Help me realize that Ivy League schools aren't as important as somepeople say they are!?
831961
college is what you make it.  going to a school in the top 100 isn't that much different these days from going to a school in the top 10.  here's a rough explanation of why:\nin the 1970s and 80s, graduate schools all over the country gave out way more PhDs than there were positions for them.  this meant that there were thousands of really qualified people who couldn't get jobs at top universities.  they were eventually hired by less wealthy and prestigious schools, improving the caliber of the faculty and therefore the school as a whole.\nif you go to the university of arizona, you'll find that most of the professors have degrees from really fine universities.  just because they're teaching art UA doesn't mean they aren't smart, it just means that there are more people vying for fewer jobs than there used to be.  if you're smart and motivated, you can get to know them well and learn probably even more than you could as one of the crowd at an ivy league school.\nmost CEOs of fortune 500 companies graduated from state schools with good business programs.  once you get your first job, employers more or less stop looking at where you went to college.\nbottom line, you can get a top-tier education at schools that aren't supposed to be top-tier.  sure, harvard might have more things to offer than texas at austin, but there's way less of a difference than there was 30 years ago.\nbut hey, apply where you want and see what happens.\ngood luck.
895273
Well, speaking from my experience, you can get into college with crap math grades.  For instance when I was in 9th and 10th, I screwed around all the time and even though I was able to do well I basically did nothing but skip and sleep, my gpa in 9th was2.1 and 1.8 in 10th.  Then I decided to try to show up more and do some work and got decent gpa's the next two years, a 3.8 and 4.0.  Then I took my ACT's and maxed those and even though I didn't have any extra curriculars I was accepted at alot of decent schools. UCLA, Michigan, Princeton, NYU, to name a few.  Alot depends on what kind of school you are looking for, also.  Be optimistic, but realistic.  Keep up the good work and you will be rewarded.
997811
I think the only time it has an effect is if all other factors are the same, and even then it might not matter.  Otherwise, I don't think it really matters what school you graduated from.  If it did, not too many people would have jobs, because not too many of us went to Ivy League schools.  Use your interview to really win them over.  They want to be able to connect with the people they are working with!
711998
No, not even, necessarily the top ones. \nThe Ivy League is actually an athletic conference, consisting of:\nBrown University\nColumbia University\nCornell University\nDartmouth College\nHarvard University\nPrinceton University\nUniversity of Pennsylvania\nYale University\nThere are lots and lots of other private colleges and universities, of different qualities, that are not in the Ivy League.
650705
*&*&*&\nHere you are.  I hope it helps you.\n\nhttp://www.ivytech.edu/
1151453
It's hard to say because you've got some things going for you and something not. I think you'll get into a college, though it may not necessarily be a really GOOD college. Your high school grades don't look so hot, but you did get a relatively high SAT score. However, almost all of the 11 colleges I've applied to have told me that grades play higher in the admissions process than do the test scores. On the other hand, you have a lot of activities and have shown leadership skills. My suggestion? Better make absolutely sure your admissions essay is bangin' and you've got really awesome teacher recommendations. I think you'll be fine. Just don't expect to get into any ivy league schools.
609395
Yes indeed.  There have been recent studies which reveal that as much as 40% of high school students report that they were given no information at all about college.  It isn't enough to assume that the "good" kids will find the information on their own.  This is the mentality that threatens to make higher education a commodity reserved for the wealthy (if it isn't already). It isn't as if, nationally, all schools would step aside and agreeing to provide less information to their students -- its the underprivileged high school students who are left in the dark while students from wealthy families receive the information about SAT Prep, College Prep, help from financial advisors to "maximize" their financial aid eligibility, etc.\n\nBased on my experience working in Higher Education (Financial Aid), I  have no doubts that students need to receive more financial aid information.  Both students and their parents need to have more realistic expectations about the costs of education today (most know that it's expensive but they think that they'll "find a way" to pay).  Comments like the one from the above poster perpetuate the myth that "expensive schools give more financial aid." There are more expensive schools that DON'T give out good aid packages than those that DO!  It's true that they're all looking for the best students, but that doesn't mean that they can afford to "woo" the students that they want (schools that are "top" in their field like Harvard, Juilliard, and MIT might be able to, but these are the exception and not the rule).\n\nAs for my personal experiences with the process: I didn't receive ANY information either, and it made what should have been an exciting process feel like a chore. It was many years ago, but I remember being called into the guidance office with a group of about 10 other students.  They plunked us down in front of a large table piled with college "How To" guidebooks (of the "For Dummies" ilk), gave us each a piece of paper, and told us that by the end of the period, we had to list of 10 colleges we might want to apply to...  Anyone who had siblings in college knew how to narrow down the THOUSANDS of schools out there but, being the oldest in my family, I didn't even know the difference between UC Berkeley and Berklee College (or Stanford and Samford).  I didn't know which schools were "reach" schools and which would be my "safety" schools -- these aren't the sorts of things you can tell by the school's name!  When this "session" was over, I couldn't help but cry.  Eventually, the guidance counselor found me a book where I could search for schools by major.  But, sheesh, what a way to have your students "test the waters" by throwing them in the deep end!\n\nAs for what kind of information I could've used: information about the various schools' reputations.  Assuming a school has the resources, why not offer one-on-one counseling where the student is asked about their academic interests and then pointed in the right direction? Most students have a sense of whether they want a big or small school, co-ed or not, city or rural, etc. -- it would seem to be less overwhelming to start with what you know rather than drawing attention to all the "missing pieces" in a student's college search.
