Overrated schools

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I think what is overrated is overspending. There are a few schools that may distinguish graduates for life as being especially bright. The top tier there is Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Yale, Princeton. There are a few that are below that, bit still differentiating. But below those relatively few schools, the differences between say 18 and 29 or so really don't make much difference (for someone who could have been admitted to both) during a lifetime, so people should focus on finances and fit.

No school - not even Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Yale, Columbia - are worth $100,000 in student loans.

IMO those schools can be worth $100,000 in student loans given that the student is capable, is not aiming for medical/law/business school immediately after college, and is aiming for the top investment banking, consulting, or tech jobs and willing to spend several years of their 20's paying back those loans while everyone else is living it up.

No undergraduate degree is worth $100,000 in student loans.

My DC graduated from a CTCL school a couple of years ago, and is making six figures in the tech industry. No student loans, either.

If you are rich enough to not get any aid from HYPSM you may need take out loans to go (if you didn’t save) but not $100k in loans...

What is your point?

No undergraduate degree is worth $100,000 in student loans.

While I MIGHT agree with you, let’s be clear that is YOUR opinion and not objective.

Of course. This entire thread is about opinions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think what is overrated is overspending. There are a few schools that may distinguish graduates for life as being especially bright. The top tier there is Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Yale, Princeton. There are a few that are below that, bit still differentiating. But below those relatively few schools, the differences between say 18 and 29 or so really don't make much difference (for someone who could have been admitted to both) during a lifetime, so people should focus on finances and fit.

No school - not even Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Yale, Columbia - are worth $100,000 in student loans.

IMO those schools can be worth $100,000 in student loans given that the student is capable, is not aiming for medical/law/business school immediately after college, and is aiming for the top investment banking, consulting, or tech jobs and willing to spend several years of their 20's paying back those loans while everyone else is living it up.

No undergraduate degree is worth $100,000 in student loans.

My DC graduated from a CTCL school a couple of years ago, and is making six figures in the tech industry. No student loans, either.

If you are rich enough to not get any aid from HYPSM you may need take out loans to go (if you didn’t save) but not $100k in loans...

What is your point?

No undergraduate degree is worth $100,000 in student loans.

While I MIGHT agree with you, let’s be clear that is YOUR opinion and not objective.

Of course. This entire thread is about opinions.

Some opinions are more equal than others.
-- Donald J. Trump.

[Anonymous]

All universities.

US education is massively overpriced. You can learn 95% of real academics taught at universities with a free library card, free online courses and youtube these days. Unfortunately in the university setting these days, 30% of the time is only devoted to academics, the other 70% is all spent on liberal and far left indoctrination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All universities.

US education is massively overpriced. You can learn 95% of real academics taught at universities with a free library card, free online courses and youtube these days. Unfortunately in the university setting these days, 30% of the time is only devoted to academics, the other 70% is all spent on liberal and far left indoctrination.

Peak Dunning-Kruger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All universities.

US education is massively overpriced. You can learn 95% of real academics taught at universities with a free library card, free online courses and youtube these days. Unfortunately in the university setting these days, 30% of the time is only devoted to academics, the other 70% is all spent on liberal and far left indoctrination.

Peak Dunning-Kruger.

+1

I agree that US education is overpriced, but watching Coursera videos and reading Wikipedia articles does not require the rigor of even a mediocre college course. I had the same opinion once. Later in life, when I actually finished a degree, I was humbled and forced to change my opinion.

I’ve noticed that many people who express the “you can just read a book” mentality tend to have dropped out of college in the first couple of years, before they got to the upper-division courses and the difficulty level increased significantly. This probably contributes to their impression of college not being more valuable than reading a book.

[Anonymous]

I should add that I graduated within the last few years, well after the SJW/Cancel Culture stuff started. Zero percent of my education was dedicated to “liberal and far left indoctrination.” We were required to take one “diversity” course, but were able to choose from a huge sampling. I ended up taking a marketing course that focused on minorities. It was a legit course, though. Not subjective leftwing dogmatism.

Most of the fringe, social justice studies stuff is taken by the people who want to take them. The idea that students are getting brainwashed or indoctrinated at college is a old canard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What school has you scratching your head when you see one of DC’s friends attend?

Duke - unless they plan on playing basketball. It's a far cry from the school it used to be!

