Hamid
Is it better to go to a good school and get okay grades or go to a lower school and get good grades?
I am a junior in high school. I am looking to apply to colleges next summer and just wanted to get a heads up to see what I was aiming for. #college #college-major #university #college-majors
2 answers
Ryan Maloney
Ryan’s Answer
Hello Hamid,
In my opinion I think each school is independent to the student applying to it. One school is not necessarily better than other schools for every student. It is very important to research the programs you might be interested in more so than the overall prestige of the school. For example, I went to The University of Massachusetts in Amherst, which would be lucky to find itself on top 100 overall college lists. However, I did research and applied to their hospitality program which ranks in the top 5 nationally on a consistent basis. Try not to let yourself get too wrapped up in the prestige of schools nearly as much as the prestige of your specific area of study.
That being said, when you do start to look at programs I firmly believe you go into the program that has high prestige and the most challenging workload.
1) You in no way know that you're going to get poorer grades.. if you put in full effort and commitment to your studies, you can accomplish anything at any university.
2) Recruiters want to know that you have been taught properly. Getting B's in a rigorous class load in a top-tier program looks a lot better than a 4.0 in a school you shouldn't have attended and took a semester of ballroom dance at. (assuming ballroom dancing isn't your career of choice).
3) You'll gain more respect for yourself by attempting something that challenges you, and you'll build confidence when you succeed. You never know what you can accomplish until you try, and exiting school with a high-level of confidence is a huge head start on your professional career.
Best of luck,
Ryan
Nicole Baillie
Nicole’s Answer
Thanks for this very important question. Interestingly even when I was in college, there was this notion floating around that a 2.5 from one school was better than a 3.5 from another school. Building on the very awesome answer that was previously provided, I caution individuals on starting their college journey with the idea that they could/should "relax" their efforts to get the best grades possible just because they believe the college they are attending is "just ok".
As in high school, when applying to colleges, employers seek college graduates who demonstrate their willingness to stretch themselves and take on important (sometimes hard) tasks. One way to demonstrate that is to take college course loads that balance building up strong analytical skills with building a wide view on the environment around them. As an engineer, I constantly draw on inspiration that has nothing to do with math or science, to create ways to do things better. Sometimes that takes time...needing time to stop, think and then implement. In other words, if individuals aren't taking on work that challenges them in college, it is possible that they won't take on a job or career that challenges them. Certainly that is the choice individuals have but that is choice and in my view, is not tied to going to an "ok" vs "good" school.
Again, I echo the spirit of the previous answer. Do your research and choose a college and curriculum that allows you to apply (and even stretch) yourself. I suspect you will be glad at what you have achieved and maybe even surprise yourself at your own success. Best of luck to you!