Prestige colleges

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm an HYPS grad and the only schools worth the premium (i.e. I would send my kid to) are the Ivies, Chicago, Duke, Stanford, Northwestern, MIT, Hopkins, Amherst, or Williams. Caltech and Harvey Mudd if they're engineers. These are the only true "prestige colleges" in America.

+1. Would also add Vandy if they care for the social scene and top academics. A very fine school nowadays.

No, Vandy does not have quite the prestige or the academic caliber of the aforementioned schools. Very much nouveau riche.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm an HYPS grad and the only schools worth the premium (i.e. I would send my kid to) are the Ivies, Chicago, Duke, Stanford, Northwestern, MIT, Hopkins, Amherst, or Williams. Caltech and Harvey Mudd if they're engineers. These are the only true "prestige colleges" in America.

+1. Would also add Vandy if they care for the social scene and top academics. A very fine school nowadays.

No, Vandy does not have quite the prestige or the academic caliber of the aforementioned schools. Very much nouveau riche.

Eh, might have agreed ten or even 5 years ago, but thats just not the case now. The age group applying to these fine schools now see all of these schools, including Vanderbilt, as top tier schools. Things are really changing, but to be fair Vanderbilt has been a t25 for decades now.

I really never came to understand the bashing of certain schools on this forum. All schools have pros and cons, but there is abosulely no reason top put down any legitimate school, yet alone some of the best in the world.

Academically, all t25 schools are peers at the undergraduate level. The subtle differences between HYPSM and the non-HYPSM t25s should not be a deal breaker imo. One should choose based on other factors (like money and fit). If one wants a typical college experience at a top school, there is no other (private) school that can top Vanderbilt. Socially, Vanderbilt is on a different league from the other top privates.

[Anonymous]

I would be disappointed if my kid only got into Western Directional State University, or community college, but I would swallow it and support them. Kids from mediocre colleges do great things, sometimes. Kids from mediocre colleges definitely have good careers more often than not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Prestige and selectivity are related, but not the same. Prestige is earned over a longer period of time. Selectivity is more of a short term and perhaps transient. If there is a demographic change driving increased selectivity for an institution, for instance, it doesn't necessarily drive an increase in prestige. An institution that remains highly selective over time will likely increase in prestige.

+1
For example, Smith and Vassar are regarded as being more prestigious than UVA, despite being less selective. At least that’s the case here in NY.

UVA has considerable swag in NYC. Certainly more than Smith at least. Get real.

No it doesn't. Not at all, unless you're talking about a minuscule sub-set of NY residents who hail from Virginia.

UVA is a top school buddy

Yes, but Smith and Vassar have more social cohesion and better social connections. A lot of that is because they're small and provide a more intimiate, more homogeneous experience to their undergrads. It would be hard for UVA grads ten years apart with different majors to find a share experience. Not so, Smith or Vassar.

I am sure UVA has tons of alumni money and networking, but it lacks the intimacy a smaller school has.

I'd rather send a kid to Smith or Vassar. I have a ton of friends who went to Vassar and their alumni network is impressive.

Both Smith and Vassar have larger endowments per student than UVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm an HYPS grad and the only schools worth the premium (i.e. I would send my kid to) are the Ivies, Chicago, Duke, Stanford, Northwestern, MIT, Hopkins, Amherst, or Williams. Caltech and Harvey Mudd if they're engineers. These are the only true "prestige colleges" in America.

+1. Would also add Vandy if they care for the social scene and top academics. A very fine school nowadays.

No, Vandy does not have quite the prestige or the academic caliber of the aforementioned schools. Very much nouveau riche.

Eh, might have agreed ten or even 5 years ago, but thats just not the case now. The age group applying to these fine schools now see all of these schools, including Vanderbilt, as top tier schools. Things are really changing, but to be fair Vanderbilt has been a t25 for decades now.

I really never came to understand the bashing of certain schools on this forum. All schools have pros and cons, but there is abosulely no reason top put down any legitimate school, yet alone some of the best in the world.

Academically, all t25 schools are peers at the undergraduate level. The subtle differences between HYPSM and the non-HYPSM t25s should not be a deal breaker imo. One should choose based on other factors (like money and fit). If one wants a typical college experience at a top school, there is no other (private) school that can top Vanderbilt. Socially, Vanderbilt is on a different league from the other top privates.

Vanderbilt does not play in the same league as the above schools. It certainly doesn't have that long-standing reputation in academia, and not among most employers, either. Not every single school can be at the top at the same time.

Vandy is a fine school, though. But you might have just as well gone to UVA or Notre Dame.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm an HYPS grad and the only schools worth the premium (i.e. I would send my kid to) are the Ivies, Chicago, Duke, Stanford, Northwestern, MIT, Hopkins, Amherst, or Williams. Caltech and Harvey Mudd if they're engineers. These are the only true "prestige colleges" in America.

+1. Would also add Vandy if they care for the social scene and top academics. A very fine school nowadays.

No, Vandy does not have quite the prestige or the academic caliber of the aforementioned schools. Very much nouveau riche.

Eh, might have agreed ten or even 5 years ago, but thats just not the case now. The age group applying to these fine schools now see all of these schools, including Vanderbilt, as top tier schools. Things are really changing, but to be fair Vanderbilt has been a t25 for decades now.

I really never came to understand the bashing of certain schools on this forum. All schools have pros and cons, but there is abosulely no reason top put down any legitimate school, yet alone some of the best in the world.

