<p>When students become gladly accepted to Ivy league schools, doesn't that really imply that those applicants will merely have an incredible overtension of competition? With all the top ranked students in one institution, ones favored graduate school may disperse out of reality. However, a state university college is usually less competitive than whats mentioned, thus a greater chance of acceptance toward their yearning graduate school. Besides pointless prestige, why is an ''Ivy League" school overly rated? After all, itsn't graduate school exceeding more valued than undergraduate? </p>
<p>Please correct me if I am wrong, I would like to read your thoughts.</p>
<p>I thought about this at the high school scale when I had to make the decision between an all guys prep school and a regular private or public high school. Sometimes I wonder if I would have been better off going to the Catholic school or Public school where I could have been in the higher percentage of my class and maybe played some of the sports I had wanted to. In the end, I realize although I don't stand out as much, I learned a lot more and grew as individual by surrounding myself with intelligent individuals. </p>
<p>Prep school was harder, but I surrounded myself with competitive individuals who will be a strong network even post college due to the bond we share by going to a "prestigious" school.</p>
<p>College is for bettering yourself and as in anything (sports, academics, etc.), you only make yourself better by surrounding yourself with people better than you.</p>
<p>I agree with Chinaski. I feel like I wouldn't be as happy without a LOT of challenge and rigorous competition. But I see where you're coming from, too; I once talked with someone from one of the big-name prep high schools who was complaining that schools would rather have the val from some random public school than someone in the top 30 or 40th percentile at such a rigorous private school. I'd imagine it's the same thing for grad school, but I feel all the extra opportunities available, the caliber of the student body, and the quality of the education I'd be receiving at an Ivy or Ivy-type school BY FAR make up for any slight disadvantage I'd be at in terms of grad school admissions.</p>
<p>It is NOT the same thing for grad school. The student who graduates from Harvard dead last in class rank (in terms of GPA) has a far greater chance of getting into a competitive grad school than someone who was valedictorian of the graduating class of Podunk university. </p>
<p>Prestige is far more important for college than it is for high school. The simple reason- most high-schoolers live at home and go to a school near home, while the opposite is true for college.</p>
<p>What's the old joke? What do the they call the person who graduates dead last in their class at Medical School? Doctor. Of course prestige matters.</p>
<p>Woah... vicariousparent: I respect your post, however I would certainly think any valedictorian has a greater chance than someone who is at the bottom of the pit in Harvard.</p>
<p>I'm sorry for offending people here. I am merely pointing out that grad school admissions is totally different from college admissions. Bragging rights has nothing to do with it. It is all about grad schools feeling comfortable with the academic standards at reputable universities as opposed to standards at unknown (a.k.a Podunk) universities. Harvard was just an example of a top school. Any of the top 20 or so well-known schools (in a given major) would be similarly well regarded. Incidentally, overall GPA and class rank is far less important in college than it is in high school.</p>
<p>BTW, it is kind of sad to think of college as just a stepping stone for graduate school. IMO, people should choose the college that has the most opportunities to offer and that has the best "fit". The 'prestigious' ones tend to offer a lot of opportunities and so they do 'fit' the needs of the most academically driven students. OP was trying to rationalize not going to a prestigious college for fear of being eclipsed by all the other top ranked students. That is not a good reason to choose "Podunk" U.</p>
<p>I agree with vicariousparent. Besides, a grad school won't know that your at the very bottom of the pit at Harvard; all they will know is that you didn't graduate with honors or whatever.
Not only that, but I am positive that anyone who goes to Harvard (or any other high caliber university) is probably brighter than most people that go to a state university. Grad schools know this.</p>
<p>I think that for graduate school the school you apply to will look at your GPA in context of your school. So having a 3.5 at Cal Tech should be considered better than having a 4.0 at a UC school due to the difficulty of the curriculum. Prestige only matters because most of the best students in the nation go to the top univiersities. This means that your GPA may be lower, but because you attend a more difficult school, it stands out more.</p>
<p>However when applying to medical school, the last thing that matters is where you went for you undergrad study. The MCAT score and GPA matters the most. The MCAT separates everyone. So...if it comes down to that two people have the exact same college GPA, MCAT score, research, etc. then the medical school would consider where you got your degree from. And I agree with SDMS.</p>
<p>I like your maturity SDMS12. Why do you wish to elicit the response that prestige doesn't really matter in terms of undergraduate study? Please don't say you're not, considering your past posts and topics... Objectively, I sense a bit of jealousy, if not then obviously an anti-prestige attitude.</p>