What distinguishes top state schools from others?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honors programs at state schools are jokes. They're just marketing scams.

My DC was in one - it required an additional application after being admitted to the university and it was competitive as other kids from DCs high school were not admitted. There were definitely benefits including freshman housing in a desirable dorm with other honors students, honors advising, honors only seminars (you were required to take a certain number in the first 2 years) and honors only discussion sections of some intro classes, social activities, etc. It made a large school seem smaller, and the advising was very good. So for my DC it was better than a "joke", although certainly kids not in the honors program had great experiences too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Ivy League" undergraduate colleges are a joke. It's just a marketing scheme.

Soft Ivies overlap with Almost ivies, so you might say some - but not all - ivies are a joke.

I might say that, but I DIDN'T.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honors programs at state schools are jokes. They're just marketing scams.

My DC was in one - it required an additional application after being admitted to the university and it was competitive as other kids from DCs high school were not admitted. There were definitely benefits including freshman housing in a desirable dorm with other honors students, honors advising, honors only seminars (you were required to take a certain number in the first 2 years) and honors only discussion sections of some intro classes, social activities, etc. It made a large school seem smaller, and the advising was very good. So for my DC it was better than a "joke", although certainly kids not in the honors program had great experiences too.

Nobody calls my baby ugly. Drink up, mom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Ivy League" undergraduate colleges are a joke. It's just a marketing scheme.

Soft Ivies overlap with Almost ivies, so you might say some - but not all - ivies are a joke.

I might say that, but I DIDN'T.

DH went to Harvard. Complained that he had to wait multiple weeks to get office hours with star professor. Many professors put their personal careers over teaching students. He said the value was more the networking than the education received. One can argue and even prove that students get more personalized instruction at many other schools. The value of the Ivy is the brand rather than the education.

[Anonymous]

I attended state schools in several states, including one place that was listed on this thread as a top state school — ans the best state school I ever attended was probably hands down Univ of NY at Binghamton. It’s not a school that gets much attention in the DC area but the academics were really good and there was lots of personal attention and bright peers. It’s not a facility with as many bells and whistles and definitely lost the pr competition with other states, but I think families need to really investigate when it comes to state universities because I do think some rest on their laurels and others institute changes and people are slow to notice. Binghamton is neither — it’s just a really good state school in a mediocre town. But the tuition is reasonable and the education is quite good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Ivy League" undergraduate colleges are a joke. It's just a marketing scheme.

Soft Ivies overlap with Almost ivies, so you might say some - but not all - ivies are a joke.

I might say that, but I DIDN'T.

DH went to Harvard. Complained that he had to wait multiple weeks to get office hours with star professor. Many professors put their personal careers over teaching students. He said the value was more the networking than the education received. One can argue and even prove that students get more personalized instruction at many other schools. The value of the Ivy is the brand rather than the education.

Can be. But DH and I both got excellent educations at Harvard College and had easy/routine access to profs.

[Anonymous]

Same for our family. We both keep in touch with our Harvard Professors, had small classes and lots of attention.

[Anonymous]

Students in honors colleges often receive info about undergraduate research opportunities in a more personalized way--e.g. profs visit their seminars to describe opportunities, it's built into their coursework. This can be a real advantage for grad school admissions and/or first job opportunities (I say this as a prof who doesn't teach in the honors college but recruits juniors and seniors from the honors college for projects).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honors programs at state schools are jokes. They're just marketing scams.

My DC was in one - it required an additional application after being admitted to the university and it was competitive as other kids from DCs high school were not admitted. There were definitely benefits including freshman housing in a desirable dorm with other honors students, honors advising, honors only seminars (you were required to take a certain number in the first 2 years) and honors only discussion sections of some intro classes, social activities, etc. It made a large school seem smaller, and the advising was very good. So for my DC it was better than a "joke", although certainly kids not in the honors program had great experiences too.

Nobody calls my baby ugly. Drink up, mom.

I don't get the eye roll, just explaining why it's not necessarily a scam. It doesn't cost any more to do honors, and if you are going to the school anyway and the program appeals to you why not. Plus based on DCs experience having the honors program (and DC also graduated with honors, which is a different thing) on your resume does make a difference to some employers. I'm sure some of you will claim you won't even consider kids who went to state flagships but apparently that's not a universal view based on the employment stats of DCs university.

[Anonymous]

Drink the kool-aid... gulp gulp. You kid is TOTALLY better than the other nitwits at tailgate state. We believe you. And everyone she ever comes across is going to TOTALLY respect the hell out of that big state U honors program on her resume. For sure!

[Anonymous]

"Top" state schools. Haha. It's humorous when parents claim to be humble advocates of rah-rah public schools while they obsessively jockey for class status indicators.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No such thing. Only people who thrive at Tailgate States are the wealthy average IQs who party it up in Greek life, couldn’t care less about academics or learning — or attending 600-student lectures and nil support — then work mom and dad’s connections for a good job.

Actually being at a large school with minimal hand holding teaches the mostly middle class students how to take care of themselves. Not sure where you’re getting the idea that state school kids are rich and have connections.

Oy vey. Some of you are so painfully dim and very clearly have never attended nor stepped foot on an elite private college campus.

She says with nose in the air.