Does your college really matter?

[obbay]

My little brother graduated from Notre Dame with honors and a degree in English, which is one of the worst majors for finding a job. it enabled him to secure a job at the mall in retail and after a year or two, go on for his Masters in Education at night school. (He's a smart guy too. he used to dabble in the stock market with his paper route money before he was in high school (brother in law was a broker)- I always thought he would go into business.)
Forbes Welcome

 

[chinamigarden]

Or you could get the whole education for about $1.50 in late charges from your public library.

 

[Elk Grove Hurricane]

I've known a lot of Ivy grads (more Little Ivy for what it's worth, and I'm an alumnus of none of them), but never met any idiots, who graduated from any of those schools. Several weren't blessed with common sense or a lot of ethics (smartest and most corrupt attorney I ever dealt with is a Harvard law grad), but a degree from those schools opens any door you want outside of athletics. That's not to disparage any of the State schools, as every Sacramento State grad I've met is pretty bright and has used their degree to get where they want to be. Still, if your DD or DS gets into an Ivy and you can afford it, I think it's almost negligent not to go.

 

[Indiana]

DD is 15, right now she wants to be veterinary. Not sure that is spelled correctly, animal doctor.

I have visions in my head of her coming home crying.

Hey Quincy - I started out "pre-vet" and was quickly relegated to the bottom quarter due to my extraordinarily poor performance in Organic Chemistry. 20 years later, after working in pharmaceuticals for a while, I work at a non-profit equine facility working with kids. I love it, and my degree has come in very handy, even after all of these years. The interesting thing is that many of my co-workers are young women who recently graduated from college, who ALSO failed out of their pre-vet programs. It is an extremely competitive program - I made the mistake of going to one of the toughest schools in the country and I sometimes regret it. If I had to do it over again with the express goal of getting into vet school, I would have gone to a state school where I could have excelled academically. I also would have gotten my "veterinary technician" license - something your DD can do in a summer at the local community college, and worked summers in a vets office. It's also important to get large animal experience. Many riding facilities need help with general barn chores, your DD could call some up and offer her services gratis. Your DD is only 15, so she might change her mind but if not - good luck to her and I hope she makes it!!

 

[riseball]

Hey Quincy - I started out "pre-vet" and was quickly relegated to the bottom quarter due to my extraordinarily poor performance in Organic Chemistry. 20 years later, after working in pharmaceuticals for a while, I work at a non-profit equine facility working with kids. I love it, and my degree has come in very handy, even after all of these years. The interesting thing is that many of my co-workers are young women who recently graduated from college, who ALSO failed out of their pre-vet programs. It is an extremely competitive program - I made the mistake of going to one of the toughest schools in the country and I sometimes regret it. If I had to do it over again with the express goal of getting into vet school, I would have gone to a state school where I could have excelled academically. I also would have gotten my "veterinary technician" license - something your DD can do in a summer at the local community college, and worked summers in a vets office. It's also important to get large animal experience. Many riding facilities need help with general barn chores, your DD could call some up and offer her services gratis. Your DD is only 15, so she might change her mind but if not - good luck to her and I hope she makes it!!

I have heard that some university veterinary schools have higher admission standards than their respective medical schools. DW is a former Ram and has said that CSU is one of the best of the best for Equine.

 

[Sweet Lou]

I think Harvard is in a class by itself. The endowments they have and how they grant money based on income. It can be less
Expensive then the crappy private college in your state (any state) that is offering a partial scholly

Tangent as this is not related to SB or athletic based money but...

Need based academic money is absolutely available at Ivy league schools.

DDs best friend from HS is going to Cornell for almost nothing due to need based academic money. But I doubt Cornell gives out free ride athletic scholarships. And I think her major is related to English somehow I'm not sure.

If you've got great grades and SAT scores by all means reach for that dream school and see what money they offer. If they don't offer money you can always go to that state school.

 

[Indiana]

Hey Riseball and Sweet Lou - couple of crazy coincidences -

Yes CSU is amazing! I once met a vet student from CSU and I was star-struck. I'm about 40 miles south of CSU; my daughter's high school sends an equal number of kids to both CU and CSU.

The college I graduated from was, in fact, Cornell. If it comes up, tell your DD's friend that Cornell can be crazy competitive but to keep her head up and know that there will be lots of kids who are smarter than she is, but lots who aren't. Despite my failure in Organic Chem, looking back, it was actually a very good experience which led me to where I am today. Cornell gave me the confidence to know that I can figure out almost anything. In fact, once I was working in pharmaceuticals, organic chem made a lot more sense, and I often acted as the liaison between the chemists and the clinicians.

Oh and make sure your DD's friend brings lots of warm clothes. My daughter is now a freshman at Syracuse, about an hour away, and the weather truly is epic. Just look up "lake effect snow"

 

[Sweet Lou]

Oh and make sure your DD's friend brings lots of warm clothes. My daughter is now a freshman at Syracuse, about an hour away, and the weather truly is epic. Just look up "lake effect snow"

Ha,ha. My DD is going to RHIT down the street from Indiana State she now knows all about cold weather and warm clothes, I'm sure her friend is in the same boat in upstate NY.

 

[Greenmonsters]

Ha,ha. My DD is going to RHIT down the street from Indiana State she now knows all about cold weather and warm clothes, I'm sure her friend is in the same boat in upstate NY.

Having gone to college in the middle of nowhere 38 miles SE of Syracuse, I would say that lake effect snow is a different animal entirely!

 

[Sweet Lou]

Having gone to college in the middle of nowhere 38 miles SE of Syracuse, I would say that lake effect snow is a different animal entirely!

Cold is cold. One of the reason I don't miss New Jersey. But yes anytime severe weather hits you like Lake Effect Snow, Polar Vortex or some other such thing I'm sure it sucks being in it.