icy9ff8

Typically a prestigious school will offer students & recent graduates better & more internship & job opportunities. Students from no name schools have to make their own opportunities.

DunninLA

icy9ff8 --

It could be presuasively argued that the very process of the no-name school student having to create those opportunities forces a focus and discipline that will enable that student to later outperform the catered-to (spoiled) student from prestigious U. When the going gets tough in the real career world, the no-name school alum may be better prepared to prevail.

DunninLA

tokenadult, that is a thoughful article.

I am realizing more lately, in reading the threads here on CC, that high school students tend to think of elite universities in a way similar to how young women in the 1950s - 1970s thought about their futures -- that they needed to be rescued by the right [man] (college), [whom they would marry] (get a great Corporate job out of college/get into a great grad school) and live happiliy ever after [eating bon bons and chatting on the phone with their similarly stress free rescued suburban friends] (doing whatever professionals do).

thethoughtprocess

Fallinwater,

I want to work for 3-4 years to gain a solid skill set, and have something on my resume that will attract investment, and then I hope to venture on my own in the business world.

smugg707

Yes main reason for me is to show off too.
Thanks for the articles.

UCLA, Ph.D.

It is not just about a "name" brand. Look at the "name" schools and look at their endowments. Alumni donations, funding for research, financial aid, classroom technology are things that some universities have more than others. Also, the opportunity to see world leaders in every field in the world are simply more plentiful at Harvard than at the University of Illinois-Springfield. That is just reality. Personally, it sucks but it is reality. I think some of the cynicism is well justified, but the point is to enter these places and try to change them. I wish UCLA and Berkeley had the kind of financial aid initiatives that Stanford and Yale have, but they don't.

idad

Well, the University of Washington receives more in research funding than any Ivy, it has more distinguished faculty (as measured by members of the national academies of science, etc.) than many so called top schools, as well. The SAT distribution in its honors program ranges between 1400 and 1600 (not the mid 50 percent), higher than most top schools' scores. It has the #1 medical school for primary care and #7 for research right there on campus. The programs, opportunities, and career options are nearly endless. I'm not sure one could do better unless one is entirely focused on an entry job in the Wall Street IB salt mines.

oblivion

UCLA-PHD,

I believe u know more about UIUC. I am majoring in engineering-physics and I am accepted at UIUC. What is your opinion? Thx