[Zanth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wnewport It is my understanding that law school is a little different than other areas. My stepbrother-in-law (a lawyer who went to Clemson then FSU), another friend who went to KU, and a stepbrother who studied law at Vanderbilt (but ended up on a different career pathway), have all told me that firms hire lawyers based on their school a lot more than other professions.

You mean based on law school right not? Not what undergrad one attended? Law firms will of course try to hire from the best law schools first. That is why you try to save some cash during undergrad, work your buttox off and get into the best law school you can. Of course, in the end, hard work will pay off and some of the best US attorneys never went to an Ivy League; however, I would wager that most Ivy League law school graduates are doing better than their "middle of nowhere" lawschool graduate. Still, Undergrad generally won't affect the law firms' decisions. At least that is how it works in Canada and from what I know from colleagues in the US. So...Harvard Law not Harvard Undergard

 

[aroon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wnewport I've been thinking it over, and the University of Kansas, Tulsa, Univeristy of Florida, and University of Chicago are my top picks. Chicago is moving up there. The size and location seem right, but the cost and reported social life and quality of living is a little lacking. However, I believe that any college will have enough variety to find friends and a good time when needed. I'm not looking for a huge party school, even though KU and UF rank up there for parties. My parents are willing to pay for a trip there, which I plan on taking. $33,000 a year is a lot of money, and I am on the bottom end of their 29-33 ACT range. Any opinions? KU and Tulsa would each be around $20,000 a year.

If you're judging UChicago's social life based on college ranking pages, don't. Chicago schools are generally rated low for social life because the schools don't really do anything. The reason? Chicago is the coolest effing city in the world so the schools don't _need_ to do anything! I just spent four months there working and had the time of my life. Seriously, Kansas?! Oklahoma? I'm originally from Texas so I'm pretty familiar with that area and let me tell you, Chicago is the place to be!

If you can go to Chicago its going to be WELL worth your money and your time. You're going to have a GREAT experience and a TON of fun. Don't pass that up!!

 

[JahJahBinks]

In the old days it was considered a prestige to become a Harvard undergrad. What many people do not realize is that is it not what's been taught in schools like Harvard versus schools in the middle of no where that makes the difference, it is the resources and stuff that can't be found in textbooks do.

 

[viator122]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JahJahBinks In the old days it was considered a prestige to become a Harvard undergrad. What many people do not realize is that is it not what's been taught in schools like Harvard versus schools in the middle of no where that makes the difference, it is the resources and stuff that can't be found in textbooks do.

Bingo! Picking out a university is not like picking out a new tv - you don't just look at all the "features" and compare them to the "price." You pick out the best one and go there, within reason. There are so many intangibles, from alumni networks, to faculty to resources. No one regrets having gone to Harvard, but there are many people who regret going to xyz state.

The only way I'd say you could "bargain hunt" in the educational process is if you are CERTAIN you'll be going to medical school. The reason I say this is that it involves 8 years of school followed by several years of making $50k, making it tough to pay off loans and live a nice life. But no one is CERTAIN they'll be going to medical school, so I can't really advise this.

 

[Omega]

Quote:

Originally Posted by viator122 Bingo! Picking out a university is not like picking out a new tv - you don't just look at all the "features" and compare them to the "price." You pick out the best one and go there, within reason. There are so many intangibles, from alumni networks, to faculty to resources. No one regrets having gone to Harvard, but there are many people who regret going to xyz state.

I disagree. You should go to the school that is BEST FOR YOU, not best according to some ranking. I bet many of the people who espouse the rankings don't even know the methodology used to create them, much less agree with the weightings! Speaking from experience, a state school was the sweet spot for me. Had I wanted to go into business after undergrad, it would have made a lot of sense to pay for the networking at a fancier school. I didn't know if I wanted to do medical school or graduate school, but I knew more education was in my future, so I chose the best value instead of the most elite.

