<p>True diversity is small to nonexistent at most schools anyway and in that respect I think some schools are overrated.</p>
<p>karma your point doesnt make any sense. You go under the assertion that only rich people are smart enough to be up to the standards, and this is far from true. Besides that, I was talking about the racial side of it more than the socioeconomic side.</p>
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So your saying that if you went to a school that was 100% filled with rich kids, then your views on life wouldn't be skewed? That if you went to a school where everyone drove BMW's and Porsche's and would complain if they didn't get AC everywhere they went, that your standards wouldn't change?
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</p>
<p>of course, a LOT of rich kids are going to be in the Ivies, but it's not all Z4-driving, Armani-wearing, Gucci-whoring kids in the Ivy League. (okay, maybe like 60% as opposed to 100% ;)</p>
<p>still, you get that at a lot of the top schools, Ivy or not. I hate to bring up UVA again, but since I'm a nova kid that's all I know hahah. UVA is one of the few publics that can really boast about having Ivy level education and still be a state flagship school. oh, must be pretty down to earth since it's a public flagship uni, right? okay, so in Virginia, what's UVA infamous for?</p>
<p>Snobbery. Either you love the school or you think everything there has a stick up their ***. Seriously, the anti-UVA kids complain about UVA as much as I hear people complaining about Princeton on these boards. </p>
<p>Basically: if you want a top 25 education, whether it be at an Ivy, LAC, or great public uni, you're going to be faced with rich b*<strong><em>es. You want a good job paying a high end salary, you're going to be dealing with rich b</em></strong>*es. There's nothing wrong with not wanting any of these things and staying away from the lifestyle, but seriously, if you want the lifestyle, you're going to have to deal with the irritating people that come along with it.</p>
<p>as some people already mentioned, i think it's the friends, peers, teachers that you will already be able to establish as a network</p>
<p>It's about graduating and having the recognition.</p>
<p>For example, in the voter's pamphlet you see many candidates for Senator. However, they all look pretty much the same but one undergraduated at Cornell and graduated at Yale while another undergraduated and graduated at lesser-known public univeristies. Who are you going to be more likely to vote for?</p>
<p>The answer is simple: elitism.</p>
<p>yeah but we are talking about undergrad on this thread. obviously an ivy league degree at grad school is worth MUCH MORE</p>
<p>get with it</p>
<p>because you're a better person if you go to an ivy. duh...</p>
<p>whoa.
Greatest article in Washington Post Magazine "There is no significant income level difference between the people who attend Public and Private schools. (I.E. Ivy or not)"
People do not fool yourselves, you can establish networks anywhere. Not everyone at the top went to an elite school.
For anyone applying to college.................. pick a school you love, work hard and let the rest decide for itself.</p>
<p>I have been thinking about this allot lately. Next year, I may have to decide between University of Illinois and Vanderbilt University (TN, I know its not Ivy, but it is academically similar to the Ivies and just as well known as some of them). I live in IL, and I want to major in Physics and then go to law school (patent law)
This is an example of pros and cons between state schools and top schools. </p>
<p>University of Illinois-
-In state, $20,000 a year, no more, little financial aid (EFC: $15,000?)
-Great reputation around here
-Great Physics program (top 10 in nation)
-A lot of influential people in Illinois went here
-good for getting job in illinois
-great social life, girlfriend will go to school nearby
-Easier to get home (3 hours, compared to 8 at Vandy)</p>
<p>Vanderbilt-
-Possible financial aid, merit aid (NMSF), may actually be same price as U of I or less (maybe more)
-Prestigious, Top 20 University
-May help for applying to Law school (maybe there)
-pretty good physics department, better non-sciecne academics than U of I
-Smaller Classes
-Inflential alumni Nationwide (many in TN tho)
-Higher percentage of amazing students (academically speaking)
-great social life, better weather, much prettier campus, more exotic.</p>
<p>note: My 2 top choices are U of Chicago and Northwestern, but might not get in/afford to go, although they offer most of the about advantages.</p>
<p>I'll admit for my graduate level work. I do want to top off at a very prestigious institution but there are many reasons why. Althouh the education may be similar at other schools considered less in quality, graduating from a prestigious university is like going to a job fair with some of the top firms in the nation. Whether a business, econ, science major, graduating from Harvard with a decent gpa almost guarantees a well paid and well recognized position in a firm. So how can anyone really discount their education? It is our means of survival.</p>
<p>"Its a fact that an ivy education opens up doors for u immediately after graduation that no other school can do."</p>
<p>Careful there, that should apply for Top schools (not just Ivies) as I bet Stanford/MIT would open just as many doors if not more than an Ivy like Cornell. The same applies for other top schools and depending on the concentration/major.</p>
<p>Greatest article in Washington Post Magazine "There is no significant income level difference between the people who attend Public and Private schools. (I.E. Ivy or not)"</p>
<p>unfair.</p>
