Why the College You Get into Doesn't Matter

The college admissions process has managed to cement itself as one of the most important periods in our lives, but what do they actually represent?
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[@Theartofattention]

i was a straight A student and i still hold the belief that - school does not show who's smart, but rather school shows who's good at school.

[@McFlashh]

Wise words.

[@ninjapirate123]

School just tests how good a students memory is and how long a student has studied for a test or an exam, but that alone doesn't mean a student is smart

[@Lawrence_Zhou]

How I dealt with my rejections: "Never need an Ivy, I am what the Ivies need" (inspired by The Weeknd and his Grammy snub)

[@a.j_lifetimea.j6494]

Hahaha I think I love u 🤣

[@halamoheid9650]

This comment is amazing 👏🏾👏🏾😂

[@dez-m]

YOH, I love the Weeknd!!!!

[@gracejuice]

ok go off val

[@JoannaRoxanne]

Hahaha yesss!!

[@issaccoltman6249]

The legal profession DEFINITELY cares about what school you went to, so that’s an asterisk.

[@ForTomorrowToday]

B schools as well

[@juliyam5539]

the law school matters more than undergrad college

[@priyanka4531]

This is not true. The legal profession primarily only cares about what grad school NOT what college.

[@sawsy3863]

@@priyanka4531 depends on what you do, maybe that'd be true for Med or Law school. But sometimes if you go to an IVY you can get a high level job straight out of undergrad.

[@richardberman6694]

Not in the least bit. Where you went to undergrad matters 0 for legal profession. Law school matters more and even then where you went to law school is hardly a good determining factor of success. I know a ton of Yale and Columbia law grads that eat Ramen for dinner and scrape by in their 18 hour sweat shop jobs while others know how to bring in clients and run a law firm on their own and are buying mansions in Miami and Park City Utah.

[@teissi]

As an international student I say: my dream school is any school that offers me full-ride scholarship 😄 Even a rural community college in the us is much better than any Russian state school P.S. I absolutely love Reed College and will apply there for ED. I think I found my dream school. Update: I got waitlisted and then rejected 2 times. It's definitely the money issue because i got along well with the counselors and i have a high gpa and test scores. Utterly heartbreaking considering that other schools didn't give me anything at all. Now going onto my second gap.

[@pinkvalley07]

DUDEE SAMEE!!! i dont even care wat uni i go to as long as i get a full scholarship then im good to go

[@hussainismail2080]

Fair enough bro, same here😂

[@tis_ace]

Yea who cares if its free and good education

[@teissi]

@@tis_ace any American College is better than those in my country anyway

[@tsionmesfin2608]

me tooo

[@ak-no2wo]

it really is crazy that you force literal teenagers to decide a path for the rest of their lives

[@anjashull4558]

I mean by 18 years old we should get our lives started. Most colleges also don't require you to declare a major until the end of sophomore year so that's like 20.

[@toxicdubz3841]

your degree doesnt have to define you or your future

[@HandsomeJigglypuff]

You can always change your career in the future or go to graduate school

[@chelseyzarraga6020]

How I dealt with my rejection: “ when you get what you want it’s God’s direction. When you don’t get what you want it’s God’s protection.” -Emptiness World. Tbh, I always tell this myself and I helped me A LOT when I saw my rejection letter. I thought to myself that He knows what’s best for me. He knew that I wasn’t going to be happy 😊

[@ashtastiic]

Definitely gonna use this as a wallpaper as a daily reminder for myself! I’m a transfer student who applied to transfer to Rice which isn’t considered an Ivy but here in my state, it’s a really great private school, anyways, I’m trying my best not to associate my worth with the acceptance or rejection letter that I’ll get from them in mid-May! Anyways, I wish you the best and God bless you! I know he has big plans and gifts in store for you :) 💕

[@astradewoodvale159]

So you basically do not have free will under your god? Lol

[@ashtastiic]

@@astradewoodvale159 What does that have to do with anything that she said? Why must you attack someone’s religion just because you dislike it? Please be more respectful and mature. Have a great rest of your day and God bless you! 💕

[@theprettypaw4615]

I’m not even that religious but this is so helpful. Thank you.

