How important is the college/university you attend on the rest of your life?

So I'm seeking some advice from people who have graduated rom college or are currently attending college. I'm applying/have applied to colleges and universities across the U.S and just wanted to know how important it really is as per the educational institution you attend.

I wanted to attend Penn State for undergrad and go to medical school afterwards. I've applied to a ton of schools though and have a good shot of getting into schools like Emory or Vanderbilt but felt like I wouldn't really enjoy it there.

What's the difference between going to a top 25, top 50, or top 100 school and how does the specific school you attend affect your future.

If you are currently attending college what are you expecting afterwards compared to other college students?

 

It's definitely important to choose the right school that fits well with you and what you want to do. That's quite obvious.

This is mostly a common sense type of question honestly. A top 25 university is definitely a very good factor for jobs. The latter choices are good too but not as big deal.

 

I'm currently attending one of the top universities in the UK, so that's my insight. It really depends on what you want to do mate. The worst thing you can do is go to college or university 'just because', and never follow up with your degree. If you are passionate about following a particular path (medical field in your case) go for it.

Obviously for very highly skilled fields they will be looking for those who graduated from 'better' universities, but in all honestly it's quite an intangible factor and most of the time if you graduate from a decent university with a high score (here it goes 1:1, 1:2, 2:1 and so on) you'll be fine. The only exception is if you go to a totally shit college/university, you will most likely not be in the same standing as others.

 

Well sometimes a good fit might not be so good. Like I said, I want to go to Penn State which would be a really good fit for me since I'm into college sports and it's a really big party school and I would love the social life, but academically speaking it's not really the best. I mean, it's good it has like an 80% acceptance rate for medical school, but when it comes to academic terms schools like Emory and Vanderbilt would be better.

But the "common sense" you talk about is refuted by a lot of people. So many people say how it really doesn't matter what school you attend and everyone ends up on the same playing field afterwards while others say the opposite.

I'm not asking for opinions from people who don't have experience in this field, that's why I'm specifically asking from people attending or have attended/graduated college.

 

It's all about who you know honestly.

 

Don't chose a university because of the social aspect man. In all honesty, it's 4-5 years of your life, you can do that later/when you have time off. I'm travelling an hour every day to a university because of its standing, that 96% employment rate and in the top 30 UK universities brah. Though like I said it's not a tangable factor i.e you go to x this qualifys you for y, but It is important, seriously. You want someone to be impressed by your education record opposed to accepted.

 

Well no I actually want to attend university because I would love to go to medical school. I've completed the premed track in my high school for 4 years and graduated from it which only 11 graduate from out of over 80 who started it. But what exactly defines a "shitty" university, that's the question.

 

I read into this when I was initially looking at schools and the basic summary was that it did not matter so much where you went, but the connections you made at that school. (Ex: You may make better connections at Harvard then you would some little local law school.)

Honestly, unless you're attending one of the top schools in the country I would not worry about the schools name at all. I would focus way more on ensuring that you actually like the school/it's campus/entire feel. A degree is a degree and it isn't the only thing that will help you in the future. Personality and connections takes you quite a ways.

 

you honestly don't know that? I don't know if there's the same stigma attached to university in the US then..

Say here, going to Cambridge, Oxford, St andrews etc - you are Guaranteed a top job. Almost every prime minister here studied politics at Oxford. A tiny % can attend these.

For me, for example, I could go to Caladonian university (close to home, lower reqs, decent facilities, decent employment record.) I chose to go to a university an hour away, higher reqs, further away, good facilities, good employment record, kinda' in the middle of nowhere.

As a general rule, the higher the grade requirements, the better the university. You've worked hard to get to were you are, so just keep going and attend the best possible college you can. You'll establish a social-life wherever you go. I flat-share with 4 other dudes and I didn't know them at the start of the year, now at weekends we throw house parties and are best of friends - I barely see my high school friends anymore.

