It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement—and sometimes the pressure—of choosing a prestigious college.
After all, when you tell parents, relatives, teachers, and friends that you’re applying to these schools, they’ll probably be impressed. But the road to admissions might be a little different. Here are five important things to consider when applying to a prestigious college.
What makes a school prestigious?
It depends on several factors, like the school’s history, notable alumni, and selectivity rate. Ivy League schools are considered prestigious. The same goes for certain top-tier liberal arts colleges, public universities, and specialized institutions. They could also be schools within an institution. For example, some well-known arts programs accept only a small fraction of their applicants.
Most prestigious universities
- Princeton University
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- Harvard University
- Stanford University
- Yale University
- University of Pennsylvania
- California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
- Duke University
- Brown University
- Cornell University
- Dartmouth College
- Columbia University
Should you attend a prestigious school?
Prestigious schools are typically among the country’s most selective. That means they accept only a small percentage of students who apply. For instance, Stanford, Yale, and Harvard have a 3% to 5% acceptance rate. So the question is: If you get a welcome letter from a prestigious school, should you automatically say yes?
It’s certainly a huge honor to be accepted, but attending a prestigious school may not be right for everyone. For one, while many have generous grant-based financial aid programs, they can still be much more expensive than other colleges—and they might not offer the programs and social experiences that are most important to you. Before you make your final college choice, ask yourself the following key questions.
1. Does your career require a prestigious college degree?
Ask your high school counselor, do some research, and talk to alums from different schools. You can also look at the LinkedIn® profiles of people in industries you’re interested in. A degree from an Ivy League school or other high-ranking college might make a difference if you’re applying to a competitive medical, law, or business school after college.
However, your college choice may not impress employers in the science, media, or technology industries as much. These employers may simply want proof that you have the skills they need. In such cases, you could get a solid education at a much more affordable school and still pursue your intended career. Colleges that offer robust internship, networking, and career development opportunities may make more sense for you.
2. Does the school offer the programs and experiences you want?
Whether the school is prestigious or not, you should still think about whether the college is your best fit. For instance, would you be comfortable majoring in something different than you had planned? Will you miss out on the chance to live off campus as an upperclassman because students tend to live in residence halls until graduation? At Stanford, about 97% of students live on campus. You should also consider the class sizes, extracurricular options, and study-abroad programs the school offers.
3. Are you comfortable with pressure?
High school students who get accepted to prestigious colleges often have top-notch grades, sky-high test scores, and résumés full of activities. If you get into a selective school, the on-campus atmosphere could be really demanding—academically and socially. Think carefully about whether you’re willing to compete for top college grades, keep up socially with classmates who are serious about networking, or apply to competitive clubs and extracurriculars.
That’s not to say you can’t have a well-rounded experience at a prestigious school—even if it is high pressure. If you’re serious about applying, visit the campus and talk to current students to get a sense of the overall vibe of the school.
4. Will you take on too much debt?
Unless you qualify for enough scholarships and financial aid, or your family can pay for most of your school costs, you could graduate from a prestigious school with more debt than if you went to a less expensive college. This is why you should consider your major, projected salary, and school costs when determining whether you should attend. Use a free tool like My College Plan to help calculate the return on your college investment and your ability to repay any student loan debt.
Keep in mind that some prestigious colleges offer generous financial aid packages for families who qualify. For the 2023 freshman class at Princeton, financial aid covered 100% of tuition, room and board for students whose families earned up to $100,000. The aid is in the form of grants—not loans—which means they do not have to be repaid. Other prestigious schools offer similar aid.
5. What does prestige mean to you?
For some people, getting into a prestigious college can be confirmation and validation of their intelligence and hard work. But there’s no guarantee that an Ivy League college degree will give you that feeling of validation you’re looking for. Talk to a variety of alums to get a sense of what different college experiences can be like.
Be honest with yourself about which factors are most important to you. In the long run, those things can matter a lot and influence how happy you are at college. When it comes down to it, choosing a college is about picking the right school for you—one that will give you the experiences you want and the education you need at a price you can afford. A school’s level of prestige is just one factor among many when it comes to selecting your school.
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