on average, academically better than ivies
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<p>No.</p>
<p>As for your question, the employers that graduates of top schools want to work for are well aware of the quality of elite LACs. It's true that a regional company will be more familiar with the flagship state university nearby, but if you're graduating from Amherst you probably don't want to work for such a company anyway.</p>
<p>Sry I mean, that IMO students from LACs students probrably do academically better, not their academic departments. But the sad thing is LAC's dont' shine as much prestige to impress people. Maybe it's because they not mixed in with national universities in the US news? If that were the case, then we would know where Williams would be in the ranking whether it's behind Yale or in front of Duke.</p>
<p>Oh and i'm not aware that many employees know the qualities of the LACs.</p>
<p>Local companies like locals, but a UMich applicant at a top investment firm isn't any more exciting than an Amherst grad. Top companies know what schools offer and are impressed by LAC grads (yes, even against their Ivy counterparts). As far as "regular" people go, it depends on who you ask. Those who are into academia will likely respect the mission of LACs, but those who only appreciate large universities won't understand the concept. In general, I'd say an Ivy League school would trump a LAC in reputation--but since when does what your local florist think of your school matter?</p>
<p>Oh, and many LAC grads continue their studies at larger prestigious schools, making them more marketable.</p>
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Oh and i'm not aware that many employees know the qualities of the LACs.
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<p>Don't you mean employers, not employees? Are you disagreeing, or just saying you didn't know?</p>
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Cornell (worst ivy imo)
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<p>I think that distinctions goes to Brown AFAIK based on what my two Harvard friends said.</p>
<p>haha I'm sorry i meant EMPLOYERS!</p>
<p>LACs are indeed academically better than most Ivy League universities when it comes to providing a quality undergraduate education. The best LACs are more selective than Ivy League schools because their pools are self-selecting. The statistics for schools such as Harvard and Columbia are deceptive because any unqualified Joe Schmoe can throw an application at these two schools and hope for the best. They do so en masse.</p>
<p>The most well-regarded corporations and firms will know about the top LACs. There are those who would choose schools such as HYP, Brown, and Dartmouth over the LACs, and their decision is understandable.</p>
<p>In terms of layman's prestige, those from well-educated, higher-up backgrounds will have heard of the LACs. Your layman will have only heard of Harvard and the state flagships. But, a vast majority of the people whom you will meet will not have heard of these schools.</p>
<p>Basically, it depends on the job. For 90 percent of jobs that graduates of places like W/A/S seek, you will do as well as the graduates of the ivies, and far better than a place like Michigan. Most Williams alums, for example, either go to top ten medical / law / MBA / Phd programs within a few years of graduating, and/or consulting / investment banking firms (most of who only recruit at maybe a dozen schools in the country), and/or win national fellowships like NSF, Fulbright, Rhodes, Gates, and/or do prestige service jobs like Teach for America or Peace Corps. Even for those who want to do something off the beaten path, the networks at the top LAC's are much tighter, and people are much more excited to hear from and help an undergrad due to the small size of the student and alumni pool. NOw, if you really want to do something off the beaten path, that is not a traditional "prestige" job, sure, they will never have heard of a place like Williams. But again, most kids who attend these school are aiming for the top graduate programs and most prestigious employers in any event, so it's not even remotely something to worry about. For me, every job I've ever had has been extremely impressed by Williams, while not a single person from my high school or hometown had ever heard of it. Guess which set of opinions has matterd in my life?</p>
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LACs are indeed academically better than most Ivy League universities when it comes to providing a quality undergraduate education.
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<p>This is your opinion. While small classes and closer interaction with professors are certainly advantageous, they can be offset by lower quality science facilities and less access to research opportunities relative to Ivies. I'm a big fan of LACs, but like any school they have their drawbacks.</p>
<p>Academically I would say they are better than ivies. People teaching at LACs are there to teach, people teaching at Harvard, Yale, etc. are there for research.</p>
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they can be offset by lower quality science facilities and less access to research opportunities relative to Ivies.
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<p>Oh, this is indubitably true, given the gross abundance of resources under the Ivy League's possession. But, many people who choose to attend the top LACs pursue studies in the humanities. If one were committed early on to a future career in medical research and engineering, it would certainly be far more advantageous for one to attend Cornell, Stanford, etc., instead. In regard to a career in medicine and embarking on the path to med school, the LAC's med school numbers shouldn't lag too far behind those of the Ivy League.</p>
<p>You're account those students who care about science and research.
Not everyone does =)</p>
<p>There is no worst Ivy, but Brown is no doubt the worst Ivy.</p>
<p>I don't think you can necessarily make the generalization that LAC's provide better education or that Ivy League universities are better for science and research. To me, the only difference b/w a top LAC and a top university is the size. Some people learn better in small classes. Some people learn better in larger classes. Obviously, the caliber of research done at a LAC is not close to the research done at universities, but for an undergrad, it really doesn't matter. You can get into a good med/law/business/grad school whether you succeed at Amherst or Cornell. The only question is what kind of environment you need in order to succeed.</p>
<p>hey noobcake: isn't that a contradictory statement? :)</p>
<p>Williams and Amherst are fairly well known in the circle of education/wealthy people and even the broader populace to a degree (I do not mean the mailman), yet sadly Pomona is really only known to the elite (big employers, professionals ect.) I think its sad, since its lack of name recognition is really a detriment to a school like Pomona. Right or wrong, many kids don't want to go to a school that no one knows . I think for people who need to know Williams and Amherst are considered to be on the level of the top non HYP ivies and in some cases even on that level. The same can be said of Pomona and maybe Swarthmore to a degree. If you go to these schools, even if a lot of people may not have heard of them....those who need to know for the kind of job I am guessing you want will have will. No educated person considers UF more prestigious than Williams (I am from FL)....UF is not even a good state school, and outside of FL it means very little. Similarly, for Michigan and UVA, their prestige is not at the level of those schools for people who need to know. Its a choice you have to make, but for future career goals you will have comparable opportunities to those of the Ivy grads.</p>
<p>O and cornell is the worst ivy: duh</p>
<p>It’s important to note that networking at top LACs is at least as good as networking at the Ivies. Here’s why. If you attended Williams, you consider Middlebury or Bowdoin a peer school and vice versa. All the NESCACs and Swarthmore view the other schools in the group as being essentially the same. When I meet someone from another NESCAC I always share with them the fact that I attended a NESCAC - as if we had attended the same school. I attended a PAC 12 University and an Ivy for grad school and if I meet a grad from another school in those groups I rarely mention the fact that I also attended a member school. My point is that as a NESCAC graduate (or Swarthmore or Wellesley, etc.) you gain a networking advantage not just with grads of your school, but also grads of other member schools.</p>