This whole tbroker things got me thinking...
I remember applying to schools back in the day. I think I applied to something like 12 or 15 colleges....all the ivies, stanford, duke, mit, northwestern, michigan...in the end it came down to a few of them and then i went where i went.
Now during college sometimes I thought about the one I'd chosen and how things might have differed elsewhere.
But you know what, in the end, me and most of my friends who went to different colleges wound up getting good jobs, and the choice of college really faded into the distance. I think there's a good shot I would've wound up where I am even if I'd gone to school somewhere else. And once you're in the biz, no one really cares anymore. College gets you your first job, but then that job gets you your second job etc. Hell, the New York City private school network is far stronger than most college networks anyway.
So basically relax, especially you in the biz, things tend to work out alright.
Jimbo
You know, I agree. I always thought what if I went to the other school I got into, how things would have changed. And it does not matter because it is what it is. What college is good for everywhere are the friends you make and you keep.
Also, I agree on the private school network. For instance it helped me more when I was applying to internships and worked at ML then the people at MIT did.
Very well said. Couldn't agree more. Although you can't take these threads too seriously, as some are just having a little fun with it. Sarcasm and true intentions don't post very well.
Haha it took you THAT long to figure out it didnt matter which Ivy/Stanford/Duke etc you went to?
Somehow, I dont think thats much comfort for the people who didn't get into a private college with multi billion dollar endowments.
And honestly, if someone wonders how his life would have been different had he gone to MIT or Northwestern instead of Duke or Stanford...well it's sad they would have such a negative image of their own college and more importantly such a negative view on their own abilities.
"And honestly, if someone wonders how his life would have been different had he gone to MIT or Northwestern instead of Duke or Stanford...well it's sad they would have such a negative image of their own college and more importantly such a negative view on their own abilities."
You dont think going to school and living for four years in Boston, instead of Chicago, or California, or North Carolina would impact the direction of your life? It's more than just academics.
And as for your comment on 'private colleges with multi-billion dollar endowments' I'm reminded of the dialogue from American History X
"Bob Sweeney: There was a moment..like this. when I used to blame everything and everyone... for all the pain and suffering and vile things that happened to me, that I saw happen to my people. Used to blame everybody. Blamed white people, blamed society, blamed God. I didn't get no answers 'cause I was asking the wrong questions. You have to ask the right questions. Derek Vinyard: Like what? Bob Sweeney: Has anything you've done made your life better? "
Think about it. You spend roughly 36 months at a top institution surrounded by people from all over the world, in which the majority of your time is spent working, studying, and fornicating. Do I think it makes a huge difference whether you do these activities in Boston or Chicago? Not really. Plus, if you go to a school like Duke, Stanford, MIT, wherever, you SHOULD have the mobility to work in any geographic location in the free world, post graduation. I suppose by "direction of your life" you could mean love interests, social circle, maybe winning the lottery had you gone to USC etc etc. But thats really not what your original post is about.
Ummm...Thanks for that, good movie, but I really dont see what it has to do with ANYTHING I posted :P. I have nothing against top private colleges. Considering the overwhelming homogeneity in finance, I just found it very ironic and slightly sad that you just had an epiphany that your life and professional career would have been pretty much the same had you chosen "insert ivy league college here" instead of "insert another ivy league here".
Schumacher, a few things
1) This is not an epiphany I just had, by any means. But I am aware that a lot of people on this board are in college, or just out of college and they think about these things. It's no secret that you have a leg up coming out of a top school.
2) Your professional career could easily be similar out of top schools, but your life and who you are could be very, very different, because the nature of your peer group is different at different schools.
I found the difference in my life of me going to MIT over Harvard was HUGE never mind picking Stanford over Harvard. The culture, demographics, geographics, socioeconomics of the city, etc change you. In college there is a lot of time to sit around and just chat and if you are doing it in Boston or Palo Alto makes no difference when talking about a pair of socks but stuff like sports?
For instance people come to Boston schools and become Red Sox fans. They get into the Yankees rivalry understand the struggle before the World Series and that makes them change their attitude, they become bitter and drink their misery away!
The person who goes to Stanford has no baseball to root for so picks up surfing and by surfing realizes he likes to relax in the sun and slacks in school!
And the guys at Stanford have more hot girls to choose from at their school while us Boston kids at least have Northeastern, Boston College, and Smith.
To say that a different school does not change anything because the premise of school is the same is a misconception.
Jimbo's point is certainly valid --- selecting a college/university is a pretty big deal for most high school students.
The process can be overwhelming (especially if you have a lot of options).
I, for one, would have appreciated if teachers, parents, etc. spent more time explaining that these decisions are not going to make or break you.
My selection of college has made a huge difference in my life. Everyone I know thinks the same.
Choice of college means everything. I was talking to an associate the other day about the value of college and MBA programs. We concluded that college was really not so much about learning, but maturing. You go into college a blind, irresponsible, confused little person. Some come out the same way, but for most, they "grow up." I think that which college you go to determines how exactly you grow up. Students at business universities may turn into "high powered, do-it-yourself-ers" while the same students at a liberal arts college in the middle of nowhere would have much different exposure to the world. Of course, it is impossible to tell.
Career wise, my selection of college has not made the slightest difference in terms of ability to follow my career of choice. Heck, didn't major in anything finance related and here I am in i-banking.
Personality wise, I was changed drasticly in college. I became much more globally aware and started to care about current events in the business world (my college promoted international related events, and I studied abroad). Tell me this would have happened if I didn't have the newest WSJ for free in every building on my campus! There are so many subtleties that we just don't realize. Being surrounded solely by business students for 4 years teaches you how to interact with that kind of person. I have a much easier time handling interactions with business professionals than some history teacher I might meet at the bar. All of this, and so much more, is the result of the environment you choose.
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