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Also, some of the smartest people I knew in high school were just plain lazy. They did well on standardized tests and had high G.P.A.s because they didn't have to work hard, and wanted to continue the easy workload in college.
Folks, this sums it up perfectly! The kid who can gain admission to Ivy League schools is the kid that will succeed wherever he or she goes.
Wish that was true but I can count on both hands kids that excelled in HS with college credits , high SAT scores, top 10 in the class even a valedictorian that went to college and failed out. The valedictorian was a late bloomer, discovered alcohol (never did in HS) and after flunking out the first year, his parents pulled him out, made him work at a menial job and he had a wake up call. School is what you make it and yes it does help to be smart , have the scores but the most likely to succeed in HS don't always!
It is my understanding that state universities do not even bother admitting such students with the logic being that they are safeties, the student more than likely applied to top schools, and most students will accept the offer from the Tier 1 school once accepted.
Your understanding is incorrect. First of all, many of these state universities are Tier 1 schools themselves. Secondly, in some parts of the country, e.g. the Rocky Mountain West, there are few private colleges to attend. The Ivy League colleges are a couple thousand miles away; the west coast is 1200 miles away.
Whenever a topic like this comes up on this forum the responses are the same, it is due to the demographic of this forum. The vast majority of college educated posters here went to state colleges, as a result there is a huge cognitive bias.
How many of the posters have actually attended a top private school? You would be best served by addressing this question to another demographic.
Also, just to note your typical state school is worlds away from public universities like Berkeley. Berkeley is the exception, not the rule. Berkeley is unlikely to be much cheaper for out of state schools vs a private school, similarly for all the UCs.
Perhaps you could provide some proof of this.
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Originally Posted by tribecavsbrowns
This is exactly right. Moreover, many of the posters come from the heartland, where you wouldn't know if your neighbor with the nice house and nice wife and nice kids is actually happy with his life, because it's not customary to come out and say otherwise.
Your understanding is incorrect. First of all, many of these state universities are Tier 1 schools themselves. Secondly, in some parts of the country, e.g. the Rocky Mountain West, there are few private colleges to attend. The Ivy League colleges are a couple thousand miles away; the west coast is 1200 miles away.
There are many top ranked public universities, however when people speak of State U, they are not talking about the UCs, KU, UW-Madison, UM-Twin Cities, etc, but instead of the Tier 3 schools. Most states have a university system and a state system, both of which are public, but it is the university system that gets the prestige while the state system is generally more relaxed in it's admission criteria.
Maybe I am wrong, it was something that I read awhile ago.
By your logic though, posters who attended Ivy league schools would be biased towards those institutions. I think the opinions posted here are just as valid as those and the OP should consider both.
Yes, there will be some bias in that case too. But people that have attended top schools tend to have a better understanding of lower ranked schools than the opposite.
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Originally Posted by rnc76
You are right Berkeley is the exception. However, there are a lot of other great public institutions as well: Michigan, UVA, UNC, William and Mary, GA Tech, Wisconsin, Texas... to name a few.
There are a handful of "great" public universities/colleges, most range from decent to horrible with the majority being mediocre. But public universities are only cheap for in-state students, the vast majority of states do not have "great" public universities. If you have top grades, etc going to a private school could actually be cheaper than an out of state public.
A lot of people seem to not understand that few kids pay the sticker price at private colleges.
There are many top ranked public universities, however when people speak of State U, they are not talking about the UCs, KU, UW-Madison, UM-Twin Cities, etc, but instead of the Tier 3 schools. Most states have a university system and a state system, both of which are public, but it is the university system that gets the prestige while the state system is generally more relaxed in it's admission criteria.
Maybe I am wrong, it was something that I read awhile ago.
It is not clear (to me, anyway) which colleges the OP is referring to. Many people use the term "college" generically, e.g to refer to college or university. Back when the Colorado higher ed system had a "point" system, it included both the colleges and the universities. Yes, it was easier to get in to Mesa State out in Grand Junction than the University of Colorado in Boulder. My point is they all had some sort of automatic admission criteria based on grades and test scores.
Show me some data, give me some examples, etc. that justify your opinion. You just keep stating that private institutions are "superior" and yet then cite no references, data, personal experiences, etc. that justify your opinion. Instead, you just attack or ignore those who are giving examples, etc. that refute your argument.
I state no such thing in this thread, rather I pointed out that the responses on this forum are going to suffer from a large cognitive bias. The lower social classes tend to have rather inaccurate ideas about private schools and even feel threatened by the suggestion that they may provide one with a leg up on others.
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Originally Posted by StarlaJane
I'm having trouble understanding how attending a state school invalidates a [former] student's argument and testimony wrt the academic strength of state universities.
Its not the act of attending a state school that is the issue, its not having experience with other types of schools that in a sense "invalidates" their testimony. They have nothing to compare it too....
The choice of college in this country goes much deeper than mere education.
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Originally Posted by StarlaJane
And why are you dismissing the in-state tuition rate? Perhaps b/c there is no private institution that offers such affordable tuition rates, and that fact weakens your argument...?
Right, you are just repeating the mistaken idea that people at private schools are actually paying the sticker price. The vast majority are not.
But you are demonstrating the effectiveness of the sticker prices though....how?
Proof of what? The obvious cognitive bias or that most state colleges are far removed from Berkeley? Sorta like providing proof that the sky is blue....
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