hashish2020
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AlphaNumeric said:
Cambridge is not Oxford, Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth
Those campuses have such a culture of "high-minded" greed and overbloated egos that it becomes toxic.
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University vs. College -or- Degrees vs. Diplomas
- Thread starter Cyc
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Cambridge is not Oxford, Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth
Those campuses have such a culture of "high-minded" greed and overbloated egos that it becomes toxic.
It may not be, but the number of times I get that attitude towards me from people just because of the university I go to is incredible. As mwc1978 said, it results in me lying to some people about where I study, simply because they tar everyone with the same brush.
Do you honestly beleive that all however many thousand people who attend Harvard or Yale are all exactly the same, arrogant jerks? Yes, they might have a high percentage of jerks, higher than normal, or a higher percentage of oddballs (shit, I know loads of weird people) but they are still the minority of the student population.
Do you honestly beleive that all however many thousand people who attend Harvard or Yale are all exactly the same, arrogant jerks? Yes, they might have a high percentage of jerks, higher than normal, or a higher percentage of oddballs (shit, I know loads of weird people) but they are still the minority of the student population.
hashish2020
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AlphaNumeric said:
I believe it's not everyone---there are some damn cool people I know that go there---but it is an incredibly high proportion tho, at least compared to the general populace
Mona Lisa
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I could be wrong but my impression is that at least in England, that the most socially prestigious schools are actually based more at the secondary level rather than at university level. It seems to be a really big deal over here as to whether one went to a private versus a state school. Private schools are called public schools over here in England.
The most prestigious school is Eton without a doubt; it only takes boys and it's where Prince William and Harry went. Harrow is probably number two (where Sir Winston Churchill went). Winchester is the oldest public school and is not as socially elite as Eton or Harrow, but is probably the most academically elite. Many high up in the British civil service went there, as did many high up in the Treasury. Roedean is probably the most prestigious boarding school for girls. There are also many other elite schools but these are the ones that come to mind.
The most elite universities over here are probably Oxford and Cambridge but it also depends on what you're studying; consequently, the Courtauld and also the Warburg Institute are probably the most prestigious schools for History of Art (linked up with the University of London), though University of East Anglia is very good too. For sciences, Imperial College is one of the best; the London School of Economics is a great business school.
St. Andrews is also very prestigious, as is Durham.
I gather that the privately educated students at these universities tend to segregate themselves from the state-educated ones. One can usually tell by their accents whether they went to the elite boarding schools.
England is still a class-ridden country, even in 2006. People will deny it but I believe it still is.
I would agree that in America, it's more about where you went to university. When I was a teenager, my dream was to attend William and Mary because I loved the fact that it was in historic Williamsburg and is the second oldest college in America; that it is the only university that has been given a royal charter by the College of Heralds here in England. It is a great school academically but it is still a state university so will never be as socially prestigious as, say, Duke which is private and full of rich kids.
Harvard, Yale and Princeton are probably tops, though there are many others too. They have become more meritocratic and less about coming from money or Good Family because many students come in on scholarships, from what I understand. There is also political correctness that has taken over with quotas having to be filled, at least unofficially.
The most prestigious school is Eton without a doubt; it only takes boys and it's where Prince William and Harry went. Harrow is probably number two (where Sir Winston Churchill went). Winchester is the oldest public school and is not as socially elite as Eton or Harrow, but is probably the most academically elite. Many high up in the British civil service went there, as did many high up in the Treasury. Roedean is probably the most prestigious boarding school for girls. There are also many other elite schools but these are the ones that come to mind.
The most elite universities over here are probably Oxford and Cambridge but it also depends on what you're studying; consequently, the Courtauld and also the Warburg Institute are probably the most prestigious schools for History of Art (linked up with the University of London), though University of East Anglia is very good too. For sciences, Imperial College is one of the best; the London School of Economics is a great business school.
St. Andrews is also very prestigious, as is Durham.
I gather that the privately educated students at these universities tend to segregate themselves from the state-educated ones. One can usually tell by their accents whether they went to the elite boarding schools.
England is still a class-ridden country, even in 2006. People will deny it but I believe it still is.
I would agree that in America, it's more about where you went to university. When I was a teenager, my dream was to attend William and Mary because I loved the fact that it was in historic Williamsburg and is the second oldest college in America; that it is the only university that has been given a royal charter by the College of Heralds here in England. It is a great school academically but it is still a state university so will never be as socially prestigious as, say, Duke which is private and full of rich kids.
Harvard, Yale and Princeton are probably tops, though there are many others too. They have become more meritocratic and less about coming from money or Good Family because many students come in on scholarships, from what I understand. There is also political correctness that has taken over with quotas having to be filled, at least unofficially.