<p>What do employers, medical schools, and/or law schools prefer?
Public/state colleges or private colleges?</p>
<p>Employers, med schools, and law schools don't prefer either specifically.</p>
<p>No matter where you go or what you want to pursue in the future, potential employers or grad schools want to see that you have exhausted the resources of your college. There are many graduates of state universities that go on to Harvard Law/Med, etc., and there are graduates of Harvard, Yale, etc. that don't necessarily get into grad school at these institutions. I'm a firm believer in the mantra that the undergraduate education is what you make of it; graduate school is when the school itself begins to really matter. Many, many successful people (no matter how you define "success") have attended Ivy League and similar institutions, but just as many of these people have graduated from Arkansas State, Boise State, Ohio State, etc. </p>
<p>It's not nearly as clear-cut as public vs. private. It's about taking advantage of opportunities... that's what employers and grad schools are looking for.</p>
<p>It is important, however, to take a look at the classic 'UC-Berkeley scenario:' </p>
<p>A valedictorian, who has worked diligently all his life, goes to Berkeley. When he gets there, he meets a whole range of people. Some of the people he finds, however, don't work as hard as he has in the past. This hard-working student is now faced with a decision: should he continue his 'industrious legacy' or should he join this group of students who coast and get only decent grades? </p>
<p>Of course, you'll run into these kinds of people no matter where you go, but at competitive private institutions, these people will be much less visible. </p>
<p>I think I'll end with a relatively famous adage: </p>
<p>When students are at Harvard are asked what is so great about the institution, their response surprisingly doesn't usually include the classes, the teachers or the Cambridge neighborhood. In fact, they often say it is the other student, that make Harvard so great.</p>
<p>The benefit of a private institution is that, generally, you are likely to be surrounded by people who maintain similar values concerning education. That is certainly true at a public instution, but their numbers are less concentrated.</p>
<p>Doesnt matter if its private or public...its about exactly which schools we are talking about.</p>