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

[Anonymous]

I’m just happy that people aren’t putting 3 at the top. There’s too many PhDs coming out of the Ivy league, let alone the rest of the T50, to even begin suggesting that there’s some extreme difference in education. Unless your kid is on the bounds and is highly highly intelligent (like top 0.001%) where they need specialized/accelerated instruction to the level of grad school near freshman year, you’re probably receiving a very similar education to others.

[Anonymous]

6-3

[Anonymous]

Wall Street and Top Consulting firms (McKinsey, Bain, BCG) recruit at Michigan and UVa with better placement than many ivies. Yet most parents on here would send their kids to ivies other the former 2. Hence 1 is larger in people's minds than they are willing to admit.

[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

Combination of 4-3-6. Ivies happen to have combination of all three. You may find individual ones in lower ranked school, but not combination of all three.
Then 2 to certain degree
1, 5 being the least important

[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

Aren't 6 and 2 basically the same?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m just happy that people aren’t putting 3 at the top. There’s too many PhDs coming out of the Ivy league, let alone the rest of the T50, to even begin suggesting that there’s some extreme difference in education. Unless your kid is on the bounds and is highly highly intelligent (like top 0.001%) where they need specialized/accelerated instruction to the level of grad school near freshman year, you’re probably receiving a very similar education to others.

Even a standard freshman course like math 2230 at Cornell will exceed the level of rigor of any freshman math course at most lower ranked universities

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m just happy that people aren’t putting 3 at the top. There’s too many PhDs coming out of the Ivy league, let alone the rest of the T50, to even begin suggesting that there’s some extreme difference in education. Unless your kid is on the bounds and is highly highly intelligent (like top 0.001%) where they need specialized/accelerated instruction to the level of grad school near freshman year, you’re probably receiving a very similar education to others.

Even a standard freshman course like math 2230 at Cornell will exceed the level of rigor of any freshman math course at most lower ranked universities

Cite?

[Anonymous]

Everything should follow from 3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m just happy that people aren’t putting 3 at the top. There’s too many PhDs coming out of the Ivy league, let alone the rest of the T50, to even begin suggesting that there’s some extreme difference in education. Unless your kid is on the bounds and is highly highly intelligent (like top 0.001%) where they need specialized/accelerated instruction to the level of grad school near freshman year, you’re probably receiving a very similar education to others.

Even a standard freshman course like math 2230 at Cornell will exceed the level of rigor of any freshman math course at most lower ranked universities

Cite?

They can't, because it's not true. I went to Cornell then transferred over to UChicago for Physics. The math homework I'd share between my courses and state school friends was the same. The rigor was different, but the overall course content was not. People just don't do apples to apples comparison.

If your child is at Harvard and able to get through and succeed in Math 55, yeah-they're receiving an exceptional education and will be ahead of other students very quickly. Interestingly, European mathematics students/professors think Math 55 is a poorly shaped course in terms of the range of content, but I'm not a mathematician...

One college's Math methods for physics (for example) isn't another's. UChicago splits the course into two and the first and second quarter is basically a calc 3, linear mix and the third and fourth quarter gives you the fun-Complex Analysis, PDE, advanced linear, etc. Meanwhile, at DC's LAC Pomona, all of that is taught within a few more added math topics in what amounts to 2 quarters. Neither is actually more difficult than the other ones, even with very different rankings, but the content is introduced in different courses at different times.

[Anonymous]

1-4, 6, 5

[Anonymous]

Redemption. I got WL some places I feel I should have been accepted and my parents only would let me apply in-state. I was top of my HS class, but people made assumptions when they asked where I attended college a lot of my life. People say it doesn’t happen, but it does. Ironically, not so much at work where I’m highly respected but social situations.

My kid is at an Ivy by their own choice and we didn’t push or prod of tiger parent. I have to admit the level of satisfaction of them achieving this through their own self-motivation and work is immense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m just happy that people aren’t putting 3 at the top. There’s too many PhDs coming out of the Ivy league, let alone the rest of the T50, to even begin suggesting that there’s some extreme difference in education. Unless your kid is on the bounds and is highly highly intelligent (like top 0.001%) where they need specialized/accelerated instruction to the level of grad school near freshman year, you’re probably receiving a very similar education to others.