[@theprettypaw4615]

@@astradewoodvale159 we have free will under God lmao. Why would a god let people sin if he had control over them?? I think the person is more saying that God will try to guide you.

[@madebyymira]

totally agree, i didn’t get into my “dream” school and thought it would totally change the trajectory of my education and career. three years in and i’ll be interning at one of my dream companies- and to be honest 80% of what got me there was self learning and being proactive, so i totally agree the college u pick isn’t really as important as u may think

[@jennywrong3031]

you sitting in your MIT dorm talking about how the colleges you go to don’t matter gives off the same energy as celebrities sitting in their mansion talking about it’s okay we can just all stay home and get over covid!

[@zl473]

THIS

[@thyla3112]

OMG LITERALLY like i love nina but she will NEVER personally know / experience if going to a certain college matters or not!! you literally go to mit, you won’t know if going to a low ranking school matters or not because you don’t have the experience 😭😭 this video is wild

[@jennywrong3031]

@@thyla3112 I know! especially since she lives off her youtube life on everything surrounding MIT & elite colleges & stats and everything so it is SO hypocritical for her to be saying this.

[@urmanascrewed]

I got that same impression at first, but after listening to her arguments I think they are good points and will hopefully chill some people out.

[@amandarey8368]

u can also reverse it and say that since she's been to a top US university she knows the value and experience of going to higher-ranked college better than those who don't go and it can also make her opinion more reliable since her experience is more broadened. the coin the be flipped either which way but in the end college doesn't matter 2 much

[@theguildofsilence]

she says, sitting in her dorm at MIT

[@DanielAjayi]

"colleges are a business" _PREACHHHHHH_

[@patricksedjro1764]

👍🏿

[@aleahrosner453]

This video means SO MUCH to me nina. I'm a junior going to a SUPER competitive high school where there is a lot of pressure to get into a "good" school. I really appreciate that you shared your experience with the doctor bc it showed me that I can be successful without an ivy (or equivalent) degree. Thank you xx

[@jennifermelton4147]

This was my story. At the time, I called my school, "the pressure cooker." One year the school had more suicides than other schools in the nation and almost made it to Time. They consistently had more national merit scholars than any other school in the state. Many students got into the top schools. A few of us went to a selective liberal arts college. This liberal arts college and others literally recruited from my high school. Near college exams, I remember quietly talking to one of my former high school classmates. I commented that I did not fully realize how much more prepared we were for college. Students from other schools stressed about how writing in college was something new. Meanwhile, my friend and I discussed how it was very similar to high school, especially the longer typed papers. It took us less time to complete the assignments than it did for college students from other high schools. Although it was intense to be at that high school, we were ultimately grateful for what we had going into college. Yes, it was literally decades before I made it to an ivy. That said, I value my experience at an ivy. Perhaps you can meet those same people elsewhere and have an opportunity to see some of those same journal articles. However, apart from an honors college and/or a very good professor, they are hard to duplicate. Just like our high schools, the challenge, rigor, and community are priceless. There is a reason that some schools are better, and ivies are no exception. Good luck in your education journey!

[@sirrosalina2736]

Not knowing what college you wanna go to at 18 is literally so true. Especially becomes information comes from the university themselves, so like especially as a business, they have an implicit bias to only show us their strongest or twist their words to be better right. So it's really hard to like, personally experience the university yourself until you're there.

[@abhaharne945]

I'm going to be attending college at 17😭

[@sirrosalina2736]

@@abhaharne945 that's so cool though!

[@abhaharne945]

@@sirrosalina2736 what about it😂

[@sirrosalina2736]

@@abhaharne945 idk I just think it's cool ur going to college at 17 lol

[@JJ-dx6eb]

@@abhaharne945 late birthday things😩

[@brebreboling]

Watching everyone get into their dream school makes me happy for them but makes me feel like I failed.

