Anonymous
Post 06/28/2025 14:11     Subject: What’s the point of going to a top school if you end up in the same place as someone who didn’t
Anonymous wrote:The point is taking the opportunities that the top spot might offer you while you're there and the connections you meet.

How much you succeed is dependent on where you take such opportunities and what luck / bad luck you encounter thereafter. And that stuff partly, is beyond anyone's control.


+1000
Anonymous
Post 06/28/2025 14:10     Subject: What’s the point of going to a top school if you end up in the same place as someone who didn’t
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Lots of talk here about the Ivy+, but how is it for publics like Berekely, UCLA, Michigan, and UVA? Do they open doors, or are they comparable to any other flagship public

The "public ivies" are definitely better than flyover flagships. But if you have a choice between the best public ivy and the weakest actual ivy, go with the ivy.


there is no such thing as ivy+ or public ivy. these are just coping mechanisms.


There is nothing special about any ivies other than HYP. Those non-HYP ivies had to invent things like ED to make sure people don't use them as backup. Cornell has to give guaranteed transfer options to fill the spots of kids who leave. Plenty of kids take Michigan or Berkeley over Cornell. Cornell's yield with ED is in the sixties.


Cornell is kind of like a public flagship though. Michigan/Berkeley or Brown/Dartmouth...different decision. Not saying Brown/Dartmouth are "better" but they are very different than Michigan/Berkeley (and Cornell).
Anonymous
Post 06/28/2025 14:04     Subject: What’s the point of going to a top school if you end up in the same place as someone who didn’t
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Lots of talk here about the Ivy+, but how is it for publics like Berekely, UCLA, Michigan, and UVA? Do they open doors, or are they comparable to any other flagship public

The "public ivies" are definitely better than flyover flagships. But if you have a choice between the best public ivy and the weakest actual ivy, go with the ivy.


there is no such thing as ivy+ or public ivy. these are just coping mechanisms.


Yes, that's hilarious but that is exactly what they are, its a kind of in denial response.
Anonymous
Post 06/28/2025 14:03     Subject: What’s the point of going to a top school if you end up in the same place as someone who didn’t
The point is taking the opportunities that the top spot might offer you while you're there and the connections you meet.

How much you succeed is dependent on where you take such opportunities and what luck / bad luck you encounter thereafter. And that stuff partly, is beyond anyone's control.
Anonymous
Post 06/28/2025 13:57     Subject: What’s the point of going to a top school if you end up in the same place as someone who didn’t
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Lots of talk here about the Ivy+, but how is it for publics like Berekely, UCLA, Michigan, and UVA? Do they open doors, or are they comparable to any other flagship public

The "public ivies" are definitely better than flyover flagships. But if you have a choice between the best public ivy and the weakest actual ivy, go with the ivy.


there is no such thing as ivy+ or public ivy. these are just coping mechanisms.


There is nothing special about any ivies other than HYP. Those non-HYP ivies had to invent things like ED to make sure people don't use them as backup. Cornell has to give guaranteed transfer options to fill the spots of kids who leave. Plenty of kids take Michigan or Berkeley over Cornell. Cornell's yield with ED is in the sixties.


What about UVA and UCLA?


All these are great schools and will not stop anyone from doing well if they want to.
Anonymous
Post 06/28/2025 13:47     Subject: What’s the point of going to a top school if you end up in the same place as someone who didn’t
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Lots of talk here about the Ivy+, but how is it for publics like Berekely, UCLA, Michigan, and UVA? Do they open doors, or are they comparable to any other flagship public

The "public ivies" are definitely better than flyover flagships. But if you have a choice between the best public ivy and the weakest actual ivy, go with the ivy.


there is no such thing as ivy+ or public ivy. these are just coping mechanisms.


There is nothing special about any ivies other than HYP. Those non-HYP ivies had to invent things like ED to make sure people don't use them as backup. Cornell has to give guaranteed transfer options to fill the spots of kids who leave. Plenty of kids take Michigan or Berkeley over Cornell. Cornell's yield with ED is in the sixties.


What about UVA and UCLA?
Anonymous
Post 06/28/2025 13:39     Subject: What’s the point of going to a top school if you end up in the same place as someone who didn’t
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Lots of talk here about the Ivy+, but how is it for publics like Berekely, UCLA, Michigan, and UVA? Do they open doors, or are they comparable to any other flagship public

The "public ivies" are definitely better than flyover flagships. But if you have a choice between the best public ivy and the weakest actual ivy, go with the ivy.


there is no such thing as ivy+ or public ivy. these are just coping mechanisms.


There is nothing special about any ivies other than HYP. Those non-HYP ivies had to invent things like ED to make sure people don't use them as backup. Cornell has to give guaranteed transfer options to fill the spots of kids who leave. Plenty of kids take Michigan or Berkeley over Cornell. Cornell's yield with ED is in the sixties.
Anonymous
Post 06/28/2025 12:43     Subject: What’s the point of going to a top school if you end up in the same place as someone who didn’t
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Lots of talk here about the Ivy+, but how is it for publics like Berekely, UCLA, Michigan, and UVA? Do they open doors, or are they comparable to any other flagship public

The "public ivies" are definitely better than flyover flagships. But if you have a choice between the best public ivy and the weakest actual ivy, go with the ivy.


