<p>For undergrad school: </p>
<p>Is it better to be the top of your class at a good but not as prestigious college (it is a good college but doesn't have the prestige of schools like the ivys and like the CC top college list here</a>)</p>
<p>or</p>
<p>To be just another average student at one of these top colleges?</p>
<p>Top of class at good university. You’ll have unprecedented access to faculty and get first dibs on research projects, developments in the department, etc. You could be a rallying figure to lead a major project and organize conferences on behalf of the faculty. </p>
<p>I absolutely love defeating students who think they are my superior on the basis of which university they went/go to instead of on the basis of their own credentials. </p>
<p>You know how some students (and employers) think that going to certain universities automatically makes them smarter than students at a different university that is less hard to get into or compete in?</p>
<p>If all you know about two students is that one goes to Harvard and the other goes to mid-tier research state university, many people will automatically think that the Harvard is somehow more intelligent based on the non-sequitur alone.</p>
<p>At competitions of academic ability I don’t even tell the competition what school I go to anymore, unless I find out they go to a “name” school outside the “prestige” of mine to settle them into a predictable pattern of response. </p>
<p>It’s like the 3rd generation descendants of humble ppl who get rich and make a name for themselves. They don’t know anything about the game and are prone to be entitled under achievers who make a lot of mistakes while whining on the internet about how hard life is and assorted first world problems like who they can’t seduce or what trinket they can’t buy. Thats why some rich kids are gullible and easy to defeat while their parents are not.</p>
<p>I can really relate to what your saying thereisnosecret,</p>
<p>I go to a small highschool right now, and I am a senior, there are about 500-600 students in the entire high school (around 140 per grade) so everybody knows everything about everyone- including what senior is going to which school. And it is a pretty wealthy, good education public highschool so there are a handful of students going to some ivy leagues/ other reputable schools. </p>
<p>I am a very smart kid (I think, not academic smart in the sense that I self study 7 different AP classes and take another 7 in school) but in the real-world sense, I know what its like to really struggle (my single mom had a near death experience and I had to take care of her while she was home sick, etc other things too) and I know a lot about businesses that I self teach myself. And when people ask me what schools I am applying to, I will give them my list of various good liberal arts schools like trinity, washington & lee, etc and then I will say my reach is Yale… Then thats when everybody is like “WOAH! this kid is smart!”…</p>
<p>Meanwhile its obvious that if I get into Yale they would think more highly of me than should I be turned down, even though I am the same person whether or not I actually get in (and its like a 7% chance they don’t realize most of it is based on luck).</p>
<p>Anyways I think I am rambling at this point, but I agree with your opinion, and that is what I thought before posting this, but then why are students always pushed to attend the ivy league school should they be accepted rather than the other less prestigious school they also like (assuming they like them equally)- if its better to outshine your class in the less prestigious school than be a dime-a-dozen in ivy league. </p>
<p>I hope I am making some sense right now >.></p>
<p>As someone who went to a top school,</p>
<p>Be the average student. Most people I know at Caltech got top grad school placements and they weren’t the most brilliant people in the class. Also I think it is easier to find jobs, internships, and research opportunities at top schools. There are some companies that only recruit at the top schools, and top schools are the centers of a lot of the hottest high-impact research.</p>
<p>Also you will do great things just because all your friends are doing them and it’s the path of least resistance. (like summer research freshman year, or taking internships at Google)</p>
<p>Edit: Also you might think you’re going to be average but actually be a top student. Maybe you’re not a super genius but you stand out in terms of work ethic or academic preparation. It’s hard to know these things before you get there, and you would be doing yourself a disservice not to throw your name into the hat.</p>
<p>Honestly, it’d be a great experience to be a top student at a solid school. You’ll watch as you’ll soar and have everyone’s attention, and prestige really depicts nothing. In all sincerity, how smart is the Ivy student taking 200k+ of student loans compared to the state school student with a full ride? </p>
<p>In my opinion, the only thing to step up for is law school or med school since those jobs are harder to get and rely more on the politics of where you went.</p>
<p>@harvest not that I have any college experience, with any ivy leagues or any in general- but aren’t all the ivy leagues rich enough that nobody graduates with outrageous loans anymore (assuming this is for freshmen applications inside the US)?</p>
<p>Personally, price won’t mean anything for me when it comes to my college decision (I’ve only heard back from 1 college so far out of like 8 or 9) as I am a very low income hispanic so FA will cover just about everything and for the schools that don’t- well they are automatically crossed off the decision. But I’ve been very picky about where I chose to apply and only applied to schools that have generous FA.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Lol no. </p>