Even a standard freshman course like math 2230 at Cornell will exceed the level of rigor of any freshman math course at most lower ranked universities

Cite?

They can't, because it's not true. I went to Cornell then transferred over to UChicago for Physics. The math homework I'd share between my courses and state school friends was the same. The rigor was different, but the overall course content was not. People just don't do apples to apples comparison.

If your child is at Harvard and able to get through and succeed in Math 55, yeah-they're receiving an exceptional education and will be ahead of other students very quickly. Interestingly, European mathematics students/professors think Math 55 is a poorly shaped course in terms of the range of content, but I'm not a mathematician...

One college's Math methods for physics (for example) isn't another's. UChicago splits the course into two and the first and second quarter is basically a calc 3, linear mix and the third and fourth quarter gives you the fun-Complex Analysis, PDE, advanced linear, etc. Meanwhile, at DC's LAC Pomona, all of that is taught within a few more added math topics in what amounts to 2 quarters. Neither is actually more difficult than the other ones, even with very different rankings, but the content is introduced in different courses at different times.

Interesting points…but how does transferring between top 15 schools (Cornell to Uchicago) disprove PPs point? You also then reference Pomona which is a top 5 LAC.

[Anonymous]

My kid was headed in-state and then was admitted RD to an Ivy. People’s reactions when they ask where my child goes to college is vastly different when I state the Ivy (not people that thought kid was headed in-state and now isn’t, but strangers, acquaintances, work colleagues, etc.) then before when I would say the flagship. It’s been pretty eye-opening as a state alum myself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m just happy that people aren’t putting 3 at the top. There’s too many PhDs coming out of the Ivy league, let alone the rest of the T50, to even begin suggesting that there’s some extreme difference in education. Unless your kid is on the bounds and is highly highly intelligent (like top 0.001%) where they need specialized/accelerated instruction to the level of grad school near freshman year, you’re probably receiving a very similar education to others.

Even a standard freshman course like math 2230 at Cornell will exceed the level of rigor of any freshman math course at most lower ranked universities

Cite?

They can't, because it's not true. I went to Cornell then transferred over to UChicago for Physics. The math homework I'd share between my courses and state school friends was the same. The rigor was different, but the overall course content was not. People just don't do apples to apples comparison.

If your child is at Harvard and able to get through and succeed in Math 55, yeah-they're receiving an exceptional education and will be ahead of other students very quickly. Interestingly, European mathematics students/professors think Math 55 is a poorly shaped course in terms of the range of content, but I'm not a mathematician...

One college's Math methods for physics (for example) isn't another's. UChicago splits the course into two and the first and second quarter is basically a calc 3, linear mix and the third and fourth quarter gives you the fun-Complex Analysis, PDE, advanced linear, etc. Meanwhile, at DC's LAC Pomona, all of that is taught within a few more added math topics in what amounts to 2 quarters. Neither is actually more difficult than the other ones, even with very different rankings, but the content is introduced in different courses at different times.

Interesting points…but how does transferring between top 15 schools (Cornell to Uchicago) disprove PPs point? You also then reference Pomona which is a top 5 LAC.

You make a great point that these are all good colleges (DCUM bias admittedly). So, lets find a public university's syllabus! I only have access to an old syllabus from William and Mary, but they have almost the same course books as Pomona. It goes through a few less topics, but nothing that couldn't be covered in another course. For a curve ball, Ole Miss also uses the same book and goes over slightly fewer topics. All of these colleges likely have a decent level of education, even with dramatically different education. I wanted to see the faculty's education at Ole Miss, and it is filled with elite colleges. It really all comes down to networks for the top colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid was headed in-state and then was admitted RD to an Ivy. People’s reactions when they ask where my child goes to college is vastly different when I state the Ivy (not people that thought kid was headed in-state and now isn’t, but strangers, acquaintances, work colleagues, etc.) then before when I would say the flagship. It’s been pretty eye-opening as a state alum myself.

+1

Similar with 2 different kids