[@ann7375]

i feeel this, u wanna feel happy for others successes but r consumed by ur own insecurities

[@Vim_Tim]

I don’t think most students go to college to get an education: they go to become qualified for a desirable job first, and the “college experience” second. As you mentioned, education itself can be achieved online for free.

[@goofygoober6211]

unfortunately I think the primary motive behind attending college is to receive the degree because of the fact that so many employers require degrees, and the more “prestigious” the school that you went to, the more likely they are to give you the job. I, personally, wouldn’t even be attending college at all if it weren’t for this stupid requirement. Because, yes, you can learn everything online for free. I’m not trying to undermine anyone’s hard work or time and effort spent working towards their degrees, but possessing one doesn’t necessarily make one smarter than if they learned everything without spending an extraordinary amount of money for an education one can receive online.

[@aparajitanandi8257]

Girl! You got a lot of courage! I'm an undergrad student from India and if I'd speak such things about my university or other universities, I'd have got cancelled 😶😶😶😶

[@guywithakeyboard]

True. You've cheated the taxpayers, etc. tags would be attached

[@astradewoodvale159]

Same thing here in the Philippines. The top university here is public and it’s known for it’s activism. Whenever you try to protest for civil rights you always get tagged as a communist and that you’re wasting tax payer money even though this is the most globs competitive school in the country.

[@_ashmason007]

I- same. Prestigious universities here are the dream of millions of students. One word against them, and you'd see angry students canceling you out 👀

[@seowholesome]

im prob one of the many who got denied from my dream ivy league schools, but over the past months since early decisions came out, i learned and trained myself to not let the name of the school define who i am. i found the college that i wanted to go to, and i’m proud of my decision:) edit: hope that piece of advice helps lift some of that burden. it’s a tough time for all of us, but there’s more to life than just a school. things happen for a reason, and who knows, maybe that particular college that you chose is the one that is meant for you. enjoy the rest of y’all’s school years!

[@adelaideellis9850]

out of curiosity, where are you going?

[@seowholesome]

@@adelaideellis9850 hello! im attending the honors college at rutgers university. apparently it’s supposed to be amazing and different from the honors program, but that’s besides the point lol. how about you?

[@adelaideellis9850]

@@seowholesome im only in eighth grade lol! congratulations though!

[@seowholesome]

@@adelaideellis9850 thank you!

[@adelaideellis9850]

@@seowholesome of course, good luck!

[@user-qb1xc1kl8o]

Funny that she said the college you get into doesn't matter when the majority of her videos is about student life at MIT. Trying making videos at a community college and see how many views that she will get. So she makes a lot of money off the MIT brand.

[@Traumatised311]

Ikr, nobody would watch or even notice if she went to a normal college, evryone wants to know what life at MIT is like

[@jonathanpark8182]

The name recognition (reputation) thing is so much more true in Korea, it's kind of scary. All of the students here live to only get into the top 3 colleges in the country, or an ivy league in america

[@ntent1]

nina i have ONE question: howd u become an intern at a hospital in high school

[@tahiyatchy]

My cousin did that in High School as well 😔

[@joshitanandakumar]

you can search for local internships in your area - personally, i found the chegg internship website to be useful in finding internships! you can also email the hospitals near you and ask them if there are any internships available :)

[@addisonb.1356]

Probably through tech school

[@vy_persona]

My university would literally link public youtube videos from community colleges for us to watch instead of just teaching us. What post-secondary education you go to really does not determine how "good" the education is (just go to a community college and save your money). also can we acknowledge how Nina got princess polly to sponsor a sit-down video of her just talking about college admission

[@GarbageMan144]

Don't be afraid to do a community college first, or taking a gap year to think about what you want to study. If you're not sure what you wanna do, at least narrow it down to a few subjects, so if you wanna explore what you wanna study IN college, a lot of the classes you take will still fulfill other rmajor requirements. I'd still recommend not attending until you have something set in stone, because that leads to the least likely chance of time and money being wasted. Also, don't be afraid to do trade school or technical schools if college doesn't go well, it's not for everyone.

