How important is education in your SO?

[Ihavenoidea]

Allright, this is where I step in and call bull****. As a professor in a graduate program I am exposed to students that have done their undergraduate work all over the place - from the bottom of the barrel, all the way up to the nation's top 10. The basic truth is that from within the pool that I observe in our graduate program, both morons and gifted students are just as likely so show among the alumni of the top and among the lesser schools.

 

While I respect any good school, the sense of entitlement that ivy graduates walk around in is laughable. There are plenty of students in BIg State Uni that give you run for your money any day of the week . So, either go hug your diploma, or do something meaningful with your life.

 

OWNED!

 

I approve of this message

[Crazy Magnet]

Allright, this is where I step in and call bull****. As a professor in a graduate program I am exposed to students that have done their undergraduate work all over the place - from the bottom of the barrel, all the way up to the nation's top 10. The basic truth is that from within the pool that I observe in our graduate program, both morons and gifted students are just as likely so show among the alumni of the top and among the lesser schools.

 

While I respect any good school, the sense of entitlement that ivy graduates walk around in is laughable. There are plenty of students in BIg State Uni that give you run for your money any day of the week . So, either go hug your diploma, or do something meaningful with your life.

 

Oh yes, I love it when those in academia with Ivy degrees start patting themselves on the back about how awesome they are. I admit, I get a lot of internal satisfaction from letting them know that not only am I in the same PhD program they are, that I'm also kicking their ass, was actually heavily recruited to this particular program, and got handed a massive amount of money for simply being that academically awesome while they did not...all coming from a state university for undergrad.

 

Education is still really important to me though because I am IN education. I need to be with someone who values it as much as I do. I am proud of what I have accomplished so far in life and I absolutely love my field. My education is following my passion and like anybody I want a partner who values my passion. People without any type of degree, in my experience, have a very difficult time understanding where I am coming from.

 

I understand some people don't go to college for whatever reason, but I simply choose not to date those people, just like I chose not to date people who yell all the time or who get angry easily. I would not date someone who was not spiritual. I have many dating preferences and education is just one such preference. Overall I get along better with people who have similar educational achievements because they grew up in much the same way as I did.

 

VertexSquared makes some very good points about how many opportunities and doors open up with admission to a top tier schools. I have resources as my fingertips that amaze me every day. I've also had experiences that most people can't fathom. It's pretty darn awesome.

 

I'm not getting all this education to make money (and I have no idea why the money argument keeps cropping up here). I'm getting my PhD because I have a real chance at contributing to national policy reform so that more people have more access to needed services. I am educating myself because my gift is being smart and I want to use my gift to the best of my abilities.

 

Some people will be happy working a 9-5 IT job making a ton of money and that's great. My own personal goal though is an invitation to testify before a congressional committee on matters of national importance. We all have our passion that drives us and my particular passion is going to require massive amounts of graduate education from a top notch university and I'd like somebody who understands that!!!

 

Ok, I think I should jump off this soap box now. It's been an extremely long day!

[bluewolf17]

Oh yes, I love it when those in academia with Ivy degrees start patting themselves on the back about how awesome they are. I admit, I get a lot of internal satisfaction from letting them know that not only am I in the same PhD program they are, that I'm also kicking their ass, was actually heavily recruited to this particular program, and got handed a massive amount of money for simply being that academically awesome while they did not...all coming from a state university for undergrad.

 

Education is still really important to me though because I am IN education. I need to be with someone who values it as much as I do. I am proud of what I have accomplished so far in life and I absolutely love my field. My education is following my passion and like anybody I want a partner who values my passion. People without any type of degree, in my experience, have a very difficult time understanding where I am coming from.

 

I understand some people don't go to college for whatever reason, but I simply choose not to date those people, just like I chose not to date people who yell all the time or who get angry easily. I would not date someone who was not spiritual. I have many dating preferences and education is just one such preference. Overall I get along better with people who have similar educational achievements because they grew up in much the same way as I did.

