quote:Originally posted by jon-nyc]
The ironic thing is the elite schools would lose much of their appeal.
Most of their appeal is in conferring status, and much of their ability to do that is based on the fact that the kids of the elite go there. If they all became CalTechs, they would lose much of their ability to confer status.
(obviously CalTech is an impressive place, don't get me wrong, but it just doesn't mark status like Yale or Harvard)
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The most dangerous word in the language is "obvious"
quote::
Originally posted by Cindysphinx:
You know what would be great fun? If college admissions were completely blind.
You submit your essays, your scores, your transcript, class rank, your other soft qualities. College knows nothing about you otherwise.
I'll bet a lot of rich kids would get left out. They would all have these carefully crafted profiles, but they wouldn't have legacy or admission based on connections or donations. Poor babies.
I think we would wind up with some really interesting, deserving people getting admitted, and diversity would take care of itself.
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The most dangerous word in the language is "obvious"
quote:Originally posted by Amanda:quote:Originally posted by jon-nyc]
The ironic thing is the elite schools would lose much of their appeal.
Most of their appeal is in conferring status, and much of their ability to do that is based on the fact that the kids of the elite go there. If they all became CalTechs, they would lose much of their ability to confer status.
(obviously CalTech is an impressive place, don't get me wrong, but it just doesn't mark status like Yale or Harvard)
Hey, Jon, I disagree with this last.
Last I heard, Cal-Tech and MIT are rated back and forth for the best tech schools in the world (with Cal-Tech rising in status).
I dare say, though, that it's loads harder to graduate (much less with top grades) from either one without REALLY having the creds than from the Ivies.
True, however, that one would be less able to "network" there than at the Ivies - a major plus for future success, including frat connections where they still exist.
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If you think looting is bad wait until I tell you about civil forfeiture.
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"A mob is a place where people go to get away from their conscience" Atticus Finch
quote:Originally posted by jon-nyc:
Obviously CalTech is tops in science and math (well, with MIT and perhaps even IIT fighting it out). So in that context it conveys all the status in the world, but they simply don’t have a history -and a present - of being finishing schools for the ruling class.
A lot more people have the desire and ability to join the ruling class than have the ability and desire to be math and physics stars.
quote:I think Princeton and Yale and maybe Harvard and Stanford and Harvey Mudd would want to slap you set you straight.
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Mary Anna Evans
http://www.maryannaevans.com
MaryAnna@ermosworld.com
quote:Originally posted by Mary Anna:quote:I think Princeton and Yale and maybe Harvard and Stanford and Harvey Mudd would want to slap you set you straight.
Just took a gander at US News and World Report's top engineering schools, because that list just didn't sound right to me.
Stanford is #2, behind #1 MIT, and Cal Tech is #5.
Princeton is lower at #17, although I certainly think of them at the top in physics. Harvard is #21. Yale is #38.
Harvey Mudd is not on that list at all, although it is #1 on the list of "undergraduate engineering programs at schools where doctorate not offered," which sounds to me like damning with faint praise. That's not just comparing apples and oranges. It's kind of like comparing apples and petunias.
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Mary Anna Evans
http://www.maryannaevans.com
MaryAnna@ermosworld.com
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Mary Anna Evans
http://www.maryannaevans.com
MaryAnna@ermosworld.com
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Mary Anna Evans
http://www.maryannaevans.com
MaryAnna@ermosworld.com
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If you think looting is bad wait until I tell you about civil forfeiture.