choosing and getting into college

[Crankin]

Yes, Ana, there is a huge difference in the perceptions people have of colleges, depending where you live. The reason why MA has this problem is that we are home to the "World's Greatest University" and near other Ivy League schools. Then there's the other 200 very selective private colleges. In a nutshell, the competition is fierce. The U Mass campuses are seen as OK, but sort of as the place to go to save money if you want to. The state colleges are pretty much seen as inferior in the towns around Boston. Well, my son went to U Mass Amherst after attending a private college about 5 miles away for a year; he got a great education, studied in Italy, is bilingual, and is still working at the job he got through his internship in college. I took many courses for salary advancement at one of the state colleges. It was OK...
When I lived in Florida, everyone went to one of the state schools and quite a few went to community college first. In Arizona it was the same, only there's not as many universities (I think the rivalry between ASU and U of A is silly. They are both good schools). But, in AZ, it seems like not many kids leave the state to go to school and a lot more of them live at home while attending.
Just my rambling thoughts.

[Flur]

+1 on the perceptions difference in the US. As Ana mentioned, Michigan has great state schools. When I was in high school, if you were smart and wanted to be a doctor or lawyer or some other professional, it was assumed you'd go to U of M. Why look anywhere else when you have a top 50 school in-state? If you didn't like U of M for some reason or wanted to go into agriculture you'd go to Michigan State, which was also a highly-respected school. The in-state small private schools were good, but they weren't as good as U of M, so if you chose to go to one people would ask you why you didn't want to go to U of M. Even with me going out-of-state people would ask me why, when I could have gone to U of M. It seemed silly to them.

But then I got out to NJ and people seemed to frown on Rutgers and other state schools as a last resort if you didn't get into an ivy or a baby ivy. But my friends that went to Rutgers are all really successful, and happy with their college experience.

[Kimmyt]

Hmm, interesting about Rutgers. I never have heard that school disparaged (other than maybe location?), but I'm from PA. I know lots of people that went to state schools here, small and large, and were quite happy. Our PA state schools have a very good reputation as teaching colleges, and my brother went to a small state uni that is known for it's art dept for graphic design. I maybe know 1 or 2 people that went to private colleges, in fact both of them went to ivies.

I personally went to a state school, my perception (maybe because of my blue collar family upbringing) was that all kids went to state schools unless they were 'well off' or really really smart. I'm talking full scholarship smart.

I'm also curious what a 'baby ivy' is?

[Crankin]

Amherst, Williams, Bates, Middlebury, Claremont, Tufts, Brandeis....

A lot more, too.