Bates College vs Colby College (Lewiston, Brunswick: credit, high school, university)

[kipling]

Which school is better and has a better reputation? Are they considered good or prestigious? Also, is it hard to get a job with a diploma from one of these schools?

[lawmom]

Compare - Best Colleges - Education - US News and World Report (http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/compare/items+2036+2039 - broken link)

[HandT]

Both schools are considered to be in the "Ivy League" category with excellent reputations and rigorous criteria for admission. Whether or not a "good job" is available to you upon graduation is dependent upon a greater number of factors than the name of the school printed on your diploma. However, it would be a plus if you are intending on applying to graduate school.

[Kiwiluver]

This has not a thing to do with either of these fine institutions, in my career I hired many folks. It really made no difference where the sheepskin came from as long as it was a fully accredited institution. When I started out in the 70's this was not always the case.

[Mainer61]

Originally Posted by HandT

Both schools are considered to be in the "Ivy League" category with excellent reputations and rigorous criteria for admission. Whether or not a "good job" is available to you upon graduation is dependent upon a greater number of factors than the name of the school printed on your diploma. However, it would be a plus if you are intending on applying to graduate school.

Maybe Ivy League for Maine, but not really considered true Ivy League. Both Waterville and Lewiston seem to have a lot of crime. What about Bowdoin in Brunswick?

[gf2020]

No offense to Colby, Bates or Bowdoin, for that matter, but none of them are Ivy League. Nice schools to be sure, mostly filled with students from Massachusetts and Connecticut who did not get in to Ivy League schools.

[Maine Writer]

Originally Posted by kipling

Which school is better and has a better reputation? Are they considered good or prestigious? Also, is it hard to get a job with a diploma from one of these schools?

Here's some advice from the mother of a high school senior who is very serious about education. Schools are a daily topic of conversation at our house.

If a school is prestigious wouldn't you know? Didn't you start figuring this out by tenth grade? What does your guidance counselor have to say?

Fly on your own merits, don't depend on the name at the top of your diploma to carry you through life. A school will not make you prestigious. You have to put the work in to do that for yourself. Idiots can graduate "prestigious" schools.

Prestige is nothing if the school doesn't have what you need. Which school will serve you better? Which one has the major you want? Classes you need? Can you afford these schools?

Don't depend on strangers. We could tell you Hamburger University is prestigious but that doesn't make it so. You need to be in touch with the schools you're interested in so that you have first hand personal knowledge.

[Zymer]

Originally Posted by Maine Writer

If a school is prestigious wouldn't you know? Didn't you start figuring this out by tenth grade? What does your guidance counselor have to say?

Hi MW! Nice to 'see' you, and it's good to be back with all the friendly folks.

And, to get to the topic at hand...I didn't know about colleges when I was in High School. No one ever talked to me about college, the only times I saw a "Guidance Counselor" was when I flunked US History (there weren't enough books to go around, and I managed a 64 without one but they still wouldn't pass me) and when I flunked Gym (I had better things to do than that). I thought you only saw a GC when you screwed up. I didn't know about PSATs or SATs or any of that.

I had no clue what I was supposed to do when I graduated.

[kipling]

So does anyone know which school is better?

[Mainer61]

Colby used to be considered better than Bates, though I'm not sure anymore. Thank you, gf2020, for agreeing with me.