choosing and getting into college

[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.