<p>So many of us are trying so hard to get into any Ivy league school...but why? Will going to Harvard help me to get a higher paying job then if I just went to a solidly qualified university that ISN'T an ivy league? Please enlighten me as to what the benefits of an Ivy League school are as opposed to a normal college. </p>
<p>Also, what are ECs?</p>
<p>It will help you get a higher-paying job immediately after graduation. That's when the name matters the most. After a decade or so, it no longer matters where you went to college, by then you should have your own record to stand on.</p>
<p>ECs are Extra-Curriculars, like sports, clubs, volunteering, etc</p>
<p>it's kind of like getting a head start in a race; you can keep the head start to win out in the long run or you can slowly lose it to people who don't have the head start and work harder/build better connections. uh wow bad analogy</p>
<p>well what is a solidly qualified university to you?</p>
<p>FWIW, if academia is what you want to get into (and academia can actually pay QUITE well), in some respects, attending a small LAC with prestige and selective near or equal to Ivies (such as Amherst, Williams, Wesleyan, and Swarthmore) can actually grant one more of a leg up.</p>
<p>That said, if you're an intelligent, hardworking person, you really should end up fine in life.</p>
<p>^but such LACs are usually about the same price as Ivies, so if it's money you're worried about, it's better to go to Ivies</p>
<p>Some kids choose Ivy or top rated schools, not for prestige, but because they prefer to be surrounded by students who are academically/EC focused, top faculty and facilities, generous financial aid, and a plethora of opportunities afforded them. There are certainly other (normal - your word) schools that offer these things, or some combination of these things. Some people suggest that students select top schools simply for prestige. That is simply not true for everyone. My son liked some lower ranked schools as well, but Yale, Brown and Duke wound up offering the complete package - and they were the cheapest schools for him by far. My daughter chose a "normal" school that fit all her needs. None of the Ivies provided the type of program she wanted.</p>
<p>To the OP: BROWSE THROUGH THIS WEBSITE! USE THE SEARCH BUTTON!
It's a really common question.</p>