How much does the competitiveness of a college matter?

[johncmcleod]

The college admissions process has gotten a lot more competitive over the last three or four years, and we're to the point now where schools are getting more competitive every year. There were four or five schools that I really wanted to go to that were all very competitive, but I didn't get into any of them. Here is how my college process turned out (in order of how badly I wanted to go to the school):

Stretch schools
1. Amherst-waitlisted
2. Williams-don't know (won't get in, Williams is more competitive, and the only reason I got into Amherst was because of a connection and a damn good and creative supplementary essay, and Williams didn't have a supplementary essay).
Maybe schools:
3. Dartmouth-rejected
4. Middlebury-waitlisted
5. Bowdoin-waitlisted
Shoe-in schools:
6. Boston College-waitlisted
And I don't have nearly the desire to go to either of these two as any of the six above, the first I applied to because the application was free and to be careful I wanted another safety school, the second was for a shot at a scholarship that I don't think will pan out:
7. Colgate-accepted
8. Holy Cross-accepted

No one on the waiting list ends going to the school pretty much (at Amherst 30 of 977 went last year), so I will most likely end up at the bottom two. I am disappointed, because they aren't nearly as selective as some of the ones I wanted to go to. But how much does selectivity really matter? I do think I will go to grad school in something, so I think that will make a difference. And it probably depends on what you're studying. I think I'll major in English, hopefully with a concentration with creative writing, but I could see myself also studying Philosophy, Anthropology, Sociology, Psychology, a foreign language (I plan on studying abroad), and/or Religious Studies.

But how much will the selectivity effect my overall college experience and education? A lot of people are telling me competitiveness doesn't matter, but if that is the case, was it a mistake for me to go to a very expensive, competitive school when I probably could have gone to a lower calibre private school (such as Seattle University or University of San Fransisco or Carroll College or some place like that) for cheaper, or a state school (especially a lower calibre one like University of Idaho) for very cheap?

My parents are not rich, and because my dad is a landlord and owns a lot of property, we probably won't get any financial help. And I think I want to go to grad school on top of that. So moneywise, the next 10 years are probably going to be pretty scary. I am hoping it is worth it. What are your thoughts?

[Eli]

I think I'll major in English, hopefully with a concentration with creative writing, but I could see myself also studying Philosophy, Anthropology, Sociology, Psychology, a foreign language (I plan on studying abroad), and/or Religious Studies.

Why waste money on professions with bad paychecks?

[Dis]

unless you are really interested in those subjects. But if it's only a passing interest, I'd pass (makes sense).

But as I found out with my last job, there's only so much **** I'm willing to put up with for a good paycheck.

[Al B. Sure!]

I hear graduate school is what really matters... study whatever the hell you want in the four year school that is basically high school part 2

ah... what happened to the black font?

[Provost Harrison]

1. Oxford - accepted
2. Nottingham - offered
3. York - offered
4. Leeds - offered
5. Sheffield - offered
6. Hull - offered

[Imran Siddiqui]

As long as a school is respected (and isn't, say, NorthEastern Community College of Partying), the competitiveness won't matter too much. Try to stay in the Top 100 schools according to US News (you want to have a school that academic people know about in case you want to go to grad school).

[Jaguar]

Colgate's respected.

[Provost Harrison]

...as a toothpaste

[Al B. Sure!]

I go to Temple

hopefully my good GPA will help me out.

[johncmcleod]

I have no idea what I'm going to do for a profession, but those are my interests, and I think I'll probably teach in those areas. I don't want some office job, I can't think of any professions that I'd like. But I really like learning and thinking about those things, and from the advice I've gotten, I'm planning on finding what I am passionate about, studying that, and hoping the rest will fall into place. I'm just not sure if I made the right decision in my college process, because when I chose where I'd apply and try to go to, I chose with competitiveness as my main factor, and within the competitive colleges I looked for specific ones that fit. (I'm pretty sure Colgate and Holy Cross are in the top 50 or 60, because they made the Barron's guide of competitive college and it has that many in it). In retrospect, maybe cost should have been my main factor. What do you think?

