Reply to Is there a huge difference in prestige between Williams and Bowdoin?

Forum Index » College and University Discussion

Reply to "Is there a huge difference in prestige between Williams and Bowdoin?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]To me, knowing the differences between Bowdoin and Williams (the differences are pretty tiny) is a sign of cultural literacy. It is a sign of mixing in elite circles.

There is nothing wrong with not knowing this. Most people don't. But if you are someone who manages to make the leap from a random state school to an elite law school but then go interview at elite law firms and don't know what these liberal arts colleges are that many partners attended, it will hurt you.

I know I sound like a snob.[/quote]

I’m a professor at a private R1. When I see Williams on a grad application I do think, oooh Williams. (I also feel that way about Yale and Princeton, in terms of the intellectual rigor I feel the students bring.) I don’t have that reaction to Bowdoin. But truly at the end of the day it’s the quality of the applicant  that matters and each applicant is very seriously considered on their own merits. Where they went to school doesn’t really play into the final decision. [/quote]
Also a professor and I’m not that impressed by Williams. Harvey Mudd, Swarthmore, or Reed are rigorous to me. Williams is just another liberal arts college.[/quote]

I can tell you when I see a response like this I can quickly ascertain that the poster isn’t impressed by Williams because they weren’t able to get into a NESCAC LAC. They instead attended non-selective schools for their entire education. How do I know this? Because, nobody with a working brain cell in education would make such a statement because they know it is foolish. That means we have three choices; poorly educated, bitter, or just a common troll. Which one shall it be my little turd blossom?[/quote]
I went to Middlebury and then did grad school at Princeton and Yale for history. I really don’t need lectures about how educated I am when you have not shown to know much of anything, at all.[/quote]

Not buying. Anyone who went to Midd wouldn't refer to Williams as "just another liberal arts college." They know better. None of those schools are better than Williams and Williams isn't better than any of those schools. You can add 10 more schools (including Midd) to that group and there would be zero discernable difference in student quality and if your background is what you imply you would know that. Are you somehow bitter towards Williams? Or are you just trolling? Based on your response we've narrowed the list.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics