daylatedollarshort
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2013
- Messages
- 9,358
Shout out! SJSU grad here, Class of '88.
In reality, I think if you are looking at a *terminal* four year program a degree from San Jose State (and hundreds of other institutions) is as solid as those with a top-tier rep. In the "top tier" schools, the most esteemed faculty are teaching grad students and/or doing research and have little contact with undergrads in many cases. In those schools undergrads are likely to be taught by grad students or adjunct faculty rather than full-time tenured PhD professors.
Granted, if you want to go to a top grad school, or for post-graduate studies in a professional field like medicine or law, or if you want to be employed in a place where you need a professional or post-baccalaureate degree -- "pedigree" matters a lot -- even if the underlying undergrad education may not be all that superior. THAT is where the snob appeal of "the right school" really matters.
+1. If your kid wants to be a Supreme Court Justice, San Jose State might not be the best path. And even with some tech companies, a name school matters, though Berkeley and UCLA are usually ranked pretty high on most best college lists and both are public schools. Community college transfers make up 20% of the undergrads at Berkeley.
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