My take on college

[Schwartzy61]

I think anyone who has already graduated from college and established a career but still manages to have a South park avatar is a tool.

And no one spend six figures on college to land a nice job. They go to college to land a job, they spend 6 figures on an "elite" school to feel special. Some of the best schools in America are state funded institutions that wouldn't cost much more than $40,000 for four years of tuition, room, and board.

[econophile]

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Riverman,

I'm with you on this. Having created a career for myself independent of my college education, I see college as a way to learn, and make friends. You can get a great education at many public universities for a fraction of the price of an ivy league school. Personally, I think that anyone who spends six figures on a college education just to land a nice job is a tool, but I'm sure the majority of OOT will disagree with me on this.

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Actually, the most careful empirical studies find very small effects (in terms of earnings) of going to an elite school compared to a decent public university, so this fits with your intuition.

[theben]

going to a top tier school means the world when you are trying to get a job. school reputation weighs for so much that there are plenty of jobs you won't ever be considered for (after gradution. 20 yrs down the line, it does matter less) without an ivy (or equivalent) degree.

top grades schools are definetly worth it. what isnt worth anything are mid tier or worse private schools.

[kibble420]

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I don't entirely agree. If someone only wants to make $, the "investment" of a P/H/Y degree is definitely "worth it."

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh I'm not doubting that. Just saying you can get one at a public school for a fraction of the price, and be about as well off. The cost of tuition at private schools is simply astronomical.

All it comes down to is a matter of personal preference. If you like the social status you gain from graduating from Harvard then more power to you.

[CrayZee]

It's probably always better to go to, um, a better school... but yeah, some people put too much emphasis on it. You can go to Harvard or whatever and still be a lazy retard.

It's better to be an educated person at a crappy no-name art school than someone that didn't really pay attention to classes at an Ivy league school.

[econophile]

here's some good research on the subject:

http://www.irs.princeton.edu/pubs/pdfs/409.pdf

going to a school with higher tuition tends to increase earnings. going to a more selective school tends to increase earnings. going to a school with higher average SAT scores does not affect earnings.

[TripleH68]

My, what a nice looking young man!
You're from Bushwood, aren't you?

He's not a member, Grandma.
He's a caddy!

Judge Smails invited me at the Club.

Of course. You're the young man
who wants to be in the Senate.

Well, you two look like a couple of boogies.

Why don't you just scamper along now?

May I escort you out, ma'am?

Hold on, son. Are you trying to make time
with my best girl?

I want you to meet Chuck Schick.
He's clerking for me this summer...

...until he passes the bar.

See you on deck, Senator!

I'm going to law school, too.

Really? Are you going to Harvard?

No. St. Copius of Northern....

Where?

[thing85]

Interesting discussion. Another approach is to look at WHY these school have become "top" schools. Better/more experienced professors, greater exposure to recruitment by companies all around the country, and prestige are perhaps among the list of reasons why schools become known as "top schools."

I think the general notion here is that while later in life the name of the school you went to might not have any impact on your career, going to a top school may give you opportunities that others (from "worse" schools) don't have. It's all a matter of whether or not you take advantage of it. A lazy ass from Harvard probably won't have the successful career of a motivated, hard-working graduate from a big state school.

But like someone pointed out, holding all other factors constant, the name of your school can and will give you an edge.

FWIW, I attend a large state school and I have no problem with it at all.

Another important consideration is the environment you put yourself into by going to a certain school. If you go to no-name community college and you're around people who don't give a [censored] about school and barely graduated high school, you might become less motivated or spend too much time hanging out with and being influenced by people who really don't care much about school. Certainly there are exceptions to this, but your peers who you interact with at school could have a large impact on what you get out of your education.

Anyways, my $.02.

[chiachu]

[ QUOTE ]
Econ,

Maybe I have lost perspective. I went to a top school, and my impression was that some of the dumbest, least reflective kids got the "best" jobs while the kids I considered brilliant took scholarships or went to grad school in esoteric/specialized yet financially unrewarding fields.

I guess I'm trying to say that from my perspective things are effed up.

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as a 4th year student, i must say that i am kind of seeing this as well. getting a job seems to depend on how well you can bs during an interview, and not much else.

[LittleOldLady]

[ QUOTE ]
Econ,

Maybe I have lost perspective. I went to a top school, and my impression was that some of the dumbest, least reflective kids got the "best" jobs while the kids I considered brilliant took scholarships or went to grad school in esoteric/specialized yet financially unrewarding fields.

I guess I'm trying to say that from my perspective things are effed up.

[/ QUOTE ]

When I was at Penn in the 60s, the brilliant students indeed went to grad school "in esoteric/specialized yet financially unrewarding fields." The middling students went to med school and law school, and the dullest people were in the Wharton School from which they emerged to make a lot of money in business. (The obvious example of the last group is Donald Trump who was at Penn in the Wharton School while I was there.)

This is apparently all effed up from your perspective, since your perspective seems to place the highest priority on making pots of money. But not everyone is motivated by money. Those of us who chose "esoteric/specialized yet financially unrewarding fields"--and I was one--did so for the passion of intellectual challenge and the opportunity to interact with other brilliant people. We deliberately chose fields that were less rewarding financially, but more rewarding intellectually. We looked down on the Wharton School and people like Donald Trump. Even today I find the Donald unspeakably vulgar, and I would not trade places with him for all the tea in China.

Of course, I went to school in the 60s--before the Reagan years....