Any Ivy League Graduates?

[BYucko]

Originally Posted by Tarmac

There are different levels in Ivy. Everyone knows penn and dartmouth are a notch below.

Penn? You mean University of Pennsylvania? The university with the world's best B-School, Wharton?

 

[Tarmac]

i think we are talking about undergrad here.

 

[Texasmade]

Originally Posted by BYucko

Penn? You mean University of Pennsylvania? The university with the world's best B-School, Wharton?

I've heard that aside from Wharton, the rest of Penn isn't top notch unlike HYP, at least for undergrad. I didn't attend any of these schools so I can't say for sure if this is true.

 

[redgrail]

Wow, a lot of people buy into the ivy myth bs... just observation...

 

[Wooh]

A funny phenomenon: when bragging about their amazing non-ivy league school, people brag about how their professors were educated at ivy league schools.

I'll be graduating from Penn in May myself. It has absolutely been worth it. There are definitely a LOT of places where one can get a great education, if you put in the blood and sweat, but for me, Penn has been absolutely spectacular. The opportunities in business are phenomenal and it's great being surrounded by a diversity of smart, ambitious people.

Originally Posted by Tarmac

There are different levels in Ivy. Everyone knows penn and dartmouth are a notch below.

top tier is top tier. MIT, princeton, harvard, yale, Stanford, Caltech.

there are many different things happening when you have the top students gather at a top college. Supposedly they are learning from better profs. But even if they sat around with no classes, they meet each other and plan **** for the future. just one example.

I have to give a shotout to Penn. Wharton is unsurpassed, in terms of recruiting and connections. But aside from that, HYPS are definitely above our liberal arts, and MIT/Caltech are better than our engineering (although there is a debate to be made for going to a more liberal artsy engineering program, but I digress).

When evaluating schools, you have to consider their strong suits. I'll go toe to toe with a Sloanie any day of the week, but an EECS at MIT is going to destroy me.

Originally Posted by redgrail

Wow, a lot of people buy into the ivy myth bs... just observation...

The problem in many ways is one of self selection. The best students apply to a set of schools, and there is a strong benefit of being at the schools with the best students (connections, access, resources, etc). You can definitely get an amazing education at MANy schools, but you'll be missing out on one of colleges most important resources: your peers.

 

[ghulkhan]

Originally Posted by Nantucket Red

Well, it's a short enough cab ride to the Metro North 125th station to make a weekend trip home to Connecticut not too much trouble.

Living up there probably makes you want to go home a lot.

lol I would only go there if I lived in New York and commuted to Columbia.

 

[redgrail]

Originally Posted by Wooh

A funny phenomenon: when bragging about their amazing non-ivy league school, people brag about how their professors were educated at ivy league schools.
This is because PhD programs are vastly different from undergrad. The networking, level of personal attention and interaction with legends in the field that a Harvard PhD gets is much, much higher than a Harvard undergrad.

Originally Posted by Wooh

When evaluating schools, you have to consider their strong suits. I'll go toe to toe with a Sloanie any day of the week, but an EECS at MIT is going to destroy me.

The problem in many ways is one of self selection.

Self-selection exists outside the Ivy League. Oftentimes, students at particularly well regarded programs that are "below" the Ivies in terms of public recognition/USNews rankings (or whatever arbitrary methodology you choose) have an even stronger motivation to attend that particular school. Just go visit an NYU phil class. Or visit the entire town of Williamstown, MA.

 

[Wooh]

Originally Posted by redgrail

Self-selection exists outside the Ivy League. Oftentimes, students at particularly well regarded programs that are "below" the Ivies in terms of public recognition/USNews rankings (or whatever arbitrary methodology you choose) have an even stronger motivation to attend that particular school. Just go visit an NYU phil class. Or visit the entire town of Williamstown, MA.

Most definitely. Note I did not say that ivies are the only places with strong student populations

I am not a pestige whore by any means. I just think that for every "ivies are the best" person, there is also someone who wants to argue that their regional alabaman university is the best. As un PC as it is, some schools are better than others. Doesn't mean your education is inferior, it's just a fact. I envy kids at true liberal arts schools for many reasons (except for finding a job).

