<p>i have a very honest question to ask. is it THAT bad to want to go to an Ivy League school because its an Ivy League school? is it bad to want to transfer just so you can go to an "elite school". i myself dont think thats necessarily a bad thing, but a lot of people on these forums do. i think its extremely noble to want to be in a better place just for the sake of being at a better place. i see no harm in that. please elaborate everybody, and dont be afraid to call me a moron.</p>
<p>ehh i wouldnt think its that bad, i mean its a certain sense of accomplishment just as any other thing is. whenever anyone asks where you went, you can be in that select company that when you say an ivy league school, you instantly gain credibility of some sort. superficial? yes, but still</p>
<p>Interesting post. Short answer... "maybe." It all depends on what the phrase "ivy league" means to you. If the ivy league is simply an ideal, a symbol of intellectualism, then the answer is no. If you want to attend an ivy league school to simply say you attended an ivy league (form now on IL), then yes, it is bad. This is how I think of it. Imagine that you are visiting some friends in some random town. You can either go to dinner at the prestigious country club where you can order any type of food or you can go to some other place called "Sir Bob's." Now, you have no idea what "Sir Bob's" serves. So you would probably want to go to the country club because you know you will get a good meal, good atmosphere, etc... But now lets imagine you know everything about both places. Who will be there, what is on the menu, how it tastes, the music and all that jazz. If someone then took away the labels and you chose "Sir Bobs" then it would be absurd to pick the other place because it is a country club. Now back to schools, the fact that it is an IL school has its benefits. It's respected, has name recognition, and many other things which should be taken into consideration. But these factors should be included in your decision anyway. To then take into account there IL name would be double counting those factors. Back to my analogy, the country club is more likely to have a better clientele, so without more info it's a safe bet. </p>
<p>So, to be concise... once you do tones of school research, the impact of the IL name should already be included on the list of benefits. As a result picking the school for the name would be double counting those benefits. So the more you know, the less the nametag should matter. </p>
<p>Long... but I hope it helps.</p>
<p>i totally understand where you're coming from. but i didnt mean going to an ivy league school to tell the random person you meet that you went to one. i mean going to one for personal pride...the notion that you went to an elite place...you got in, you deserve to be there, you are at the top. i understand what you're saying though lookin4aschool and i respect your insight</p>
<p>well do wahtever makes you feel good. i mean no one can tell you what is good for you.</p>
<p>ajp-you are making a fundamental error. You wrote: "I think its extremely noble to want to be in a better place just for the sake of being at a better place." The point we push on this board is obvious and you aren't getting it.</p>
<p>The ivy is not necessarily the "better place"! For a particular student, with a number of factors in play, an ivy may be the worst choice! But many students instead still go after ivys, often citing the just about useless ratings (US News, etc.).</p>
<p>it didnt mean it in the specific sense gabe, im sorry for the confusion. ivy league in my statement meant a place more prestigious than the college you currently are at. whether it is in fact an ivy league school or just a school that you think you belong at. im sorry if i wasnt clear</p>
<p>See, there is an inherent problem in your thinking--your first post revealed it. You see prestigious simply as better. That's not a fair inference. Prestige does not necessarily mean better. Think about it.</p>
<p>who cares he asked what it means to him</p>
<p>Imdashep, I'm not sure what you are trying to say. In your first post you point out the obvious (certain benefits of graduating from a prestigious school) and your second post is nonsense: "well do wahtever makes you feel good. i mean no one can tell you what is good for you."</p>
<p>First off, he came into this forum with the purpose of understanding why many of us think you shouldn't transfer to a school just because of prestige. </p>
<p>Secondly, "no one can tell you what is good for you" is a ridiculous statement. A doctor can't tell you to do certain things to quell illness? A teacher can't tell you to do a paper in order to pass a class? A parent isn't correct in telling his/her child not to get into cars with strangers, or not to eat things you find in dumpsters? </p>
<p>Ultimately the decisions lies with the individual, but it is the purpose of an individual like ajp87, in posting on this forum, to gain insight that can be offered by the rest of us here. Instead of doing "what makes him feel good," he can make an informed decision.</p>
<p>actually its not nonsense, im responding to what he said. and dont make stupid comparisions like that, i mean thats completely extraneous. what i thought he was asking was if going to a more prestigious school should make him feel better. i said no one can tell you how to think about it, if it does make sense to you, then good. if the thought process works, then so be it. i think his reasons are weird, but it doesnt matter what i think, because its in his opinion. </p>
<p>and his question isnt really asking for information, its asking for opinions. my point was that others opinions dont matter in this case. i like your attempt though</p>
<p>My "comparisons" were not "extraneous." They were literal interpretations of what you said. Responding to them, you have now limited the scope of your statement, illustrating how weak of a statement it is overall.</p>
<p>"and his question isnt really asking for information, its asking for opinions."</p>
<p>If you are referring to opinions sans information, then I don't understand. I don't see how opinions based on no facts, but simply emotion or other factors can be useful in this forum. It's that attitude that actually lowers the quality of the forum.</p>
<p>It depends on what "better" means to you. If you don't know what the practical value of elite is to you, you sound like a moron. It isn't like all the students at Harvard are better than all the students at Smith, UNC, etc., and that ALL of them will go to better graduate/professional schools. There is some overlap everywhere in student natural abilities and work ethic. If you can say, "I want to go to a school where there are many more brilliant students, so that I may learn from them," OR "I want to go to a more elite school because it will have better/more research opportunities," at least that's something specific. But elite for the sake of elite without a practical benefit that will affect you in future years, you sound like a moron...</p>
<p>Ivy's want students who are going to do something spectacular with their education. Ivy's wouldn't be able to maintain their status as ivies if they did not turn out such students.</p>
<p>It depends on your reasons for wanting to go to an ivy league school</p>
<p>IF you want to go to an ivy league school so you can make powerful networks, have a better school on your resume and basically just gurantee that you'll have a better education then definitly do it! </p>
<p>However, if one wants to go to an ivy due to the need for social approval then it might be an indicator of insecurity issues that one should take care.</p>
<p>haha gabe, you used many a big word, and still didnt get the point. i like your style though</p>
<p>my interpretation of his question was he wanted someone to reassure him whether or not it is ok. it might not be useful in this forum, but then again, most people post what they are already going to do anyways and just want moral support</p>
<p>ajp, when you chose a school that you think is "better," you should know why exactly it's better for you. For example, the ivies might have great research opportunities, but if you're an English major that doesnt really come into play as much as if you were in the sciences. Schools that arent on the ivy level also have specific programs that are as good or better than the corresponding program at some ivies. also, maybe you could do just fine at an ivy, but if you were a borderline candidate and are not as well prepared as many of the students there, you might end up questioning yourself, comparing yourself, and feeling a lot of unnecessary pressure. you might do better at a smaller institution where you could really stand out and take on the leadership positions. Or you might want more personal attention. These are just a few of the things you have to consider...I would say go somewhere where you can make the most of the education and where its a good FIT for you...not because it looks nice as a car decal. every school should be looked at individually, not just grouped together based on level of prestige.</p>