I also wanted to add that choosing a school can have a big impact on where you end up spending a chunk of your life. You'll make friends, meet guys/gals, maybe get a career-path job near your university, so pick somewhere that is pleasant to live. Often, people carry huge positive bias for their alma mater, and those people are more highly concentrated around the university. So it is easier to get a job or interview for med school, or partner for a business, in a region where your school has good influence. For example, Kansas has good influence in the midwest for general purpose things, and influence extends to the coasts for highly-regarded specialties, like pharmaceutical science. But don't expect to go to Boston and interview with a Kansas alum. More elite schools tend to both attract students and send alums farther away from "home base," which may be something to consider as well.

 

[Konig]

Rankings for undergrad are never meant to find out the best schools, but it shows alot of a schools reputation.

Whats the best car in the world? benz? bmw? aston martin? hummer? lexus?
If i wanna crash into cars i will get a volvo.
If i want to taunt the police i will get a ferrari.
If im driving in iraq i will get an armoured humvee.

In our case, undergrad rankings are comparing oranges with apples. Harvard may very well be the most prestigious but I wont wanna hire their engineers.
Michigan doesnt seem that prestigious but i think they have the best south east asian studies program.

I will say it depends on what you wanna do in the future. If you are finding a job after you graduate, i will say ivy league is worth the $.

 

[Silentpug387]

I just finished my first year at the Univerisity of Chicago and the experience, at least for me, was a mixed bag of good and bad. The classes really are great, and there are a lot of intelligent people on campus. Pretty much everyone here is hardcore learning. Most of the kids there were nerds in high school which is cool in ways but also has its downside. One of the things I like about it is that all the girls aren't all into makeup and stuff like that. But a downside was that a lot of the kids didn't have great social skills. Kids would be so shy that at times it came off as rude. I remember once i got off the elevator on my girlfriends floor, and across from the elevator bay is the floors lounge. There were a room full of about 25 kids all of whom turned their heads to see who got off the elevator. I waved, and not a single person waved back. 95% of whom I had conversed or hung out with. There would be times that I would be in a lunch line or something next to someone who i had spoken to 3 or 4 times and they would still do that nervous shy look away type deal.

Thing about the school though is that everyone who gets in has the oppurtunity to succeed both academically and socially. The amount of reading you get for classes is ridiculous and if your a science major you are looking at at least 30-40 hours of work outside of class. But you can really make something out of yourself academically, and there aren't to many distractions. And anyone can make friends there if they try hard enough, even htough the people are shy.

 

[Teerawit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aroon If you're judging UChicago's social life based on college ranking pages, don't. Chicago schools are generally rated low for social life because the schools don't really do anything. The reason? Chicago is the coolest effing city in the world so the schools don't _need_ to do anything! I just spent four months there working and had the time of my life. Seriously, Kansas?! Oklahoma? I'm originally from Texas so I'm pretty familiar with that area and let me tell you, Chicago is the place to be!

uhh.....maybe that's one reason, but another is that UChicago is a very, very, very, very, very, very...........very tough school.

 

[ls20]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Konig Rankings for undergrad are never meant to find out the best schools, but it shows alot of a schools reputation. I will say it depends on what you wanna do in the future. If you are finding a job after you graduate, i will say ivy league is worth the $.

Undergrad rankings are useless. For graduate education, one'd seek out the very best advisors, and programs with lots of available funding and resource... for an undergrad that's very much irrelevant. People--students, mostly--pick at rankings as if they were the end-all... "#8 vs #13". I rank schools by tiers: you have your dartmouth and washington and georgia... and then your new mexico state and then your southwest acorn state a&m. For most fields, a top tier school will get a student more exposure through recognization and heavier recruiting... but a diploma absolutely does not guarantee a job.

I work in a huge (and hugely successful) company... in fact, the best in the industry. We have certain schools that we target more often for recruiting, but I've coworkers from all over the place... including some I've never heard of. Management core? same story. Hence...

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Originally Posted by wnewport I've been told many times, "It is not where you got your degree, but what you do with it."