<p>Prestige is worthless. Should not be considered in decision making. There are other much more important criteria for selecting college. We pitched invitations to apply from Harvard, Prinston, ...etc. Ranking is another shallow approach and waste of time to research.</p>
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And ALL schools (with exceptions like NYU) ranked below Top 30 are unacceptable? </p>
<p>So even if a school is ranked in the 30s or 40s, it's unacceptable and garbage to you guys, right?
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<p>Who are "you guys"? Go back to ********* where you'll find a bunch of losers who think that nothing below top 30 is acceptable. The adults on CC are far more nuanced in their thinking, and recognize that a great education can be had almost anywhere and is what you make of it.</p>
<p>Prestige is also quite regional in nature, so it's pointless to talk about national prestige once you move beyond HYPSM.</p>
<p>Totally agree that college education as any type of education or other experience is "WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT". There are brilliant people everywhere, if these type is what you are seeking to be around. All kind of experinces and opportunities. You can shine in a one place and be just a face in a crowd in another. Consider the whole picture and be open to opportunities that you never considered before. It is 4-5 years of your life or even much longer if you are going to grad. school.</p>
<p>ElderCookies, are you sending a telegram there? =P</p>
<p>NYU is a great school. I would have loved to have studied Art History and Philosophy there, but as has already been mentioned, the cost of attending would have been too great. The facilities are very, very unimpressive, reminiscent of some of New York City's public schools, and there's not much student body cohesiveness. Its graduate schools might be a better destination for those wanting to spend some time in the city for the first time. 32k+ a year is simply excessive, even with 20k+ worth of grants. It's not necessarily the case that an NYU education isn't WORTH x dollars, but it's that I am unwilling to place financial burden on my family's shoulders when I've been admitted to better schools, schools that are more suitable for me.</p>
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Totally agree that college education as any type of education or other experience is "WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT". ...You can shine in a one place and be just a face in a crowd in another.
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<p>An often touted mantra that just isn't always true... I can't imagine the kind of person I would be today had I not attended my high school. It has taught me how think critically, express myself articulately, examine myself spiritually, and become a confident and assertive intellectual. The opportunities I've had at my high school have been unique due to its identity, and its prestige in some part. </p>
<p>I would imagine that this extends likewise to the undergraduate college one attends. College should be a transformative and life-changing experience: that's the point of college, after all, and aiming for colleges that have strong recognition usually goes hand-in-hand with a socially and intellectually strong atmosphere as well. I was "just a face in a crowd" at my high school, but it's still helped me get to where I am today, to the best LAC. I feel successful, and I owe much of my success to where I've been educated.</p>
<p>People at the top are always afforded more opportunities. For example, if there is an openning for position of Supplemental Instructor in Chem. class in college, guess who is going to get it? You guessed it right, the offer goes to top student. This person would substantially benefit from it, I am not talking just financially. This top person also will greatly benefit from numerous other opportunities that are simply not presented to others. This person is a shining star who could have been "just a face in a crowd" at another place. He also surrounds himself with intellectually strong crowd just for the sake of not being bored. My argument is based on actual facts, not some theoretical assumptions.</p>
<p>William & Mary is def one of the most prestigious schools. I would rate it the number one public and in the company of Vanderbilt and Emory and Georgetown.</p>
<p>WashU. Though it is a great university, when my guidance counselor recommended that I apply, I grimed at the possibility of attending just another 'low quality state school'. I never heard of it! I didn't know WashU was ranked with Cornell in USNews rankings. For me, I have heard of everysingle one of the top 30 schools except for WashU. That it not to say it doesn't recruit great scholars and high scoring SAT ppl. To be ranked same with Cornell, Cornell is more well known in the Northeast probably.</p>