[@thejcheneats]

I recently graduated from college a few weeks ago and I can definitely attest to everything you mentioned in this video. It is not really about the college you get into rather it is the experiences and opportunities you create for yourself no matter where you go.

[@sophiefu7]

Nina you’re so well spoken! I have always thought about attending a good college all my life, but this video has certainly opened up my mind. While I still want to try my hardest in high school, I have learned to consider life in a different perspective ☺️

[@alexdelta57]

After a fairly tough college admissions season, this definitely motivated me. I appreciate this!

[@patricksedjro1764]

How much did you pay to take the SAT. It was $30 when I was younger. Like a decade age. I saw that the price has increased to $60. I don't know who works within the college board, but do they not see the amount of people burning their degrees or paperwork, so instead of decreasing the cost of the exam, they do the complete opposite.

[@jeffreyugochukwu1942]

I definitely agree with the "going to a good college != getting a good job" argument because in all honesty, college is still what you make of it no matter where you go. Yeah, it's pretty true that recruiters have a higher selection bias towards people that went to higher ranked schools by the assumption that they're "smarter" due to having the academic stats to get into their university, but at the end of the day, getting the job offer is based on if you can pass an interview and have relevant experience. You're not only competing against people that went to certain schools, but you're also competing against other people that have more work experience/project experience for that position, so focusing more on the experience portion of your resume will help you out a lot n the long term. From personal experience, I am a UC Davis student and even though it's a mid-tier UC that's not as "prestigious" as other UC's ranked higher than it (i.e. UC Berkeley and UCLA) or even very competitive private schools/Ivy Leagues, I still have received many great opportunities in my career path and it's still a decently competitive university to get into with a lot of research opportunities. Throughout my 3 years spent in networking and doing experiences outside of the classroom, I was able to get opportunities such as being a Facebook 2020 Data Challenge finalist which lead me to getting interview offers at high ranked tech and finance companies that lead to my internship offer at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and I was accepted as a research fellow in the MURPPS research program at the university which led me to get an interview offer for a Bioinformatics research position at the university. Even though I didn't go to the best ranked school in undergrad, I was still able to get these opportunities through hard work and developing my skills (to give more context, UC Davis is more known for science research since we have better funding in that area, so it has more of a "Wow!" factor within that segment compared to other fields; so recruiter bias for those that want to go into tech/finance/engineering might be lower compared to other schools). Long story short: it's not about how your university can give you opportunities in your career path, it's about how YOU can make those opportunities for yourself.

[@yanwenqi4620]

I totally agree with the money part. As an intentional student applying for colleges his year, I got accepted to ucsb but got rejected from Baylor simply because I turned in my financial aid form to Baylor so they did not think I am financially suitable for their school lol.

[@kelvinleung1049]

a few things you should first understand... UCSB is a public university. Much of its funding comes from the tax-payers of the state of California. They are really not obligated to pay for the tuition of an international student. Also, not that they don't want to give out financial aid to everyone who needs it, but they probably only have a finite amount to go around... so they have to pick and choose to whom they could fund. Sad as it may sound, international students needing aid may not be a public school's priority.

[@yanwenqi4620]

@@kelvinleung1049 lol ur right, but I was saying I got rejected from Baylor, which is a private uni, due to financial reasons

[@kelvinleung1049]

@@yanwenqi4620 sorry, read your message again, and realized I misinterpreted what you said. My bad. Nonetheless, what I said was still true... whether or not an international student gets sufficient aid from an institute depends on a lot of things... we shouldn't be looking at these colleges as money-grabbing evil corps.

