<p>Should one weigh how good a university is overall and how good its reputation is, more than one would their individual program that he/she wants to major in? To place this in context, Brandeis has a better reputation and is a better university overall, however BU has a better economics program that is more highly ranked. I was considering doing ED2 to Brandeis, but I'm not sure which is better. What do you think? Would this make a difference for Grad School? I really want to go to a top tier grad school.</p>
<p>bump bump bump bump</p>
<p>For undergrad education, it might be better to go to a school w a good overall reputation, because so many students change their major.</p>
<p>Individual program’s reputation will probably go further as far as job prospects and grad school, assuming its fairly well known. BU happens to have a great econ program and Brandeis is fairly unknown as far as I can tell. Brandeis is a great school though-- if you prefer it for other reasons, I wouldn’t let the econ ranking hold you back. Not to mention, should you choose to change majors, Brandeis might be a slightly more advantageous place to be. </p>
<p>The name/reputation really isn’t all that important. But if you’re just thinking about your future in econ, BU is probably a better choice-- not for the name on your resume though. I think what’s really advantageous at BU is just the quality of the econ department. There’s better connections to be better made and probably a better quality of education. You’ll likely have more access to internships and such as well. That will be more helpful in your grad school pursuit than the name of your school.</p>
<p>If you are absolutely certain of your major then you should go for the school with the better program because a lot of your classes are going to be in your major.</p>
<p>I say the overall reputation. As an undergrad, you’re only scratching the surface of your subjects, so it usually doesn’t matter if the person teaching you is a grad student or a Nobel Prize winner–he or she is going to know a lot more than you, and should know enough to teach the course. What you’re paying for is the college name. Grad school? That’s a whole 'nother story. Some of the best instructors I had were grad students.</p>
<p>For preparing for a PhD program, or major-specific jobs, the reputation of the school in the major typically matters more.</p>
<p>In some other contexts, where reputation of the school in the major does not matter, the overall prestige of the school can matter (e.g. finding a job at an elite finance or consulting company). However, it may matter little or none in other contexts (probably some professional schools).</p>