 

VertexSquared makes some very good points about how many opportunities and doors open up with admission to a top tier schools. I have resources as my fingertips that amaze me every day. I've also had experiences that most people can't fathom. It's pretty darn awesome.

 

I'm not getting all this education to make money (and I have no idea why the money argument keeps cropping up here). I'm getting my PhD because I have a real chance at contributing to national policy reform so that more people have more access to needed services. I am educating myself because my gift is being smart and I want to use my gift to the best of my abilities.

 

Some people will be happy working a 9-5 IT job making a ton of money and that's great. My own personal goal though is an invitation to testify before a congressional committee on matters of national importance. We all have our passion that drives us and my particular passion is going to require massive amounts of graduate education from a top notch university and I'd like somebody who understands that!!!

 

Ok, I think I should jump off this soap box now. It's been an extremely long day!

 

 

Love it. Great post! More power to you.

[impz]

Oh yes, I love it when those in academia with Ivy degrees start patting themselves on the back about how awesome they are. I admit, I get a lot of internal satisfaction from letting them know that not only am I in the same PhD program they are, that I'm also kicking their ass, was actually heavily recruited to this particular program, and got handed a massive amount of money for simply being that academically awesome while they did not...all coming from a state university for undergrad.

 

Education is still really important to me though because I am IN education. I need to be with someone who values it as much as I do. I am proud of what I have accomplished so far in life and I absolutely love my field. My education is following my passion and like anybody I want a partner who values my passion. People without any type of degree, in my experience, have a very difficult time understanding where I am coming from.

 

I understand some people don't go to college for whatever reason, but I simply choose not to date those people, just like I chose not to date people who yell all the time or who get angry easily. I would not date someone who was not spiritual. I have many dating preferences and education is just one such preference. Overall I get along better with people who have similar educational achievements because they grew up in much the same way as I did.

 

VertexSquared makes some very good points about how many opportunities and doors open up with admission to a top tier schools. I have resources as my fingertips that amaze me every day. I've also had experiences that most people can't fathom. It's pretty darn awesome.

 

I'm not getting all this education to make money (and I have no idea why the money argument keeps cropping up here). I'm getting my PhD because I have a real chance at contributing to national policy reform so that more people have more access to needed services. I am educating myself because my gift is being smart and I want to use my gift to the best of my abilities.

 

Some people will be happy working a 9-5 IT job making a ton of money and that's great. My own personal goal though is an invitation to testify before a congressional committee on matters of national importance. We all have our passion that drives us and my particular passion is going to require massive amounts of graduate education from a top notch university and I'd like somebody who understands that!!!

 

Ok, I think I should jump off this soap box now. It's been an extremely long day!

 

Being a policy maker in Education, amen to this post

[Els]

Isnt that why I said tis a stepping stone?

 

And no you cant compare that logic to living itself, Im saying that obtaining a BS is nothing special go out and do something that is ana accomplishment that is ambitious, like climbing Mount Everest, or scale it down to climbing all of Colorado's 14k ft peaks, Im saying do something out of the norm. Living is already part of the norm, living is basic survival thats a silly argument to try and defend with. getting a degree is part of the norm.

 

I really can't even discuss anything further with you after a very unusual and unrelated counter argument. I spend more time eplaining the actual concept of the argument than actually debating with you. :(And im starting to get slightly frustrated that you just arent getting it because everything you quote and counter has nothing to do with the POINT

 

I honestly don't think graduating from Yale or Harvard is something 'normal'. If you think it is, why don't you try applying?

[TheBigQuestion]

I honestly don't think graduating from Yale or Harvard is something 'normal'. If you think it is, why don't you try applying?

 

Admissions standards may be tough, but people are delusional if they think there's such a huge difference in the quality of education between your above-average state schools and the Ivies. The Ivies are great primarily because they have the famous names and the ridiculous endowments, and thus the networking alone gives you a huge leg-up in the job market. But as far as the raw educational experience goes, the Ivies (and indeed most private universities) are horrendous ripoffs unless you have significant scholarships or grants.

