# Anyone here attend a Ivy League school or top tier school or applied for one?



## Zegaray (Jun 17, 2009)

I was curious to see if people here on PC if they went to an Ivy League school or a top tier school? Has anyone applied to one? I just wanted to hear some stories about the experiences.


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## timeless (Mar 20, 2010)

College or grad school?


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## Spades (Aug 31, 2011)

I'm in what was the #1 rated school in Canada (undergrad) for years (#3 now). Would I do it again? Hell no! Do I feel like I can handle anything after that? Hell yes!


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## Zegaray (Jun 17, 2009)

timeless said:


> College or grad school?


Both, if you don't mind to share?



Spades said:


> I'm in what was the #1 rated school in Canada (undergrad) for years (#3 now). Would I do it again? Hell no! Do I feel like I can handle anything after that? Hell yes!


That's awesome Spades! Lol, I would feel that way too if I went to a top tier school. I'm planning on applying to one and the other ones are going to be easier to get into colleges, lol.


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## KneeSeekerArrow (Jan 8, 2012)

I go to University of Michigan, does that count?


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## timeless (Mar 20, 2010)

Araya said:


> Both, if you don't mind to share?


Sure. I went to a tier 1 united states regional college and a tier 1 law school (I'm going to graduate in May.) I applied to a lot of places in both cases, and the application process was substantially similar regardless of school rank. I don't remember my college application all that clearly, but I do remember that my law school applications were pretty much the same no matter where I applied to.

College was really fun because I felt like the workload was fairly easy. I majored in Psych and Law, and the Law major was basically like heavily watered-down law school classes. I ended up having the highest GPA in my major without doing a lot of work, which was really nice. Then I went to law school and it really isn't as fun. :bored: The amount of work is absurd.

Here's all the cases for two classes worth of Advanced Criminal Procedure (not including the "optional" reading). Printed double sided of course:










NOW MULTIPLY BY FOUR and there's my workload for a week for all my classes

Not to mention the three papers I'm writing, which includes an article I'm trying to get published.


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## Zegaray (Jun 17, 2009)

KneeSeekerArrow said:


> I go to University of Michigan, does that count?


It counts. UM is a top tier research university. 



timeless said:


> Sure. I went to a tier 1 united states regional college and a tier 1 law school (I'm going to graduate in May.) I applied to a lot of places in both cases, and the application process was substantially similar regardless of school rank. I don't remember my college application all that clearly, but I do remember that my law school applications were pretty much the same no matter where I applied to.
> 
> College was really fun because I felt like the workload was fairly easy. I majored in Psych and Law, and the Law major was basically like heavily watered-down law school classes. I ended up having the highest GPA in my major without doing a lot of work, which was really nice. Then I went to law school and it really isn't as fun. :bored: The amount of work is absurd.
> 
> ...


Wow, that binder looks like a headache, lol. I would probably cry every time I looked at it let alone do the work and read it.  Congrats on graduating Law School!


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## dagnytaggart (Jun 6, 2010)

I got into Cornell and NYU, but ended up going to a school that offered me a nearly full ride.

But I got rejected from Stanford and Yale. ;(


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## Zegaray (Jun 17, 2009)

dagnytaggart said:


> I got into Cornell and NYU, but ended up going to a school that offered me a nearly full ride.
> 
> But I got rejected from Stanford and Yale. ;(


That's pretty good. NYU and Cornell are top tier schools. I hear NYU is ridic with the tuition and I heard many people not bother to accept going there after getting accepted. Going to a more affordable school is great in the long run and you don't drowned in dept in the end.


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## Shades of Gray (Jan 13, 2012)

I applied to MIT, Caltech, and Stanford; got into none, despite having test scores/GPA above their 50th percentile. Whatever.

I'm a sophomore University of Minnesota now, which is a pretty good school and ranked 4th in the world for my major (Chemical Engineering, though I'm double majoring in Geophysics also), which is why I chose to go there. I've met a couple upperclassmen in my major who have actually transferred in from Caltech and MIT. According to them, it's not really any less competitive/difficult here than it was at those universities, the reason they transferred is because they disliked the culture, it was too "nerdy" for them, for lack of a better word.

If I could redo my whole application process, I wouldn't have applied to MIT or Caltech and would have tried a bit harder for Stanford. From what I've gathered, which high school you attended matters significantly to Ivies and universities of similar caliber. There are some universities on the east coast that send 20+ to MIT a year, for example.


