get over name brand / prestige obsession

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s just one person who can’t let this go. The vast majority of PPs here agree with OP. This post drives him crazy. 😀. Let’s keep it up!

-went to a tiny no name college. Got my PhD and am now a professor at a big east coast university. Sending my first child to a second tier state university next year because that’s where he wants to go, and I’m happy about it!

Where did you get your PhD and what big east coast university are you teaching? Academic is an area where you are unlikely to teach a tier above your alma mater.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait... what happened to the flex discussion about sweatshirts and note taking swag?!

Oh sorry I’ll continue it. How dare that person touts about their Harvard and Columbia merchandise. I don’t think it was sarcasm just pure elitism. I only flexed my MIT sweatshirt to one up the person.

MIT was my kid's fallback.

MIT grads do not wear swag. Ask me how I know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking back, one of my biggest regrets/missteps as a parent was putting way too much pressure on my kids to excel in school with the goal of getting into top colleges. The pressure worked, and they did do well and go "name brand," but fast forward a few years and it really didn't make much of a difference. They're all happy and successful, but so are their friends who didn't do as well as they did and didn't end up at top schools. Time is proving to be the great equalizer.

Just something for parents to keep in mind when they're still in the midst of things. I realize I'm probably preaching to the wrong crowd.

time is an equalizer to an extent. Do you want to compare careers or salaries from students a decade out from a t25 or t50 to a Radford or Salisbury graduate?

How do YOU stack up compared to this Radford alum?

https://www.forbes.com/profile/randal-j-kirk/?sh=7308331b794c

Love it.
DP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking back, one of my biggest regrets/missteps as a parent was putting way too much pressure on my kids to excel in school with the goal of getting into top colleges. The pressure worked, and they did do well and go "name brand," but fast forward a few years and it really didn't make much of a difference. They're all happy and successful, but so are their friends who didn't do as well as they did and didn't end up at top schools. Time is proving to be the great equalizer.

Just something for parents to keep in mind when they're still in the midst of things. I realize I'm probably preaching to the wrong crowd.

time is an equalizer to an extent. Do you want to compare careers or salaries from students a decade out from a t25 or t50 to a Radford or Salisbury graduate?

How do YOU stack up compared to this Radford alum?

https://www.forbes.com/profile/randal-j-kirk/?sh=7308331b794c

are you saying that is the average outcome?

And that person got his PhD from UVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking back, one of my biggest regrets/missteps as a parent was putting way too much pressure on my kids to excel in school with the goal of getting into top colleges. The pressure worked, and they did do well and go "name brand," but fast forward a few years and it really didn't make much of a difference. They're all happy and successful, but so are their friends who didn't do as well as they did and didn't end up at top schools. Time is proving to be the great equalizer.

Just something for parents to keep in mind when they're still in the midst of things. I realize I'm probably preaching to the wrong crowd.

time is an equalizer to an extent. Do you want to compare careers or salaries from students a decade out from a t25 or t50 to a Radford or Salisbury graduate?

How do YOU stack up compared to this Radford alum?

https://www.forbes.com/profile/randal-j-kirk/?sh=7308331b794c

are you saying that is the average outcome?

And that person got his PhD from UVA.

JD, not PhD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would add say T1-T15 one tier, T16-T25 slight boost, T26-T70 ( and some lower but with better reputations like Marquette) GPA internships and coursework more important than where you attended. My kid only applied to schools T30-T100 got into them all and chose the one closest to home that provided IS tuition. Don’t think 10 years from now my kid is going to do worse than a kid who attended a higher ranked school or better than a lower ranked one.

It’s like a car- they’ll all get you where you want to go but some will have smoother rides. It’s what you to along the way that makes the biggest difference.

More like T1-15 one tier, T16-40 another tier, T41-70, another tier. Within the tiers it matters only slightly but between the them is a big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course attending a prestige college matters in one's life outcome. UK prime ministers mostly came from Oxford or Cambridge. Many Ivy graduates/dropouts went on to become business leaders, government leaders, supreme court justices, and etc. Has there ever been a SC justice or President from Longwood? Not I am aware of. Your anecdotes don't change the overall statistics. You also can't detach the name brand from the people who attend the top schools. Statistically those are people more driven, hard working, and intelligent.