 

[Tarmac]

Originally Posted by redgrail

Self-selection exists outside the Ivy League. Oftentimes, students at particularly well regarded programs that are "below" the Ivies in terms of public recognition/USNews rankings (or whatever arbitrary methodology you choose) have an even stronger motivation to attend that particular school. Just go visit an NYU phil class. Or visit the entire town of Williamstown, MA.

That's like a film nut choosing USC over Harvard. The choice is justifiable, but in many ways, short-sighted. Also, this is presuming the guy could actually get accepted to Harvard.

 

[ghulkhan]

I dont know about undergrad....but there are a lot of people here at NYU who are in grad school in the philosophy department that chose this place over a lot of others including many ivys. Also, many of these people went to top tier schools for undergrad including ivys. NYU has one of the best philosophy departments in the US with lots of big name professors.

I dont know how going here over harvard would be short sited tho other than this is NYU and that is Harvard...

 

[ghulkhan]

Originally Posted by redgrail

Wow, a lot of people buy into the ivy myth bs... just observation...

lol yup. So do my two brothers who attend Yale. They are so sure they are going to be more successful than me or my older brother who graduated from GW, went to Hopkins for Medical school, and is now at Cleveland clinic for internal medicine thinking of going into cardiology. But since they will graduate from Yale, they truly believe that they will surpass him in every way since he went to GW.

 

[Tarmac]

Originally Posted by ghulkhan

I dont know about undergrad....but there are a lot of people here at NYU who are in grad school in the philosophy department that chose this place over a lot of others including many ivys. Also, many of these people went to top tier schools for undergrad including ivys. NYU has one of the best philosophy departments in the US with lots of big name professors. I dont know how going here over harvard would be short sited tho other than this is NYU and that is Harvard...
Grad school is different. I think we are talking about undergrad here. Someone correct me if I am wrong. The Ivys don't even have grad schools in many departments, there would be no point in comparing Indiana U MBA with a Princeton MBA. There is no such thing as a Princeton MBA.

 

[bach]

Originally Posted by Tarmac

Grad school is different. I think we are talking about undergrad here.

Someone correct me if I am wrong.

The Ivys don't even have grad schools in many departments, there would be no point in comparing Indiana U MBA with a Princeton MBA. There is no such thing as a Princeton MBA.

unrelated, but how good is indiana's mba program? kelley, right?

 

[dah328]

Originally Posted by Connemara

I have friends at Princeton and Brown and, in all seriousness, they are not learning any more than me. The majority of my professors here have been trained at Ivy league schools or their equivalents. I am really learning a lot.
Isn't a bit inconsistent to cite the Ivy backgrounds of your professors while making the case that a non-Ivy education is just as good? EDIT: I see SField already made this point. I was going to add that a significant part (perhaps the most significant part) of going to an elite university will be the caliber of the people around you. A couple people have already mentioned that, but I would add that there are many intangibles to be gained there. I think many students benefit from being immersed in an environment where high expectations are the norm.

 

[redgrail]

Originally Posted by Tarmac

Grad school is different. I think we are talking about undergrad here. Someone correct me if I am wrong. The Ivys don't even have grad schools in many departments, there would be no point in comparing Indiana U MBA with a Princeton MBA. There is no such thing as a Princeton MBA.
You're wrong. Good and bad departments exist in undergraduate education as well.

Originally Posted by Wooh

Most definitely. Note I did not say that ivies are the only places with strong student populations

I am not a pestige whore by any means. I just think that for every "ivies are the best" person, there is also someone who wants to argue that their regional alabaman university is the best. As un PC as it is, some schools are better than others. Doesn't mean your education is inferior, it's just a fact. I envy kids at true liberal arts schools for many reasons (except for finding a job).
I agree. The "My school is #1 in everything" mentality is just as ridiculous as the "Ivies or bust" mentality.