Why does college prestige matter to you? Rank these reasons.

[Anonymous]

1) Status symbol that reflects intellect and ambition

2) Networking opportunities for graduate school, jobs, and more

3) Quality of education that includes instruction from noted academics

4) Recruiting opportunities, including Wall Street and high-end consulting companies

5) Family tradition to go to a particular school or type of school

6) Student quality, including smarts, wealth, celebrity, and more

[Anonymous]

Status symbol that reflects intellect and ambition -- 4

Networking opportunities for graduate school, jobs, and more -- 3

Quality of education that includes instruction from noted academics --2

Recruiting opportunities, including Wall Street and high-end consulting companies --5

Family tradition to go to a particular school or type of school -- 6

Student quality, including smarts, wealth, celebrity, and more -- 1

[Anonymous]

College prestige does not matter to me as a parent. Just want a great education that leads to a good job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1) Status symbol that reflects intellect and ambition

2) Networking opportunities for graduate school, jobs, and more

3) Quality of education that includes instruction from noted academics

4) Recruiting opportunities, including Wall Street and high-end consulting companies

5) Family tradition to go to a particular school or type of school

6) Student quality, including smarts, wealth, celebrity, and more

6-2-4-3-1-5

Although in real life I was thinking about 6, 2 and 4 sort of together, 6 also driving the quality of education. I didn’t care much about 1 and 5 doesn’t apply.

I went to a low ranking college and did reasonably well, so my perspective is colored by that. I want my kids to have what I did not have.

[Anonymous]

Why do you care, OP? Let’s start with that.

You’re part of the problem. Incessant “prestige” talk starts at home.

[Anonymous]

None of the above

[Anonymous]

So far, it seems like it’s mostly networking. That seems a bit crazy to me because kids at all schools form into groups that are more alike than dissimilar - translation: the poor kid won’t suddenly be hanging out with the rich kid. Also, most people I know who went to elite schools never got a job through a school connection. Yes, the school probably looked good on their resume, but it wasn’t school networking that landed them a position.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So far, it seems like it’s mostly networking. That seems a bit crazy to me because kids at all schools form into groups that are more alike than dissimilar - translation: the poor kid won’t suddenly be hanging out with the rich kid. Also, most people I know who went to elite schools never got a job through a school connection. Yes, the school probably looked good on their resume, but it wasn’t school networking that landed them a position.

Plenty of people I know got jobs and literally started companies through both school/peer network and alumni connections.

Of course if you don’t try it doesn’t happen. Guess what…95% don’t try.

[Anonymous]

Prestigious schools are more likely to give excellent need based aid, which is a priority for us.

[Anonymous]

Prestige matters in high school and grad school. Undergrad not so much.

Anyway the rankings:

1) Status symbol that reflects intellect and ambition

2) Networking opportunities for graduate school, jobs, and more (4th)

3) Quality of education that includes instruction from noted academics (3rd)

4) Recruiting opportunities, including Wall Street and high-end consulting companies (1st)

5) Family tradition to go to a particular school or type of school

6) Student quality, including smarts, wealth, celebrity, and more (2nd aka find a spouse)

After those 4 I don’t care

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So far, it seems like it’s mostly networking. That seems a bit crazy to me because kids at all schools form into groups that are more alike than dissimilar - translation: the poor kid won’t suddenly be hanging out with the rich kid. Also, most people I know who went to elite schools never got a job through a school connection. Yes, the school probably looked good on their resume, but it wasn’t school networking that landed them a position.

I was the first responder who put number 6 first. It is not about networking per se, but it is about peer influence. This is very important to me for my kids because our town is conservative and our high school is very mediocre and not competitive at all. My oldest's friends at his college are normal MC/UMC kids like he is but they have ambition and expose him to places and other ways of thinking. Peer influence matters a great deal to me because this is how I broke out of my bubble/small world view during college as well.

[Anonymous]

It doesn’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Prestige matters in high school and grad school. Undergrad not so much.

Anyway the rankings:

1) Status symbol that reflects intellect and ambition

2) Networking opportunities for graduate school, jobs, and more (4th)

3) Quality of education that includes instruction from noted academics (3rd)

4) Recruiting opportunities, including Wall Street and high-end consulting companies (1st)

5) Family tradition to go to a particular school or type of school

6) Student quality, including smarts, wealth, celebrity, and more (2nd aka find a spouse)

After those 4 I don’t care

I had to reread this to understand the intended rankings. But I agree with this entirely. Especially 1 and 2.

[Anonymous]

Why do so many people want their kids to go to "wall street" or be consultants?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do so many people want their kids to go to "wall street" or be consultants?

Money