<p>D has received admittance into one of the seven sisters schools. D really fell in love with this school and thinks the name factor will help her get a foot in the door in the publishing field which she’s heard is hard to break into and connections are key. Personally, I think she would be a good fit for this school.</p>
<p>The dilemma we have now is that she received virtually no financial aid (less than 1% of tuition) and we’ll be on the hook for the whole $50K or more per year which would be extremely painful for us. She has also gotten into a private university my husband works at which comes with a very sizable discount on the tuition. The problem with that school is that temperamentally D may not be as good a fit and may not be comfortable there. Additionally, she got into our flagship state school and two second tier state schools that have excellent reputations.</p>
<p>It would seem a no-brainer to lean on her to choose any of the other options instead f the women’s LAC because of the great difference in cost but both she and my husband are convinced of the career advantages she would have by attending the most expensive option. (He went to an Ivy.) I still need convincing. I would be willing to consider the women’s LAC option as well if I were sure that the vastly higher cost of the school would reap commensurate benefits to her after graduation. </p>
<p>So if cost were not an object, and the student is capable of the work, is there a real advantage in going to an ivy or prestige LAC over a highly rated state school for some of these chancy careers?</p>
<p>I’d have to say that the highly rated state flagship looks like a no-brainer. In publishing, it’s internships that will get your foot in the door rather than the college name.</p>
<p>Here’s MHO based on my own experiences with the publishing industry as an author:</p>
<p>1) Yes, a prestige northeast LAC will help open doors in publishing, but I can’t really say how great an advantage that will give her. No matter where she goes to college she can make industry contacts by attending writing conferences and meeting authors, editors and agents. There are writing conferences all over the country that attract major NY names – last month I met Arthur Levine (publisher of Harry Potter in the U.S.) and Elizabeth Law (publisher at Egmont USA) among others, at a small, regional writers’ conference 1500 miles from New York.</p>
<p>2) Entry-level publishing jobs (and the next few higher rungs as well) don’t pay well, and publishing is going through an upheaval right now like they’ve never seen before. Nobody knows what the field of publishing will look like by the time your daughter graduates. That’s not to say she shouldn’t do it – publishing WILL continue to exist, and the skills she learns there are readily transferable to any major industry – but she should be aware of the changing nature of the field. Best of luck to her in making her decision.</p>
<p>This article was just posted in this forum the other day. This young woman went to one of the seven sisters too…I realize it’s only a sample size of one, so it can not possibly answer your question, but it sure makes you think. </p>
<p>Don’t choose the school for the “career advantage” – base your choice only on whether you think the quality of the education is worth it.</p>
<p>My d. is a graduate of a highly regarded 7 sister. I do think that having that college listed on her resume is a positive factor, but I wouldn’t say that it “opens doors” so much as that it adds to the weight of her resume – but other things could compensate. I think the most significant thing for her first job out of college was a particular internship she had arranged for herself – but that internship was arranged through personal networking, not college connections. (She’s not in publishing-- but she is pursuing a career field where academics are highly valued.)</p>
<p>Employers are going to look at experience first, the name of the college 2nd – and the value of the college name disappears fairly quickly once the person is in the work world. </p>
<p>I agree with the comments about publishing --it’s a changing field, where starting pay can be low. And career goals can change through 4 years of college as well. </p>
<p>I did stretch to send my d. to her college, and I am glad I did – but my daughter is the kind of person who maximizes whatever opportunity is given to her. She’s proactive, energetic, ambitious, and works very hard for her goals. I’m sure she would also have an impressive array of accomplishments and a terrific job if she had gone to our state u, even though the path would have been a little different. </p>
<p>Anyway – try to get the career stuff out of the equation for now, or at least don’t let it dominate the decision. It’s too speculative – it depends a lot on the people doing the hiring and who else is applying.</p>
<p>I think it really depends on the specific schools. What’s the flagship? There’s a big difference between the University of Montana and the University of Michigan, just to pick a random pair.</p>
<p>Name factor alone from one of the 7 Sisters wouldn’t be as important as the contacts within the alumni network. Graduates from those colleges have a reputation of being open to contact from other younger alumni. They may not get you a job, but can give you the lay of the land in your chosen field or may know someone else you can talk to.</p>
<p>Even having said that–EXTREMELY painful for you financially would point you to an alternate choice. Obviously, the other two seem to think that the choice would not be as painful as you think.</p>
<p>I landed an internship with a top 50 company in college. The other 7 interns were from both small LAC elite and top 20 national universities. I was the only one who was putting myself through via community college then transfer to city business college. These kids didn’t know how to work, sell, market or manage their time. I was the only one of the 8 offered a position after graduation. It may be about where you go that lands you the opportunity, but it’s your sweat equity that makes things happen.</p>
<p>The costs are already over $50K–plus add in a 5% increase per year–the price tag will be a quarter of a million dollars before OP’s D graduates. If you have the money and would be happy to spend it, great. Otherwise, think very carefully…</p>
