<p>I am pretty new to CC, but while skimming through many posts in different sections, it seems to me that almost everyone here considers the only “good” schools to be either Ivy League, or really selective and prestigious schools. What do you define as a “good” school and why? Can’t a good school be anywhere you are happy at and get a quality education with financial aid? Why is there the stigma here that if you don’t go ivy, you will not be successful in life? I thought that you could find success at pretty much any college of your choosing as long as you work hard…</p>
<p>Yes, there are plenty of great schools out there! You just need to find the school that is right for you! There are plenty of successful people in this world that never even go to college! Don’t worry about what you read here! ;)</p>
<p>search hidden ivies on google</p>
<p>A great school depends on what is important to you. Do not buy into the hype that the USNWR puts out. Go to the school where you will thrive. Don’t incur massive amounts of debt.</p>
<p>Yes, PsychoDad nailed it. To that I would add that one statistic you may want to look at is the percentage of freshmen who stay through graduation. If the dropout/transfer rate is high compared to other schools, beware. Good schools retain students, for a variety of reasons.</p>
<p>I think it’s important to remember that members and posters on this website are not an accurate representation of the general public. For one reason or another, many students on this website fall into (or simply claim to fall into) the very top percent of students. </p>
<p>So while on this website you might be told your 27 ACT and 3.6 UW GPA is weak and you won’t be a contender in your college search, the truth is, compared to the rest of your high school those are above average stats. </p>
<p>So I think it’s important to take things you read here with a grain of salt. Personally, I think most schools could be considered ‘good schools’ if you get into the right programs and maybe the honors dorms. Even if posters here think anything short of the ivies is comparable to McDonalds Hamburger College.</p>