<p>Bullwinkle, there’s nothing silly about saying where you went to school and having people automatically think you’re smart. (whether you are or not) It gives you an INITIAL leg up, and after that, of course, you have to prove yourself. I say this as a grad of a second tier womens college. When I said where I went, I wasn’t automatically thought of as talented or particularly bright. I had to prove it. My husband didn’t. To this day when he’s asked where he went to college (he’s 55) and he says, “Harvard” its a show stopper, especially where we live in the Southeast. It actually makes me a bit uncomfortable.</p>
<p>^^^ This is true. My law school (Chicago) (32 years later) still opens doors for me and people think I am very smart and accomplished. (If I appear to be, it probably isn’t entirely due to where I went to law school over 30 years ago). Don’t underestimate the prestige-thing.</p>
<p>JHS- I would venture to say that most of the kids at Wharton are there for the earning potential. Fine line between that and prestige.</p>
<p>I think most students today are very well-informed when it comes to what they’re looking for in a college. If it happens to be an ivy, then who is anyone else to judge? Everyone has their own set of priorities.</p>
<p>We were having din the other night with a couple, and the husband asked mine why Ivy grads are so enthusiastic about their college experience. (a broad generalisation, but they’re his words, not mine) He’d graduated from a large southern public and was pretty outspoken about how anything he learned, he did on his own. I don’t remember what my husband said, but I thought the fellow’s question interesting. (especially coming from him. He’s incredibly bright and accomplished professionally) He said he’d love it if his daughters went the Ivy route.</p>
<p>My DD did not apply to any ivy-league schools, but did to some top LACs. From what I remember her saying, I believe her eventual choice was due to the following factors, in this order of importance… 1) I met the neatest and most interesting people at the admitted student’s weekend! 2) I’ll graduate with no loans! 3)Wow… There are so many things to do on campus and I love the residential college system! 4)My university has a great reputation, and I will be proud to say I’m an alumna. 5) It’s far enough away from home that I am away, but close enough to make it convenient to come home. 6) They offer so many classes I want to take.
I really think that number 1, peer factor, was the deal-clincher for her; but the no-loan issue was also very important. Her number 1 and 2 were not as stated in the OP; Earning potential and Prestige!</p>
<p>Well, yes, Wharton. I tend to ignore that. But, honestly, I see kids on CC talking about earning potential all the time. And I hear (or used to hear) kids in the brick-and-mortar (flesh-and-bone?) world talk about college at lot, and I never once heard one of them say, “I’ll get a better paying job if I go to College A.” I did hear, “College A has a great program in what I like, and a bunch of the people from it even get jobs!” But that’s slightly different, and was generally a criterion used to decide between colleges of equivalent prestige.</p>
<p>For S, after reviewing academic programs and resources and the impact on our finances, it was all about discovering an intellectual peer group and a meritocracy.</p>
<p>My top reason for choosing MIT over my local state school (Ohio State) was the quality of education. I can even say that with accuracy and a straight face, because I made a list of pros and cons around this time six years ago with a friend of mine who had also been admitted to both schools. :)</p>
<p>The list is [url=<a href=“http://web.mit.edu/mollieb/Public/PDFs/Other/college%20decision.pdf]here[/url”>http://web.mit.edu/mollieb/Public/PDFs/Other/college%20decision.pdf]here[/url</a>] (big PDF); my handwriting is the cursive and his is the print.</p>
<p>What’s wrong with being concerned with earning potential? Isn’t that the sensible, pragmatic thing to do?</p>
<p>College is an investment. A state school may cost less initially, but the returns are less. On the other hand, an Ivy-League calabre school may have a high initial cost, but a high return as well.</p>
<p>Earning potential (which encompasses employment opportunity, starting salary, etc.) is undeniably important, especially for kids from lower or middle-class backgrounds.</p>
<p>DD also thinks HER school (not an Ivy or close) will give her good earning (and learning) potential. She attends a highly ranked masters university smack in the middle of the silicon valley. For an engineering major…that is a perfect place to be.</p>
<p>^^^ I like that “slip”! I think you meant “earning”, but I think “learning” works, too.</p>
<p>There have been several threads on CC about Ivies and earnings…like the one recently about wanting to be an I-Banker and which Ivy is the most popular with their recruiters.</p>
<p><a href=“%5Burl=%5D#30%5B/url%5D”>quote</a>…A state school may cost less initially, but the returns are less. On the other hand, an Ivy-League calabre school may have a high initial cost, but a high return as well…
[/quote]
</p>
<p>[Estimating</a> the Payoff to Attending a More Selective College: An Application of Selection on Observables and Unobservables](<a href=“http://www.nber.org/papers/w7322]Estimating”>http://www.nber.org/papers/w7322):</p>
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<p>Oh, but the sentences right after that:</p>
