college advice?

[Skyblu]

Yes, it all depends on what you plan to be, I am a student loan collection officer at a major college and I see alot of people who attend our school for 4 years get a degree and then wind up working for alot less money than they thought, doing a job they thought they would never do that does not require any degree and owing tons of loans that they can't and won't ever be able to repay. I never went to college other than trade school and I make a decent salary more than most of the students I try to collect on. My trade was auto mechanic and I never got a job doing that in the 80's because I was female, no one would hire me so that never panned out either, I sold auto parts for 8 1/2 years instead. I have worked at this University for 16 years now and wouldn't change a thing.Good Luck with whatever you do.

[Xanthos]

Originally Posted by Skyblu

My trade was auto mechanic and I never got a job doing that in the 80's because I was female

I don't mind females working on my engine... I prefer it, actually.
- X

[Skyblu]

Originally Posted by Xanthos

I don't mind females working on my engine... I prefer it, actually.
- X

Well that's what I would have thought but apparently you are the minority, I guess they thought I didn't know what I was doing, but I enjoyed working in the auto parts industry instead, didn't get my hands as dirty and still got paid rather well towards the end of my career. I still knew more than alot of the mechanics calling me for the parts!

[monkeywrenching]

Originally Posted by Nova65

As a college recruiter for a large engineering firm in the Los Angeles area, I know from personal experience that companies do not necessarily pay you more based upon the school you go to. Your salary will be determined by your major, GPA, achievements, and internship/co-ops .

One of the things that employers look at also is that you had the drive and ambition to go to college and finish. How you fit into the job you are applying for is important not the school you graduated from.Are you a team player, have you demonstrated that you can work alone on a project with positive results. Do you interview well also plays a role.

When you go to college try to become well rounded as in clubs, community service, internships and even greek life.

[nova]

For undergrad work, I'd recommend looking for a state school with a good program in whatever you want to go into. A cheap state school with a well respected program will get you far.

I wouldn't even look at Ivy League for undergrad. Grad work is a different story entirely though...

[drtwo]

Unless you are going to aspire to work as a CEO in a Fortune 500 company or other high profile career that looks for the 'brand name education', no one cares if your degree is from a state University or an Ivy League school. Both give you the same diploma and the difference is how long you will need to pay off the bill... I'd say, don't waste the money. Of the thousands of kids that attend Ivy League schools, only a handful have benefited from the name, because no one truly cares

[redlightroxy]

There's some great advice posted here... another thing you may want to look at - AP credits. I don't know if you took any AP credits, but if so, you will want to look at what each school accepts for credits. When I was looking at the two major universities in my state, I ultimately chose the one that gave me more credits for my AP classes. Because of this, I entered undergrad with enough credits to classify me as a sophomore, and saved tons of $$!!

Something to keep in mind.

[The_Blur]

In all honesty, a Berkeley graduate is no more qualified for a job requiring a BA than a DeVry graduate on paper. It would be valuable to have a Master's from a well-respected school, but an undergrad degree from the Ivy League will not substantially benefit you.

[Dave Coyle]

To be truthful with you, I would not go for the "big" money college for your first year or even the second year. Most people change their mind as to what degree they actually end up with. Do some of your basics and really figure out what you want to do for the rest of your life then maybe go to the "better" college if you really need to to get the degree you want. Just my thought but it is your decision and life so you need to do what is best for you, just make sure that you DO go to college and advance your education, you will need it in todays jobs.

[Taniel]

I wouldn't have to take out loans to pay for school - I'm just trying to figure out if it's worth it. I realize that the education doesn't really vary, but the impression I have is that you can't have the connections like the ones you'll make at an Ivy Leage school anywhere else; that's the main reason I'd want to go somewhere like that.

[2ndgenz28]

Become a free mason then

ask one to be one.

[omegaman]

Originally Posted by Taniel

So I'm a senior in high school and I'm going to be applying to a few Ivy Leagues. Assuming I get in, is it worth paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for undergrad?... I think I'm a shoe in for Berkeley, which is a lot cheaper. What do you guys think?

Consider getting a great education at a institution of your choice (including ivy league) completely paid for, and serving your country at the same time:

Army ROTC
Air Force ROTC
Navy ROTC

[HeatherR]

Originally Posted by Taniel

I wouldn't have to take out loans to pay for school - I'm just trying to figure out if it's worth it. I realize that the education doesn't really vary, but the impression I have is that you can't have the connections like the ones you'll make at an Ivy Leage school anywhere else; that's the main reason I'd want to go somewhere like that.

An Ivy League education is a little more than attending a "name brand" school, but for undergrad it really depends on what you're going for and how dedicated you are out of the gate...

I went to school to teach and I love every minute of it, however, even if I could get into an Ivy League it would have been a complete waste of my money. My husband, on the other hand, went to Cornell for both undergrad and Masters and I am sure it was a great choice for his career.

I would not suggest going to into debt to do it....

[Zeus]

Originally Posted by Taniel

So I'm a senior in high school and I'm going to be applying to a few Ivy Leagues. Assuming I get in, is it worth paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for undergrad?... I think I'm a shoe in for Berkeley, which is a lot cheaper. What do you guys think?

Depends on the field you want to go into, normally I'd say its ALWAYS better to go to a big time school... unless the area you want to go into has a better program at a different school.