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I went to an affordable state university for undergrad and then on to 2 well-regarded, private schools for Masters. I do think I got an excellent education. But if I could do it over again, I think I would choose a large, nationally known university (e.g. a Big 10 like Michigan) because I think the lifetime networking/alumnae opportunities are better.
My SO went to this type of school and I see the professional/social benefits of having a strong alumnae network in place. We have been all over the country and have found most cities have his alumnae group with organized opportunities. He also regularly meets people to whom he can instantly relate because they went to the same big university and had similar experiences. It helps professionally as well as just providing a fun camaraderie when watching a football game at a bar.
When I was considering colleges at 17, I never even thought about the benefits of an extensive alumnae network. But now I see the importance. Also, we own a business/have sales backgrounds, so this type of networking may be even more important to us then to someone who is choosing a school based more on academic merits (e.g. ranking of med or law school).
Interesting. My college has an extensive alumni network as well, but I have never used it. Ditto DH. I don't think it's all *that* important, at least not in nursing or physics.
Interesting. My college has an extensive alumni network as well, but I have never used it. Ditto DH. I don't think it's all *that* important, at least not in nursing or physics.
Agree it's not as important for some fields, that's why I added that last sentence about it being particularly useful to us as business owners/salespeople whose livelihood revolves around acquiring business contacts. We have gotten many clients/referrals simply from university connections - it has opened a lot of doors. And the bigger, more extensive the alumnae network - the more opportunities to connect with potential customers. However, this may not be as important to other professionals (e.g. nurses, doctors) who are evaluating a college mainly on academic merits, rankings, prestige, etc.
Absolutely. I ended up choosing to stay "home" and go to the same school as friends, University of Colorado - Colo Spgs. Wish I had been less concerned with friends & fun and scrutinized other more selective schools & degree programs. I also had a shot at getting an NAIA scholarship for basketball but coasted my senior season, so lost any chance of that. All in all I ended up enjoying my college experience but it wasn't really memorable...wish I had been more pragmatic and ambition in the late HS years.
Maybe Ivy league. Could have gotten in, I suppose.
Instead I went to a big state school. Still, alumni support here runs deep. I'll probably run into many Alumni in good places willing to help me out if I were to stay in the area.
I would. The first time I went to school, I went to a rink-a-dink little two-year school right out of high school, and though I learned a lot, I didn't get much out of it besides my first job. No alumni assistance, nothing.
I went to a highly-rated state university on the East coast, which was within 100 miles of where I lived. In retrospect though I think I would've 'grown more' if I had moved across the country and attended University of CA - Berkeley.
When I had to decide, I was 15 and made the mistake of doing what my parents told me to do. At the time, a prestigious name was nice but wasn't the big deal that it has become now. I enjoyed my time at school and never had to pay a dime for tuition or books as all was paid through academic scholarships and financial aid, but I should have applied to better schools and pushed myself more, as well as chosen a different major. I am paying the price now for listening to my parents'old-fashioned ideas and it really screwed me up for grad school and the rest of my life It's a shame because I was a good student in HS and ended up with a 4.0 college GPA. I have beaten my head against the wall for my mistakes and ignorance. Now, I would advise anyone to go the school with the most prestigious name that offers the best financial deal.
Also, the thing to be aware is that academic reputations of schools change over time. So if someone boasts they went to NYU, but they are from the class of '70, that's really no big deal since the school only had a fair reputation back then and schools like today's mediocre SUNY-Albany would have been considered a better and more selective school.
So if someone boasts they went to NYU, but they are from the class of '70, that's really no big deal since the school only had a fair reputation back then
Funny.
My Mom has 2 first cousins that did not complete their degrees at NYU, so you're probably right.
Yes and no. I did not have a great social experience at my undergrad, but the education was good, it was cheap, it got me to where I need to go, and it gave me opportunity to explore (and fall in love with) a great city.
I guess the pros outweigh the cons. Still, I will not be looking back on my college years with much fondness.
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