 

One thing I did throughout my undergraduate career was to compare syllabi and course loads in classes I was taking with equivalent classes at two Ivies, Columbia and Harvard. Everything between these two schools and my alma mater, Rutgers*, a pretty good but not amazing state school in terms of reputation, was pretty much the same in terms of difficulty. I did this with a lot of classes, and if you doubt it, just go online and make the comparisons yourself. Pick an Ivy and then pick a flagship state school from pretty much any state, and you're unlikely to see any major differences in course load and reading materials used between any equivalent classes. Throw in the fact that most Ivies are notorious for grade inflation, and the so called prestige further diminishes.

 

 

*Which reminds me, what's with everyone's hesitation on this board saying exactly where they went to school? Maybe the fact that my alma mater has 300,000 living alumni gives me a greater sense of anonymity, but I'm still a bit confused by it.

[Els]

I understand that in certain cases there is only minor difference in quality of education.

 

What I am responding to is his statement that 'A kid doing Physics at an Ivy is the norm' but climbing Mt Everest apparently isn't.

[tigressA]

Admissions standards may be tough, but people are delusional if they think there's such a huge difference in the quality of education between your above-average state schools and the Ivies. The Ivies are great primarily because they have the famous names and the ridiculous endowments, and thus the networking alone gives you a huge leg-up in the job market. But as far as the raw educational experience goes, the Ivies (and indeed most private universities) are horrendous ripoffs unless you have significant scholarships or grants.

 

One thing I did throughout my undergraduate career was to compare syllabi and course loads in classes I was taking with equivalent classes at two Ivies, Columbia and Harvard. Everything between these two schools and my alma mater, Rutgers*, a pretty good but not amazing state school in terms of reputation, was pretty much the same in terms of difficulty. I did this with a lot of classes, and if you doubt it, just go online and make the comparisons yourself. Pick an Ivy and then pick a flagship state school from pretty much any state, and you're unlikely to see any major differences in course load and reading materials used between any equivalent classes. Throw in the fact that most Ivies are notorious for grade inflation, and the so called prestige further diminishes.

 

I knew a kid in my high school who graduated a year after me. Well, everyone knew him--he was the 'whiz kid'. Got a perfect score on his SATs, was valedictorian of his class, miles ahead of everyone around him academically. He had the pick of schools, could've gone to an Ivy, but decided instead to attend a state school in Indiana. He reasoned that where you go to school just doesn't matter as much as the actions you take to get the most out of your education, and I agree. Ambitious and dedicated people like him don't particularly need a "leg up" that Ivy schools offer, and perhaps don't even want it.

[VertexSquared]

Admissions standards may be tough, but people are delusional if they think there's such a huge difference in the quality of education between your above-average state schools and the Ivies. The Ivies are great primarily because they have the famous names and the ridiculous endowments, and thus the networking alone gives you a huge leg-up in the job market. But as far as the raw educational experience goes, the Ivies (and indeed most private universities) are horrendous ripoffs unless you have significant scholarships or grants.

 

One thing I did throughout my undergraduate career was to compare syllabi and course loads in classes I was taking with equivalent classes at two Ivies, Columbia and Harvard. Everything between these two schools and my alma mater, Rutgers*, a pretty good but not amazing state school in terms of reputation, was pretty much the same in terms of difficulty. I did this with a lot of classes, and if you doubt it, just go online and make the comparisons yourself. Pick an Ivy and then pick a flagship state school from pretty much any state, and you're unlikely to see any major differences in course load and reading materials used between any equivalent classes. Throw in the fact that most Ivies are notorious for grade inflation, and the so called prestige further diminishes.

 

 

*Which reminds me, what's with everyone's hesitation on this board saying exactly where they went to school? Maybe the fact that my alma mater has 300,000 living alumni gives me a greater sense of anonymity, but I'm still a bit confused by it.