[@yanwenqi4620]

@@kelvinleung1049 yes you are right :)

[@hannahchoi9676]

I was feeling really down about not getting into my top choices, but after meeting people that are going into the same program as me and learning more about the school, I'm really excited for the fall. This video was super helpful! :)

[@hwabubble7894]

Before applying to colleges this past fall, I didn't have a dream school. I wasn't sure about what I wanted to do in the future. I applied to 23 schools, mostly safety and "mid-tier" schools, and only got accepted into 8. I felt like I had disappointed everyone I knew because of my high school's culture/reputation of going to highly ranked colleges and my mental health suffered so much from it. Growing up in an Asian household didn't help either. I wish that I had someone reminding me that where I go for undergrad won't matter that much in the end. I wish I stopped and looked at my dad as an example. He immigrated, didn't go to an ivy, and studied for his degrees in a different language. Now, he's been working as a software engineer at Apple for 10 years! I think this video managed to lift some of the weight on my shoulders, but there's still quite a bit left as I try and figure out which one I should attend in the fall. I hope many more high school students watch this video and find comfort in knowing that getting rejected from any college isn't the end of the world.

[@sharonelias4873]

You make the university, the university doesn't make you. It's a phrase I live by. I'm a med student from Mexico and in the state I live, I didn't even pass the initial exam (completely flawed exam) from the "popular and good university" and my teachers were all shocked. I ended up going to a private med school and yep, I have encountered students from the other uni and have been 100% better than them It's just the name. Can totally agree with Nina

[@shxronp8966]

i don't live in the us but here in belgium we kind of are expected to decide what we want to do at 14. our high schools use a system similar to majors which means you get general education and classes based on the "major" you chose. i did graphic design in highschool for example. the problem is that we don't get to experiment with other classes outside our "major" and in 12th grade when you decide what to do in university/college teachers pressure you to just do what you did in high school which is why a lot of us choose the wrong college major. this is why i took a gap year (turned into two years because of covid) to really take my time to decide and now i'm starting uni in september majoring in archaeology, totally different from what i did in high school (graphic design). i'll be 20 but at least i know what i actually want now and not what my teachers expect me to do. many of my friends who did enter uni/college right away are thinking about or have already switched majors, it's a big issue here lol

[@earlgreymilktae]

that system sounds pretty flawed. I’m glad you were able to find something that worked better for you, though! good luck to you in your studies :)

[@joanneyen6858]

thank you for making this video - as a current junior moving on to be a senior, it really helps having someone else tell you these things that you have touched on. after watching this, i have a better sense of what path i want to take and how to manage the upcoming college app season. i really appreciate how open you were and the examples you shared! will def look at colleges a different way now

[@AydanJane]

YES! Thank you for making this!! We need to have this conversation more and more people need to hear this!

[@ginwillows906]

Ironical how you're making this video while sitting inside your MIT dorm room ;)

[@zl473]

you’re literally at mit LMAOOO

[@rydhamgoyal722]

As a struggling and stressed international student hoping to get into university at the US, thank you so much for the insight!! I feel better now 🤩❤️

[@amaar1841]

Thanks for this motivation video! It came at the perfect time in which I actually needed to hear something like this

[@dhenibagundo1318]

thank you so much, nina. this is something i absolutely needed to hear. thank you for your honesty.

[@mith6849]

This makes no fucking sense. If you really think your school doesn’t matter why are you at MIT?

[@stellac.04]

hey!! really cool video and I know you’re probably just trying to get that bag but princess polly and other clothing brands that sell “trendy” clothes are really bad in terms of clothing waste, resource consumption of clothing production and also just push a high-consumption lifestyle... it would be cool if you looked into that seeing as environmental issues related to the fashion industry are super damaging (2nd in harmfulness only to the oil industry). just a suggestion

[@kayawonaike]

Soo true nina, especially undergrad the type of college you go to doesn't really matter. If you're going to grad school or even interning you don't need that "ivy league school" name on your resume to be successful.

