I guess we have different experiences here. I’m glad you feel good about your choice, that you aren’t “wasting” your parents’ money. I do not think the situation is black-and-white – prestigious universities versus mediocre ones. There is definitely a spectrum. I suspect, though I cannot know for sure, that some top universities do not deliver on this front, or at least not much better than “average” state schools.
I was adamant about choosing my alma mater over a highly-esteemed “public Ivy” offering in-state tuition. I realize not everyone is privileged enough to do this; I could have saved my parents a few bucks with the latter approach. I would have had excellent resources at both places. Couldn’t go wrong. I chose primarily because of academics. I met several others who felt similarly. Call me spoiled, but I don’t regret my choice.
I don’t think this is the comparison I am trying to make.
It’s not like she chose a community college over Stanford. High schoolers usually choose a school based on multiple factors, factors beyond 0.1% (or some other arbitrary small number) optimization toward publishing in top journals at some point in the future. I don’t think making value judgements based on her perceived “need to realize potential” in some niche field is a healthy approach.
I never attended either school and cannot say one way or the other. Don’t know if any of these aspects are much better or worse than the other’s, but I can imagine that they are different somehow, swaying this student one way over the other.
Coming from a place where there aren’t any ivy league seats this is an interesting conversation to be privy to.
If education was a means for employment very few industries and employers I’ve come in touch with place any premium on where the would be employee pursued their degree and those that do don’t consider it an end all be all. That is to say, there are two places where an engineering degree carries more clout. With law another. Medicine another still.
But, I know but one individual that considered this in their application. All the rest seem to have made the choice by considering if the course package had any particular emphasis and the geographic al location. A lot of the students that surround me end apply to go here because “there’s snow”.
You made a choice that you felt was best for you and it seems to have been the right one for you. I would have done the same, but it would have been different for me because of my privileged background (ie a “blank cheque” from my parents to go to any institution I wanted)
The truth is, I did not really have a choice in schools. I was only accepted by 1 school.- others either rejected or deffered me. I’m LUCKY in that the one school that accepted me happened to be the “perfect fit” despite looking completely wrong “on paper”.
Of course I was devastated that I didn’t get into my “dream school” and my parents offered to take extra measures to try to get me into my second choice (deffered), but I was over it and did not want them to spend more money.
Maybe. I guess my thinking is a bit different from others
They are very different in many regards. IDK her thought process. I showed this to my mum and she was very cynical. She thought the choice to go to Harvard was evidence that the girl doesn’t really care THAT much about econ and did the project (with a lot and lot of help) to get into a prestigious uni.
I don’t necessarily believe her, but it does raise questions for me
I won’t entertain this topic anymore but leave a final lengthy thought. Not in the interest of getting the last word, but to clarify any miscommunication and to better articulate my own thoughts. It’s okay if you disagree; I suspect our philosophies on education differ. I won’t try to convince you otherwise, nor do I think I can.
I fear a world where we value universities solely for their career advancement resources or the number of graduates who land a tenure-track position at a top X university within 7.64 years post-graduation. I’m not saying those things aren’t important, that higher education is an insignificant economic investment, or that college admissions should be a lottery. But that we could and should predict in a formulaic way which 17/18 year-old will benefit most from a high-quality education, based on their likelihood of using specific resources according to some compulsory, “optimized,” and specialized path drilled in their brains since freshman year of high school, to maybe possibly perhaps by chance win a Nobel Prize or earn 1000+ citations from a single Nature article or achieve some other noble feat, does not sit well with me. So, your posts scare me a bit. But what else is the Internet for?
It’s funny how the Ivy League is still the be-all and end-all to many Americans. The Ivy League is an athletic conference first and foremost. Yes, each university within it is prestigious, but there are many other private and even public universities and colleges whose qualities easily rival those of Ivy League schools.
The article states that she’s going to study math, not econ. Further, given that she entered a STEM competition, I’d be inclined to believe that she’s interested in that general field, broad as it is. So why are you talking about econ departments?
Honestly Anna, having read through your conversation with Bagsy, I get why I’m thoroughly bothered by you. You’re exactly like my little brother. Dude’s incredibly neurotic and black and white in his worldview. The way you view academics, and by extension, the world, is extremely similar to how he views the world through his own lenses.
I strongly urge you to find ways to broaden your world-view and your perspective on things.
me too. It seems to me that everything is turning into numbers. I’m not a numbers oriented person. I much prefer words to data or equations, but it seems that there’s increasingly less space for people like me. Most graduates from my major end up becoming data scientists or academics, and the academics are basically data scientists who conduct studies. I am very scared that I won’t have any competitive advantage by the time I’m on the job market.
I’m not afraid of public speaking, I think I’m an above average writer and I hope that what I’m studying will be relevant.
To be clear, “competitive advantage “ refers to a reason someone might want to hire me. I’m not implying that I’m “the best” or “top of the field” by any stretch of the imagination
Probably in another 7-8 years or so?
I’m not saying that I won’t up skill or learn quantitative stuff, it’s just that it’ll be extremely difficult for me to be even “average” in quantitative stuff compared to my peers
Keep sharpening those saws then. Good communication skills will never be irrelevant, people build whole careers around them.
You have a choice to make then: either decide that you can live with being average amongst your peers in these areas, and choose other avenues to excel or pony up and do whats needed to beat them.
I was just making sure I didn’t come across as arrogant by seeming like I was claiming I’m an “excellent” public speaker or writer.
Yeah. I don’t think I’m a failure now, but I do believe that a big reason I’m not is due to luck and my parents. Those things won’t be there forever and idk if I’m really ready
This is true of everyone you have ever seen or met. Even the greatest men in history are unquestionably products of the environment they found themselves in. Who is Alexander the Great if not for his parents? Who is Churchill without the environment and upbringing he had?
Edit: I don’t know why I choose Churchill as an example there, I don’t really know enough about him to make that claim.
When I was your age, I went to school, played sports, and drank beers with my friends - It was the best.
I can’t imagine University would have been enjoyable with thoughts like that.
Well, for whatever reason you did, let me lay THIS on you:
“Winston Churchill was 15 years old and a student at Harrow School when his mother, Jennie Churchill, wrote him the following letter from London on June 12, 1890.
dearest winston,
… I have much to say to you, I’m afraid not of a pleasant nature. You know darling how I hate to find fault with you, but I can’t help myself this time … Your report which I enclose is as you will see a very bad one. You work in such a fitful inharmonious way, that you are bound to come out last—look at your place in the form! Yr father & I are both more disappointed than we can say, that you are not able to go up for yr preliminary exam: I daresay you have 1000 excuses for not doing so—but there the fact remains …“