College Acceptance Letters

[shimshimhae]

Depends on what you want to go into. For med it obviously doesn't matter but for most professions (law, business, etc) it matters a lot.

Good Undergrad = good first job = good MBA/Law school/most everything else.

Most top companies only recruit at top ivies and a few top public schools...i can't tell you how many frustrated 4.0 GPA friends I have at solid public/liberal arts schools that can't land an interview simply because their school isn't "prestigious" enough for top firms.

The real world cares much too much about pedigree....sad but true.

anddd this is one of the main reasons why i wanted to go to columbia

[Fookums]

^^

Word. If anything to to CUNY and then transfer out or whatever since it's the cheapest option.

At least, that's what I'm doing now, and I'm cool with it. The education isn't terrible either actually (depending on which school, I'm at City College), so I'm very comfortable looking at my friends' workload at NYU/Wherever else, looking at mine, and then thinking about how much less I'm paying than them.

Definitely going to try and transfer out this year though, just want to get out of NYC for a change of pace.

[Fookums]

It's going pretty well I'd say.

Aside from the obvious price advantage, the CUNY system really isn't terrible academically. While there are some bad professors, a decent amount of Columbia, New School, NYU, etc. professors come to teach there also. The main problem with it is that the administration is pretty bad, since they have to manage a ridiculous amount of students.

As for as transferring goes, I don't think there's much of a difference with it than other school, except that I'd think it's easier to get good grades/stand out in classes if you're a decent, motivated student, which helps you a lot, obviously.

Another advantage, albeit more personal one, is that it gives you an opportunity to figure out what you want to do if you're undecided; because it's cheaper, you have an opportunity to relax and take your time to figure out what you want to do, while not being constrained as much by money factors that undeclared kids at other schools, say NYU, would have because they're paying 40k a year to be undecided.

And I don't really know what recruiters would think, since I'm not out of college yet hah, but I don't think they'd find it that odd. The whole go-to-cheap-school-transfer-to-reputable-one route isn't a strange one, and I'm sure a lot of kids go to these schools with the intent to get great grades and transfer out ASAP.

Also, I'm doing polysci, and I'm planning to transfer to Reed, Brown, not sure where else yet, but you get the idea. I figure that since I'm already in a college, what's the point of applying to a safety school, might as well go all the way and just try my reaches.

[jonathanschley]

This was what I didn't want to hear.

Sadly, I'm afraid I'm only gonna be attending a minor college; that being, either Fordham, CUNY, Pace, or Rutgers.

There goes the offers.

for undergrad maybe, but grad school, i know Fordham's recruiting/students with jobs at graduation is relatively on par with Columbia and NYU

[poly800rock]

Ivy status doesn't really matter anymore. Lots of kids are passing on Ivy acceptances these days because more often than not, it entails a certain thing about that person and kids are more concerned with lifestyle than education. But also, more schools are offering just as good if not better academics these days, so the status implied by the Ivy league has diminished quite a bit.

Ivy league for undergrad is absurd. If you want the quality of education, take a look at the Public Ivies. There's a much better bang for your buck in there. For grad school, there's a lot more to it, but Ivy league schools completely lose their status at the grad level, so what I'm trying to say is that IT DOESN'T MAKE A FUCKING DIFFERENCE.

people swing this around like they have any idea what they're talking about or they're bitter they don't go to one. for the record, i didin't go to one. but I'll tell you one thing that isn't overrated, IVY FUCKING BRAND RECOGNITION AND ALUMNI network. Believe what you want, but how a Penn poly sci grad gets a job at Google is just because of his grades? give me a break.

[poly800rock]

Depends on what you want to go into. For med it obviously doesn't matter but for most professions (law, business, etc) it matters a lot.

Good Undergrad = good first job = good MBA/Law school/most everything else.

