Basically, the reputation of an institution should come second. Not everyone is suited for Harvard or Oxbridge. Not everyone will be happy at Harvard or Oxbridge. Instead, reputation should be secondary in your decision. Focus on how the school will benefit you and help you achieve your dreams, in addition to how it matches your personality and tendencies.
Since the original article was written in Bahasa Indonesia, I've translated it to English. Enjoy!
How Important is Your University's Reputation?
A list of university names stared back at me, pleading
for me to finally make my mind up. My mind shifted from one criteria to the
next, making sure that they would result in a reasonable and complete decision.
After scribbling on the white board over and over again, I managed to eliminate
all of my choices, except for two. One was a school in California and the other
was in New York. I left it there and then, only to come back a few days later
with a bold statement that I would be heading to the Big Apple.
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| Snapshot of the IM article |
To most Indonesians, it was startling to learn
that it took me about two years to come to that decision. I scoured different
sites and books to look for the perfect institution. When the time came, I
chose to stop all the commotion and focused on matching the school with me.
Only then, did I realize that I was meant to attend Sarah Lawrence College.
Although, I had made my choice and burnt some
bridges, I was still hesitant about SLC, which was considered the most
expensive college in the U.S. at that time. However, after discovering that the
tuition for international students were similar to fee required by the other
schools I had applied to, I was an inch closer to a confident decision. A few
days later, I confirmed that the strengths of the college, including the
writing intensive program, comprehensive theatre department, a dedicated Don,
and a small sized class packed full of discussions, matched my aspirations.
Sarah Lawrence, known to be one of the most
eccentric schools in the U.S., begs a whole lot of questions from friends and
family. Assumptions were made and feelings were hurt. One family friend once
said, “You must have tons of free time to have fun in the city since you have
no exams!” Another inquired, “So you think Sarah Lawrence is better than
Brown?” I reserved to laughter for I naively believed that the reputation or
rank of the school is not of importance. Additionally, I overlooked the impact
of my decision on what other people’s perception of my own qualities.
This experience has brought me to a question,
which I think should be answered by those searching for college and those who
act as college advisors. Is a school’s reputation and rank, an imperative
factor when choosing colleges?
First of all, choosing a college is subjective
and emotional. I remember thinking that I would endure every second of the
entire experience, not my parents, friends, or family members. I would have to
attend class on time, complete my homework, and write the papers. I would also
have to participate in the discussions and interact with the professors. The
bottom line is I am responsible for optimizing my college experience. Even so,
you should be cautious, as I mistakenly failed to do, that others’ will
continue to try to sway your decisions and break down your confidence.
Secondly, at the end we are responsible for
ourselves. When I made my decision, I considered my habits, ambition,
preferences, strengths, and weaknesses. In addition, I factored in my personal
goals. I consciously chose a school where I would become a better writer, where
I can intensively experience working in a theater, where the discussion is meaningful
and the professors enjoy talking to students, where I can combine psychology,
neuroscience, anthropology and statistic, conduct my own research, as well as
create my own projects. I avoided big schools and concentrated on small schools.
I ended up in a pool called liberal arts colleges.
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| This is the butt of SLC, imagine the face! |
Third, if you have a specific professional
aspiration, it is reasonable to match that with the schools’ specialty. For
example, if you are interested in joining the army, you might want to look at military
schools like West Point. But if you are interested in becoming an actress and
focusing on your craft, theatre conservatories such as Julliard in NY or Royal Academy
of Dramatic Arts (RADA) in the UK. For those who do not have a specific
aspirations, big schools with a complete set of departments would be suitable,
for example New York University, University of Michigan, University of
California
After some casual discussions with owners or
CEOs of several companies, I came to a conclusion that schools’ reputation is
the icing on the cake when it comes to hiring. It is a secondary factor that
loses out to competency, ambition and personality. For instance, an Ivy League
graduate with great scores lost to another fresh graduate from a small school,
which avoids entering the ranking system.
At the end of the day, schools’ reputation
should not be the main deciding factor. Understanding yourself is imperative as
it allows you choose the school that matches your dreams and tendencies. Performance
and experiences are the most salient aspects of college. A school’s reputation
should be a secondary or tertiary component in your decision. Do not let others
make this milestone decision for you. Instead, you should listen to yourself
closely, search for schools carefully and make your own decision. Make certain
that you can picture yourself enthusiastically moving into your new dorm and
attending classes each and every day.
*Author owns the rights to the images above
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