I don't like the direction of the last few posts which in part imply the portrayal of a brand name hunter. Rest assured that I based my decision on so much more than just the name of the university.... I am confident that I will receive the best possible education at Harvard in my field(s) of interest (by which I am not devaluing NYU's quality in any way).
On the other hand, don't be so naïve to neglect the power of perception either. We are living in a world of expectations, simplifications and prejudices, in which the perception of one's education is just as important as its actual quality. What is the best possible education worth if anyone else thinks it's useless? Or are you studying exclusively for the gain of knowledge as such? I am not saying this is a good thing, I'm just stating a fact.
I
Dear Sam, I read again all the posts again and still cannot understand why you got upset. The comments can be summarized as: 1) University education only takes you to a certain point; you are thereafter on your own; 2) real life begins after university.
I don't think anybody was commenting about your situation in particular (at least I wasn't). You seemed to have done your homework and look pretty convinced that it's the best for you. Congratulations, and good for you. But that doesn't change the fact that many decisions are taken by others purely on the ranking of the institution (not even it's reputation!). It suffices to read other threads to see what I am talking about.
To finalize, I wanted to note that I fully agree on the issue of perception. Just be aware that, like Damocle's sword, it cuts both ways: the better the school name, the less forgiving people will be of mistakes.
All the best!
<blockquote> I don't like the direction of the last few posts which in part imply the portrayal of a brand name hunter. Rest assured that I based my decision on so much more than just the name of the university.... I am confident that I will receive the best possible education at Harvard in my field(s) of interest (by which I am not devaluing NYU's quality in any way).
On the other hand, don't be so naïve to neglect the power of perception either. We are living in a world of expectations, simplifications and prejudices, in which the perception of one's education is just as important as its actual quality. What is the best possible education worth if anyone else thinks it's useless? Or are you studying exclusively for the gain of knowledge as such? I am not saying this is a good thing, I'm just stating a fact.</blockquote>I
Dear Sam, I read again all the posts again and still cannot understand why you got upset. The comments can be summarized as: 1) University education only takes you to a certain point; you are thereafter on your own; 2) real life begins after university.
I don't think anybody was commenting about your situation in particular (at least I wasn't). You seemed to have done your homework and look pretty convinced that it's the best for you. Congratulations, and good for you. But that doesn't change the fact that many decisions are taken by others purely on the ranking of the institution (not even it's reputation!). It suffices to read other threads to see what I am talking about.
To finalize, I wanted to note that I fully agree on the issue of perception. Just be aware that, like Damocle's sword, it cuts both ways: the better the school name, the less forgiving people will be of mistakes.
All the best!