 

Re: Quality and difficulty: The raw quality is often comparable across the board, but certain programs are heavily specialized. For example, I went to Wharton for my undergrad, an Ivy business school, and our finance department is very rigorous. This isn't to say it isn't also rigorous at, say, McCombs or Stern or McDonough, but you'll be learning the material from Nobel Laureates and professors with ridiculously extensive research, experience, knowledge, and ability -- and you simply won't get this elsewhere. That being said, much of what makes the Ivy experience "harder" is the type of students you face off with. A vast, vast majority of your fellow classmates graduated from the upper tiers of their high schools, and half went to private schools, at that. Valedictorians are everywhere -- myself included. The "classes" may be comparable, but if you don't gain a firm understanding of most of the material being put in front of you, which is often extensive and rigorous, you will not score well. Sometimes the material IS more rigorous even though the subject matter on the syllabus may be "comparable" to that of another school due to the nature of the work assignments involved (a few very detailed case studies come to mind).

 

The competition is tougher because you have to work harder to meet the class average, as everyone's gunning for a top spot. There's a ton of ambition, and it takes a lot of work to stand out amongst that ambition. But at the same time, it's encouragement to push yourself. I think those factors are what make top schools so much harder than, say, state schools. Ivies are only a ripoff if you don't leverage what you're paying for! The high price tag INCLUDES those networks. They INCLUDE the resources. They INCLUDE the faculty. If you're only going to an Ivy for the classes, you're severely missing out!

[homersheineken]

At 26 it is unlikely but People have gotten MS's in 5 years and often PhD programs range from 2-3 years restricted and with dual masters prgrams by the age of 26 if you spent all your time at school you could have you PhD and a couple Masters so it is do-able.

 

Brand New doctors and Dentists have PhD's by there mid 20's

 

They do not have their Phd, they have their MD - there is a difference. Unless they get a combined degree.

[electricity]

Allright, this is where I step in and call bull****. As a professor in a graduate program I am exposed to students that have done their undergraduate work all over the place - from the bottom of the barrel, all the way up to the nation's top 10. The basic truth is that from within the pool that I observe in our graduate program, both morons and gifted students are just as likely so show among the alumni of the top and among the lesser schools.

 

While I respect any good school, the sense of entitlement that ivy graduates walk around in is laughable. There are plenty of students in BIg State Uni that give you run for your money any day of the week . So, either go hug your diploma, or do something meaningful with your life.

 

I totally agree. You should note that I never said Ivy League; I don't think I even applied to any Ivy Leagues. I've seen the same wrt people from different ranked universities; several of my professors went to lower ranked colleges themselves. I'm perfectly aware that several top state schools produce just as good students - in fact, 1/2 of the top ten schools in my field are public, and I'd count any and all of them as top tier. Who said top tier schools = Ivy? Perhaps I should've specified that I count top tier as the top 50 universities, plus top ranked international schools.

 

I also never said that only top tier colleges produce smart people. I'm just saying, the LIFE experiences getting there are different, and I want someone with the comparable experiences/expectations as myself. While I'm perfectly aware that many very smart people just couldn't afford it and had to do a JC to state school transfer (I have many good friends who went that route), their life is just so different from mine that we wouldn't make a good match. Plus when men stop being incapable of accepting that a woman went to a better college, well. The world would be a better place.

Edited June 9, 2010 by electricity

[Mr White]

Re: Quality and difficulty: The raw quality is often comparable across the board, but certain programs are heavily specialized. For example, I went to Wharton for my undergrad, an Ivy business school, and our finance department is very rigorous. This isn't to say it isn't also rigorous at, say, McCombs or Stern or McDonough, but you'll be learning the material from Nobel Laureates and professors with ridiculously extensive research, experience, knowledge, and ability -- and you simply won't get this elsewhere. That being said, much of what makes the Ivy experience "harder" is the type of students you face off with. A vast, vast majority of your fellow classmates graduated from the upper tiers of their high schools, and half went to private schools, at that. Valedictorians are everywhere -- myself included. The "classes" may be comparable, but if you don't gain a firm understanding of most of the material being put in front of you, which is often extensive and rigorous, you will not score well. Sometimes the material IS more rigorous even though the subject matter on the syllabus may be "comparable" to that of another school due to the nature of the work assignments involved (a few very detailed case studies come to mind).