[@patricksedjro1764]

More like the complete opposite is true. Some of the most successful people were all drop outs.

[@alexexplains9580]

This is legit so helpful thank you!! this video feels like my chill older sister helping me out

[@emargent]

As someone who didn’t get into my dream school and then wound up transferring a few times and ended up falling in love with a small state school I can definitely say that I agree with what Nina said. Obviously there are going to be exceptions because there always are but I think the main point is just if you didn’t get into your dream school it doesn’t mean that your life is over or that you won’t be successful it just means you didn’t fit whatever criteria they were using that year and that’s fine

[@aryansinha7777]

This video is *really* great! Thank you so much Nina! ❤️

[@daedaldan]

Looking for a comment from a LSU student whose personal health and well-being has been enhanced by the lazy river... Can’t find it :(

[@Jessica-ss3kk]

thank you so much for this video - hs senior here and it definitely helped. thanks!!

[@vishakhasingh5295]

Got rejected from 17/17 universities and I'm happy after watching this video

[@victoriawise550]

thank you I needed this so much. This year I got into UCI (which is a great school), but I still needed to hear this.

[@shahbanoaurangzeb8251]

I LOVE THIS GIRL

[@madebyymira]

ur skin looks so good

[@bedeoconnell2445]

Omg! Such an amazing video!

[@rashaud99]

This is a very insightful video. I don't know you, but I like your videos. You're very intelligent and attractive. I know you go to THE ULTIMATE SCHOOL in MIT, but you're still so down to earth. You're right though. I work for a Fortune 500 company. Although a few of the schools our execs went to were "top tier", many of them were "regular" schools" as well. It all depends on your game plan and work ethic.

[@ginwillows906]

This gives me similar vibes just like when celebrities staying inside their multi-million dollar mansion with a theater and bowling alley goes --> We ARe In THis TogEthEr Y'All. StaY iN YouR HouSe.

[@betmenen5146]

this makes me feel better ❤️

[@muhammadzeeshan303]

Thank you for posting this!

[@sarahadams5037]

I went through the graduate school application a couple years ago and can affirm that the name value of the school matters even less because the name or brand tied to you is often not the school but your thesis advisor (for PhD don't ask me about master's programs). Like people ask me who my advisor is first not what school I go to.

[@definitix4599]

great video about how college and all these test scores don't define you. spread the word!!!

[@laf2813]

Thank you so much for this video, Nina!! I needed it 💜 :] sending much love~

[@johnczech7074]

Excellent! Great advice for young people!!

[@jakerodriguez3995]

Even if the SAT is a perfect measure of intelligence, intelligence still usually doesn't make up all of someones success. In America there are plenty of people that are not very smart that are making great livings and living amazing lives. Maybe it matters more if you're trying to go to MIT and compete in the tournament that is our higher education system, but there's still plenty of value you can bring to the world if you're not a 90th+ percentile intelligence person.

[@sweetdreams9700]

The SAT is not a measure of intelligence.

[@matiascontreras8597]

Nope, the SAT is not even close to be a perfect measure of intelligence.

[@ulisesescorza3323]

That's why he's using the words "Even if..."

[@jakerodriguez3995]

​@@ulisesescorza3323 I'm glad you caught the "Even if." After reading the replies I was worried that I might've hidden it too well at the very beginning of my comment.

[@kelvinleung1049]

standardized tests are never a definitive measure of one's ability to do well academically... admissions officers of prestigious universities know. That's why you often see kids with perfect scores not being accepted, while another kid with imperfect scores getting accepted. Good admissions officers look more holistically on the applicants--to see if they add to the campus, can handle the workload and a good fit. They don't just admit applicants solely depending on their standardized test scores.

