<p>I am a transfer to a T20 university, and while it is not often considered among the most prestigious of schools, having attended several different undergrads, I may be able to offer some insight regarding some difference in prestigious schools and those not considered prestigious.</p>
<p>To start, teaching ability was only slightly better at the university I currently attend than at the small LAC, larger state university, and large community college I attended. There are those who can teach at every institution and those that are simply inept at relaying the information to their students. There was, however and not surprisingly, a noticeable difference in the qualifications of the professors at my current university and that of those at the “lesser” institutions. Though often using the same textbook, I found that my courses at the lower ranked schools were often focused on my ability to absorb the textbook itself whereas at my current university, the professors tend only to use the textbook as a foundation from which their lectures explore their respective topic in more depth and breadth.</p>
<p>Perhaps the most notable difference is the quality of students and the general attitude of students towards their school and their peers. At my current university, students tend to be very proud of their accomplishments and of the university and as a result, their is a pervasive sense of service towards the university community and to continued excellence in faith, service, and academics. This was much less so, though still apparent in many aspects, at the small LAC and virtually non-existing at the urban state public and community college. There is, however, something to say about the diversity provided by the state public and community college in that it is very easy to find a large group with which one might feel comfortable. There is, in a sense, “something for everyone.” This is not so to the same degree at my current university, and without going into the topic of what the average student at a top school looks like, there is a pervasive sense of community identity at these types of schools with which a majority of students tend to identify. Though there are niches for most students at my current university, diversity here is much less pronounced than that of the other schools I attended.</p>
<p>Finally, I feel an important difference between my university, and other highly regarded schools, and those ranked lower is the amount and nature of assistance students receive from their professors and staff. At my still-developing LAC, large public state school, and the large community college, success was almost entirely dependent on the individual to step up to the plate and hit one home. While these schools did what they could, they were either understaffed or simply unable to meet the academic, personal, and professional needs of every student in the way a more prestigious university with larger endowments and with a more impressive teacher to student and staff to student ratio is able. It was no simple task climbing my way into the university I am at now and I did this with minimal support of the professors and professional staff at the other schools. At my current university, I find that both the professors and the staff are better equipped and more willing to help the students along their way.</p>
<p>So is it worth it to attend a prestigious university ? I find that it is if you find a good fit and would appreciate the association with a larger cross section of some of the brightest students in the nation in addition to an often times more well rounded education and a often times stronger support staff. If, however, you are a bright, independent, and willing student, I have no doubt that you would succeed at any school which you choose to attend as some of my very good friends are brilliant students who fit in better at larger state publics or at smaller LACs and who I will likely be competing against for graduate school admissions.</p>