<p>I see many posts in which (mostly) kids post about how they've got to get into an Ivy League or die. I've just finished reading Lynn OShaughnessy's excellent "The College Solution," and I have to agree with her that often small, liberal arts colleges are the best value for the college dollar. And this is from someone who has graduated from one of the Ivies, then went back for a second bachelor's at one of the LACs.</p>
<p>There is no “best” way to go: Some people like large schools and others like small.</p>
<p>If you’re tired of the Ivy threads, don’t read them! The Ivy league is the gold standard in college admissions - even if they don’t end up attending one, many students would like to know they were able to get in. Also, they are among the best when it comes to financial aid - particularly for middle class families.</p>
<p>parent 46…amen! so many kids would be better served at an lac(and a lot happier), but will never even look into them. It is their problem but, it is sad.
harvard’s value is 99.999% in it’s name, and many people can not see past the flashing neon signs and shiny objects. that is human nature not unique to those who need the ivy league name to feel vaildated.</p>
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<p>For those who don’t know better, yes.</p>
<p>For the record, I’m glad the super smart are dumb enough to only want Ivy League- if they were applying to colleges I want to go to, I wouldn’t get in.</p>
<p>sally305 - I didn’t say it was the gold standard of a college education - it’s the gold standard of admissions. My own D has applied to Yale, but may or may not end up going there if admitted - cost will be a factor, and Yale is likely to be the winner on cost alone.</p>
<p>For some the Ivy League is all about the “flashing neon signs” but for some of us these are the top colleges right in our back yards (and they’re far more affordable than our state schools, once aid is factored in).</p>
<p>^I know. I wasn’t suggesting that. But there are other schools with more competitive admissions than some of the Ivies, too.</p>
<p>I also understand that out east the state schools are not as highly regarded as flagships in other parts of the country. It’s a different mindset.</p>
<p>I think a big part of wanting to go to a top-notch college is because of the academic environment. I am a junior in high school with relatively Ivy-competitive credentials in a good high school where paradoxically NO ONE tries or barely cares about school, and let me tell you it is HARD to do well in school and skip parties everyone else goes to not because you’re antisocial but because you actually care about that test next Monday. I am guessing that people want to go to Ivies for the same reason- because they’re not party schools and people can be near like minded people there and that is very motivating.</p>
<p>^But there are dozens and dozens of colleges where a smart kid like you can find like-minded peers. It’s just the naivet</p>
<p>Yeah that’s true. Even I am only thinking of two Ivies to apply to in all, and neither of them are HPYSM. I like them for other reasons.</p>
<p>^ two of which aren’t actually in the confrence and speaks to the fact that they are not the be all end all</p>
<p>I am out east and we have outstanding state schools.</p>
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<p>The Ivy League schools vary considerably in the party aspect. For example, about 60% of eligible Dartmouth students join fraternities and sororities.</p>
<p>twogirls, I was speaking to perceptions. You may have fine state schools, but I hear often from people I know (as well as posters here) that they aren’t “good enough” for their kids. In other words, they are not regarded the way Michigan, Wisconsin, Virginia, UNC, Texas, UCLA, Berkeley, etc. are viewed in their states or regions.</p>
<p>Yes it’s unfortunate but you are right. Our top state school has kids with Ivy League stats, but could only afford the state school ( nothing wrong with that) but for some reason this school is frowned upon by members of my community who prefer OOS. I really try and ignore…</p>
<p>That’s really all you can do.</p>
<p>Perhaps this thread will be helpful.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/926354-just-smile-nod-smile-nod.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/926354-just-smile-nod-smile-nod.html</a></p>
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<p>Some of my favorite schools are LACs. However, I would have to admit that by just about any standard commonly used to evaluate colleges (admission selectivity, institutional wealth, financial aid, faculty salaries, class size, retention & graduation rates, post-graduate student outcomes, research output, etc.) Harvard is at or near the top.</p>
<p>So if a Harvard education isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, then those must be the wrong features to measure. In that case, someone should identify a better set of characteristics, show us how to measure them, and point out the schools that are doing a better job.</p>
<p>The Ivy League schools are fantastic and deserve their reputations. However, there are a lot of comparable schools in terms of education, resources, and selectivity that should get more respect by the average person, such as, but not limited to U’Chicago, Rice, Swarthmore, Pomona, Bowdoin, Amherst, Williams, Carleton, Haverford…(basically all of the top liberal art colleges)</p>
<p>I’ve attended both Amherst and an Ivy (on domestic exchange) and personally feel the classroom experience at Amherst was more valuable to my personal and intellectual growth. But this is just the opinion of one person, and I’ve appreciated the benefits of being at a larger school (more expansive course catalog, more people for social interactions and networking). </p>
<p>Yes, the Ivy League reputation is nice, but what’s ultimately most important should be the experience you have and how that changes you over four years. It’s unfortunate that more people aren’t willing to look past the Ivy League to seek out schools that could potentially fit them better, including many LACs and excellent non-Ivy universities. Anyone who has not heard of Colleges That Change Lives should check it out: [Colleges</a> That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges: Loren Pope, Hilary Masell Oswald: 9780143122302: Amazon.com: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/dp/0143122304]Colleges”>http://www.amazon.com/dp/0143122304) It’s pretty LAC-centric, but it will get you thinking about what kind of a college experience is possible. If you’re a HS junior or senior or parent of one, get your hands on it ASAP.</p>
<p>Here is a link that does a good job on giving some perspective: [Who</a> Needs Harvard? | Brookings Institution](<a href=“http://www.brookings.edu/research/articles/2004/10/education-easterbrook]Who”>http://www.brookings.edu/research/articles/2004/10/education-easterbrook)
The article mentions the Krueger-Dale study, which found that students graduating from an Ivy didn’t end up any more successful than students who had been accepted at an Ivy or similar caliber school as high school seniors, but chose to attend a lower ranked school. Success is measured as earnings, and there are different ways to measure success, but you get the point.</p>