 

The competition is tougher because you have to work harder to meet the class average, as everyone's gunning for a top spot. There's a ton of ambition, and it takes a lot of work to stand out amongst that ambition. But at the same time, it's encouragement to push yourself. I think those factors are what make top schools so much harder than, say, state schools. Ivies are only a ripoff if you don't leverage what you're paying for! The high price tag INCLUDES those networks. They INCLUDE the resources. They INCLUDE the faculty. If you're only going to an Ivy for the classes, you're severely missing out!

 

Yeah, yeah, yeah, blah. Of course the ivies are VERY good. As an economist (or something similar), you are of course aware that this is only half the equation. Marginal benefits must be compared with the marginal costs before coming to the conclusion if something is "worth it". You will have a pretty hard time proving that Yale or Cornell education is 5-10 TIMES better than what you get at UT Austin, UC Berkeley, SUNY Albany etc. for 10%-20% the cost. Most programs (and faculty, and students, and resources) there are are on par with any ivy league school.

[Mimolicious]

At 26 it is unlikely but People have gotten MS's in 5 years and often PhD programs range from 2-3 years restricted and with dual masters prgrams by the age of 26 if you spent all your time at school you could have you PhD and a couple Masters so it is do-able.

 

Brand New doctors and Dentists have PhD's by there mid 20's

 

Doctors and Dentists with PhD's? You mean MD's? Unless you are a psycholigist...

 

Even though the length may depend on the degree, let's see, it takes 4 years to complete a Bachelor's, 2-4 more years to complete a Master's, and about 3-5 more years to complete a PhD. I mean, there are perfect scenarios but you also have to deal with the application and acceptance period. I want to say, you would need a very stellar record and 529's galore to be 26 and have a PhD.

 

Anything is possible though...

[Mimolicious]

I went to a top 5 undergrad and once tried dating a guy who went to a lower ranked school (still top tier, a school I highly respect). He kept bringing it up in our arguments and eventually we stopped talking. The first thing I need to make sure is that he's OK with and not intimidated by my accomplishments.

 

My basic requirement is a top tier undergrad. To me, it's a matter of lifestyle. I want someone who had similar experiences to me growing up, whose formative years in college were similar to mine, and who has the intelligence and drive to get into and graduate from a comparable university. I'm friends with people who went to lower ranked universities, and their lives are just so different from mine that I couldn't ever see myself marrying someone with such an outtake on life.

 

I don't care about graduate degrees, especially at my age. I know several brilliant PhDs who don't know how to live life, or who have no interests outside their field. I want someone to experience life with.

 

WTF did you just say??????????? WHOA!

 

Someone's outtake on life is tied to the "lower ranked UNIVERSITY" they attended?????? WHOA! WHOA! WHOA! What ever happened to being raised a certain way?? By the time you hit college you should be gearing and grroming yourself into the adult that you should be.

 

I know few worthless fools with degrees from Ivy League!!!!!!

[Engadget]

WTF did you just say??????????? WHOA!

 

Someone's outtake on life is tied to the "lower ranked UNIVERSITY" they attended?????? WHOA! WHOA! WHOA! What ever happened to being raised a certain way?? By the time you hit college you should be gearing and grroming yourself into the adult that you should be.

 

I know few worthless fools with degrees from Ivy League!!!!!!

 

I know, this topic is just obnoxious now. I have a feeling quite a few are spinning tall yarns, and the others are just arrogant.

 

If I had 2 PhD's I wouldn't look down on anyone who didn't, ever. Nor look down on anyone from a "lesser" school. I despise elitism and this topic reeks of it.