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## ItalianJoy18 (Mar 5, 2012)

I just applied to Yale ED and got deffered even though I'm qualified :crying: but hear back from them and Dartmouth in about 3 weeks... scary

But the application process has really made me realize something. Though Ivy League schools are obviously great schools, theres a lot of schools out there that are just as good (maybe not all around, but in certain subjects at least). Actually I'm a bit cynical about the Ivy League now that I know how many legacies/URM they admit even though there may be more qualified candidates. And actually one of my teachers is a Yale graduate and he literally knows NOTHING about what he's teaching. It's actually pathetic. So Ivy League definitely doesn't make or break you.

Of course they just have to have some of the most beautiful campuses...


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## jd_ (Feb 5, 2011)

I went to Northwestern, does that count? It was okay, good teachers, lots of resources... what do you want to know? From what I know...the reading load was higher @ NW, MUCH smaller class sizes, and the profs seemed to care more. A lot of the learning happens between the students. I don't think it has opened any doors another school wouldn't have though.


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## robespierre (Jan 11, 2012)

I go to Hopkins. I am a freshman and still adjusting. I don't know what to say lol. But I can see that my experience can only get better.


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## pneumoceptor (Aug 25, 2011)

I went to MIT for my BS. I'm at The Scripps Research Institute now finishing my PhD. 

MIT rocked my world. Everyone who goes there is a big fish in their little high school pond. Then, all of a sudden, by definition half of these big fish become below average. (I definitely became a minnow.) Mental health there is pretty abysmal. The extent to which we defined ourselves and drew our worth from our academic accomplishments was the extent to which we were tempted to despair, if that makes sense. The average grade on a test was around 40-50%. Of course, they had to curve it to not fail the whole class. But when all of your B's are really F's, your self confidence takes a severe blow. 

I would say that the good things I got out of my experience at MIT were a) an amazing dose of humility, for which I am extremely grateful, and b) learning how to learn. Teaching wasn't very good, so we really had to figure things out for ourselves... or at least that was my experience. 

If I had the choice again, I wouldn't choose MIT. I could have gotten just as good of an education somewhere else, without all of the added stress. Then again, I wouldn't be who I am if I hadn't, so maybe I've been instilled with immeasurables that are worth it.

Scripps has been much better... Whereas most grad students came into Scripps confident and had their worlds totally shaken, I came in knowing that I wasn't the scheisse, and so I wasn't as rocked. I'm much more confident in my academic abilities now than I was as an undergrad. Full circle. (Scripps isn't that well-known, because its grad program is much smaller than most... but according to US News & World Report, it's in the top 10 grad schools for both biology and chemistry.)


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## Fizipop (Jan 30, 2012)

I'm looking to apply to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia (first choice--I really, really want to go there), as well as a few other top-tier schools like Harvard, Princeton, and Columbia next year. Other schools that I am interested in are Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, and Haverford. In any case, I look to obtain a Political Science degree while perhaps double-majoring in International Relations before continuing on to Law School.

Anyway, I am currently ranked number 1 in my class (although, I admit: it is a small class of less than 50 people) and have a 4.0 GPA at my high school, unweighted. I took the PSATS last year and got a predicted SAT range of 2000-2100 or something near that and took them again this year with an ever-so-slightly lower score. I will be taking the SATs twice next year, and then again my senior year, if necessary. I take the maximum number of Honors and AP Courses available here and will have roughly 9 or so AP's finished by the time that I graduate.

I am 6'2" tall and 220 lbs., and I play tight end and defensive end on my school's varsity football team. I took up wrestling this year, and although I was not fantastic this past season, I came out of it with a winning record and am showing much improvement. I play violin, sing in the choir, have been elected president of my class, and am a member of the National Honor Society. I would be interested in an ROTC program if available at a college, and would also be interested in continuing my football 'career' at college (the Quakers, hopefully! >).

When I graduate, I hope to run for public office and one day become a United States Senator from Pennsylvania.

Anyway, guys--could anyone here help me evaluate my chances at being accepted at the places listed above? Also, could anyone provide some tips for things like the application and interview process?

