onemoretime
Dreaming the life
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2009
- Messages
- 4,455
- MBTI Type
- 3h50
What do you want to study? What sort of career do you see yourself in?
What do you want to study? What sort of career do you see yourself in?
Hmmmm, am I being too secretive about my intended major(s)?
Hmmmm, am I being too secretive about my intended major(s)?
I have toured both A&M College Station and UT Austin, and for some inexplicable reason, I HATED A&M. Practically speaking, it might've been the perfect school. It's cheap, it's decent, and it's a little more than an hour away from where I live, but I just didn't like it. Maybe it sounds a little wish-washy and new age-ish, but when I was there for an extracurricular program (I stayed on campus for a period time) I just didn't get the right vibes.
UT Austin, on the other hand, I actually liked quite a bit. Granted, I wasn't actually in Austin for academic reasons (SXSW!), but the campus vibe in general felt more comfortable to me when I visited. Something always in the back of my mind, though, is that if I go to UT, I will be with the exact same crowd of people I went to high school with. It's said among certain circles that UT Austin is pretty much a miniature of my high school, anyone who doesn't go Ivy or international goes there. Not that I mind, really, or that it's a huge concern, but it's another tiny negative added to the scale.
I think some people have pointed out that I'm strangely limiting my choices to two schools, but like my OP said, I'm planning to apply to seven. Columbia and UT are just the most attractive choices atm (I suppose location/ranking of my intended school of study and cost-effectiveness/comfort, respectively). Brown is figuring prominently into my considerations at the moment...but, it's just as pricey as Columbia, so that's a whole other issue in itself.
I'm gearing up for college applications (yes, it's a bit early to most, but in my mind, it's never too early) and I'm caught in a bit of dilemma.
I'm applying to seven schools, actually, but the top two are the University of Texas and Columbia University. I have a pretty fantastic transcript, not to brag, and I'm about 80% certain that if I apply to Columbia early decision, I'll get in (for Ivy Leagues, applying early decision is pretty much the only way to get in, unless you've got some kind of gob-smacking application), but if I do that, I lock myself into that school. Furthermore, I'm not sure what kind of financial aid I'll be getting, and as I'm sure most of you know...it's not cheap to go there.
If I go to the University of Texas at Austin, I'm pretty much guaranteed to get in, and it'll be practically free. My father was in the military, and state scholarships for children of veterans combined with academic awards I've picked up would make it very, VERY, cheap to go. However, I've been desperate to get out of Texas, and the thought of another four years here kind of weighs me down.
Advice?
There are some fields where UT would be just fine (for example, anything in the petroleum industry, or within the state of Texas). In other, if not most, fields, the Ivy League degree will absolutely provide a substantial advantage compared to alternatives. It's terribly unfair, but there are doors available to you as a Columbia grad that simply aren't there for a graduate of a state U, particularly in this day and age.
There's something important to note here - you don't go to college to get an education. An education might be a nice byproduct, but the reason you (assuming you're middle class) go to a university in the United States is to secure a signifier of elevated social class, or, when we're euphemizing it, that a person "has what it takes" to make it in a certain field.
Just something to keep in mind.
Depends what you are planning on studying. Law for example, I'd recommend the Ivy. Science not so much.
How old are you? This is one of those rare moments I disagree with you on all points. Your response seems to be based on logical conclusions, but lacks real world experience.
no. not ann arbor. if UT's 10% auto admitI'd put UT as like "a Michigan" tier.
No one will ever scoff at your school, and it will certainly be a "good school".
no. not ann arbor. if UT's 10% auto admit
is scrapped... still, no. UNC Chapel Hill would
be more competitive to Ann Arbor based on
selectivity.
In other, if not most, fields, the Ivy League degree will absolutely provide a substantial advantage compared to alternatives. It's terribly unfair, but there are doors available to you as a Columbia grad that simply aren't there for a graduate of a state U, particularly in this day and age.
But, it is true, in your long range goals you wanna aim higher. Your last alma mater is most important in terms of networking and prestige and also training/education. Going to a cheaper maybe less prestigious state school then going to an Ivy for grad school looks better (yes, we're all snobs) and looks like a better investment of time, money, and studying than the reverse - going to an expensive prestigious undergrad but then a cheaper, less prestigious state school for grad school.
(correct me if i'm wrong) but i think the us is one
of the few countries in the world that you can't go
directly into Law or Medicine as an undergraduate.
so there's no such degree as LLB.
they have pre-law and pre-med.
and law/med school for the postgraduate
I guess I'm of the opinion that a good state school can match/top the Ivy leagues in most programs. Not all, of course, but most. Ivy leagues appear to just be the prestige factor, and also the whole networking thing (tied to perceived prestige).
i don't agree with this, really. not as an undergraduate. if we are talking graduate school, medical school, law school, etc., than yes, but to be honest, as an undergraduate i don't think the name of your school matters nearly so much as what you did while you were there. if you're coming out of a state school with honors, publications, internships, awards, and connections, i think that's more significant than coming out of yale with a c transcript and little else.