What’s the educational difference between a highly-rated college and a good one?

[Anonymous]

Professor quality matters if you actually get to see the professor. Yes I had good profs at State U, on paper, but I rarely got to interact with them in a class of 200-300-500 and a smaller group led by a TA a few years older than me. At private it was me and ten others in a smaller classroom and occasionally a pub after class. Much different interaction level.

[Anonymous]

I agree that the peer group is different but that’s not necessarily a good thing for everyone. I did undergrad at a very highly ranked SLAC and found the students bizarrely competitive, anxious, and self-absorbed. Lots of eating disorders, perfectionism, all-or-nothing thinking. In general a very negative vibe. I did my next two graduate degrees at less prestigious institutions and experienced a much better peer group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the UMD professor: Do you give attendance points that will increase grades? (My friend’s son went to UMD and this was the case for him). Sounds like high school, to me.

My son’s SLAC:
-no extra credit
-most exams were essay form vs scan-tron
-no opting out of finals
-minimal grading on the curve
-no homework points

I’m sure your son walks 5 miles uphill in snow to class, too.

[Anonymous]

I am the ^^ pp. My DS graduated a few years ago and then graduated from medical school. Just stating the facts.

[Anonymous]

The bottom 2/3rds of non t30 schools should not be in college.

The German model is more efficient.

At t20s, the bottom 1/4 of kids are average state school level kids with some hook.

If you go to a shitty school, a 1/4 - 1/3 of your class is decent.

[Anonymous]

I went to a SLAC that was rated #70-80. I got into better SLACs but this one gave me an almost full scholarship and money was very tight in our family. I had a good experience. Too 10% of students were very competitive. I did not get all As. Made some close relationships with professors. Went to an ivy for grad school. Undergrads at the ivy were definitely way more intense and hardworking than at my college. I took an undergrad math class at the ivy and it was way harder than my college. I struggled my first year in grad school and was a bit intimidated by my fellow students who mostly came from big name schools including ivys and top state schools. They clearly had many more research and internship opportunities than me. I caught up though by my second year and graduated just fine with everyone. This was a PhD program. I’m still grateful to my slac for giving me a good education at a great price

[Anonymous]

Depends on the degree. A liberal arts degree would be fine from anywhere. For engineering, science, law degree, I think it really depends on the reputation of that school.

Connections and college rankings. Some firms only hire from certain colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the UMD professor: Do you give attendance points that will increase grades? (My friend’s son went to UMD and this was the case for him). Sounds like high school, to me.

My son’s SLAC:
-no extra credit
-most exams were essay form vs scan-tron
-no opting out of finals
-minimal grading on the curve
-no homework points

Haha... UMD does not give attendance points unless it’s art or acting.

Sure UMD engineering ... not like HS. 😂

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the UMD professor: Do you give attendance points that will increase grades? (My friend’s son went to UMD and this was the case for him). Sounds like high school, to me.

My son’s SLAC:
-no extra credit
-most exams were essay form vs scan-tron
-no opting out of finals
-minimal grading on the curve
-no homework points

I’m sure your son walks 5 miles uphill in snow to class, too.

To frame PP’s point a different way, I think s/he is pointing out that, even if you assume the quality of professors is held constant, smaller classes (and better grad students) make more challenging assignments/evaluations possible.

FWIW, having taught/studied/had a kid at total of four different t20s, I think ambition/affluence/HS preparation rather than brains/academic orientation/mastery of material/effort is what differentiates a t20 cohort from cohorts at other good schools. But, as other posters have already suggested, you’ll find both that the top students at the good schools are just as smart/capable and that your kids’ college educations will largely be a function of what they make of them. Opportunities/challenges are everywhere but @ some places (t20s) they are obviously/readily available (but often highly competitive) and other places you have to seek them out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the ^^ pp. My DS graduated a few years ago and then graduated from medical school. Just stating the facts.

I think you don’t know the difference between facts and opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the UMD professor: Do you give attendance points that will increase grades? (My friend’s son went to UMD and this was the case for him). Sounds like high school, to me.

My son’s SLAC:
-no extra credit
-most exams were essay form vs scan-tron
-no opting out of finals
-minimal grading on the curve
-no homework points

I’m sure your son walks 5 miles uphill in snow to class, too.

To frame PP’s point a different way, I think s/he is pointing out that, even if you assume the quality of professors is held constant, smaller classes (and better grad students) make more challenging assignments/evaluations possible.

FWIW, having taught/studied/had a kid at total of four different t20s, I think ambition/affluence/HS preparation rather than brains/academic orientation/mastery of material/effort is what differentiates a t20 cohort from cohorts at other good schools. But, as other posters have already suggested, you’ll find both that the top students at the good schools are just as smart/capable and that your kids’ college educations will largely be a function of what they make of them. Opportunities/challenges are everywhere but @ some places (t20s) they are obviously/readily available (but often highly competitive) and other places you have to seek them out.

I agree t30 coddle their students more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They take 4 classes a semester instead of 5 so 8 less classes to graduate.

Unless something has changed, at Yale, it’ s a minimum of 36 classes — 9 per year, although most people take more, especially with labs and studios.

Nope most take 4 classes a semester which is immensely easier than 5 classes.

Labs are 5 credits not a separate class.

Most come in with credits do “take less” ... obviously most don’t take < 4 classes Usually but some do or some double major or it’s room for easy A classes.

It’s not unusual to take 3 classes Spring of senior year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They take 4 classes a semester instead of 5 so 8 less classes to graduate.

Unless something has changed, at Yale, it’ s a minimum of 36 classes — 9 per year, although most people take more, especially with labs and studios.

Nope most take 4 classes a semester which is immensely easier than 5 classes.

Labs are 5 credits not a separate class.

Most come in with credits do “take less” ... obviously most don’t take < 4 classes Usually but some do or some double major or it’s room for easy A classes.

It’s not unusual to take 3 classes Spring of senior year.

At dd's college (good but not great) each semester class is worth 4 credits. So she's taking 16 credits freshman fall, but it's only 4 classes.

[Anonymous]

I attended a large land grant university for undergraduate because I was a fist-gen college student from a working class background, and they gave me a large scholarship back between prestigious SLACs were doing much for kids like me.

I went on to a prestigious graduate program, where I TAd and then taught.

Here's what I can say - the quality/educational bona fides of the professors are largely identical, with the exception of celebrity professors that undergrads wouldn't see much of anyway (I'm thinking of folks here like Professor Gates, Professor Chomsky, or Professor West).

As a PP noted, the PhD market is so tight that there aren't Ivy League posts for every Ivy League PhD, so they end up all over the country in all types of schools.

Peer group? Yes, the baseline peer group is going to be higher at a "great" university, but a motivate student will find an equally qualified/interested/ambitious peer group at almost any school.

The biggest difference that I would offer is "customer service." I was successful at my undergraduate institution because I was good at self-advocacy, had excellent executive function, did not require specific supports, and sought out mentors.

A big state school does not care if you make it through, whereas a smaller or "better" school is going to take care to keep kids from falling through the cracks.

[Anonymous]

Ugh, back BEFORE prestigious SLACs were doing much for kids like me.