<p>I agree with the original post, but I think the whole topic is somewhat overanalyzed- I suggest taking a step back.</p>
<p>1) Realistically, how many kids stand a chance of getting into the schools in the OP's list? 1-2%? The vast majority of students go to "regular" or (heaven forbid) "lower" schools, and they come out doing just fine. In this train of thought, is there really much difference between a Harvard student and a Cornell student? Keep in mind that Tulane students not only survived at schools they wouldn't have been admitted to as freshmen, they thrived.</p>
<p>2) How many schools are there in the US? 4000-4500? Considering this huge number, is there really that much difference between a Hopkins education and a Penn education? Considering all of the schools mentioned on CC are in the top 0.5-1% of colleges, I don't see why people insist on the X vs. Y threads. </p>
<p>Eckie- Randolph Macon is highly regarded in the South, but I can't vouch for elsewhere.</p>
<p>I also wanted to say that prestige does not always equate with success. My father went to Rutgers Law School on a full academic scholarship, aced his courses, etc. He worked for 30 years at the State of New Jersey as a prosecutor and environmental lawyer, while his brother, who went to a no-name college (not just no-name but not at all academically rigorous) became very successful and made a lot more money. My uncle has always been very strong in networking and 'schmoozing', and so he achieved greater financial success, with just a bachelors from a low-ranked college, and my father who has his law degree, did not do as well financially. (Though my father was originally an accounting major and was offered a job at a top accounting firm, and turned it down to go to law school). But all this is to say, going to a prestigious school won't neccessarily make you successful. Success depends on many factors. </p>
<p>I did not mean to say that money equates success, and in fact, my last line said that Sucess is made up of many factors. I do not believe money equates success, and in fact, I meant that not only was my uncle more financially successful, but also attained a higher position in his firm, whereas my father had trouble getting promoted beyond a certain point, despite very high recommendations and a good trial record. However, due to his higher position, as VP for a pharmaceutical company (not VP of the whole company, but VP of a department or something), my uncle was more financially successful, but I guess I did not put that in my reply. It was due to his attaining a higher, more prestigious position that my uncle was more financially successful. However, interestingly, he was demoted from his job at that pharmaceutical company and chose to leave. But I wanted to point out that attaining a prestigious school does not always mean you can achieve a better job (and usually more money comes with a better job, in most cases). Many other factors come into play. And for medicine at least, many doctors say that where you attend medical school is not as important as where you do your residency. So doing well at a less prestigious medical school can sometimes be better and get you a better residency or an equally good residency as a student who does not do as well at a more prestigious medical school. Hope that made sense.</p>
<p>Sure does, and do agree that, besides where you go, what you do is more important, although a third thing, who you know, is often greatly helped by those places which are "prestigious," and I think that is the way in which they help most.</p>
<p>
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Everyone who just went to go and bash my interviewer, the whole business card thing was just a joke by her, trust me, not full of herself
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I don't want to make a big deal out of this, but. In the context of the interview, it was a joke. To the people on the thread, particularly the adults, it meant something else. For one thing, it was snobbish. For another thing... I don't know how old the interviewer was, but for an older person to put so much emphasis on where they went to college is really odd. (If nothing else, they've had time to do other stuff.)</p>
<p>Actually I am. My S applied to college last year and I got interested in this whole thing. It's a rather odd hobby. I read over 10 admissions guides last year plus the entire Princeton Review's "The Best nnn Colleges" I'm a little ashamed about that last bit, but it gave me some perspective on the different personalities that colleges have. It helped my S, but we both think it is odd for me to be this interested in college admissions. It is more than just the guides. It is the insider books and books like "The Chosen". </p>
<p>I've read 100 books on the Amer Civil War. Maybe I should go to one of those websites, but I don't want to talk to those people. I can tell you Robert E. Lee's other horse's name. :)</p>
<p>I don't think that people on CC should listen to adults just because they are adults. There are loads of stupid adults. This thread is based on my personal opinion, personal experiences, and books/articles such as "Harvard Schmarvard" by Mathews. I do remember high school and at no other time in your life will other people care so much about your college.</p>
<p>Meh, whether you like it or not, prestige matters in the real world. The average Harvard graduate probably makes more money than the average, say, Michigan graduate of the same field, just because employers see the name of their school on the resume and get excited.</p>
<p>There was a study done, and I believe posted on here, stating that graduates who had been accepted into ivy league schools for undergrad, but turned them down for what ever reason in favor of less "prestigious" schools ended up making just as much, if not more, money in the long term as ivy league grads.</p>
<p>Nuh uh, Arti. Ask any professional- I've always been told the same thing. Once you get your first job, your college becomes less important and decreases in importance with each new job you take. In some fields (law?) this may not hold true, but it's true for a good many fields. </p>
<p>Also, to use your example, did you stop to consider how many Michigan alumni there are in the US??? With such a gigantic alumni base, I'm sure their graduates have quite a good chance at securing a good job.</p>
<p>To be fair, I am not sure if I have ever met an ivy graduate. I have known where very few of the people that I work with went to college. One coworker mentioned once that he went to Georgia Tech and seemed a little insulted that I didn't care more. Another coworker that I talked to alot mentioned that she had gone to a very prestigious and selective LAC, and she said that if she had to do it over again, she wouldn't have done it because nobody had heard of it. Last year, I was looking thru the PR Top Colleges Guide for my S and my boss wanted to look up his college. I was really glad it was actually in there because I didn't want him to be embarassed. That is a little harsh, but those are really the only three people where I've known where they went. I have just your regular kind of engineer-type job.</p>
<p>Really, there just aren't that many ivy graduates. Assuming that each ivy has graduated 1000 students each for the last 40 years, that is only 320,000 people out of a population of 250,000,000. Maybe they are having meetings somewhere that I'm not invited to. I've done a lot of consulting at 50+ companies. Maybe they are there, but they keep quiet about it. Maybe they are all so rich that they don't work.</p>
<p>At any rate, if prestige does matter in your job, it is the grad school degree that matters. I don't think there are jobs where prestige matters and you don't need a grad degree.</p>