A college is prestigious enough if the pickiest brand name firms do on-campus recruiting -- i.e., McKinsey or Wall Street investment banks. These firms rely on their clients thinking the lowliest analysts are smarter than them, so they can't hire from just any school. But, even they have greatly widened the number of schools they recruit at.

Otherwise, prestige is only for idiots like Ted Cruz who would only study with HYP graduates. There are really smart kids at every college.

This is such a DCUM thread! But I'll bite anyway. The most prestigious school is the one that fits my kid the best. There. I done it. All them others, they suck, no prestige, none.

I went to an Ivy, and I refused to allow my child to apply there!! Would never fit my kid. The fit is what gives it prestige in my eye.

Not really, but we sure meet their helicopterish parents.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a silly question that was inspired by all of the debate here over what people on DCUM consider to be "prestigious," or not.

What do you consider to be the "prestigious/non-prestigious" cut-off, the Mason-Dixon line, below which everything everything is prestigious, and above which everything is non-prestigious?

Let's just get all of the prestige talk into big, happy prestige thread.

Our goal is to send our children to a NON prestigious school - where nice, normal, well-balanced, not-in-need-of-therapy students are enrolled. Not kidding.

Yes, because every student at Harvard, Yale, etc. is mean, not at all normal, not well-balanced, and in definite need of therapy. You're so right.

You know, I have a kid at a "HYPSM" school and I just get so tired of the stereotypes that they're all pretentious basket cases. Do you actually know any of these students?

Anonymous wrote:This is a silly question that was inspired by all of the debate here over what people on DCUM consider to be "prestigious," or not.

What do you consider to be the "prestigious/non-prestigious" cut-off, the Mason-Dixon line, below which everything everything is prestigious, and above which everything is non-prestigious?

Let's just get all of the prestige talk into big, happy prestige thread.

Our goal is to send our children to a NON prestigious school - where nice, normal, well-balanced, not-in-need-of-therapy students are enrolled. Not kidding.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The list changes depending on the major.

actually not really- attending an 'elite' college isn't really about the major...beyond the top tier, you really have to start thinking about 'programs' and departments.

No, it does depend on the major.

Anonymous wrote:The list changes depending on the major.

actually not really- attending an 'elite' college isn't really about the major...beyond the top tier, you really have to start thinking about 'programs' and departments.

The list changes depending on the major.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are talking about internationally prestigious, Harvard is really the only name that is recognized worldwide.

Actually that is not true AT ALL. All of the Ivy's and many other large universities like Northwestern are internationally recognized. Especially if they have a strong business school.

Or Ag & Engineering.

Anonymous wrote:If you are talking about internationally prestigious, Harvard is really the only name that is recognized worldwide.

Actually that is not true AT ALL. All of the Ivy's and many other large universities like Northwestern are internationally recognized. Especially if they have a strong business school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Ivy "plus" group (includes Stanford, Univ of Chicago) is prestigious.

The national liberal arts colleges are prestigious (Amherst, Williams, Grinnell, etc.).

Everything else is... well, very worth going to. Better, in many ways.

Way to work Grinnell in there. Nice try.

LOL. PP here. I was just trying to think of a non-New England school quickly! I didn't go to Grinnell! My own alma mater is not "prestigious." As my final comment may have suggested.

If you are talking about internationally prestigious, Harvard is really the only name that is recognized worldwide.

Navy, Army, Hopkins,MIT ,Stanford . Are institutions with a national mission and are indespensable.

Duke could dissapear and nobody would notice or care.