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You are just figuring this out? Of course it is overrated. This should be common knowledge. Elite schools are for GRAD school. No one gives a crap about undergrad unless you want to work on Wall Street. That is literally the only job where it matters. |
I went to an elite school and make multi million dollars a year. But my life is overrated.
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There are very few people who should go to (non-law/medical) graduate school. You almost certainly shouldn't go to (non-law/medical) grad school for a job. This whole, "you'll just go to a better graduate school" attitude is generally harmful. Most people will be better off spending that time gaining work experience. Perhaps it might be worth it to attend a prestigious master's program (especially if it's in computer science and you have a non-CS STEM degree), but the idea of a Ph.D. to make up for a lower ranked undergraduate program is silly. |
When do we get to stop talking about Trump? This lifetime? How about our current prez (Go Blue Hens; Go 'Cuse!). Elite is overrated! |
No one goes to a PhD program "just to make up for a lower ranked undergraduate program." That's just stupid because of how much time and effort it takes to get the degree. They go to improve their career prospects. The grad students are mostly miserable, lots of them suffer from depression, especially the ones who are in oversaturated fields. They're overworked and underpaid, and most of them will never land that cushy job in academia. |
+1 This is why I roll my eyes when people think that a school being a PhD feeder school is a plus. Unless you’re being paid for the degree and are going into industry, it is a very tough route. |
I feel bad for the OP, because she realized the problems way too late. I fell into the same trap when I was in high school and have had many regrets over my choices. There are very few fields where prestige matters - like law, academia, or finance/business/consulting.
I went to a high ranking school and found out the same thing that the OP learned: motivated kids can be successful everywhere and that in real life, no one cares where you went for school. I found this out far too late because by that time, I was already a senior and needed to graduate. I work alongside people who got degrees from the University of Phoenix. There are people who got degrees from other online degree mills and did fine. I spent so much time in high school trying to get the best grades and take the hardest courses - yet none of it really matter that much. I regret putting so much pressure on myself. Now that I am out of that bubble, when I see the frenzy around college admissions, it's just hilarious to me. It is all so trivial, although I understand why people get caught up in it (just like I did). |
You sound lovely. I hope you were able to convey this levelheadedness to your children when they looked at colleges? I have a non status obsessed kid and I have to admit that sometimes it’s ME caring too much about prestige and rankings. It’s this gross keeping up with the Joneses thing that’s so prevalent around here... FWIW, my daughter’s better attitude prevailed and she is happily attending a school she actually likes that is just right for her that didn’t cost an arm and a leg and after which she hopefully will have a job. Thanks for posting... |
My kids are young but I will make sure they don't make the same mistakes I did. I get it. It's easy to fall into the trap of worrying about status and rankings. What is important to remember is that no one sits around to fawn over where someone else went to college or how much money another person makes. People are too busy living their lives to do that. The high school version of myself was obsessed with getting into the highest ranked college, just so I could "impress" my classmates who I don't even remember. They don't remember me either. Can you believe that? I spent all that time trying to impress people who are basically strangers to me. As I mentioned, I now work alongside people who got degrees from University of Phoenix and other degree mills like Walden or WGU- schools that the people on this board would never send their kids to. We all ended up at the same place... I also have a cousin who got a higher level nursing degree (to become an NP) from an online school like those I just named and is making decent money. Choosing a college or program depends on a variety of factors that goes beyond rankings that a lot of people miss. I will say that if a student is interested in a certain career path that places a great deal of importance on the name brand of the school, then in that case, it is important to make sure they go to a top school that will help you get on that path. In this instance, going after prestige and rankings is the appropriate choice because it has a large impact on future career options. I am glad your daughter found the right fit for herself. It takes a lot of courage to be able to do that as a young person. |
I never said PhD. I said grad school, which is a graduate degree which covers any number of degrees JD, MD, DMD, etc. I also never said everyone should go to grad school. I said elite schools are for grad school. This means that you can go to undergrad anywhere and go to work. I never advocated everyone go to grad school. I recommend elite institutions only for graduate degrees NOT for undergrad. I think you need to improve your reading. |
I sit on a committee which awards college generous scholarships to local high school seniors, so I've seen a lot of bright applicants over the last decade plus. We also request updates from recipients and most tend to respond. From what I've seen, there is little difference in outcomes between those who went to a prestigious college and those who chose a less glamorous college. If you really pressed me, it actually seems like a teen becomes more likely to pursue something low paying and indulgent or artsy after attending an Ivy (or perhaps those artsy students were attracted to Ivies in the first pace?). Motivated teens who finish in the very top of their high school class do well in life, period, no matter where they go to college. And maybe you wouldn't believe it reading forums like this, but most extremely ambitious teens have zero interest in going to an Ivy League college or Duke or Vanderbilt. They are grew up wanting to attend a state school (often their family attended) or they fell in love with some semi-selective private college a few hours from home. |
She is addressing the OFT-repeated claims made by posters on this forum. The type of parents who will pull out all of the consulting stops, and practically disown their children if they don't get into aT20 school. I appreciate her candid review. It comes across as a voice of reason to those who are desperate to reach what they perceive as the promised land. |