there is no such thing as ivy+ or public ivy. these are just coping mechanisms.
Anonymous
Post 06/28/2025 12:38     Subject: What’s the point of going to a top school if you end up in the same place as someone who didn’t
Note: bottom 3 to 4 ivies are wannabes. They will soon be expunged from public memory . And rightly so.
Anonymous
Post 06/28/2025 12:35     Subject: What’s the point of going to a top school if you end up in the same place as someone who didn’t
Anonymous wrote:Lots of talk here about the Ivy+, but how is it for publics like Berekely, UCLA, Michigan, and UVA? Do they open doors, or are they comparable to any other flagship public

The "public ivies" are definitely better than flyover flagships. But if you have a choice between the best public ivy and the weakest actual ivy, go with the ivy.
Anonymous
Post 06/28/2025 10:44     Subject: Re:What’s the point of going to a top school if you end up in the same place as someone who didn’t
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So unfortunately after 19 pages of comments, the only person who could quantify a person doing better after going to an ivy, was the poster whose friend married a guy who makes bank. Yikes.


Well I’m also a SAHM married to a partner who is making bank, and we BOTH went to no-name universities. So does that cancel out the other comment?


Yes it does.👍
Anonymous
Post 06/28/2025 10:38     Subject: What’s the point of going to a top school if you end up in the same place as someone who didn’t
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Ok, I’ll bite. I think there are two aspects to think about - the experience of going to a top school and the outcome. Some people care more about the first, some people care more about the latter, majority care about both.

I went to UConn on an athletic scholarship, my brother went to Yale. I visited him quite often and spent a good amount of time on campus. There is a massive difference in the environment at a state school vs a selective private university. It comes down to all the reasons people have discussed already - the level of resources, peers, access is on a different level. Yale was inspiration overload each time I was on campus.

I got a great education and I am happy with my life. But if you came and told me I could redo college and can choose to go to UConn/any state school vs go to Yale or another top school, I’d pick Yale in a heartbeat because it’s just a completely different experience.



100%

My kid is full pay at an Ivy. I went to a big state school. It’s very, very different in all the ways you describe. We could afford to give our kid that experience. He earned admission w/out tutors or paid counselors or test prep, so we were glad to be able to fund it for him. My parents couldn’t for me. I do agree all of these private colleges cost way too much nowadays, but the experience and the peers and the faculty are the size are all worth it if you can swing it w/out going into debt or taking loans.

The differences are amazing! i am grateful to be able to pay for both of ours to go to ivies, which may not have happened if I had not been poor enough to get a lot of grants so my parent could pay less than the state school to send me to a different ivy


Good GOD. You and pp sound insufferable.


+ 1.
Anonymous
Post 06/28/2025 10:17     Subject: What’s the point of going to a top school if you end up in the same place as someone who didn’t
Lots of talk here about the Ivy+, but how is it for publics like Berekely, UCLA, Michigan, and UVA? Do they open doors, or are they comparable to any other flagship public
Anonymous
Post 06/28/2025 05:37     Subject: What’s the point of going to a top school if you end up in the same place as someone who didn’t
Anonymous wrote:I’m an over achiever graduate of hard knocks university who works with high achievers from Ivys (@ a MBB)

I am jealous they had Uber Black lives and I had Uber Pool … on one hand we’re now at the same destination but on the other it would have been nice to have an easier ride here and that line on my resume that always guaranteed it was read.

The truth is, it is somewhat soul crushing to realize that the doors really aren’t open to everyone. You can scan this thread and see that the C suite isn’t achievable to the best candidate because the best candidate never gets selected to even work in strategy, let alone work in the ladder to the top. Achieving, keeping and advancing in this top consulting firm I now have a possible future here but I’m a rare breakout example

My college roommates and friends are my soulmates but they aren’t famous or connected and that’s great - I love them and they make my life richer decades after graduation.


The problem is things like the bolded are not true. They are like these DCUM myths that may have had a small sliver of truth at some point but people here (erroneously) believe them to be factual statements of how the world works.
Anonymous
Post 06/28/2025 05:23     Subject: What’s the point of going to a top school if you end up in the same place as someone who didn’t
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Ok, I’ll bite. I think there are two aspects to think about - the experience of going to a top school and the outcome. Some people care more about the first, some people care more about the latter, majority care about both.

I went to UConn on an athletic scholarship, my brother went to Yale. I visited him quite often and spent a good amount of time on campus. There is a massive difference in the environment at a state school vs a selective private university. It comes down to all the reasons people have discussed already - the level of resources, peers, access is on a different level. Yale was inspiration overload each time I was on campus.

I got a great education and I am happy with my life. But if you came and told me I could redo college and can choose to go to UConn/any state school vs go to Yale or another top school, I’d pick Yale in a heartbeat because it’s just a completely different experience.



100%

My kid is full pay at an Ivy. I went to a big state school. It’s very, very different in all the ways you describe. We could afford to give our kid that experience. He earned admission w/out tutors or paid counselors or test prep, so we were glad to be able to fund it for him. My parents couldn’t for me. I do agree all of these private colleges cost way too much nowadays, but the experience and the peers and the faculty are the size are all worth it if you can swing it w/out going into debt or taking loans.

The differences are amazing! i am grateful to be able to pay for both of ours to go to ivies, which may not have happened if I had not been poor enough to get a lot of grants so my parent could pay less than the state school to send me to a different ivy


Good GOD. You and pp sound insufferable.