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> UF and FSU and Auburn are great schools and the quality of education there is probably comparable to that of Harvard, but that almost doesn't matter. What is

> UF and FSU and Auburn are great schools and the quality of education there is probably comparable to that of Harvard, but that almost doesn't matter. What is that based on? (Also, why those particular schools?) Here's one way to look at it: To learn something, some people want to learn from the best in the world and to study with the best in the world. They want to change the world and want to maximize their potential; they want professors and fellow students who can challenge them as much as possible, who can take them as far as possible. Some people are more oriented toward a less maximizing path, which is fine - maybe more about learning what is in the textbook from a decent professor. Possibly they indeed wouldn't benefit from Harvard. I suspect when people say things like 'Auburn's education is the same quality as Harvard's', they mean that the kind of education they got at Auburn wouldn't be better at Harvard. Maybe that's true, but Harvard offers something far greater, not available at Auburn. It's a chance to work with (and build relationships with) the very best minds in the world, some of the best in human history. Think of that kid in your high school who just blew away every class, even the hardest ones; who found other things outside school or at nearby colleges to challenge them. That kid wants to be around other kids like them, who challenge them, and around professors who can make the most out of their potential and passions.

tombert 2y ago
> What is that based on? (Also, why those particular schools?) I don't have any hard data, but I've worked with a ton of people who have been to a bunch of different schools, including Ivy League and they weren't appreciably better engineers than the people who went to decent state schools. I mentioned those particular schools because the parent comment mentioned them. > It's a chance to work with (and build relationships with) the very best minds in the world, some of the best in human history. > Think of that kid in your high school who just blew away every class, even the hardest ones; who found other things outside school or at nearby colleges to challenge them. That kid wants to be around other kids like them, who challenge them, and around professors who can make the most out of their potential and passions. Ok, no, I call bullshit, that's a common thing I hear about expensive yuppie schools but I don't buy it. The really hard decent students can easily be priced out because they don't want $300,000 of student loan debt. Not everyone can get scholarships. And "best minds in the world"? "best in human history"? Really? Think of nearly any politician that you think is a moron (I won't name names), and they probably went to an Ivy League school. I think it's utterly ridiculous to assume that only rich yuppies with rich yuppie parents are the "best minds in the world". This is elitist horseshit, and frankly I think it's harmful. It's an absurdly reductive and honestly naive view of the world, that really only exists to have some feeling of smug superiority about how smart you are because you went to a school that was paid for by your multimillionaire parents or you got into $300,000 of debt to learn the same shit you could learn at a decent state school. ETA: Sorry, I was wrong, people that are going to college aren't "yuppies" because they're not professional yet. Their parents might be yuppies, or just rich.

tombert 2y ago

> What is that based on? (Also, why those particular schools?) I don't have any hard data, but I've worked with a ton of people who have been to a bunch of different schools, including Ivy League and they weren't appreciably better engineers than the people who went to decent state schools. I mentioned those particular schools because the parent comment mentioned them. > It's a chance to work with (and build relationships with) the very best minds in the world, some of the best in human history. > Think of that kid in your high school who just blew away every class, even the hardest ones; who found other things outside school or at nearby colleges to challenge them. That kid wants to be around other kids like them, who challenge them, and around professors who can make the most out of their potential and passions. Ok, no, I call bullshit, that's a common thing I hear about expensive yuppie schools but I don't buy it. The really hard decent students can easily be priced out because they don't want $300,000 of student loan debt. Not everyone can get scholarships. And "best minds in the world"? "best in human history"? Really? Think of nearly any politician that you think is a moron (I won't name names), and they probably went to an Ivy League school. I think it's utterly ridiculous to assume that only rich yuppies with rich yuppie parents are the "best minds in the world". This is elitist horseshit, and frankly I think it's harmful. It's an absurdly reductive and honestly naive view of the world, that really only exists to have some feeling of smug superiority about how smart you are because you went to a school that was paid for by your multimillionaire parents or you got into $300,000 of debt to learn the same shit you could learn at a decent state school. ETA: Sorry, I was wrong, people that are going to college aren't "yuppies" because they're not professional yet. Their parents might be yuppies, or just rich.