<p>My son applied to 10 schools, thinking that he would be rejected by some of them. Unfortunately, he was accepted by 9 of them (he’s still waiting the hear from the last one). He’s already decided against his 2 safeties, which leaves 7 schools to consider. He’s gotten great fin aid from all of them so $$$ not really an issue. He started making a list of pros and cons of each school, so I thought perhaps he should add which schools have the better (or best) “old boys” networks. The schools are:</p>
<p>Brown (still waiting to hear)
UChicago
Colgate
Hamilton
Haverford
Lafayette
Trinity (CT)
Grinnell</p>
<p>Colgate makes a very deal of their alumni network, but I am not sure what you mean by “Good Old Boys” network, which leaves a little distaste in one’s mouth considering the meltdown of the US financial system. Do you mean this in a good way or in a fueled by greed and disconnect, let alone fraud and swindle kind of way?:)</p>
<p>I don’t think that the OP wants, in 50 years, to see her son being crammed into the back of a limousine on CNN by a pair of burly FBI agents, so it makes more sense to interpret “Good Ol’ Boys” network as a tongue-in-cheek reference to “an extensive alumni network that can help her son in his future career endeavors”. </p>
<p>Haverford is very small compared to most of the other colleges on your list, but it has close ties with its sister collegs and their alumni network.</p>
<p>I too have found the Chicago alumni network to be quite useful. Several business ventures were aided through contacts who are Chicago alumni. Further, the alumni association organizes formal alumni events all over the country so it is quite easy to meet people in one’s area. S1 went to a recent young U of C alumni party that had over 200 people in attendance.</p>
<p>You’re right Gardna. My husband and I went to a state university which at the time lacked any kind of alumni connections. So, when just starting out I spent most of my interviews having to justify my education. I have been told that one of the things you pay for when you attend certain private colleges is a certain amount of “help” in future endeavors. While I would never condone anyone getting a job based solely on the name on one’s diploma, if it will help my son’s resume get noticed, then why not.</p>
<p>One more thing to consider–where he might be planning to settle down. Sometimes it’s easier to settle where you have made college contacts than elsewhere. Just one more thought.</p>
<p>Colgate. It’s not a huge school, but in a fairly isolated NY location. Students get to know each other quite well. For a LAC, it’s very pre-professional. A lot of alumni network in the NE, also down in TX (geology majors). It is a preppy school and kids tend to be sporty and clean cut.</p>
<p>Based on my experiences in the ‘real world’, the alumni connection thing is not necessarily that big a deal, it depends on what you are planning to do. Basically, an alumni network is like any other kind of networking group, it has its advantages, but so do other types. There are places where having a blue blood pedigree, so to speak, meaning the school you went to, might be a requitedvticket to admission (investment banking, besides these days often being viewed about as distastefully as a grave robber in many quarters, is one such place), and going to a ‘top drawer’ school can be a ticket when you are looking for that first job. But in many jobs and professions, it is what you do after school that matters more and more. Having an alumni pool becomes more and more just another type of networking IMO, it can help find leads and such, but again a lot of networks do that, including professional associations and the like.</p>
<p>I would say go to a school that fits you the best, many of the schools in this list are top notch schools with good reputations. Some are better known then others (for example, Brown because it is an Ivy, U of C because of its reputation in science and business fields, and of course economics [though they may not push Allen Greenspan as much as they used to <em>lol</em>], but in the end it probably should come down to what the student thinks they want to go to and find the program that matches their needs in terms of strengths, philosophy and opportunity.</p>
<p>My son would like to major in History but he’s now talking about Art History and/or Literature. He says he’d like to eventually get a Ph.D, maybe work in academia, but at 18 a lot can change. He is extremely strong in math and the physical sciences. Hence his choice of schools range from those with very rigid cores to totally open curricula. We visited all the schools and there is something about every one of them that he loves which is why making a decision is so hard.</p>
<p>Of your list above, I’d pick UChicago, then Colgate. Two different personalities however, so only your son knows where he’d actually be happy or have the best chance at being happy. Of course, if tonight brings good news from Brown, it would all change for me. While its open curriculum might not be ideal for a kid who doesn’t put themselves out there in other subject areas (as I understand it from my niece, some people only take classes they “like” or are “good at” and while she is in grad school, it is really different from her undergraduate experience when you have to take a slew of distribution requirements.</p>