[johncmcleod]

AS, if you are going to grad school, just make sure you have a good GPA and resume and everything, and you'll get in even if the school isn't as competitive as others. It helps to go to a competitive college, but it isn't absolutely necessary from what I understand.

[Wycoff]

The better your undergraduate institution, the better you'll be when you apply for graduate school. It isn't completely determinative, but it plays a very big role.

For example... a student with a 3.7 GPA from a top 30 school would stand a much better chance of getting into a great graduate school than would a student with a 4.0 from a mediocre or crappy school.

If you're in a top 30 school, then there's not much difference between attending school ranked at 13 and the school ranked at 30.

My advice: go to Colgate unless Holy Cross gives you a great financial package. It's the better of the two schools.

[Jon Miller]

Re: How much does the competitiveness of a college matter?

Originally posted by johncmcleod
The college admissions process has gotten a lot more competitive over the last three or four years, and we're to the point now where schools are getting more competitive every year. There were four or five schools that I really wanted to go to that were all very competitive, but I didn't get into any of them. Here is how my college process turned out (in order of how badly I wanted to go to the school):

Stretch schools
1. Amherst-waitlisted
2. Williams-don't know (won't get in, Williams is more competitive, and the only reason I got into Amherst was because of a connection and a damn good and creative supplementary essay, and Williams didn't have a supplementary essay).
Maybe schools:
3. Dartmouth-rejected
4. Middlebury-waitlisted
5. Bowdoin-waitlisted
Shoe-in schools:
6. Boston College-waitlisted
And I don't have nearly the desire to go to either of these two as any of the six above, the first I applied to because the application was free and to be careful I wanted another safety school, the second was for a shot at a scholarship that I don't think will pan out:
7. Colgate-accepted
8. Holy Cross-accepted

No one on the waiting list ends going to the school pretty much (at Amherst 30 of 977 went last year), so I will most likely end up at the bottom two. I am disappointed, because they aren't nearly as selective as some of the ones I wanted to go to. But how much does selectivity really matter? I do think I will go to grad school in something, so I think that will make a difference. And it probably depends on what you're studying. I think I'll major in English, hopefully with a concentration with creative writing, but I could see myself also studying Philosophy, Anthropology, Sociology, Psychology, a foreign language (I plan on studying abroad), and/or Religious Studies.

But how much will the selectivity effect my overall college experience and education? A lot of people are telling me competitiveness doesn't matter, but if that is the case, was it a mistake for me to go to a very expensive, competitive school when I probably could have gone to a lower calibre private school (such as Seattle University or University of San Fransisco or Carroll College or some place like that) for cheaper, or a state school (especially a lower calibre one like University of Idaho) for very cheap?

My parents are not rich, and because my dad is a landlord and owns a lot of property, we probably won't get any financial help. And I think I want to go to grad school on top of that. So moneywise, the next 10 years are probably going to be pretty scary. I am hoping it is worth it. What are your thoughts?

selectivity only matters if you are going into a field in which it matters (like physics, honestly)....

after that, another thing to consider is connections, which I have heard that lots of rich kids go to Colgate (so that school might be good for connections)

also, make sure it is a place you can enjoy yourself and be successful...

JM

[Jon Miller]

Originally posted by johncmcleod
AS, if you are going to grad school, just make sure you have a good GPA and resume and everything, and you'll get in even if the school isn't as competitive as others. It helps to go to a competitive college, but it isn't absolutely necessary from what I understand.

GPA matters less, what research you have done, the letters of recommendation, what school you are from, and your GRE scores matter more (this is because some schools you have to struggle for a B, others pretty much everyone gets As...)

Jon Miller
(the above is true for Physics and Math at least)

[Japher]

AS sighting!!!!!!

Temple is a good school

so is Colgate, I don't know of Holy Cross, but it sounds gay.

Getting in vs. not getting is not a matter of competitiveness, only the level of the school you didn't get accepted too. Not getting Ivy league is general... IMO, it's not what you got that matters, it's what you do with what you got that makes all the difference. I went to an outstanding school and did nothing to great with it.

OTOH, Jerry Rice went to some no name school in some backwoods state and still made the draft