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Should I aim for a top school like Harvard?

There are so many top schools like Harvard that I'm sure have their own benefits, but should I even aim to go there or stick with any regular college?

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Judeanne’s Answer

Hi Hanan!


Going to schools like Harvard is a very commendable thing, if it's for the right reasons. More importantly, if it's for the right degree. As you can see, I have the University of Pennsylvania on my resume. I went there because a professor recommended a specific program to me because of the qualifications of the program. There was a purpose behind me going there.


Don't be deterred from looking into any school if you want to go there. Just know why you want to go and how you're going to make it work. Many school cost A LOT of money and I will highly encourage you to not go into debt for your education. If you qualify for a scholarship - Fantastic! If you don't, that's fine too because many small schools - less expensive schools - offer high quality educations, often with a greater ability to interact with professors, which is highly important too.


Think of these things:

  1. What do you want to study?
  2. What can you afford for tuition? What scholarships or financial aide can you expect?
  3. What atmosphere will you thrive in? A city school? A suburban school? A rural school?
  4. What does the school offer for your desired program? Do they have a strong internship program? Is a semester abroad a possibility?
  5. If you know someone doing what you want to do for a living, where did they go to school? Why?


Before you worry about where you'll go, think about what you'll study and what you want to do when you graduate. Then, research schools which have programs for your field. Visit them and see if its a place where you want to spend four years of your life. If it happens to be a Harvard like school, fabulous. If it is a Penn State type school, fantastic. If it's a school like Tuskegee University, perfect. Maybe even a school like the Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris would be awesome.


Go anywhere but go to the best school for YOU.


Check out USNews. They love doing all kinds of research on colleges. They have lists of them that you can search and find a school where you'll thrive and set yourself up for a rewarding and special career.

Judeanne recommends the following next steps:

Decide what you want to study.
Check our the USNews website https://www.usnews.com/education
Visit schools that are affordable for you and will offer you the best course of study for your interests, at a place where you will feel at home and hopefully inspired.
Be selfish - in choosing the school that's best for you, not just because of its name or history, just what is best for you and your future.
Thank you comment icon Thank you! Hanan
Thank you comment icon You're welcome! Reach out anytime. Happy to help you. Judeanne Armenti
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Richard’s Answer

There are some fields like politics or business that rely on connections you can make during school. If you are going to be an investment banker, you should try for the top schools.

In other fields like science, engineering and medicine, the name of the institution on your diploma matters less.

Also, if your ultimate career will not be highly compensated you may not be able to justify the expense of a private school.
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Rachel’s Answer

This depends a whole lot on your resume. If you are at the top of your class with an excellent SAT score, and you would like to attend Harvard, then yes you should apply. If you do not have an impressive resume (at least top 2% of class) with a good SAT, then you might save yourself the time and not apply.
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