[Mimolicious]

Allright, this is where I step in and call bull****. As a professor in a graduate program I am exposed to students that have done their undergraduate work all over the place - from the bottom of the barrel, all the way up to the nation's top 10. The basic truth is that from within the pool that I observe in our graduate program, both morons and gifted students are just as likely so show among the alumni of the top and among the lesser schools.

 

While I respect any good school, the sense of entitlement that ivy graduates walk around in is laughable. There are plenty of students in BIg State Uni that give you run for your money any day of the week . So, either go hug your diploma, or do something meaningful with your life.

 

:lmao::lmao: Classic!!!!!!!!

 

Oh and kudos to Crazy Magnet! Hope you do make a difference in this CRAZY world! (hug)

[Crazy Magnet]

I know, this topic is just obnoxious now. I have a feeling quite a few are spinning tall yarns, and the others are just arrogant.

 

If I had 2 PhD's I wouldn't look down on anyone who didn't, ever. Nor look down on anyone from a "lesser" school. I despise elitism and this topic reeks of it.

 

 

I think a lot of elitist attitudes are bred at Ivy schools. I know at my own school they are not afraid to tell us that we will be viewed in a certain way in academia and the funding world simply for the name plastered on our degrees (and that this name should land us a position at an equally awesome school...which will also affect our ability to be funded). Behind closed doors the faculty admit to us that school prestige matters and they work that to their advantage and so should we.

 

I can see where this attitude comes from. I would be silly not to acknowledge that my degree will have a lot of weight, but I don't understand those who let it define who they are.

[Mimolicious]

I'm still waiting for Lakeside to answer my question...

 

Electricity- do you really believe that "LIFE experiences" are what get you to a "non-Ivy yet top-tier university"?

 

(I have many good friends who went that route), their life is just so different from mine that we wouldn't make a good match. Plus when men stop being incapable of accepting that a woman went to a better college, well. The world would be a better place.

 

1st comment in bold: Do you know how they feel about you?

 

2nd comment in bold: The world would be a better place, when we accept people (women/men) for who they are and not for what school they went to, the title they hold or how much they make.

 

If that was the case, would you like a Doctor to pass down on the opportunity to get to know you because you have a lower level of education than he does?

 

(which takes us back to the subject)

 

I get that you have a Bachelor's right? So you come across a glossy Doctor from uummm, let's see... from an island in the Caribbean. He is far more accredited academically than you are, but you feel superior to him due to the way you were raised because he grew up in a sugar cane mill? I'm just being drastic, but I am just saying...

 

Is education important in a relationship? Maybe, yes, most likely...

Is it essential? Probably not, if he loves me, reads, writes, expresses his feelings, cares about mine, is interested in learning aboutand values the world around him, has morals to download to our children, then he's my man!

 

Question was "How important is education in your OS?" The level of it or the college tier was not really the question. As a nation, what was "standard" back in the 50's is not so "standard" in the 2000's. In today's world a basic college education is pretty much standard just like HS was to our parents generation. Expectations are higher because the career world is not about factories, hospitals, courtrooms and auto-plants anymore. Yet, your degree may be outdated in 3 years.

 

I am actually sad that you feel like you are 'different' (sounds like in a superior way) than your own "God friends". F up experiences mold the most amazing people on earth and many influential people don't even hold a degree. NO college can get you that!

[Lakeside_runner]

I can see where this attitude comes from. I would be silly not to acknowledge that my degree will have a lot of weight, but I don't understand those who let it define who they are.

 

With great chance comes a great responsibility. I despise people who are really stuck up in themselves just because they had the opportunity and intelligence needed to obtain a higher academic degree.

 

Unfortunately, there is a lot of people in academia who simply forgot that the best way to show your gratitude for the gift you were given from nature (intelligence and mental strength which helps you to get through a grad program) is to give something back to the society - be it in the form of good research or teaching.

