<p>Lots of I-don’t-want-to-go-to-any-college-that-would-accept-me feelings pouring forth on this thread. I love the Princeton guy feeling like a waste because he isn’t going to Yale or Harvard. No doubt if he was at Harvard, he’d spend his weekends in the fetal position slobbering all over an Oxford University catalog(ue). </p>
<p>Also, everybody’s looking at how many colleges are “above” them, instead of how many are “below” them.</p>
<p>People need to stop looking at colleges like they are the sort of thing that can be precisely measured and ranked (like net worth, 0-to-60 times, and cup size). They are much more complex than that, with thousands of subjective qualities all intertwined. They are very similar to evaluating persons of the opposite (or same–whatever you happen to be into–no judgements here) sex as possible romantic partners.</p>
<p>You don’t (or at least you shouldn’t) choose a date based on his/her ranking on the local equivalent of Maxim Magazine’s Hot 100. Maxim, FHM, People, etc do great societal disservice by making it look like people (even women) can be precisely ranked like that. Speaking of which, I sincerely doubt that anybody who’s regularly getting horizontal with a guy/girl he/she really likes is sitting around splitting hairs over how much happier he/she would be at a college that US News ranked a few places above his/her college (or for the dufus at Princeton, BELOW his college). People who have frustrated urges often look for external reasons for their unhappiness, and when you’re in college it’s easy to blame your bad mood on your college (“Yeah, that’s why I’m spending Friday nights alone and unhappy…my college is ranked too low!!”)</p>
<p>“Or explain your situation to your employers?”</p>
<p>SampsonClark - All I can say is “Arrgghh!!”</p>
<p>You’re not listening! The thoughtful (versus obnoxious) posters on this thread are saying WHICH SCHOOL you go to doesn’t matter as much as WHAT YOU DO there! No need for anyone to explain why you went to a particular school if you work hard, get a decent GPA, and have profs (and others) who are willing to serve as a reference for you.</p>
<p>Here it goes…
I doubt that my school will be making any “top ranked” lists any times soon (unless they’re for dance programs or something), but hey, 6/7 members of the journalism dept went to the same grad school I want to go to, one worked for the Daily News, one is a Pulitzer Prize winner, the head of dept’s father is a New York Times editor. I wouldn’t trade where I am now for the most prestigious undergrad journalism school in the country (not that I’d actually want to spend for years in Syracuse).</p>
<p>I like my school, despite it being a “lowly state school”. The people are friendly, there’s a nice atmosphere, the campus is pretty, my classes are not OMG I AM GOING TO DIE hard, but not incredibly easy either, and the football is awesome. I’ve met some really awesome people here who are going to be my friends for life. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.</p>
<p>Well if you don’t, then I’m gonna hire the guy from University of Chicago over you. It’s as simple as that. Now you’re skrewed, but good luck anyways!</p>
<p>I feel/have felt your pain. I graduated at the top of my class in high school (my school didn’t rank, but they gave out awards for the top 5%). Anyway, all my friends now think I’m attending a “party” college (even though I did get into much “better” schools–“top schools”; I just ended up here instead). My grades are decent, but pretty average (there’s sharp grade deflation here, but again, no one would recognize that). So nothing special. Far from the top of the class.</p>
<p>Whatever. Get a good perspective on life and be happy. Most people aren’t completely content with their lives. So be the content one, and you’ll still come out on top in terms of happiness. Try not to let any of the superficial prestige/status/salary stuff get to you. People can’t judge you based on attributes that you don’t care for (and if they try to, then you’re probably better off not knowing them anyway).</p>
<p>Or you can always have lots of children and win the “genetic” race. The whole reproduction and survival of the fittest thing…</p>
<p>In January, I’m headed to the decidedly not-top-of-the-USNWR-rankings University of Alaska Fairbanks… and guess what? I’m not bummed in the least. In fact, I’m excited to be attending America’s arctic university. USNWR never even factored into my decisionmaking.</p>
<p>I’ll be attending a major public research university with a small-college feel. Enrollment is just 5,000 and 70% of classes have fewer than 20 students, yet there’s a 1.75 million-volume library, Division I Nanooks hockey to keep school spirit going nuts, a thriving on-campus residential community - and the camaraderie that comes with surviving 50-below-zero winters. :p</p>