<p>“However, the average tuition charged by the school is significantly related to the students’ subsequent earnings. Indeed, we find a substantial internal rate of return from attending a more costly college Lastly, the payoff to attending an elite college appears to be greater for students from more disadvantaged family backgrounds.”</p>
<p>Cost is one of the big things that separate great private schools from public state schools. The study supports my argument that “…A state school may cost less initially, but the returns are less. On the other hand, an Ivy-League calabre school may have a high initial cost, but a high return as well…”</p>
<p>No matter what school, if a kid is in an environment where his/her peers have these incredible plans and goals for their lives, it tends to become the norm.</p>
<p>Probably more opportunities for connections, research, support, etc. if attend one of the more prestigious schools (assuming a kid doesn’t completely screw up while there).</p>
<p>Another big thing about the prestigious schools is you get to wear your T-shirt/hoodie/etc with your prestigious school name on it when you run into your old high school friends. Often is the main reason.</p>
<p>I really do not care about impressing my high school friends, after all if I shared their values and interests I would still be friends with them.</p>
<p>I do admit however, that it is great fun looking younger than they do, but I think that is because I got the heck out of Dodge. ;)</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1227055,00.html[/url]”>http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1227055,00.html</a></p>
<p>Not only isn’t it necessary to attend an Ivy league school to be successful- you don’t even need to graduate from college- Neither Steve Jobs or Bill Gates did.
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-confidential-cafe/335698-successful-people-who-didnt-go-ivy-leagues.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-confidential-cafe/335698-successful-people-who-didnt-go-ivy-leagues.html</a></p>
<p><a href=“%5Burl=http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1060004588-post35.html]#35[/url]”>quote</a>The study supports my argument that “…A state school may cost less initially, but the returns are less. On the other hand, an Ivy-League calabre school may have a high initial cost, but a high return as well…”
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<p>There are top quality, selective state schools where tuition costs come close to private tuition costs for out of state students.</p>
<p>[ul]
[li][University</a> of Michigan](<a href=“http://www.finaid.umich.edu/Financial_Aid_Basics/cost.asp]University”>http://www.finaid.umich.edu/Financial_Aid_Basics/cost.asp): OOS Tuition: $31,301 to $33,499[/li][li] [University</a> of Virginia](<a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/Facts/Glance_Tuition.html]University”>http://www.virginia.edu/Facts/Glance_Tuition.html): OOS Tuiton: $27,940[/li][li] [UCLA](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drglance_1315_brief.php]UCLA[/url]:”>http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drglance_1315_brief.php):</a> OOS Tuition: $26,102[/li][li] [UC</a> Berkeley](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drglance_1312_brief.php]UC”>http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drglance_1312_brief.php): OOS Tuition: $27,452 [/li][li][University</a> of CaliforniaSanta Barbara](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drglance_1320_brief.php]University”>http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drglance_1320_brief.php): OOS Tuition: $26,964[/li][li][University</a> of Texas](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drglance_3658_brief.php]University”>http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drglance_3658_brief.php): OOS Tuition: $24,544 [/li][li][University</a> of Illinois](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drglance_1775_brief.php]University”>http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drglance_1775_brief.php): OOS Tuition: $23,896 [/li][li][College</a> of William and Mary](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drglance_3705_brief.php]College”>http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drglance_3705_brief.php): OOS Tuition: $26,725[/li][li] [Miami</a> University](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drglance_7104_brief.php]Miami”>http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drglance_7104_brief.php): OOS Tuition: $24,377 [/li][li] [Penn</a> State](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drglance_6965_brief.php]Penn”>http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drglance_6965_brief.php): OOS Tution: $23,712[/li][/ul]</p>
<p>Remember there is the expression “dropping the H bomb”?</p>
<p>I think the “Ivy frenzy” is analogous to purchasing clothing, appliances and automobiles: it can be reduced to buying a name brand. There is the perception with a name brand that you know what you are getting and it will be better in the long run, though it’s not always true. With the “designer” names, there is also the potential to impress others. For some, this is important. Others (even if they can afford/qualify) may realize that a lesser known brand would suit them better, or revel in the fact that they got an equivalent or the same item at much less cost.</p>