 

Just because someone has a PhD, they should not forget how to be humble as a person.

[Lakeside_runner]

I'm still waiting for Lakeside to answer my question...

 

Sorry... got lost in all the posts. What was the question?

 

Edit: Found it. I'm 30 and I've been doing combined degrees so that made it possible. As far as the timeline goes it is very doable to graduate from college and get a PhD by the age of 27-28. 26 is a bit too soon although there are some programs and fields where the very nature of work is so different that it may make it possible. Even within mathematics - it's "easier" to get a PhD if one does combinatorics vs. say PDEs, but this is just my personal opinion based on comparison of the time it takes to graduate.

Edited June 9, 2010 by Lakeside_runner

[Mimolicious]

Thank you, you're the best!

God bless you brain and heart for keeping it real. (hugs)

 

Good luck with the move!

[VertexSquared]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, blah. Of course the ivies are VERY good. As an economist (or something similar), you are of course aware that this is only half the equation. Marginal benefits must be compared with the marginal costs before coming to the conclusion if something is "worth it". You will have a pretty hard time proving that Yale or Cornell education is 5-10 TIMES better than what you get at UT Austin, UC Berkeley, SUNY Albany etc. for 10%-20% the cost. Most programs (and faculty, and students, and resources) there are are on par with any ivy league school.

 

Sure, but the cost is also an investment, and the major benefits may come later. Economically, what you roll into for your entry-level job has a large impact on how your track unfolds. It's the reason why we see such a large earnings gap in the data as people get older and move up their careers. Going to a better school simply results in an intensely strong network -- if you land a top job after undergrad, you're set. I can tell you from experience that at these jobs, they're *packed* with Ivy + top-school kids. There are certainly people from other schools, but it's so much harder to stand out. Ibanking, for example, is notoriously hard to get into if you're not from a top school.

 

Again, most of the benefit comes from the networking, competition, resources, and faculty -- not the education in itself.

 

This being said, to keep on topic, education is only a correlation-based factor when evaluating someone to date. You'll find brilliant, motivated kids from non-top schools who were not financially able to attend (or maybe they didn't bother applying in the first place).

[sweetjasmine]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, blah. Of course the ivies are VERY good. As an economist (or something similar), you are of course aware that this is only half the equation. Marginal benefits must be compared with the marginal costs before coming to the conclusion if something is "worth it". You will have a pretty hard time proving that Yale or Cornell education is 5-10 TIMES better than what you get at UT Austin, UC Berkeley, SUNY Albany etc. for 10%-20% the cost. Most programs (and faculty, and students, and resources) there are are on par with any ivy league school.

 

The Ivy I went to has stellar financial aid - grants only, no loans. I paid half of what I would have at the state school I was originally planning on going to and graduated debt free. So in my situation, it was the smarter choice, financially.

[VertexSquared]

The Ivy I went to has stellar financial aid - grants only, no loans. I paid half of what I would have at the state school I was originally planning on going to and graduated debt free. So in my situation, it was the smarter choice, financially.

 

Heh I know exactly which Ivy you attended now.

[stillafool]

I went to a top 5 undergrad and once tried dating a guy who went to a lower ranked school (still top tier, a school I highly respect). He kept bringing it up in our arguments and eventually we stopped talking. The first thing I need to make sure is that he's OK with and not intimidated by my accomplishments.

 

My basic requirement is a top tier undergrad. To me, it's a matter of lifestyle. I want someone who had similar experiences to me growing up, whose formative years in college were similar to mine, and who has the intelligence and drive to get into and graduate from a comparable university. I'm friends with people who went to lower ranked universities, and their lives are just so different from mine that I couldn't ever see myself marrying someone with such an outtake on life.

 

I don't care about graduate degrees, especially at my age. I know several brilliant PhDs who don't know how to live life, or who have no interests outside their field. I want someone to experience life with.

 

 

Why bother even being friends with people who went to lower ranked universities?