Reply to Daughter got into her reach school, but wants to go to the safety.

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Disagree with all the PPs. It depends on the disparity between the reach and safety schools, but going to a well-regarded school can confer benefits for a long time. For first job, grad school admissions, how good of grades you need to be a "good candidate" for whatever's next, etc.
 
Make sure she's certain about this and understands the ramifications of her choice, not just how fun the next 4 yrs will be.

Unpopular opinion I know![/quote]

I know you mean well, and believe what you are saying. But many others of us don't think such "connections" or "status signals" are necessary for success.

For others, that sounds blasphemous. It may depend upon where you look for validation, and how you define success. [/quote]

Easier acceptance into grad school or getting pushed to the top of a pile of resumes is neither “connections” or “status signals.”  I’m sure you mean well, but you seem to be missing the point.[/quote]

Not really. I had to choose between Hopkins and Harvard for my PhD. My richer friends, who traveled in high social circles, absolutely could not understand how anyone could consider  turning down Harvard. They told me, "it will open doors the rest of your life." I visited both schools, meeting with faculty and students. I learned that Hopkins was much more well regarded, in my particular field. They had established it and ran circles around Harvard when it came to research funding (again, in the field I wanted to enter). I was grateful to the doctoral students who lunched with  me at Harvard. I remember one saying, "This place looks better the further away from it that you are."  Hopkins had more courses relevant to my field of interest. As the answer of which program was superior became clearer and clearer, I realized that some proportion of the people who chose to attend and teach at Harvard did so simply so they could put it on their resume. Those people are not my people.  [/quote]

Different poster. This is not the sort of choice people are talking about. Harvard and Hopkins are both excellent schools, and neither would be anyone's safety. Furthermore, it makes sense to choose the school that offers a stronger program in your field, if you know what that is before matriculating. I read OP's question as more like choosing between Harvard and, say, UMD.[/quote]

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