Thanks ,
A. Kelley


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## mariogreymist (Mar 19, 2012)

I went to Columbia, and it was a bit of a mistake. I went for the prestige, and liked very few of my classes/teachers/classmates. My biggest problem is that I am naturally an autodidact, so most of the money spent was a waste...I didn't need to hear some guy explain a book to me when I already understood it. I will point out that I went there as a transfer student, and some of the teachers I had at Community College were far superior teachers (as in, willing to delve into subtextual themes) to those at Columbia. That's not to disparage Columbia, or the curriculum there - it is an excellent school with a challenging and diverse course catalog. 

I guess the final note is this: Going into debt (I did, and that's what I regret more than anything else) for an ivy league school isn't worth it, especially if you learn well from books. If you're smart and ambitious enough to get into an Ivy League school, you'll probably get a full ride at a less prestigious school which will offer you a similar curriculum, and where you will be a star. The only real reason to hit the Ivies is networking...if you plan to go into politics, it can be worthwhile because you can develop the contacts with powerful elites even before your career begins.

And really: if you live in a state with a top tier public school (CA, MI, NC, WA come to mind first, but there are surely others), don't even consider the Ivies unless you can get a full ride...simply not worth the money.


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## Eleventeenth (Aug 24, 2011)

mariogreymist said:


> My biggest problem is that I am naturally an autodidact, so most of the money spent was a waste...I didn't need to hear some guy explain a book to me when I already understood it.


This was my biggest problem in college. Every time I went to class I was bored out of my mind because I had already learned the material/book on my own. Towards the end of my education, I pretty much stopped reading the books. I'd just go to class and listen so that it would all be new material to me and would therefore be more interesting. 

I do still think it would have been really cool to have gone to an elite school just for the experience. If it was in my teens/early 20's, I definitely would have flunked out of a top tier school because I was just too lazy and unfocused.


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## Eleventeenth (Aug 24, 2011)

pneumoceptor said:


> I went to MIT for my BS. I'm at The Scripps Research Institute now finishing my PhD.
> 
> MIT rocked my world. Everyone who goes there is a big fish in their little high school pond. Then, all of a sudden, by definition half of these big fish become below average. (I definitely became a minnow.) Mental health there is pretty abysmal. The extent to which we defined ourselves and drew our worth from our academic accomplishments was the extent to which we were tempted to despair, if that makes sense. The average grade on a test was around 40-50%. Of course, they had to curve it to not fail the whole class. But when all of your B's are really F's, your self confidence takes a severe blow.
> 
> ...


Good synopsis for the youngsters who are contemplating taking the plunge...


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## robespierre (Jan 11, 2012)

Fizipop said:


> I'm looking to apply to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia (first choice--I really, really want to go there), as well as a few other top-tier schools like Harvard, Princeton, and Columbia next year. Other schools that I am interested in are Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, and Haverford. In any case, I look to obtain a Political Science degree while perhaps double-majoring in International Relations before continuing on to Law School.
> 
> Anyway, I am currently ranked number 1 in my class (although, I admit: it is a small class of less than 50 people) and have a 4.0 GPA at my high school, unweighted. I took the PSATS last year and got a predicted SAT range of 2000-2100 or something near that and took them again this year with an ever-so-slightly lower score. I will be taking the SATs twice next year, and then again my senior year, if necessary. I take the maximum number of Honors and AP Courses available here and will have roughly 9 or so AP's finished by the time that I graduate.


Hey! I got into UPenn (as well as Wellesley and Barnard) but in the end chose Hopkins because I love their international studies program and the possibility of doing a 5 year BA/MA program with SAIS (one of the best schools for international studies in the world!). If you need to know anything about applying, feel free to PM me. I know it sounds cliche, but kick ass on the essays...they really can separate you from the rest. Your AP load is great, and your working to raise your already ompressive SAT score so thats good. ECs?


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## Fizipop (Jan 30, 2012)

Hi there, robespierre!  This is really an exciting time for me, and I thank you for all of your help--it's really appreciated. Anyway, Extra-Curriculars... hmmm. Well, like I said before, I play football and wrestle, can play violin and guitar quite well and regularly play that fiddle in a bluegrass band for the sick and elderly at hospitals or other such venues. 

I sing in the choir every year, and am a member of the National Honor Society and President of my Class. I am also in every drama production at my school, and I always seem to get the lead role  I like writing and talking politics, too, but I've never done those things in an organized group setting. 

I took Le Grand Concours/The National French Exam last year and got ranked 7th nationally. I also took third place in a Central Pennsylvanian mathematics competition last year, with competition from both students from my grade and students from the grade above me.