442884
Very true, Princeton has one of the nation's lowest acceptance rates. A firend of mine just was accepted with a 4.0 at a prestigious high school and an excellent SAT score which I do not recall but will not speculate on. But agreed, if you know someone who is very important you obviously are of value to the school and will have a higher liklihood of acceptance. Also, I recently read that the SAT score is now the most important "section" of a student's life they look at so I recomend something very near perfection.
496434
Depends on what you want to study.  Some schools have good reputations due to research, but turn out not to be good schools for students, as the people with reputations don't do much teaching.  Some schools have reputations that were made 4-5 years ago and the reputations are no longer valid.  Yes, the Ivy League schools have good reputations, as do many others.  There are enough universities that you should be able to find one that does a good job teaching in your area of concentration and is right for you.
935816
You should not be focusing on one school. If you are interested in Harvard, you should apply to Princeton, Yale and others that interest you as well. Keep in mind that these colleges are extremely competitive and selective, so be prepared to present an excellent application package with top SAT I and SAT II scores, excellent grades and recommendations, essays, and tons of community and extra-curricular work. For more information about ivy league universities, visit:\nhttp://www.macquil.com/articles/ivyleagues.php\nFor a list of rankings: http://www.macquil.com/rankingstests.php
1005105
It depends on what you mean by a good university.  There are a lot of good academic schools, but dont just focus on the ivy league.  Small private schools are often very good and have smaller classes and more personal attention. Big state schools can be really good academically but there are a ton of people. There are also good party schools like Wisconsin at Madison, athletic schools, etc.
866022
Actually, you sound like a good candidate. Of course you know that most students applying to these schools are good candidates, and the kids they reject often appear just as qualified as those they let in. So apply to NYU and Harvard, but also have some back up schools in mind. \n\nFor example, if you want Ivy League, also look at Cornell. Cornell is probably the least "competitive" in terms of admissions of all the Ivys. And yet it's an Ivy. \n\nYou may also be interested in any of the following: Georgetown, Boston College, Boston University, Syracuse, Northwestern, U Chicago, Tufts, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Fordham. All extremely excellent schools, some of which, if you like NYU and Harvard, I think may appeal to you.
730685
first of all, an education at none of these schools is worthless in response to whomever responded that.\nI would recommend going to visit these schools. Stay overnight with some freshman, in a freshman dorm. Talk to them about how they like the school. Go and sit in on some typical freshman classes (ie. calculus, psychology, american politics, etc) and also sit in on a higher level course. Possibly even go with the person you're staying with. If you know what you want to major in, look into those classes. Those are all great schools and you'll definately get a top-notch education. You just need to figure out where you think you'll fit in best. Congrats and good luck on your decision!
830276
Universities don't look at the school as much as what classes you take in that school.  If you're doing well in AP and Honors classes, then you should be fine.  In some cases, such as prep schools, they look at classes you take and activities you are involved in based on the reputation of the school.  So if you're going to a school with a well-known educational system, and you're taking honors classes, they should realize that.  Its not as important to be in the top 10% as it is to take advanced classes and do well in them while involving yourself in other activities.
1115665
I've looked into some ivy schools and they all seem to have great financial aid packages.  They want potential students to see that cost should never be an option.  So they will work with you alot to find all ways possible to help you in covering the tuition.  UPenn and Harvard are great for that.
229142
The good news is that a number of Ivy League schools accept students on a "Need Blind" admissions basis.  This means that they will admit you into the school based on your abilities, but not on your ability to pay.  They have good financial aid packages that are mostly grants (you don't have to pay them back) and a little bit of loans (you will have to pay these back).  \n\nSo, I think your best bet is to focus on working hard in high school on your grades and extra-curricular activities, and rely on the financial aid system of the top Ivy League schools.\n\nGood Luck!
674674
As a whole, Ivy League students are certainly not mean, nor are they socially retarded.  They are strong students who care about their work, and the vast majority of them also know how to socialize well.  At every school, including state schools and well-known "party schools," there are students who do not socialize well.  This type of student is NOT in the majority at Ivy League schools. \n\nHowever, there are a few schools that are notorious for cut-throat competitiveness.  These reputations have mostly emerged from some instances of bad behavior by some students in their pre-med programs and graduate schools (business and law in particular).  I will not refer to them here, but I will note that many of them are tech schools, and most of them are NOT Ivies.\n\nIf a cooperative and laid-back spirit is one of the primary qualities you're looking for in a top-notch school, here are some suggestions:\nVassar\nHampshire\nOberlin\nWesleyan\nMiddlebury\nWilliams\nDenison\nCarleton\nSkidmore\nMacalester\nBrown\nVanderbilt\nPomona\n\nFinally, in answer to the last bit of your question, it is true that in larger research institutions, oftentimes some professors have less time for their students than in smaller liberal arts colleges.  It is also true that in these large research institutions, introductory courses are often taught by teaching assistants (graduate students) rather than full professors.  But again, this phenomenon is not limited to the Ivies. \n \nBest wishes!