Obviously the choice of attending an average school is fine too. If you are a hardworking and intelligent person, you will be successful regardless. But there is no point of forcing your lifestyle to everyone else.

What?

Where did Steve Jobs go to college?
Bill Gates?


CEO's across the country did not all go to Ivy leagues. SC Justices LOL ACB HAHAHAHAHA Kavanaugh HAHAHAHAHAHA

Not sure your point here. Bill Gates went to Harvard because he is brilliant. He dropped out but so? His father is an OG Biglaw firm founder. He was rich. He can do that stuff. Steve Jobs is one in a generation.

The higher ranked the school the more opportunities and options are open. What a student does with those is up to the student. Some do nothing with them. I have classmates who did nothing. As you go down the scale the opportunities and options decrease. But they are still there and people take advantage every day. So can you make it from anywhere? Yes. Is it harder at the 200th ranked school. Yes. What you want to do with your life you really don't know at 17. So all things being equal, work super hard and go to the best school you can. But that is not for everyone. I have a DS who that would not work for. So we never pushed. But if the smarts are there and the kid is ok with it then yes push. It matters and makes a difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would add say T1-T15 one tier, T16-T25 slight boost, T26-T70 ( and some lower but with better reputations like Marquette) GPA internships and coursework more important than where you attended. My kid only applied to schools T30-T100 got into them all and chose the one closest to home that provided IS tuition. Don’t think 10 years from now my kid is going to do worse than a kid who attended a higher ranked school or better than a lower ranked one.

It’s like a car- they’ll all get you where you want to go but some will have smoother rides. It’s what you to along the way that makes the biggest difference.

More like T1-15 one tier, T16-40 another tier, T41-70, another tier. Within the tiers it matters only slightly but between the them is a big deal.

It’s like a car - T10 or so Maserati, T20 Hyundai, Kia, Honda, Toyota, T30 Ford Pinto. They all do their job of moving from A to B. Maserati probably does more than move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would add say T1-T15 one tier, T16-T25 slight boost, T26-T70 ( and some lower but with better reputations like Marquette) GPA internships and coursework more important than where you attended. My kid only applied to schools T30-T100 got into them all and chose the one closest to home that provided IS tuition. Don’t think 10 years from now my kid is going to do worse than a kid who attended a higher ranked school or better than a lower ranked one.

It’s like a car- they’ll all get you where you want to go but some will have smoother rides. It’s what you to along the way that makes the biggest difference.

More like T1-15 one tier, T16-40 another tier, T41-70, another tier. Within the tiers it matters only slightly but between the them is a big deal.

It’s like a car - T10 or so Maserati, T20 Hyundai, Kia, Honda, Toyota, T30 Ford Pinto. They all do their job of moving from A to B. Maserati probably does more than move.

This is pretty good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would add say T1-T15 one tier, T16-T25 slight boost, T26-T70 ( and some lower but with better reputations like Marquette) GPA internships and coursework more important than where you attended. My kid only applied to schools T30-T100 got into them all and chose the one closest to home that provided IS tuition. Don’t think 10 years from now my kid is going to do worse than a kid who attended a higher ranked school or better than a lower ranked one.

It’s like a car- they’ll all get you where you want to go but some will have smoother rides. It’s what you to along the way that makes the biggest difference.

More like T1-15 one tier, T16-40 another tier, T41-70, another tier. Within the tiers it matters only slightly but between the them is a big deal.

It’s like a car - T10 or so Maserati, T20 Hyundai, Kia, Honda, Toyota, T30 Ford Pinto. They all do their job of moving from A to B. Maserati probably does more than move.

This is pretty good.

Yes. It costs a lot and breaks down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it makes a difference if you go to a tippy top school. Other than that, the next T50 don’t matter as much. The difference between a school like Tufts or Vanderbilt, say, is negligible even though Vandy is higher ranked. They are both great schools.

I there is another difference once you start past the T100 school. You may have more opportunities graduating from Emory than Appalachian, for instance.

But if you are talking T15-T50, it makes no difference.

You didn't understand my post at all. How old are your kids?

What are you talking about? The pp is spot on.

Sigh. I give up. Clearly you're still in the midst of all of this. Y'all can just go ahead and split hairs between schools and tiers like you always do. As I said, I should have known I was preaching to the wrong crowd.

I'm out.