Academically, all t25 schools are peers at the undergraduate level. The subtle differences between HYPSM and the non-HYPSM t25s should not be a deal breaker imo. One should choose based on other factors (like money and fit). If one wants a typical college experience at a top school, there is no other (private) school that can top Vanderbilt. Socially, Vanderbilt is on a different league from the other top privates.

+1. Dont understand why some on here put down some schools, its rather childish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm an HYPS grad and the only schools worth the premium (i.e. I would send my kid to) are the Ivies, Chicago, Duke, Stanford, Northwestern, MIT, Hopkins, Amherst, or Williams. Caltech and Harvey Mudd if they're engineers. These are the only true "prestige colleges" in America.

+1. Would also add Vandy if they care for the social scene and top academics. A very fine school nowadays.

No, Vandy does not have quite the prestige or the academic caliber of the aforementioned schools. Very much nouveau riche.

Eh, might have agreed ten or even 5 years ago, but thats just not the case now. The age group applying to these fine schools now see all of these schools, including Vanderbilt, as top tier schools. Things are really changing, but to be fair Vanderbilt has been a t25 for decades now.

I really never came to understand the bashing of certain schools on this forum. All schools have pros and cons, but there is abosulely no reason top put down any legitimate school, yet alone some of the best in the world.

Academically, all t25 schools are peers at the undergraduate level. The subtle differences between HYPSM and the non-HYPSM t25s should not be a deal breaker imo. One should choose based on other factors (like money and fit). If one wants a typical college experience at a top school, there is no other (private) school that can top Vanderbilt. Socially, Vanderbilt is on a different league from the other top privates.

+1. Dont understand why some on here put down some schools, its rather childish.

No one is putting down Vandy here. PP was the one that inserted the school into the conversation when no one was talking about it.

[Anonymous]

I can see why someone would include Vanderbilt in the group of schools previously mentioned before. No need to tell anyone that you believe Vanderbilt is not in that group because its a moot point. If you don't believe that Vanderbilt is apart of that group, so be it. But also don't tell someone that Vanderbilt cannot be int the same sentence as Brown, Northwestern, Cornell, etc. when they are seen as comparable by many in the know these days.

[Anonymous]

Amherst and Vanderbilt do not belong on that list, but Carleton does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wisconsin and UVA are peer institutions. Fighting over which one is better is stupid.

Lol no, UVA is much more selective

UVA may be more selective, but I don't think employers or graduate schools are going to distinguish between the graduates for the most part. The exception might be for UVA McIntire.

And therein lies the difference. You will noted as probably being smarter and more accomplished for being admitted to and graduating from a place like MIT. That distinction will not usually be made for these two schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wisconsin and UVA are peer institutions. Fighting over which one is better is stupid.

Lol no, UVA is much more selective

UVA may be more selective, but I don't think employers or graduate schools are going to distinguish between the graduates for the most part. The exception might be for UVA McIntire.

And therein lies the difference. You will noted as probably being smarter and more accomplished for being admitted to and graduating from a place like MIT. That distinction will not usually be made for these two schools.

And in my view I see UVA students as smarter than Wisconsin students. Prestige is relative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wisconsin and UVA are peer institutions. Fighting over which one is better is stupid.

Lol no, UVA is much more selective

UVA may be more selective, but I don't think employers or graduate schools are going to distinguish between the graduates for the most part. The exception might be for UVA McIntire.

And therein lies the difference. You will noted as probably being smarter and more accomplished for being admitted to and graduating from a place like MIT. That distinction will not usually be made for these two schools.

And in my view I see UVA students as smarter than Wisconsin students. Prestige is relative.

There will be many, many Wisconsin students that are at the same level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Prestige and selectivity are related, but not the same. Prestige is earned over a longer period of time. Selectivity is more of a short term and perhaps transient. If there is a demographic change driving increased selectivity for an institution, for instance, it doesn't necessarily drive an increase in prestige. An institution that remains highly selective over time will likely increase in prestige.

+1
For example, Smith and Vassar are regarded as being more prestigious than UVA, despite being less selective. At least that’s the case here in NY.

UVA has considerable swag in NYC. Certainly more than Smith at least. Get real.

No it doesn't. Not at all, unless you're talking about a minuscule sub-set of NY residents who hail from Virginia.

UVA is a top school buddy

Yes, but Smith and Vassar have more social cohesion and better social connections. A lot of that is because they're small and provide a more intimiate, more homogeneous experience to their undergrads. It would be hard for UVA grads ten years apart with different majors to find a share experience. Not so, Smith or Vassar.

I am sure UVA has tons of alumni money and networking, but it lacks the intimacy a smaller school has.

I'd rather send a kid to Smith or Vassar. I have a ton of friends who went to Vassar and their alumni network is impressive.

Both Smith and Vassar have larger endowments per student than UVA.

UVA gets state funding. You can't really compare endowments of private versus public schools, nor large universities with small liberal arts colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wisconsin and UVA are peer institutions. Fighting over which one is better is stupid.

Lol no, UVA is much more selective

UVA may be more selective, but I don't think employers or graduate schools are going to distinguish between the graduates for the most part. The exception might be for UVA McIntire.

And therein lies the difference. You will noted as probably being smarter and more accomplished for being admitted to and graduating from a place like MIT. That distinction will not usually be made for these two schools.

And in my view I see UVA students as smarter than Wisconsin students. Prestige is relative.

There will be many, many Wisconsin students that are at the same level.

More like a handful but whatever. Wisconsin is just a tier below top publics, no getting around it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Amherst and Vanderbilt do not belong on that list, but Carleton does.

LOL, okay, go Knights!