Also, on a side note, I got in the 98th percentile on the ASVABs-which I found to be ridiculously easy. (I'm not looking to just sign up for the military or anything, but am certainly interested in the ROTC.)


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## mariogreymist (Mar 19, 2012)

ROTC is signing up for the military, don't kid yourself. My dad signed up for ROTC, and ended up flying combat missions over Vietnam. There are a lot of ROTC educated officers who thought they were getting a cheap education, but who are now learning new things in Afghanistan today.


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## Fizipop (Jan 30, 2012)

Perhaps I worded my statement incorrectly. Instead of 'just sign up for the military', I should probably have said 'solely sign up for the military' or something to that effect. I support the military, and would be willing to work as an officer after college for awhile, but I don't want to join the military without being finished obtaining or at least on my way to obtaining a law degree... all issues that would have to be worked out with an ROTC Recruiter before I agree to anything, of course.


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## robespierre (Jan 11, 2012)

Fizipop said:


> Hi there, robespierre!  This is really an exciting time for me, and I thank you for all of your help--it's really appreciated. Anyway, Extra-Curriculars... hmmm. Well, like I said before, I play football and wrestle, can play violin and guitar quite well and regularly play that fiddle in a bluegrass band for the sick and elderly at hospitals or other such venues.
> 
> I sing in the choir every year, and am a member of the National Honor Society and President of my Class. I am also in every drama production at my school, and I always seem to get the lead role  I like writing and talking politics, too, but I've never done those things in an organized group setting.
> 
> ...


You're impressive  Yea, I think you have things figured out already lol. Volunteering, leadership positions, good standardized test scores, heavy course load....I guess just work on raising your SATs a bit and those essays. I have friends who had impressive records but they applied to 15+ schools. Applying to so many schools hindered their ability to tailor their essays (supplements) to a specific school. I think their generic/passionless essays were a major reason for their rejection.

I think you'll get in somewhere fancy lol. Best of luck!


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## bionic (Mar 29, 2010)

mariogreymist said:


> I went to Columbia, and it was a bit of a mistake. I went for the prestige, and liked very few of my classes/teachers/classmates. My biggest problem is that I am naturally an autodidact, so most of the money spent was a waste...I didn't need to hear some guy explain a book to me when I already understood it. I will point out that I went there as a transfer student, and some of the teachers I had at Community College were far superior teachers (as in, willing to delve into subtextual themes) to those at Columbia. That's not to disparage Columbia, or the curriculum there - it is an excellent school with a challenging and diverse course catalog.
> 
> I guess the final note is this: Going into debt (I did, and that's what I regret more than anything else) for an ivy league school isn't worth it, especially if you learn well from books. If you're smart and ambitious enough to get into an Ivy League school, you'll probably get a full ride at a less prestigious school which will offer you a similar curriculum, and where you will be a star. The only real reason to hit the Ivies is networking...if you plan to go into politics, it can be worthwhile because you can develop the contacts with powerful elites even before your career begins.
> 
> And really: if you live in a state with a top tier public school (CA, MI, NC, WA come to mind first, but there are surely others), don't even consider the Ivies unless you can get a full ride...simply not worth the money.


I agree. I got into NYU (which is just as much as Columbia) and opted for a community college my first couple of years to save money. Now I'm in a CUNY (to again, save myself money). I want my Ph.D in Psychology so I'd rather shell out more money for my Masters or Ph.D than my Bachelors. Undergrad just isn't worth 30,000+


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## viva (Aug 13, 2010)

My first choice was Princeton, but I didn't get in.

I should have applied to more "reach"-y schools, but I didn't. The best school I was accepted to was Vassar. I chose to go to the school I am about to graduate from now largely for financial reasons. It's academically on par with Vassar but I don't feel comfortable identifying it. Gots to stay anonymous!


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## SilentScream (Mar 31, 2011)

I went to the #1 Business school in Pakistan for my MBA [at that time].

But it seems like that degree is as good as toilet paper in Canada - which is pretty much true for almost all foreign qualified individuals. 

Waiting on my degree's "assessment" in Canada, then I'll really know what it's "really" worth - in the imperialistic eyes of Canada i.e


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## Zegaray (Jun 17, 2009)

Lol, wow this thread took off since the last time I checked! I'm impressed with all of the people in here that got into the top tiers and ivies. I hope to get into at least one by the end of this year, lol. I think I would die (of happiness of course ).


