Well, Bo is a senior in high school... And I couldn't care less about business schools, Ivy League or not. Creative arts and technology schools are the standard to me as a musician, singer, and software engineer.

Junior, but working on colleges. I'm probably going to stay in Indiana for college; either Butler or Earlham if they accept me. Maybe Depauw. The only reason I'm looking out of state is for security.

Post college I'd either like to stay in Indiana, go to Washington, or maybe Alaska. I'll probably take a mix of the two and go northwestern Canada at some point. Obviously I've got time to figure that stuff out....

bo, why the hell are you working on colleges as a junior?

Draug, Ivy league schools are more than just business schools. They all have excellent science and engineering programs, and many of them have decent music programs as well.

I know they do, but the schools you think of for the arts aren't Harvard or Yale, but Julliard and Berkeley Boston. And you CalTech and MIT are where most people think of as the top engineering schools.

Eh, the top twenty schools in a field like engineering are going to give you an identical education anyway, though you are right about the arts.

MIT and CalTech are also nearly impossible to get into.

Ghug, because my school makes me. It apparently helps me get more prepared. I don't know... not my choice.

Huh, that would have been nice. My school's counselors don't even bother to learn our names.

We also looked at Universities our Junior year as well. I thought that was standard practice.

My school has under 300 students and teachers that actually care. Small school and good teachers... two things that the budget cutters can't boast; also the two things that make me receptive to my education.

My school has teachers that care and help people from all levels of society rather than just those with rich parents, and they do it for a fraction of the salary. I'll stop talking before this turns into an education debate.

To me, it totally makes sense to be looking at colleges as a junior, including campus visits. That's how you know where to apply in the fall.

I did a few campus visits the summer before my senior year, so I understand that. Bo made it sound like he's actively involved in the applications process, which was what surprised me.

When I visited campuses, I started in Trieste, sailed across the Adriatic, and then used the 1931 rule variant that links Charybdis with the Maelstrom.
Austria captures Copenhagen in Autumn 1901.

Of which two is northwestern Canada supposed to be a mix?

Alaska and Washington.

How are Alaska and Washington northwestern Canada? I was talking Victoria and Whitehorse...

I am not involved in applications but I'm working on scholarships and have a bunch of visits scheduled over the course of this year and the summer.

"go to Washington, or maybe Alaska. I'll probably take a mix of the two and go northwestern Canada at some point."

Yes, northwestern Canada is between Washington and Alaska...

The top schools in the sciences, Draug, are Ivy just as often as MIT or Caltech. For example, in math, Princeton is widely regarded as the top school.

I hate that for some reason... I don't know why... what makes Princeton better than anyone else? Rankings? Tests? There are plenty of mathematicians that don't come out of Princeton... plenty of statisticians that come from community colleges... I get what you're saying, but what actually makes it "best" other than a list that Forbes presents?

bo_sox, in the case of Princeton and math, it's actually got nothing to do with a list that Forbes presents. It's the mutual judgment of the community of mathematicians based on the absolutely incredible history of mathematicians and mathematical research to be at / come out of Princeton. The department has had a hand in a great deal of the most important research of the 20th century (and more recently).

That said, I wouldn't get too upset. It's not like the margin is so huge it can't be overcome. There are plenty of other schools that are incredibly well respected, and nobody is going to automatically take a Princeton grad over (say) a Harvard or Caltech or Columbia grad. My point was merely that the Ivies can completely stand with the science specialty schools in the sciences -- whatever the reputation in movies may be.

Fair enough. Just seems to me that a lot of educational panels have lost one part of their judgement... I guarantee you that, if I were studying math, Princeton would *not* be best for me. It might get me the best employment opportunity in some abstract way but I don't see where that would apply to the quality of the school.

"I guarantee you that, if I were studying math, Princeton would *not* be best for me. It might get me the best employment opportunity in some abstract way but I don't see where that would apply to the quality of the school."

How on earth would you know that? Do you know something about math departments that I don't expect?

I couldn't manage in a class of 3 people... that's why. I couldn't do 150 either but those classes are just so damn small. I'm not the only one that thinks about that.

I'm not knocking on Princeton... in terms of credentials and history, it may well be the best university in the country in terms of post-school numbers and statistics. There are just things that aren't for me. It probably is perfect for someone else.

I couldn't get in there anyway ;)

Oh. OK.

Well, fair enough. Certainly different people have different matches, and nowhere is perfect for everybody. And anyway, when people say it's top, they really mean the research and grad program more than the undergrad program. Class size is pretty small almost everywhere in grad (at least for math).

But yeah, there are lots of different things to consider for undergrad.

True on graduate programs... I haven't looked at any yet (no reason for me to) so I can't really compare.

Not every school is for everyone. That's why it's important to do research and campus visits, and not just apply based on a name or ranking. I visited Princeton and decided it was not for me - beautiful place, but too far from a big city for my liking. I visted Yale and thought it was a pit. I did a week-long program at the Naval Academy and actually found it more appealing than I would have thought, but there is a huge focus on engineering, which did not interest me. Ultimately, I decided to stay local at Cal, which was the best choice for me.

I love when the LPTPW threads actually break out into meaningful conversation amd aren't just Maniac posting Munich. :-)

What meaningful conversation on an internet forum? You must be losing it.