<p>I’d advise her to go to her state flagship, major in English, get heavily involved in the campus newspaper and literary magazines, and try to land an internship with a publishing company in NYC for one of her summers after her sophomore or junior year. If she can get one of these, she will probably require some parental subsidy (they are VERY poorly paid), but you won’t be as broke as you would be if she were a full-pay at a LAC.</p>
<p>Actual practical experience is going to trump school name any day.</p>
<p>As Ellemenope said - it’s not just the name value (you’d be surprised how many people do not recognize the names of many of the top LACs), but the alumni network that can be even more important. And don’t forget, that network works not only for internships while in college and that first job opportunity, but forever.</p>
<p>RE: publishing–I work in that field and as spdf said, this is a very tough time in publishing. Starting salaries are low and jobs are hard to find. Wherever your D goes, she should make sure the program is progressive because the future of publishing is on the Internet. Her courses should be diverse, not only in writing, but also in design and business aspects as well; become versed in web design, etc. The more variety in her background and education, the more valuable she will become. </p>
<p>Regarding which school to choose, 7-sisters or the others you mention, I think fit is so important and our family is dealing with the same kind of dilemma now. Our D got into a strong co-op university that grads seem to have no problem getting jobs post college and a variety of other schools including a 7-sisters (Smith). We feel Smith is the best fit but are really concerned about the practicality of the education and how well prepared she will be to find a job (she’s an undecided major right now). On the Smith thread, I have asked these kinds of questions–feedback is very positive with the issue of strong network among grads being extremely valuable. </p>
<p>Where I work (in a magazine), I have a friend (in her 20’s) who went to a small private LAC (not prestigious), then did her grad work at Syracuse in their S. I Newhouse School of Public Communications in magazine, newspaper and online journalism (this is a top J-school). She works in the art dept. designing layouts. And has $65,000 worth of loan dept. </p>
<p>I went to the 7 sisters school that also graduated Hillary Clinton, Diane Sawyer, Madeline Albright… the list goes on. Certainly that gives it name value. Truly the alumni of my college will be open to overtures made by current students/recent alumni.</p>
<p>However, the school name doesn’t open doors that cannot be opened in other ways. And if it would be extremely painful to pay this price… I wouldn’t recommend it. From a highly respected instate flagship, there are certainly going to be alumni in whatever field she chooses eventually - and they will be there, in the same way as the alums of a 7-sister or Ivy school, for your D if she reaches out to them for informational interviews, career guidance etc.</p>
<p>Yesterday we attended a reception at our state flagship for the kids admitted to the Honor’s Program. There were about 200 kids in attendance and over 20 faculty members roaming the area. We asked the OP’s question to a faculty member since depending upon March 30th decisions we may or may not be in the same situation. His response was that it depends on the major and more importantly, it depends on the faculty so you need to do your research. Since each department at each school operates uniquely, he suggested finding out in S’s major which of the schools tend to utilize full professors vs. grad students for lectures.</p>
<p>By the way the old saying holds true: You never have to ask an Ivy Leaguer where they went to college, because they will most certainly tell you! :p</p>
<p>There has been a fair amount of research on the comparative return on investment from choosing various schools. The results seem to be inconclusive. Krueger & Dale (1998, 2011) concluded that top students who attend elite schools do no better, financially, than similar students who choose less expensive schools. Brewer, Eide, and Ehrenberg (1996) came to the opposite conclusion.</p>
<p>If you are poor enough to get aid, the most selective private schools are a great value. If you are very affluent, they are worth the extra cost. Most people in the middle cannot afford them without saving prodigiously for many years. From an ROI perspective alone, they may be worth a stretch (including some debt) for some majors and career fields, but probably not for publishing.</p>
<p>Consolation-- the flagship school is UVA. It’s a fairly big place compared to the LAC which is an issue D is mulling over.</p>
<p>D is already involved in the HS newspaper as well as the art/lit mag. She intends to continue this in college, wherever she ends up. </p>
<p>My husband (as well as one of D’s teachers to whom she told of the 7-sisters acceptance) both emphasized the internal allumni network that exists out there to potentially open doors for her for the rest of her life. The NY Times article (thank you so much for that catie33, starbrite, your link is experiencing “server errors”) seems to back this up. Still, the cost is mind-boggling. Over the years we prepared ourselves for a state tuition cost burden and can handle that. This situation we find ourselves in now comes as a total surprise. </p>
<p>When we attend the various “admitted students days” in the next few weeks I will be asking some pointed questions about some of these issues. I still appreciate further perspectives because it gives me fodder to develop further questions to ask. My husband and I were math/science majors. I have no clue as to how things operate in the humanities. This is truly “terra incognita” for us both.</p>
<p>The publishing world is changing daily. I have numerous friends that are “in publishing” in a big way and it could be a very different world in 5 years. I would ask questions about how many kids do internships in publishing each year, how many alums are in publishing…the sorts of things colleges track and the sort of things that might produce a viable job search network. Does the college produce a literary magazine etc.</p>
<p>Kids historically have gone into publishing from many LACs and Unis especially the schools with strong-hold English programs. IMO and YMMV, publishing tends to attract the English majors while the communications and journalism majors from public unis gravitate toward news and on-line so take a close look at the English majors at the schools, how strong they are and where do the grads land (are they writing, are they working in publishing etc.)</p>