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## bionic (Mar 29, 2010)

Araya said:


> Lol, wow this thread took off since the last time I checked! I'm impressed with all of the people in here that got into the top tiers and ivies. I hope to get into at least one by the end of this year, lol. I think I would die (of happiness of course ).


What's so impressive? They're just schools...


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## SilentScream (Mar 31, 2011)

bionic said:


> What's so impressive? They're just schools...


The school gets to bask in the laurels of its students' achievements/success. 

School is assumed to have prestige :. smartest kids apply who go on to be more successful, which it makes it seem as though the school is great - whereas it's the students themselves who play the bigger role in keeping it great.


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## Zegaray (Jun 17, 2009)

bionic said:


> What's so impressive? They're just schools...


To name a few...

- Networking with former alumni and elites.
- Access to internships/job opportunities through prestigious networking.
- Attending school with other high achieving students across the nation and worldwide.
- Going to a high ranking school looks more attractive to employers and for grad schools.

The only downside is the tuition and finances to go.


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## bionic (Mar 29, 2010)

Jawz said:


> The school gets to bask in the laurels of its students' achievements/success.
> 
> School is assumed to have prestige :. smartest kids apply who go on to be more successful, which it makes it seem as though the school is great - whereas it's the students themselves who play the bigger role in keeping it great.


Yeah, I understand what you mean...

I notice that it seems like kids these days are so obsessed with getting into a college for status than for other factors like financial or means of personal comfort. Then most of them get discouraged or in debt because they did not choose the best decision that works _for_ them.

They should not feel like they have to tailor themselves to a school. Instead, they should make the school fit them and their needs. Not going to a top or ivie league school doesn't mean you are not intelligent - I think people really hold that up that stereotype far too much.


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## jd_ (Feb 5, 2011)

Araya said:


> To name a few...
> 
> - Networking with former alumni and elites.
> - Access to internships/job opportunities through prestigious networking.
> ...


I don't care about any of that, I rarely talk to classmates there and thought many were frankly d-bags, I don't work a prestigious job, and I currently work freelance for myself b/c I don't jive with the typical employment mechanisms... the "elite" school I went to paid good tuition/scholarship b/c I was in the poor/smart combination. They actually paid better than state schools. Things such as status/prestige make me want to induce vomiting.


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## bionic (Mar 29, 2010)

Araya said:


> To name a few...
> 
> - Networking with former alumni and elites.
> - Access to internships/job opportunities through prestigious networking.
> ...


Again, it's just about status and hierarchy.

I have a professor who now worked at my old community college with a Brown University Ph.D. I have another that had a City College Ph.D. and another that has a Yale. Obviously, status is not that overall important when there are other credentials that have more merit when it comes to getting employed. Like yanno, not having a criminal record, involvement with school groups, being active in your community or other groups, publishing research, language, other skills, etc. Also, your personality and drive contribute as well, especially in grad school interviews. 

Also, things like facebook, meetup groups, school website, and business forums make it easier to network with business leaders or alumni in the digital age so if you're hungry to network with people of 'higher status', you can still find them in other ways.

So if you go to an Ivie or top and end up with debt up your ass, having a hard time finding a job because the availability is down... status isn't going gonna mean a thing in the end.


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## gaudy316 (Nov 19, 2010)

I applied to Cornell and Columbia. Didnt get in. My SAT fit their average, but I went to a prep high school and wasn't ranked high in terms of grades: our school has a near 100% graduation rate. I ended up going to a school that is currently ranked top 25 in USNews undergraduate ranking. I did get into a biomedical engineering program that is top 10.


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## Sheisstellar (Dec 17, 2011)

I'm a sophomore at Queens College which has apparently been rated a top tier school though it's public. I think the professors here are excellent and it's safe to say I'll graduate with little debt. I was accepted to Sarah Lawrence and denied from Fordham but could afford neither anyway. I'm hoping I'll eventually go for my PHD in Art History at Columbia University where the grad program for Western Art is funded. To me, in this generation, it's not nearly as important where you get your BA compared to where you receive your MA/PHD.


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## Persephone (Nov 14, 2009)

I go to a top 10 liberal arts college, and it's a miracle I even got in because my grades were so low. I applied to Harvard, Cornell, UChicago and the like. Re-applied to Chicago (first choice) for transfer, but honestly I don't care anymore. People everywhere are the same. You rarely get stupid people here (have met some), but most of them are vapid party-goers. Top tier, second tier, whatever.