 

I dont know specifically about america, I went to a canadian college, but the current place I live has no jobs related to the post secondary experience I have.

I'm assuming for stuff like business itd be important. but networking is far more important

 

Put it this way, attending an average university with top grades is more favourable to an employer than a student achieving average grades in a top university. In Australia, the curriculum for each course is similar so you're basically choosing a university based on your preferences as to whether or not you want to go to a university based on its reputation.

 

School is important don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Yes are there some that make good money who don't go to college yes. Are there people who go to college that don't make good money. Yes. But bottom line is statistics show you're better off going to school. I would also recommend it.

 

That wasn't the question you moron. The question is if there's an underlying difference between going to a top school or an average school. Clearly you're not a college student judging by your lack of attention to detail, unless you do in which I assume you're doing poorly :laugh: :laugh:

 

I misread the question if you'd like to take an IQ test. I would have to say mine is going to be a lot higher than yours. Misreading something doesn't make you a moron. But to answer your question OP I would start at a community college find a good one in the state you're in and get all of your prerequisites out of the way for the first two years. It will save you money in the long run. Then take those credits and transfer to a university of your choice. Your first two years are prerequisites anyway so the school doesn't really matter in my opinion for those first two years.

 

Going off what he says, community college can be a good option, but the whole "it's the same it doesn't matter" is not the case at all.

I'm currently attending community college (1 semester to go) and it is like a shittier highschool. You certainly save cash (the reason I did it, I was accepted to quite a few four year universities), but you are missing out on a few things. Mainly your options in classes, your community college will likely have fewer elective choices. Yes, your cores will be nearly identical, but if your majoring in a specific niche it may be hard to find classes in that (at my school my Poli Sci choices have been extremely limited.) Alongside that, clubs/sports, there will be a limited (and likely quite inactive) selection at community college. Lastly, there's the whole "college experience" per-say. Unless you're attending a community college that has dorms/is a residential campus, it's a commuter school. People come and leave and do not really hangout at the school. If you're looking to party, or be in bigger, traveling clubs, they'll be a wee-bit more difficult to find at CC.

 

I don't have too much experience as I am only now looking for Universities but from my point of view and what my father has told me, only the very top (Ivy) are looked upon favourably. There is no difference between top 50 and top 100, 200 (in other words).

 

I'm at a top-10 LAC and similarly applied to like 15 of the top 25 schools in the US. In terms of education, I don't think I would be getting better educated at Harvard or Yale, and I truly believe that the professors at my school are top class. The connections you make with people at a smaller school are, imo, more meaningful than those at a larger one. I've had one of my advisors drive me from campus to the airport to fly to a conference together; you don't get that at Harvard. I wouldn't have gone to an Ivy were I given the choice again. The students at the Ivies aren't necessarily better than they are at smaller schools, but I would say there's more variance. They have more brilliant people but more who can't pull their weight. It's really about what kind of experience you're after.

In terms of job-hunting, it's another story. What do you picture yourself doing? Being at an Ivy, Stanford, MIT, CalTech, UChicago, Duke, etc. matters more than it probably should in my field (finance/economics). That said, I applied for 80 jobs this fall and had 23 interviews, which is exceptionally high for someone at my school (a LAC). Everyone at those interviews was at the aforementioned schools, excepting maybe 5 out of 100 people I met. So yeah, will it help your chances finding a job in a highly competitive field? Yes. Is name signaling more important that it should be? Definitely. Will it make you a better person than if you go to a top-25 school and haul ass for 4 years? Probably not. Hmu if you have more questions!

 

Currently a senior in HS, very important I guess as you'll be spending 2+ years or the 4 year average there, if you hate the school you're gonna spend so much time in, you're gonna have a bad time!

 

As long as your happy with your studies it shouldn't matter, there is clearly always going to be better schools than others, it's just picking the right one for you.

 

Just got deferred from Harvard. Oh well, better than a rejection.