<p>is it better to go to a more "selective"(that isnt an ivy) college and be an average student or go to a pretty good public college and be an above average student?</p>
<p>it could just be equal</p>
<p>I'm paraphrasing someone who previously said on a similar thread on CC....do you want to be a V.I.P. at the Holiday Inn or a regular guest at the Ritz? Unfortunately, there's no easy answer to your question....it depends...on the school, on the major, on the student, etc. Good luck!</p>
<p>personally, I'd go for the public/great</p>
<p>A story about some guy who went to my high school:
He had horrible grades and didn't get in anywhere except for UMD. But there he was able to develop and display his true abilities: one of the math professors said he was the best student he had in 25 years. He wrote a great recommendation that got him into Princeton grad school and now is becoming a well-known name in the math world.</p>
<p>After thinking about it, i think being average at the "better" school would be more beneficial because I remember my Wesleyan interviewer telling me that the only reason she has her job is because she graduated from Wesleyan. So I guess, graduate schools look at it as equal, whereas if you don't want to go to grad school immedietely, the better college name will help you.</p>
<p>Adidasjed, you are WAY too vague. You should give us more details? I have three questions for you:</p>
<p>1) What are the exact colleges or universities you are referring to? What do you mean by "selective college (that isn't an Ivy League)" and what do you mean by "a pretty good public college"? Is it Georgetown or Rice vs University of Arizona or Clemson or is it Boston University or Georgetown Washington vs University of Texas-Austin or University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign? </p>
<p>2) What do you mean by "average student" and "above average student"? Are we talking 3.0 GPA vs 3.7 GPA? Or do you mean 3.3 GPA vs 3.5 GPA?</p>
<p>3) What do you want to do with your degree? Do you intend to work for a regional company or go to Medical school, Law school or some PhD program or do you intend to get a job with a very exclusive company in NYC or San Francisco? </p>
<p>You have a pretty serious question and without serious details, I think any answer to your question will be one-dimensional.</p>
<p>to answer your questions Alexandre
1) Selective i mean a LAC like Bowdoin or Bates and pretty good public i mean a school like Colorado or UVM.
2)Average student i would say like a 3.25ish and above average ide say about a 3.7
3)i hope to go to grad school and hopefully the job would work out from there.</p>
<p>any other questions i would be happy to answer</p>
<p>It depends on the person. Personally, I'd rather go to a selective university and distinguish myself there. : D</p>
<p>mmm i would go with the average at a 'better' school because i know how i am. and i (personally) think a lot of people are the same.</p>
<p>being surrounded by intelligent people pushes you more than being surrounded by kids at a state school who could care less. (obviously vague generalizations with a few 'buts'. and there are PLENTY of very intelligent kids at state schools and such but its just that the % is much lower)</p>
<p>1)but then again im also looking at it in terms of education as opposed to making more money or something.
2) but what if you don't care to be pushed and you end up just falling straight to the bottom=lonely</p>
<p>
[quote]
He had horrible grades and didn't get in anywhere except for UMD.
[/quote]
What were his grades? How did he get into UMD?</p>
<p>I was actually reading your post on your other thread. You have a tough decision to make. Those are three completely different settings. All three schools are good. Bowdoin is obviously the best strictly from an academic point of view, but as you point out, one could get bored after a while if they aren't suited for that environment.</p>
<p>At one of the events that took place the weekend I graduated from Stanford, the Dean of Admissions gave a short speech. "Four years ago, virtually all of you were in the top ten percent of your class. Now, only ten percent of you are. That's the magic of Stanford," he said.</p>
<p>Part of the process of growing up is coming to grips with the fact that the universe doesn't revolve around you. For some people, that realization comes in high school, or even before. For some of us, it comes in college. For others, it comes in graduate school. Some people never master that lesson.</p>
<p>Unless you really are one of the smartest people in the world, you're better off developmentally if you develop a realistic view of your talents sooner rather than later. And if you really are one of the smartest people in the world, a little self-doubt might do you some good.</p>
<p>I left a job recently at a company where the new head of the department had announced that "my personal philosophy is to be the best at anything I do." My reaction was to think, "there's a name for your 'philosophy': it's called 'narcicism.'" Since that day, half of his direct reports have moved on. He's one guy who could have benefited from a little more self-awareness.</p>
<p>To be fair Greybeard, striving to be the best at anything you put time into is a pretty worthy goal, although I would agree that if he actually thought he was the best/would be the best, that's narcissistic.</p>
<p>As to the public/top or private/average: I attend an IB high school in which I am no longer the top student that I was in elementary/middle school, and I think the experience has been good for me - I no longer feel I must be #1 at everything I do. </p>
<p>However, in college it could be useful to top at the very top, as there are many more important career/internship/research opportunities that could have a large impact on my future, which I would have a much better chance of obtaining if I am able to truly distinguish myself, rather than just be "average".</p>
<p>I'd say go for the school where you will excell. It will be hard to distinguish yourself at a school where you have to struggle to keep up with the work. And if you want to go to grad school, a 2.0 GPA and a bottom 25% ranking aren't going to get you in, even if you went to Harvard. It's better to have a 3.5-4.0 GPA at a less competitive school, and really learn what your professors are teaching you. Studying is only part of the equation. Besides, at the less competitive school, you'll stand out (in a good way) and be the first one to come to mind for job offers, internships, etc.</p>
<p>Just think of it this way... our president (of whom I am not a fan...I'm just saying) is made fun of a lot for getting Cs at Yale. Had he gone instead to UT, he might have ended up with much better grades... and people aren't going to criticize him for getting As (or even Bs). Make sense?</p>
<p>Maybe. Or partied too hard at Texas and flunked out...</p>
<p>Another question to answer for yourself is what environment (selective private college or good public) will draw out the best in you (i.e., make you thrive). Do you get energized by peers who may be as smart academically or "smarter" than you but who you can learn from (and they learn from your unique perspectives)? Do you work better in teams or solo? Basically, are you someone that can do well anywhere - small pond or big pond? If you are the "can thrive anywhere" type than you will do well at the "good public" university. What has worked well for my son was being part of an honors program at a good public university so he had both challenging peers who drew out the best in him, but he could also enjoy the Division I sports experience as a spectator (which tends not to be as available at many selective private universities). On the other hand, I was a middling aptitude student among some brilliant peers at the University of Chicago which drew out the best in me.</p>
<p>i think i could adapt to any situation, big school or small school, but it is tough to decide what one i would enjoy more</p>
<p>heres my issue. don't think that because you end up going to UVM that you'd be at the top of the class vs. a bowdoin where u'd be middle of the pack. if you're going to be at the top at UVM you'll be at the top at Bowdoin. If you're middle of the pack at Bowdoin, you'll likely be middle of the pack at UVM.</p>
<p>i agree with jags. a lot of it comes down to peers....</p>