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## jd_ (Feb 5, 2011)

Sheisstellar said:


> I'm a sophomore at Queens College which has apparently been rated a top tier school though it's public. I think the professors here are excellent and it's safe to say I'll graduate with little debt. I was accepted to Sarah Lawrence and denied from Fordham but could afford neither anyway. I'm hoping I'll eventually go for my PHD in Art History at Columbia University where the grad program for Western Art is funded. To me, in this generation, it's not nearly as important where you get your BA compared to where you receive your MA/PHD.


It is if you don't need your MA/PhD for what you want to do necessarily. I think it is more of "where were you last" phenomenon. Were you moving forward or backwards.

Also the caliber of the UG is going to play a role if you wanted to go into an upper echelon graduate program also.


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## Boxter9 (Dec 30, 2011)

I was wait-listed by Columbia, which was my first choice, but got into a top liberal arts school with a full ride. Not really holding my breath about getting into Columbia off the list. xD

It's important to note that nearly everybody who applies to top schools is academically qualified; valedictorians and kids who scored 36s on their ACTs fail to get into Ivies each and every year, for whatever reason. There was this guy named Andrew Fire... he got rejected by Stanford, and spent the rest of his life feeling sorry for himself wondering what he might have become. Oh wait. *checks notes* Ah! Actually he won the Nobel Prize in Physics. How about that. There was this other guy named Richard Feynman who was rejected by Columbia, and you know what's weird? _The same fucking thing happened._

Of course for many other people, something sadder came to pass: they got into Harvard and ended up being dismal failures at life.

It's not prestige that matters; it's what you do with the resources at your disposal, and chances are you'll find plenty of resources in Des Moines and Orlando and Norman, not just Cambridge and New Haven and Hanover.


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## Elaur (Jan 5, 2010)

I'm thinking about trying to get my kid into an ivy school but I'm pretty clueless about the whole thing. I have no background in it, my family is a CWRU kind of family (good local univ) where much of my family went. Although my cousins went to mit (<-brilliant dood) and cornell.

My daughter is a very hard worker and is straight a's in AP going into high school.

Any thoughts, suggestions either way? This thread has been helpful so far.


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## Boxter9 (Dec 30, 2011)

@Elaur make sure your daughter _wants_ to go to an Ivy. If she's independently motivated, good things can happen, plus she would be more likely to be happy once she got there.

Also keep in mind that schools like Haverford, Swarthmore, Williams, and Amherst, while not as immediately recognizable, usually produce student bodies that are a whole lot more satisfied with their education and college experience.


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## Elaur (Jan 5, 2010)

She is definitely independently motivated. I'm not sure she really has any idea what is out there so I want to give her all the options. If she can do it why not give her the opportunity.

I am concerned about the "top of the class" to the "oh crap everyone is smart!!!" thing. But it's probably better now if she is ready for it I guess.


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## quadrivium (Nov 6, 2011)

I was accepted into a top tier college of my area of study. It is not an Ivy League school though.


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## Hrothgarsdad (Mar 29, 2012)

Pushing 50, my degrees from Yale (BA), Georgetown (MA), and U of Rochester (PhD) have less and less intrinsic importance to me, although, of course the experiences were significant.


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## Etoile (Apr 30, 2012)

I recommend reading How to be a High School Superstar by Cal Newport.


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## b0oradl3y (Jul 18, 2010)

I applied to Yale, got an interview, and of course didn't get accepted. Even though my test scores and GPA were high (4.3 GPA and 34 ACT) and I was heavily involved in high school, it takes so much more than that to be accepted. I'm talking about doing AIDS research in Africa or being the founder of a homeless shelter in your community, things that the typical high school student doesn't do. Also applied to Washington U in St. Louis and was wait-listed (and ultimately rejected).

All of the state schools in Ohio I applied to gave me pretty good merit scholarships (full tuition for one) so I decided to go to one of those.


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## Perhaps (Aug 20, 2011)

I graduated from Cornell University in 2009, entered a Master's program at the same school, and will resume said program in August.


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## Jwing24 (Aug 2, 2010)

< Not smart enough to go to Ivy League school. Some people are just better at school than others. I am not one of them. And it sure as hell isn't for lack of trying to do well.