Most top companies only recruit at top ivies and a few top public schools...i can't tell you how many frustrated 4.0 GPA friends I have at solid public/liberal arts schools that can't land an interview simply because their school isn't "prestigious" enough for top firms.

The real world cares much too much about pedigree....sad but true.

what this guy said. he knows what he's talking about

[jeepster]

people swing this around like they have any idea what they're talking about or they're bitter they don't go to one. for the record, i didin't go to one. but I'll tell you one thing that isn't overrated, IVY FUCKING BRAND RECOGNITION AND ALUMNI network. Believe what you want, but how a Penn poly sci grad gets a job at Google is just because of his grades? give me a break.

I don't doubt this at all. And you know, it does work - but heres an example of the contrary:

undergrad and grad school ivy alum works for 30+ years, first in academia, then in governance at the grad school they attended in the office of the secretary, then moves onto found a non-profit at that school, moves on to a private non-profit. non-profit folds after the president/founder dies. they are now jobless for 2+ years.

why does double ivy status not hold up in this instance? obviously the economy now effects it, but for 2 years, this person has been trying to find a job, and even with ivy league recognition for both grad/undergrad, making this person highly qualified for any position that reflects the past work in their life, no work is to be found. is this the ivy recognition you're talking about?

[poly800rock]

because after 30 years, you should have blazed your own path. the same reason why after 5+ years of work experience, no one cares where you went to school and what your grades were. after a certain amount of time, you reap what you sow, and you're accountable, not the institution.

also a person out of school for 30 years looking for alumni hookups is a pretty ridiculous situation, THEY ARE THE ALUMNI new grads network through, not vice versa.

[jeepster]

because after 30 years, you should have blazed your own path. the same reason why after 5+ years of work experience, no one cares where you went to school and what your grades were. after a certain amount of time, you reap what you sow, and you're accountable, not the institution.

also a person out of school for 30 years looking for alumni hookups is a pretty ridiculous situation, THEY ARE THE ALUMNI new grads network through, not vice versa.

see, but the fact is that this person DID blaze their own path, but any alumni network is not going to always back up the graduate, thats a fact that is becoming more and more obvious each year due to graduation/return rates. this person is not necessarily looking for alumni hooks, but as you put it, the alumni network should work for them, not the other way around.

I'm just playing devil's advocate with your example.

[poly800rock]

see, but the fact is that this person DID blaze their own path, but any alumni network is not going to always back up the graduate, thats a fact that is becoming more and more obvious each year due to graduation/return rates. this person is not necessarily looking for alumni hooks, but as you put it, the alumni network should work for them, not the other way around.

I'm just playing devil's advocate with your example.

i still don't quite understand the point of this, except arguing for argument's sake

[jeepster]

i still don't quite understand the point of this, except arguing for argument's sake

basicalllllly.

[iakonafuji]

admitted into

1) the Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship school at University of Houston.

2) W.P. Carey School of business at Arizona State University

and i'm awaiting Babson College and Santa Clara University...

oh, and those UC's

[surfed57]

Got into the honors program at Boulder, plus they're offering me a whole buncha lotta money.

Haven't heard from any other schools yet.

[DEPHT]

see, but the fact is that this person DID blaze their own path, but any alumni network is not going to always back up the graduate, thats a fact that is becoming more and more obvious each year due to graduation/return rates. this person is not necessarily looking for alumni hooks, but as you put it, the alumni network should work for them, not the other way around.

I'm just playing devil's advocate with your example.

Have you ever used your school's alumni network at all? The most an alumni can do for you is let you bypass the company GPA cutoff or land you a first round interview. After that it's all up to the individual. Landing interviews is ridiculously difficult so getting even the first interview is tremendously helpful. This is what people mean when they say "help you get your foot in the door."

As for your example....its very very hard to become a tenured professor at any good university. For an Ivy you have to have done exceptional research/win the nobel prize/etc etc.