<p>""There is no significant income level difference between the people who attend Public and Private schools. (I.E. Ivy or not)""</p>
<p>Wasn't that the one where it checked out kids who WERE accepted or were Ivy-caliber but chose not to go? I can tell you from the 2005 post grad reports that a Comp Sci degree out of CMU with an average of around 70-80k sure will beat the average George Mason salary of 30-40k.</p>
<p>Yeah, I believe you're referring to the Dale study.</p>
<p>What the study said was this: There IS a notable income difference between people that go to more elite institutions and people who do not. However, among people WHO GOT INTO TOP SCHOOLS, there's no difference between those who went to those top schools and those who chose another school. In other words, it's the individual, not the school that matters, there's a greater amount of such individuals at top schools.</p>
<p>Because you make more money than if you go to ivy than like a crappy school like northeastern...</p>
<p>Also it is something you can brag to strangers on the street, like "I went to harvard, where did you go to" and they reply "community college" and I will say "HA!"</p>
<p>And also more famous than a lot of other colleges, so people will know what college you are talking about, so they won't go "huh, whats that college?"</p>
<p>
[quote]
Also it is something you can brag to strangers on the street, like "I went to harvard, where did you go to" and they reply "community college" and I will say "HA!"
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Wow, what a terrible reason to waste all that money. Everyone's prestige-conscious to some level, but to imagine that sort of scenario...</p>
<p>Oistrakh, I hate to break it to you, but CC grads can make a considerable sum of money. Electricians and nurses can make $40-50,000 a year after two years of school, which is probably about the same as what I'll make coming out of grad school with a PhD. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>One reason I can think of for going to an Ivy (or college of similar quality) is that the top colleges are those most likely to offer unusual majors. My own area of interest, archaeology/Egyptology, is only offered at Harvard, Yale, Brown, Penn, Chicago, Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, etc. Similarly, a major like Celtic Studies could only be found at Berkeley or Harvard. Admittedly, the number of students interested in these obscure majors is small, but it is nonetheless a valid reason.</p>
<p>Ivies perpetuate the image of the "best of the best." That's how they market themselves. That's how most percieve them as. Every CCer has probably been told that if they strive for the best, they should strive for IVY. I myself was hammered with the notion that if I truly was brilliant, truly wanted the best for myself, I would pursue an education that would catapult me within the likes of Harvard, Yale, or Princeton. </p>
<p>Over the years, especially recently, the allure of the IVYs have worn away and taken with it my obsession with prestige and elitism. Now, I think I can clearly extrapolate, with little bias, reasons which make us gravitate towards the IVYs. </p>
<p>First, it should be cleary stated that all that I write is based on the premise that the students who apply to IVYs, who are competitive for their admission, and who dream of IVYs are in an elite scholarly class. They are clearly the 'cream of the crop' and are a self-selected, ambitious and talented, group and, with this distinction, infers many implications, the primary being their desire to be challenged.</p>
<p>This elite class of students have always been at the top of their class. They have been strung along gifted programs, have taken the toughest courses, have excelled at their given fields, and have been lauded with awards and recognition. They've been simply amazing, and entering the next stage of their lives they are looking to continue being amazing, venturing into new exploits, garnering enlightening experiences, curing cancer, stopping AIDS, ending world hunger;) For most of them, what better way to open those opportunities than to attend a like-wise amazing place, such as an IVY. </p>
<p>I'm not saying IVYs are that amazing, but some think they are. For what's it worth, though, besides public perception, there are opportunities unique to high caliber colleges. Students can take graduate school courses that are meant to cater to these extraordinary students. The networking available at these schools can become invaluable. The professors are top-notch and, although students may not be taught by star professors, or any professor for that matter, the caliber of instructors, whether grad students or small-time profs, may still be amazing in its own right. Students can pursue independent projects with full support because many times these environments are perfect for the independent student. In addition, and what I think is the most important benefit, is that students will be surrounded by some of the most amazing individuals they'll ever encounter in their lives. Personally, I can't imagine a greater benefit because I believe a large part of who we are are molded by the people and places we encounter. </p>
<p>In the end, everyone should stick to their hearts, whether IVY or not. Who is anyone to judge? When we all apply to our chosen colleges, just remember not everything is as good as it seems or as bad as it seems. No one person deserves to attend an IVY more than another. No one will be an utter failure in life because they were rejected from an IVY. Most importantly, it is the extraordinary individuals who make an IVY an IVY not the other way around.</p>
<p>very nice post, Private_Joker</p>