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## Persephone (Nov 14, 2009)

Shades of Gray said:


> If I could redo my whole application process, I wouldn't have applied to MIT or Caltech and would have tried a bit harder for Stanford. From what I've gathered, which high school you attended matters significantly to Ivies and universities of similar caliber. There are some universities on the east coast that send 20+ to MIT a year, for example.


It can also work against you. In the end, GPA, above SATs, recs, ECs and essays, is king when it comes to admission, and at a very rigorous high school, your GPA is likely to be lower. My ESFJ friend was a mediocre student ~3.4 at Choate, but she would have gotten 3.8 at a normal school. And plus, top schools try to maintain a level of diversity, which means that they will only take the best applicants from these schools. I go to an "elite school" (in MN! Midwest is great), and most of my classmates had a higher GPA than I did, but I realize that most of them are really lackluster students.


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## WickedQueen (Jun 1, 2009)

I went to the oldest and the best university in Indonesia, although globally, in 2011 it only ranked as number 217 in the Times Higher Education Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings and number 50 in Asia (based on QS Asian Top Universities). 

Beautiful moments. I had fun, although I have some dissatisfaction regarding some part of its education system. 

I like that I was surrounded and influenced by smart people. Life seemed so easy back then...


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## SilentScream (Mar 31, 2011)

Jawz said:


> I went to the #1 Business school in Pakistan for my MBA [at that time].
> 
> But it seems like that degree is as good as toilet paper in Canada - which is pretty much true for almost all foreign qualified individuals.
> 
> Waiting on my degree's "assessment" in Canada, then I'll really know what it's "really" worth - in the imperialistic eyes of Canada i.e


Heh .. as an update to this thread. 

My degree was deemed equivalent to a Canadian MBA as well  

Guess it pays to go to the #1 school after all.


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## Persephone (Nov 14, 2009)

Jawz said:


> Heh .. as an update to this thread.
> 
> My degree was deemed equivalent to a Canadian MBA as well
> 
> Guess it pays to go to the #1 school after all.


Well, I guess that's not surprising. In most places you have to re-test to validate your foreign driver's license as well, and that applies to Law, Med, etc. Curricula are different across countries and they want to make sure you did what they deem necessary for a MBA, because they don't deal with graduates from #1 Business School in Pakistan as much as they do a business school in the States.


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## SilentScream (Mar 31, 2011)

Persephone said:


> Well, I guess that's not surprising. In most places you have to re-test to validate your foreign driver's license as well, and that applies to Law, Med, etc. Curricula are different across countries and they want to make sure you did what they deem necessary for a MBA, because they don't deal with graduates from #1 Business School in Pakistan as much as they do a business school in the States.


Oh .. they didn't really need to have it assessed. It was optional. Business Administration is not a regulated profession, so it's not a requirement. It just helps with getting a better job


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## MattNYNC (Sep 22, 2011)

It gets to a point where it doesn't matter where you go, but what you do at the particular school you decide to attend. Also, if you need to brag about everything you've done so far in your life and you're in high school or college, go to CollegeConfidential..sigh, hate those kids. I live in North Carolina, but I hate it, so I'm going farrrrrrrrrrrrrrr away, farther than I expected actually. I did get a good bit of money from the school I'm going to attend next year. Do I care that UNC is a great school, and that I should've went there simply because it's cheap? Maybe, but I like to travel and explore the various horizons, so going across the country seems like a good idea for me.


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## Kelly617 (May 25, 2011)

I attended the University of Waterloo. It's usually in competition with 1 or 2 other schools as the highest ranked in Canada. Of course, I was in the English program, which isn't nearly as famous as the Engineering or Mathematics programs...but you know...XD 

I was accepted into Oxford in England, but I didn't go, because of the paralyzing fear I had at the time of leaving home to go that far from my family and friends. I didn't even think I'd get accepted, I just applied to see what would happen. It's something I'll always regret. I wouldn't even have had to pay the international student fees, I'm a British citizen. >.>


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## Larxene (Nov 24, 2011)

So...regarding the probability of admission to top tier schools, a foreign student with 3Bs for his A Levels would definitely get rejected right? Let's say he wants to go for a Mathematics program.


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## Oldlady (Sep 18, 2009)

UC Berkeley.

Applied to Brown and Yale, got rejected.

Completely fucked around in 11th and 12th grades, as well as freshman year. Having a difficult time figuring out how to do well in classes without caring and also have a life.