<p>As a journalism major, I’ll be part of a small department with experienced and personable professors who get hands-on right alongside their students, and as a northern studies double-major, I’ll be learning about the polar regions… in the polar regions!</p>
<p>I’ll be taking an upper-division science journalism class from a visiting professor who won a Pulitzer for his coverage of Three Mile Island and formerly taught at Stanford. The class will consist of myself and five other students. That’s personalized education.</p>
<p>Did I mention that tuition, fees, housing and board total to about $13,000 a year for West Coast residents (WUE), making this a spectacular bargain to boot?</p>
<p>In another example of how meaningless the USNWR rankings are, UAF is essentially permanently fourth-tier because it’s partly open admissions. That “partly” consists only of the community college side, which was folded into the university back in the 1970s. Admission to four-year degree programs is rather more selective, but USNWR ignores that.</p>
<p>There are so many great colleges and universities in this country that I really think you have to <em>try</em> to find a really bad one. Forget the rankings. Find the college that suits you. The numbers are meaningless. Your education is everything.</p>
<p>Yeah, they’re pretty awful. Good thing I’m used to crummy athletic teams - the community college I’m graduating/transferring from has plenty of them At least UAF wins NCAA championships in… shooting things.</p>
<p>And thanks B05T0N… yes, I got that “amazing place” sense the minute I landed in Fairbanks. I fell in love with the place. It’s just… such a different experience, and that’s what I wanted. I’ve lived in the San Francisco Bay Area my whole life and one of my college criteria was “something different.” UAF… is definitely that.</p>
<p>haha well I was at BU–the hockey team isnt much better (if at all) this year. If you like basketball, I know the Great Alaska Shootout is in Anchorage every year.</p>
<p>Lots of I-don’t-want-to-go-to-any-college-that-would-accept-me feelings pouring forth on this thread. I love the Princeton guy feeling like a waste because he isn’t going to Yale or Harvard. No doubt if he was at Harvard, he’d spend his weekends in the fetal position slobbering all over an Oxford University catalog(ue).</p>
<p>No one believes Oxford > Harvard. Harvard has the biggest name in the world and is ranked # 1 on every top world rankings.</p>
<p>anybody with any background can be successful. it doesn’t matter if you went a community college, dropped out of high school, or never had a formal education.</p>
<p>I’m sure graduates of ivies and top schools have a much higher percentage of successful people in life out of college, but everyone has the chance.</p>
<p>tbh, it sounds like you just have low self-esteem.</p>
<p>i know how you feel- it’s the way i’m feeling right now, especially hearing seniors from my high school starting to get their college decisions back. you can always transfer, which is what a girl from my school did, but i think college is mostly what you make of it. if you’re sitting around sulking, then i doubt you’ll get anything out of your experience. it’s hard to snap out of it sometimes, but it’s pretty much the only thing you can do i guess.</p>
<p>c-unit, in this day in age you almost always need a formal education of some kind (be it trade school, a 3rd tier uni, or princeton) to be successful. the salary for hs grads v people with SOME kind of education beyond that is staggeringly different.</p>
<p>Pure Honey, don’t be stupid. No an employer wouldn’t do that. If an employer would do that, he is not a good employer and his business probably sucks.</p>
<p>ClaySoul, did you read about the girl who makes millions off her myspace resource site after dropping out of high school?</p>
<p>not saying it’s going to happen to most, just saying if you remove yourself from the mindset of working for the cooperate world. It opens up a lot of potential doors for success.</p>
<p>a lot of success is driven by work ethic (mine is absolutely horrible currently), confidence, intelligence, and luck. </p>
<p>sure formal education is helpful for learning more, making connections, and proving worth to potential bosses or clients or whoever, but its certainly not an end all be all.</p>
<p>I have to agree with this. I know that in NC, a degree from North Carolina State University caries more weight than a degree from Dartmouth. Most of the people down here have never heard of Dartmouth at all, and if they have they couldn’t tell you where it is located or what departments are their best.</p>
<p>The point of his post was not that Oxford is better than Harvard. His point is that so many peopl have good things but are just not content with them, and always want something else. Be happy with what you have.</p>
At least UAF wins NCAA championships in… shooting things.</p>