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Since when are Rice, Pomona, and Vanderbilt not prestigious schools?
Not everyone wants to attend a ridiculously prestgious school. I know I went to a school at which I was the top applicant (not one of the top applicants, but the top applicant) partially because I knew I could afford it with the huge scholarship they gave me, but also because I had no interest in going to an Ivy League school. I wanted to stay in the South close to my family for a while, I really liked the particular school, and I thought that the top schools were stuffy and uptight. (I didn't really know about great values in the South like Rice and Vanderbilt at the time; I really liked Duke and Emory and I got into Emory but couldn't afford it).
Would I have turned out "better" if I had chosen, let's say, Emory and paid the $33,000 a year they had asked for? Well, I'd have a more prestigious degree, but I'd be more deeply in debt. And I doubt I would've decided to get my Ph.D -- the main reason I decided is because I had a diverse faculty including many black female professors at my alma mater that modeled how it was entirely possible for a black woman to earn a Ph.D. I honestly did not know that before I went to college. Besides, I much preferred the homey, sisterly vibe of my small women's college over Emory's rather impersonal vibe when I visited.
Choosing a college is less about choosing the most prestigious school you can get into, and more about choosing a place that is a good fit for you and your needs.
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