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## AndrewGonzales (Jul 5, 2012)

No


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## SnnyYellow (Jun 18, 2010)

I applied to Cornell, Brown, and Emory, but ended up going to a nearby public university where I pay virtually nothing! I got rejected from the first two and was accepted off of waitlist from Emory.

Applications for such esteemed schools were nerve-wracking, especially since I knew the type of students I was competing with! Applications all required essays with a degree of creativity (so as to distinguish "special" students), though they don't match up to the essay prompts I've seen on UChicago's applications. (Seriously, look of University of Chicago's essay prompts, they are very interesting!) 

Personally, I had good academic stats, but was missing service,extra-curriculars, and most importantly, a hook. If you're applying to an ivy or a top rank university, make sure you have a hook. A friend of mine who got into Cornell's hook was his four published papers resulting from biochem research, and others I've heard of include being a lauded debater, having volunteered internationally, starting environmental organizations in communities, etc. Hooks make you stand out from the other well rounded students! 

...But, like posters before me have said, don't just choose a school for its status. What's important is the school's atmosphere and how much it matches up to what your looking for in college. In example, Georgia Tech is a top school for engineering yet certain hopeful engineers go to Ivy League schools which are lower than GT in terms of engineering programs, just because they're more esteemed. And if you don't know what you want to do yet, in my opinion, it's not worth going to a top school for undergrad. Considering top schools are SO expensive, being undecided for most of college will make your debt skyrocket before you even get into grad school! Also, consider other factors, like what you'd like to be involved in. If you're into helping the environment, schools like Colorado School of Mines are PERFECT for that, not necessarily top schools. Also, if you'd like to study abroad, keep in mind how limiting certain schools are about study abroad. A friend of mine who got into Duke decided not to attend because they limited her study abroad options and hasn't regretted the decision.


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## Joseph (Jun 20, 2012)

I applied to and got into Cornell which was my reach, but they offered such little money (despite being a legacy, urgh). I ended up going to a t50 private school with lots of merit aid. It's easier because I'm a little above some of the people here (not to brag), and now I don't have to take out any student loans. 

In order of importance when selecting a college:
1. Affordability
2. Internship/Co-op programs.
3. How comfortable you will, how likely you are to get good grades and learn there. 
4. Your major's department rank compared to other schools
.
.
.
100. School's status

A state school with an awesome engineering program is just as good as a private school's engineering program, when searching for jobs. It's all about the work you do while in college, the internships you get.


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## Sina (Oct 27, 2010)

I went to one of the Top-ranked Universities in the UK (heck the world) for my graduate degree. And, I happened to take the whole UK Ivy League equivalent thing very lightly. I coveted it before I joined the Uni., but once in, I felt like I had blown the importance of a "prestigious" institution, way out of proportion. For my Law and MBA, I don't give a flying fuck if I don't get into an Ivy League school. I have the grades, the standardized test scores and the whole "hook"/unique experiences shit ready to go. But, the whole prestige theme has lost its lustre. I would like to attend a decent enough school, but before that, I am going to earn money and invest in my upcoming business venture. That's far more important than losing sleep over Ivy League credentials, when the "Ivy League" part will have little bearing on my future, anyway. I direct the course of my life, with or without an 'Ivy League' JD/MBA. And, when I hold the reins, I succeed no matter what. 

*
To everyone worried about getting into an Ivy League school*, my advice is to not lose your sleep over it. If you're hard working, clever, have good social skills, display adaptability and confidence, and realize that the hardest of falls will provide the impetus for your greatest successes provided you learn from your mistakes, no mid-low tier (or whatever you call it in America) degree will get in your way. An education is an education. It's not the degree but what you do with that counts. My own grad. degree (and future degrees) would amount to nothing if I were lacking drive and strategic planning skills.

So, there are Ivy League graduates who are currently unemployed, and I know people who graduated from community colleges and/or lower ranked Unis. who are making 6 figure salaries. Try your best, but don't fret if you don't make it to your school of choice. A degree and solid GPA will never hinder you, regardless of a school's limited prestige. *Only your diligence and ability to manipulate circumstances/opportunities to your advantage will decide how far you go in life. * @Boxter9 gave very sound advice there.


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## Holgrave (Oct 11, 2011)

I attend a public Ivy, does that count? It's not hard per se, you've just to be willing to do the work.


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