Just look at the salary outcomes from the school and it obvious that IN GENERAL, higher ranked schools produce better outcomes.

This 100%. It is all about increasing odds for success. If you are a naturally driven and bright person in a lower ranked school, you will do well no matter what. If you are a smart kid that is not necessarily Type A, you will still do well with that top school on your resume. Signed, a mom with a laid back and very bright kid in a top 20.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking back, one of my biggest regrets/missteps as a parent was putting way too much pressure on my kids to excel in school with the goal of getting into top colleges. The pressure worked, and they did do well and go "name brand," but fast forward a few years and it really didn't make much of a difference. They're all happy and successful, but so are their friends who didn't do as well as they did and didn't end up at top schools. Time is proving to be the great equalizer.

Just something for parents to keep in mind when they're still in the midst of things. I realize I'm probably preaching to the wrong crowd.

You are preaching to the wrong crowd because there are plenty of folks here who DID attend the top schools and know first hand the myriad advantages to having done so.

Also as you have clearly not attended a top school yourself, your children are also less likely to do so because the apple does not fall far from the tree. Despite the occasional genius outlier, it ain't happening for you regardless of the pressure you did or did not put on your kids.

Now stop wasting everyone's time and go away.

+1. I attended a top school. The main advantage is that you never have to work hard again. All the great opportunities just show up because of who you know.

IME, it’s generally white people who say the stuff OP says, and that’s because they don’t recognize their white privilege. Yes, if you’re white, it doesn’t matter which school you go to, because all the doors are open to you already. If you’re non-white, going to a top school makes you aware of the kind of life white people enjoy as their birthright.

[Anonymous]

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it makes a difference if you go to a tippy top school. Other than that, the next T50 don’t matter as much. The difference between a school like Tufts or Vanderbilt, say, is negligible even though Vandy is higher ranked. They are both great schools.

I there is another difference once you start past the T100 school. You may have more opportunities graduating from Emory than Appalachian, for instance.

But if you are talking T15-T50, it makes no difference.

You didn't understand my post at all. How old are your kids?

What are you talking about? The pp is spot on.

Sigh. I give up. Clearly you're still in the midst of all of this. Y'all can just go ahead and split hairs between schools and tiers like you always do. As I said, I should have known I was preaching to the wrong crowd.

I'm out.

Just look at the salary outcomes from the school and it obvious that IN GENERAL, higher ranked schools produce better outcomes.

This 100%. It is all about increasing odds for success. If you are a naturally driven and bright person in a lower ranked school, you will do well no matter what. If you are a smart kid that is not necessarily Type A, you will still do well with that top school on your resume. Signed, a mom with a laid back and very bright kid in a top 20.

Like OP said, you're still in the midst of things. Come back in ten years and tell us if your "laid back" kid is better off just for having gone to a top 20.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking back, one of my biggest regrets/missteps as a parent was putting way too much pressure on my kids to excel in school with the goal of getting into top colleges. The pressure worked, and they did do well and go "name brand," but fast forward a few years and it really didn't make much of a difference. They're all happy and successful, but so are their friends who didn't do as well as they did and didn't end up at top schools. Time is proving to be the great equalizer.

Just something for parents to keep in mind when they're still in the midst of things. I realize I'm probably preaching to the wrong crowd.

You are preaching to the wrong crowd because there are plenty of folks here who DID attend the top schools and know first hand the myriad advantages to having done so.

Also as you have clearly not attended a top school yourself, your children are also less likely to do so because the apple does not fall far from the tree. Despite the occasional genius outlier, it ain't happening for you regardless of the pressure you did or did not put on your kids.

Now stop wasting everyone's time and go away.

+1. I attended a top school. The main advantage is that you never have to work hard again. All the great opportunities just show up because of who you know.

IME, it’s generally white people who say the stuff OP says, and that’s because they don’t recognize their white privilege. Yes, if you’re white, it doesn’t matter which school you go to, because all the doors are open to you already. If you’re non-white, going to a top school makes you aware of the kind of life white people enjoy as their birthright.

This is an odd post. Believe it if you will. Main advantage of higher schools is opportunities. Always have to work hard. When you get a great opportunity you have to work harder. Much harder. If you are white all this advice applies. If you are not, are there more doors slammed in your face, less opportunity. Yes. Of course the same applies -- the better the school the better the opportunities.