re: Which school in the SEC would you send your children?

I think the Aggie Network is a big part of why Aggies do so well. In many fields Aggies hire other Aggies, and considering the large amount of money and industry in the state that bodes well for Aggie employment prospects. It would make sense to want your kids to have access to something like that.

Of course the Aggie Network isn't magic and it doesn't always work for everyone. I am living proof of that- I got my degree at A&M in a field most Aggies don't respect and I haven't gotten one bit of help from the Network getting a job after graduation. In fact every decent job I have gotten since graduation has been due to the fact I spent one year at Southwestern University in Georgetown and I made connections there. I have watched as my peers with degrees from "less prestigious institutions" and with lower education levels overall make tons more money than me and pass me by. Being an Aggie didn’t work out too well for me career-wise, even though I met my wife at College Station so I did get something valuable from my time there.

My point is that every opportunity is only maximized in the correct situation. If my kid wanted to be an engineer I would steer them towards A&M, but if they wanted something in the Liberal Arts field I would push them to attend another institution. In fact I might push them to a Texas private school like a TCU because it doesn’t matter how good the education is it matters how rich the daddies of their friends are so they can hire them (or recommend them to their rich friends) when they graduate. At any institution the opportunity is what you make of it, and who you know in the end matters more than what you know unless you attend an elite institution like an Ivy or MIT.

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I think the Aggie Network is a big part of why Aggies do so well. In many fields Aggies hire other Aggies, and considering the large amount of money and industry in the state that bodes well for Aggie employment prospects. It would make sense to want your kids to have access to something like that.

Of course the Aggie Network isn't magic and it doesn't always work for everyone. I am living proof of that- I got my degree at A&M in a field most Aggies don't respect and I haven't gotten one bit of help from the Network getting a job after graduation. In fact every decent job I have gotten since graduation has been due to the fact I spent one year at Southwestern University in Georgetown and I made connections there. I have watched as my peers with degrees from "less prestigious institutions" and with lower education levels overall make tons more money than me and pass me by. Being an Aggie didn’t work out too well for me career-wise, even though I met my wife at College Station so I did get something valuable from my time there.

My point is that every opportunity is only maximized in the correct situation. If my kid wanted to be an engineer I would steer them towards A&M, but if they wanted something in the Liberal Arts field I would push them to attend another institution. In fact I might push them to a Texas private school like a TCU because it doesn’t matter how good the education is it matters how rich the daddies of their friends are so they can hire them (or recommend them to their rich friends) when they graduate. At any institution the opportunity is what you make of it, and who you know in the end matters more than what you know unless you attend an elite institution like an Ivy or MIT.

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And I won't disagree that A&M might have better connections than many other schools. However, that wasn't what I was trying to argue. I was simply defending my stance that I don't feel that you get a "better education" at A&M than compared to other SEC schools. That term is way too broad and even trying to allude to it makes one look like a giant cocky a-hole.

As long as you are decently smart and willing to work your arse off then the sky is the limit at any SEC school. Want connections for a job after you graduate? Join a fraternity. Looking for good internships to get that edge come application or job searching time? Call or email every plant, company, and store that you can think of and ask them if they would be interested in hiring on an intern. Do it for free for a couple months if you have to. Want a high GPA? Don't be a moron and actually study during the week.

If you have good grades, internships, and research experience you are going to have graduate schools/companies fighting over you, no matter what your diploma says.

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I was simply defending my stance that I don't feel that you get a "better education" at A&M than compared to other SEC schools. That term is way too broad and even trying to allude to it makes one look like a giant cocky a-hole.

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You have to take the good with the bad. Just like it's obvious Arkansas football has had our number the last 3 years, it's blatently obvious to anyone with common sense that A&M is a better academic school.

This whole "academic rankings are too ambiguous" argument has some credence when the relative ranking of two schools depends on the source, but when it comes to Arkansas and A&M..... sorry, no. And that does in fact go for most of the schools in the SEC. You may not like it, but it's true.

Hell, look at our research endowment compared to the rest of the SEC. It's a little ridiculous.

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UGA's academic reputation rides a loooooooooong way on high entrance standards directly attributable to a state lottery. Actual academics overall once you get'em in and try to graduate'em? Just another state school in the SEC.

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ummm...wrong.

The first two years of study at virtually any large state university consists of fulfilling the distribution requirements that make up a program of general education. Unfortunately, this consists of a series of Intro to this and Survey of That courses that do little to acquaint students with the burning questions within and between the various disciplines. Georgia is not so different than any other state u in this regard.

Where Georgia has made significant strides as an academic institution is in the last two years of study, where more emphasis has been placed on engaging students in faculty research, exploring topics in depth, and in connecting the discipline to life in a global context. Certainly not all departments have blossomed since HOPE enabled the university to raise admissions standards, but many have refined their curricula to the level of students they encounter. All this in addition to the Honors College, where class size and enrichment opportunities rival any public university and most elite private schools.

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Who the hell woud send their kid to a school based on its athletics unless they were a student athlete?

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- You ran with athletics, and left "easy coeds" on the table -

People are motivated by different things, and with this being the SECr, I figured some might be motivated by athletics. There are a lot of things that make up the college experience - not just academics (or athletics for that matter).

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My nephew is going into the 8th grade. Broke records with rushing and TD's for his middle school team over in Kansas. A few years ago competed in the Jr Olympics in track and field in Hershey,PA. Fastest runner in his age group from this region, placed 2nd for his age group out of U.S. and Canada. He's an all-star in baseball, lefty. I want him to go to Arkansas, love the town, location, demographics, etc. Great facilities, also have a minor league team for KC in the area. Next choice would be Mizzou, once again demographics and location.

He's a bandwagon Bama fan, my sister wants him to go to LSU since family members played there. But if I have a say it'll be Arkansas or Mizzou.

On the other hand, I want my daughter to go to Mizzou or Arkansas. Missouri is her home state so I want Mizzou. Fayetteville is a lil over an hour from her hometown(joplin) so Arkansas. She's only 5 but she loves sports. Hopefully she'll get an athletic scholarship to one of the schools.

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He sounds like a fine athlete - I hope he gets multiple offers so that he may choose the best fit for his goals

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You have to take the good with the bad. Just like it's obvious Arkansas football has had our number the last 3 years, it's blatently obvious to anyone with common sense that A&M is a better academic school.

This whole "academic rankings are too ambiguous" argument has some credence when the relative ranking of two schools depends on the source, but when it comes to Arkansas and A&M..... sorry, no. And that does in fact go for most of the schools in the SEC. You may not like it, but it's true.

Hell, look at our research endowment compared to the rest of the SEC. It's a little ridiculous.

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I don't care about the Academic rankings. People talk down Arkansas but I promise you an Arkansas grad will easily get a good job in this area (Tulsa, KC, STL, Memphis, OKC, Dallas etc). Depends on where you want to live at and how good you nail your interview.

And I'm sure a Louisiana-Lafayette, SELA, McNeese St, LSU, grad would easily get a job in Baton Rouge or New Orleans over a Mizzou, Arkansas, KU, grad.

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Solid.

For most, to choose based on educational rankings alone would not necessarily give the whole "college" experience. It's not just "Timmy will make $xxx,xxx a year after he graduates" - but will be a combination of after graduation opportunities, and "college" experience opportunities.

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I agree, but all of the SEC schools can provide plenty of atmosphere/experience and all who attend them likely had great times. This is why I tend to focus on quantifiable outcomes when having a discussion such as this.

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Those are usually the parents of the kids that last one semester and are back home at UALR to finish up.

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Yep - at the end of the day, the kids have to do the work.

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