[Anonymous]

Georgetown, UVA, Duke

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All universities.

US education is massively overpriced. You can learn 95% of real academics taught at universities with a free library card, free online courses and youtube these days. Unfortunately in the university setting these days, 30% of the time is only devoted to academics, the other 70% is all spent on liberal and far left indoctrination.

Peak Dunning-Kruger.

+1

I agree that US education is overpriced, but watching Coursera videos and reading Wikipedia articles does not require the rigor of even a mediocre college course. I had the same opinion once. Later in life, when I actually finished a degree, I was humbled and forced to change my opinion.

I’ve noticed that many people who express the “you can just read a book” mentality tend to have dropped out of college in the first couple of years, before they got to the upper-division courses and the difficulty level increased significantly. This probably contributes to their impression of college not being more valuable than reading a book.

I have a BA and a JD and think that most humanities and intro level social sciences can be learned through a book. The question is how many people will take the time to do the reading or read the right type of books. 'you aren't learning the same thing in a popular history that you are learning in a scholarly work, but I absolutely think that you can take the syllabus of any poly sci 101, do the reading and learn just as much as if you sat through the class (probably more because if you're motived enough to actually do the reading, you are probably motivated to either read sources or other books as well).

[Anonymous]

Duke is not overrrated.

If you see Duke on a resume you can safely assume the kid is rich, clean-cut, and a personable overachiever.

[Anonymous]

Back under the bridge.

[Anonymous]

Duke is not even a top ten school anymore at USNews. Its rating is becoming more accurate. I guess when it falls to around 15 or so, then it won’t be overrated anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Duke is not even a top ten school anymore at USNews. Its rating is becoming more accurate. I guess when it falls to around 15 or so, then it won’t be overrated anymore.

Agree. Duke is only respected for athletics and its academic reputation is declining.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All universities.

US education is massively overpriced. You can learn 95% of real academics taught at universities with a free library card, free online courses and youtube these days. Unfortunately in the university setting these days, 30% of the time is only devoted to academics, the other 70% is all spent on liberal and far left indoctrination.

Peak Dunning-Kruger.

+1

I agree that US education is overpriced, but watching Coursera videos and reading Wikipedia articles does not require the rigor of even a mediocre college course. I had the same opinion once. Later in life, when I actually finished a degree, I was humbled and forced to change my opinion.

I’ve noticed that many people who express the “you can just read a book” mentality tend to have dropped out of college in the first couple of years, before they got to the upper-division courses and the difficulty level increased significantly. This probably contributes to their impression of college not being more valuable than reading a book.

I take it you weren't a STEM major? Those are in fact heavily book-based. See: https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/myprojects/mit-challenge-2/

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:So, if colleges ranked 10 to 20 are overrated, with what would you replace them? You know, there are these things called cardinal numbers. If you can't think of any to replace them, how could they possibly be overrated?

The point is once you’re outside the top 10 or so, nobody really cares. Splitting hairs about 13 vs 25 vs 37 vs 41 is totally unimportant except to insecure status-obsessed strivers. 10-20 and 20-30 and ... 60-70 all offer fine opportunities. But nothing outside of the top 10 or so is a lottery ticket or IMMEDIATELY impresses the s*** out of everyone — read: it’s not signaling anything near what tiger crazies seem to think about their genetics, parenting or status. Lastly, once you’re outside of the top 10, the colleges are full of many just flat out normal kids who will work normal careers for normal money.

And 1-10 schools? Tell us.

Ivies
MIT
Stanford
Duke (maybe)

Outside of those schools, the prestige, name rec, and gaining entry to some any elite club (lottery ticket!) falls off a cliff. Nobody really gives a flying f*** about Emory, WashU, Rice, Northwestern, Hopkins or even UChicago. In their own regions, sure, people are familiar with them and your kid will have opportunities. But even then, you think all the former Big Ten state school frat and sorority bros who run Chicago deeply respect UChicago? You think all the UT, A&M and SMU good ole boys in Dallas are deeply impressed by Rice? No, they’re not.

You're trying to convince us of something that isn't true. If the Big ten students weren't impressed by the aforementioned schools they shouldn't have applied which they most likely did and didn't get in.

You're greatly underestimating the power of post-purchase rationalization when it comes to college.