<p>I know it ridethecliche, I wouldn't even consider a school if they didn't have a D1 football team. And I can't believe how many people think that so many more oppurtunities are going to open up just because of a name on a degree. That's not the first thing employers look for. I'm in your boat here.</p>
<p>Haha, actually you're not in my boat ;-)
I got into Penn state honors (Schreyer honors college), and I'm going to wesleyan instead. I got a lot of financial aid and the cost was about the same to go to either so I picked the liberal arts school, since I had wanted what the liberal arts offered and I got into a program there.
I'm going to be up at penn state for a football game (hopefully), I'm not really a huge fan of the sport (football is still soccer in my mind, i love being a fob haha), but a lot of my friends are over there and heck it'll be a blast. Given the cost, the opportunities availiable at good state schools' honors programs/colleges are spectacular and graduates of these programs do phenomenal in the workforce and for graduate programs. That's what we go to college for right? I'm pretty sure they all become better people and find themselves too, for those who care about that too :-)</p>
<p>Yeah, I hear you. Wesleyan is a great school. Have fun!</p>
<p>There are many areas where Wisconsin is as good as Penn and it's more fun. Pretty much anything except business really. Hard Sciences UW, Social Sciences/liberal arts-Even, Engineering UW, Education-Even.</p>
<p>Agreed barrons, UW-Madison's an amazing school, as is michigan. Yet I think the entire "my state schools near me and I don't want to go there" syndrome is a bit overrated.</p>
<p>Barrons you miss so much of the point of why one goes to a top school. The "program rank" matters very little except in a few fields. Penn destroys Wisconsin when it somes to the areas that matter.</p>
<p>Slipper, this is true. Wisconsin's business program's been getting a better rep as of late and it's doing pretty well, sure it's no Wharton, but it has good programs. It's one of the top state schools in the country, though I'm not sure if I'd say it's more fun :-)</p>
<p>Whatever, state schools are awesome and a good choice for just about everyone. For people that go to the Ivy's to network, there are enough people from state schools who go on to the Ivy's for grad school when it counts more.</p>
<p>This debate will never end, as far as rankings go, yes Ivy's are better and have a better rep, but as far as a person's achievements coming out of an ivy or state school, top students will do well no matter where.
That's what i honestly believe.</p>
<p>I do not miss the point at all. It is so you can feel smug for no real reason. Outside of that there is no factual reason you can prove. If you want to become and engineer or a scientist of any type you are just as well off coming out of Wisconsin as Penn. There is just much more going on in those fields at UW. UW kills Penn in research, patents and all that sort of thing. You can get into any grad school in the country and many do. If you want to go into Ibanking go to Penn.</p>
<p>One kid from my school got 2320 on his sat, took around 20 ap tests before his senior year and had like twelve 5s, and went to University of Arizona because he wanted to be close to home (Phoenix). Tucson, the city where the UofA is, is like a 2.5-hour drive to Phoenix, so its not that close, and i'm pretty sure he could've picked a better school for the major(electrical engineering) with his stats.</p>
<p>Well, AZ's probably paying him to go there haha. I have a friend who's going there and they're giving him a LOT of money.</p>
<p>State school syndrome is legit. I would never go to my state school because it's really close and more than half of my class is going...I just would never want to go there (and lots of the kids that are going have a bad work ethic and don't very good grades...I wouldn't feel like I accomplished anything if I went there). (+ it was a safety anyways so it was never really an option for me). sry if I sound pretentious, because I'm really not being...it's the same reason you didn't go to one of your would-be-safetys that didn't attract you at all....like even if became a good school you still wouldn't want to go because it's too big or something.</p>
<p>Student body president got into Stanford, but chose to go to Cal Poly with boyfriend of FIVE years. He dumped her the week after she sent in her forms to Stanford letting them know she wasn't going.</p>
<p>Screw that I'd contact Stanford and do all I could to go. I wouldn't care if I lost my diposit at the other school, cmon!!!</p>
<p>She's hoping he'll take her back... She bought him a truck as a bribe. (Not kidding!!)</p>
<p>Actually the University of Arizona has really good engineering programs. It's a great school for the sciences, so don't hate on it. My dad got into Carnegie Mellon and U of A and chose U of A because not only did it give him $, it was and is a great school. It also has nice sports :)</p>
<p>i know a girl who got into Columbia/Brown/MIT and went to state school UW madison. She got a full ride to Madison and didn't get any money from the other schools. It's weird b/c her family does NOT lack money (a mercedes, Lexus, milion dollar home) but her parents didn't want to pay for her college tuition.</p>
<p>I know someone who turned down UPenn to go to Penn state...
It was the honors college, but it's still penn state.
Big deal?
Go read the study published by the researchers at princeton, if you get into an ivy/ivy-esque school, and turn it down to go somewhere else, your level of 'success' is the same as your ivy counterparts.
The person makes their own future, it's not only the school at stake.</p>
<p>Plus if you like football games, you'd probably rather shoot yourself in the foot than watch the ivy's play...
Big Ten vs. Ivy football, hmmm.....</p>
<p>btw, it wasn't directed at your friend. It was directed at the general population on this site.</p>
<p>Maybe she went because of the sweet parties? I've actually heard of a couple UM kids who drove to Madison for halloween, lol.</p>
<p>Regardless, UWM is a very good school.</p>
<p>Yeah, and just because you're an elitist doesn't mean that state school syndrome is legit.</p>
<p>"Hey, I only buy ferrari's, therefore all other cars suck and should be used for scrap metal."</p>
<p>Right?</p>
<p>You are so arrogant it's actually funny</p>
<p>It's a valid question, just because you don't ask it doesn't mean it's arrogant.
I never said or hinted or assumed I'm superior to anyone or better than anyone on here. I'm not going to a state school, so it's not like I'm pumping myself to be what I'm not.
I'm glad that I amuse you, as it's always a pleasure.</p>
<p>However, the fact remains, that through things such as honors programs/colleges are a good option for students who A) Can't get into the 'top' schools B) Students who don't like the 'top' schools C) Don't care much about prestige D) Can't afford an ivy because family doesn't want to pay/getting a good offer from a state school E) Other reasons I can't think of haha.</p>
<p>I never said state schools are better than the Ivy's, fact of the matter is that for MOST programs they're not since the opportunities for the average student at an Ivy/'top' school exceed those for an average state school. Though students in Honors colleges/programs at state schools are not the average students there and do get opportunities which are almost ivy-esque.</p>
<p>I know for a fact that I'd have no shot at the ivy's. I'll admit it right here, as I have on here before. I got rejected from cornell and Uchicago, which were the only 'top' universities I applied to. Fact remains, I didn't want to go to cornell, and even though I loved it, penn state was too big for me even though the honors program was nice. I'm going to a LAC and I'm more than happy to be going there, it was what I had orginally wanted.</p>
<p>Teachers at my school talk of a kid who went to princeton (or some other Ivy, i think it was pton though) from our school, and ended up dropping out and pumping gas as the story goes. Now there's nothing wrong with pumping gas. I don't think I have a point with this story, just saying that it happens. And I'm just throwing it out there.</p>
<p>Figgy, again, glad I could make you laugh. Always a pleasure :-)</p>