<p>Yes, some of the Ivies give super aid. SOME. Not all. And super aid means nothing if your parents have a high income and refuse to help.</p>
<p>When I said that loan comment I didn’t mean it in the ignorant way that everybody goes there and graduates happily ever after, I meant that most ivy leagues would be able to offer enough aid to atleast match another school’s offer or easily provide enough that you will be coming out of college with minimum debt (unlike in the past). Of course there will always be exceptions to this but it is definitley common sense that no undergrad is worth going into serious serious debt for. (I’m guessing the only student that would be forced to take out many loans are middle-class families?)</p>
<p>
Actually all but Upenn and Dartmouth meet 100% of need (UPenn meets 99.6%, Dartmouth 97.3%) and Dartmouth of course is one of the few schools that is need blind for internationals.</p>
<p>It can be pretty lonely if you are a top student with few other students like yourself.</p>
<p>I disagree SoCalDad,</p>
<p>I don’t think academics and social skills are directly intertwined, maybe if the kid is at the top of a class that not only doesn’t care about school but also discourages doing well (picking on the nerd). But from what I hear, there is usually a niche for everyone in most schools especially bigger schools.</p>
<p>But from what I have been reading, being at the top of your class might just mean you have a better work ethic than your friends and devote more time to studying than others- but you aren’t like smarter than them to the point where you have nothing in common. I have a friend in HS who is going to Wharton and he is nothing of the “geeky” characteristic you expect, he is actually the opposite- very clean cut, funny, very social and goes to parties every weekend- except he takes his work a lot more seriously than our friends when actually in class and takes better notes than we do.</p>
<p>Being at the top in some kind of honors program where you have a group like you is probably the best situation - you get the best opportunities the school has to offer and you have a group of like students to bond with.</p>
<p>@kiddie, I agree. Most public schools have an honors college type thing that provides an “Ivy” or at least prestigious feel at the public, “full ride” price. I think it compromises very well</p>
<p>And from what I’ve heard and experienced in college, unless you’re very well off or very poor, (or very smart or very athletic) you’re going to have to pay a decent chunk of money even for a state school</p>
<p>Which is really sad :(</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Considering that meeting need means about nothing to the family that can’t afford their EFC (and many, maybe most, can’t), that wasn’t my point. I was talking about the super generous schools that guarantee no loans if your income is under x amount. </p>
<p>But no, Ivies are not going to meet the FA package of any other college. If you’re low income though, really low income, you’ll be fine.</p>
<p>Getting into the ivies isn’t what the topic was about… Deviated a far way…
Talking about whether or not its WORTH IT to go to the ivy league to be another average student vs being a top student at a less prestigious school.</p>
<p>“Being the top student” is great, but it can sometimes imply that the work is too easy for you, which is a waste of your time. What matters is that you’re able to do your best and learn the most. This is easiest to do when the school is of quality caliber and the finances do not interfere. It’s still good to be near the top, but this shouldn’t mean you should lowball yourself, either.</p>
<p>On the other hand, a top school where you’re only average still has its perks (mostly in terms of on-campus recruiting/networking opportunities/etc), so if you aren’t planning on taking advantage of those things, stick to the less prestigious school.</p>
<p>There’s no one right answer to this question since it depends on other circumstances (what you plan to study / if you’re going to enjoy it and do well, what the industry is like, how expensive it’ll be for you to attend, what your future income would be if you followed through, if your ego can potentially handle the humility of not being the best, etc).</p>
<p>I went to Wharton and had a lot of financial difficulties attending. In the end, it was a waste (for me) – I was not an ongoing guy, which made networking hard. I had to handle all the finances/constantly seek money, which meant that I spent a <em>lot</em> less time spent studying/pushing myself, and more time working just to make ends meet. I could have done a lot better for myself had I chosen a less prestigious school (i.e. a non-Ivy) where I would have been mobile enough to push my talents as far as I’d wish.</p>
<p>Top student at top school. Yea.</p>
<p>But really, I’d rather be average at a top school. I like the motivation coming from seeing others surpass me.</p>
<p>Which of these situations would be better for you depends on what your personality is like. Are you a self-starter? Will you go beyond what is required? Are you frustrated if you go to classes that seem slow because you’re ahead of the other students? Etc.</p>
<p>The analogy I offer is if you’re a gifted soccer player, would you rather play on the best club team you can in order to challenge yourself and develop your skills playing with other gifted players, or would you rather be on a team where you a likely to be a star? There isn’t one right answer to this for everybody.</p>