The fact that the guy moved on to nonprofits after 30 years in acadamia basically tells me that he couldn't get tenured. Plus the dude is now what, 50? 60? That's VP/MD level for firms/top senior positions anywhere else. Only way those guys land new jobs is either through headhunters or through their stacked resume, which this guy doesn't have. The dude couldn't get a job teaching and the most tangible work experience he has is at a non-profit. Factor in the economy and its not that hard to figure out.

People will always point out contrary examples but if you look at the resume books of the hiring class at any top firm you'll see that its usually stacked with top schools. Kids don't break backs in high school to try to get into top schools for nothing....

[maxlin]

got admitted into UCR

still waiting on the other UC's...

[MharcI]

Anyone here go or apply to Beth Israel for Nursing?

[djrajio]

Have you ever used your school's alumni network at all? The most an alumni can do for you is let you bypass the company GPA cutoff or land you a first round interview. After that it's all up to the individual. Landing interviews is ridiculously difficult so getting even the first interview is tremendously helpful. This is what people mean when they say "help you get your foot in the door."

This is about right.

But I will say for smaller firms, say VC/Hedge fund/law practices/start-ups, often the person making the hiring decision is your contact, so alumni connections can really help. In fact, just the fact that your contact may be friends with a person that could help open doors for you gives you 10X more credibility than if you cold-called or e-mailed out of the blue.

I will say this. Success in life isn't a 100 meter dash, its a marathon. So for you highschoolers who didn't get into your desired schools, don't give up. Study hard and pursue a top grad school or work the system creatively in your favor. Just because you get into a top undergrad school doesn't guarantee success afterwards and I find those that have had to face adversity towards their dreams are more hungry and more willing to get the education, experience, and knowledge required to get them succeed and go where they want go. Its really all about sacrifice.

Hang in there guys.

I know I am.

[poly800rock]

great advice.

[gettoasty]

I find it kind of ridiculous though.....that you have to pay to be part of the alumni association/go to their meetings etc.

If they are alumni, shouldn't you be able to access them free of charge?

Anyways, IMO, most of these college services can be easily accessed online i.e. the information you get. I think the tuition you pay that covers some of the fees should include any other association type fees as well.

[Corbin Law]

is anyone else debating this same trade off?

most of my friends are going to UT which is fucking huge. 40,000+

badass city experience in austin, doin all kinds of wild shit

huge classes and an indifferent administration

full of cwgs

id prefer to go to southwestern which is fucking small 1300+/-

badass academic experience, small classes, concerned proffessors who will take me out to steak dinners

just a quick drive north of UT.

[poly800rock]

you kind of have to pick which one you'll be more at ease in. plus which one will help you out in the future

[jonathanschley]

is anyone else debating this same trade off?

most of my friends are going to UT which is fucking huge. 40,000+

badass city experience in austin, doin all kinds of wild shit

huge classes and an indifferent administration

full of cwgs

id prefer to go to southwestern which is fucking small 1300+/-

badass academic experience, small classes, concerned proffessors who will take me out to steak dinners

just a quick drive north of UT.

read what you wrote and ask yourself what REALLY is going to benefit you most in the long run and i think it answers itself.

[keendream]

I got into Michigan Tech, while it's not very difficult to get into, I'm excited to take the classes.

[HBlack]

accepted to york

waiting on mcgill, queens and ryerson

[Handlethevibe]

Got into FIT. Thug. Transfer.

[Lucas]

Got into Parsons Paris.

[sarcastic]

Got into U of I, anyone else going there?

[maxlin]

got into UCR and SFSU

still waiting on the rest of the UC's

[roflobster]

got into university of the pacific

[sayocean]

Got into U of I, anyone else going there?

Urbana-Champaign? I applied for transfer there, still waiting on decision. Took a week for my HS to send out my transcript. WTF.

Got accepted to UIC (yeh, its not much but i'm ready to go back to school and get this shit over and done with)

Still waiting on UIUC.

Good luck to everyone who's waiting on pending decision!