Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The practically no name regional private school that my daughter chose happens to be in an amazing area for internships and has an incredible relationship with a professional sports organization. This is actually why she chose this school over the state school she could have gone to. The state school couldn’t change it’s not so great rural location.

Being away from big cities is arguably a benefit for colleges. They are less accessible to commuter students, which boosts their graduation rates, and their athletics programs benefit from not having to compete with professional athletics in the same town.

I don’t understand how being away from a city is great for amazing internship opportunities, but, hey…you do you

I think it depends on your kid. I have an average kid who is not a super-high achiever and can sometimes be 'meh' about schoolwork. I think that he will do well in some of the lower-ranked schools that we have visited precisely because they are smaller and aren't filled with people who think that going to an Ivy is the be-all and end-all. I have been impressed with some of the in-state schools that many here would shun because they are the right place for my kid. He would be lost in a large university. Looking at his projected stats (he's a junior) he should be able to get in and because it's in state, I'm not worried about paying for it at all.

I am a Ivy grad, and I honestly have no idea where most of my colleagues went to school. When I read resumes (government) I don't really pay a lot of attention to the name on the diplomas as many of you on this board have no idea how many people go on to have good careers from places that I sometimes say to myself "where the heck is that?"

Anonymous wrote:I believe it is better to get an undergraduate degree without spending a fortune or going into debt. If that means going to a lower ranked school then so be it. Work hard, get experience in field you want to pursue then apply to high ranked grad or professional program.

+1 and agree with the point that for most the regional college reputation matters more than some general ranking. The point of college is not making connections. It's learning - about the world, about yourself, and learning specific skills that can help you in your career. Maybe some colleges emphasize connections more but I certainly didn't find college mattered in career connections. My professional network grew most from my first post-college job. Which I got, not through some connections the college created, but from the learning opportunities it provided. I had to complete a project with a local business as part of my major, that project was directly related to the career I wanted to pursue, and it made a strong part of my resume and interview when I applied for exactly the type of job I wanted.

One of my kids goes to a little-generally-known college in the region. But it has a strong program for her major, one of the biggest programs at the school, and a big emphasis on building specific skills employers in that field want. Grads from the program have no trouble getting jobs. Not because specific connections hire them but because they have the skills employers are looking for. I do recognize that there are values to bigger brand names and have encouraged her to go to the flagship for grad school (vs staying on at her small school) because at that level she may benefit more from the larger network. But for undergrad she's benefited from the small school with strong faculty relationships and an excellent program in her major.

Anonymous wrote:People who go to bottom private colleges are either getting vocational training, have rich parents, or ar e financially ruining themselves.

You have no idea what you are talking about. Completely ridiculous comment.

Anonymous wrote:Some people say that’s the point of college. Only some.

And those people have no idea what they are talking about.

DC1 chose a lower-ranked college over Williams and other similarly ranked schools. Merit aid definitely helped seal the deal, but it wasn’t just that. She also decided the vibe at the higher-ranked schools wasn’t for her — too many kids gunning for MBB type jobs, which wasn’t what she was looking for. She doesn’t seem to have any regrets, and we appreciate the six digit savings.

I believe it is better to get an undergraduate degree without spending a fortune or going into debt. If that means going to a lower ranked school then so be it. Work hard, get experience in field you want to pursue then apply to high ranked grad or professional program.

Anonymous wrote:The practically no name regional private school that my daughter chose happens to be in an amazing area for internships and has an incredible relationship with a professional sports organization. This is actually why she chose this school over the state school she could have gone to. The state school couldn’t change it’s not so great rural location.

Being away from big cities is arguably a benefit for colleges. They are less accessible to commuter students, which boosts their graduation rates, and their athletics programs benefit from not having to compete with professional athletics in the same town.

Anonymous wrote:People say the real value of college is making connections. If this is true, wouldn't you be better off trying to get internships and network at events than going to a no-name university? Is there any point in going to a college outside the T70 or so?

LOL the real value of college is not to network and make connections. It's to deepen your learning and grow independence while doing so.

Most colleges are cliquey so social groups stay intact at that age. It's better and more organic to network by going to a prestigious private school K-12.

I think the switch over from national to regional value is much higher up on the US News rankings list than people think. Like if you want to stay in Philly, it’s probably better to be a top student at Drexel than to attend a more elite but more distant college like WUSL or Rice.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People say the real value of college is making connections. [b]If this is true, wouldn't you be better off trying to get internships and network at events than going to a no-name university? Is there any point in going to a college outside the T70 or so?

Yes, it's true. Especially considering the cost of higher ed today. I was fortunate to get into Harvard and Harvard Law. The experience (social mobility, career opportunities, connections) changed my life. I still have very good friends from those days in powerful positions around the world.

That doesn't at all prove that someone who went to a less prestigious school isn't successful. I would think your Harvard education would have taught you about logical fallacies.

Anonymous wrote:My DC is in at a safety that has already offered merit. The pros of going there is that it will be cheaper (saving $$ for grad school) and they have a better chance at being at the top of their class. The decision is a long way off, but there are benefits to not choosing the highest ranked school.

This could be the best decision ever.

Anonymous wrote:People who go to bottom private colleges are either getting vocational training, have rich parents, or ar e financially ruining themselves.

You are wrong. Many of these schools offer great merit aid.

Anonymous wrote:Many colleges are regionally strong in terms of how people treat their grads.

My F500 employer has a strong "no special snowflakes" vibe right now. There are people getting good jobs with degrees from schools I'm sure you have never heard of. They have to prove themselves at the entry level. After that, project success and EQ take over.

Exactly. The odds of my son, grad of no name school, getting hired by his employer were low. I think they accept less than 1% of applicants. He is working with Ivy League grads, yet scoring in top three on assessments and just killing it.

The practically no name regional private school that my daughter chose happens to be in an amazing area for internships and has an incredible relationship with a professional sports organization. This is actually why she chose this school over the state school she could have gone to. The state school couldn’t change it’s not so great rural location.