[@claubit32]

I remember being so worried about this in high school. Honestly, get the best grades you can, and pick a school that has what you’re looking for in terms of values, programs, affordability, etc.😊

[@juliab.8911]

As someone who struggles to not let my grades/college define my intelligence this video was great. Also sharing this with my friends, thank you

[@laurenhewang9220]

ok but she looks so good here

[@amaar1841]

Not to mention how messed up applications was this year because of there being covid

[@patricksedjro1764]

This bullshit virus. Doctors just make their money from the mri scan, which is super inflated. For scheduled appointments Only

[@mathiasroy2595]

Why the college you get into doesn’t matter * goes to MIT *

[@mrowl9969]

Right, thank god we have a college sophomore with virtually no real world experience to tell us why where you go for college doesn't matter lmao

[@hienta6008]

lol she went to a good school that's why she knows it's not worth it. U gotta go through it to know what it's really like u know.

[@hienta6008]

@@mrowl9969 well she had her experience and she is telling it how she sees it so you are not in any place to disregard her opinions and say that she “doesnt have any knowledge of the real world,” even though you are also entitled to your own opinion on this topic. According to you, you got an education from a top tier school so i guess you should know better than to disrepect others’ opinions like that lol.

[@allielee]

sounds like someone didn't watch the video !

[@m.josena4485]

Well there are others here who do have life experience so maybe she is right :)

[@chelseabradshaw3451]

Ur such a queen omg

[@itstemmy]

This video is gold!

[@stephanie3659]

Hey love, how are you doing? My name is Stephanie Lindsay, I help students get their assignments done. Let me know if you need help with one❤Cheers🥰 Email: [e-mail]

[@karagardiner1647]

i really appreciated this video. im a senior and got waitlisted at my "dream" school which is a "good" school and this just made me feel sm better :')

[@Tei_022]

I’m nearly a sophomore in high school right now, and I don’t have a dream college or something like that like other people my age do. I think after watching this video, it makes me feel better that I actually don’t have one. I just want a college that like.. suits my needs. Idk what job I wanna do yet but probably something in the science field but I feel like I need a college to change my major multiple times lol. I used to not like the idea of me going college (because I hate the idea of 4+ more years of education and also like the whole being smart thing to get into good colleges) despite my kinda good grades and extra curricular stuff, I dunno, this video made me feel a lot better about it tho

[@sawsy3863]

says the MIT student.. :/

[@Celeritate7]

TRUEING dude. On that topic I highly recommend the 2014 documentary "Ivory Tower".

[@Spongebob-qy1hx]

thank you for this video. I really needed this. (:

[@alexp2488]

she’s so pretty

[@caromela2031]

I haven’t even gotten to the 2 minute make yet but I just want to put some of my thoughts down on the topic- I remember something that happened right after my freshman year ended where all of my highschool friends reconvened and we were talking about GPAs and grades. I said that I had a 4.0 and one of my friends responded “Well that’s because you go to ____ university”. He went (we just graduated) to a fairly prestigious university. Not an ivy, but a school that is fairly well known. I also get looked down on for majoring in Spanish and Hispanic lit and people often have the perception that if you aren’t in stem you don’t work as hard, or that you “have it easier”. I feel like the challenges in every field are different and no ones hard work should be negated. No one should feel unworthy just because their university isn’t “prestigious” or well known, especially considering the issues of accessibility in higher ed.

[@lawsonashurst7314]

As a proud student of a public land-grant university, it is just incredible an experience here as it is elsewhere. While Ivies have their prestige and for good reason, it's important to understand that what you put in, who you surround yourself with, and making connections are infinitely more important than the title of the school you attend. Most big name universities are R1, and have done great research, and has such provide valuable degrees, and even if your school isn't R1, or is even a college, you can still have a great intellectual experience if you let yourself. Don't let a rejection from some private school kill your curiosity, don't let it kill your eventual dreams. You will get just as good an education at your local public Uni than anywhere else, and it will be a lot cheaper too :-).

[@isabs5838]

I go to a college that is considered the "golden standard" for medicine education in my country and some of my friends that just entered med school are kinda unhappy with their achievements bc it wasn't this one in particular. I've seen a lot of good professionals from other places just (or more) as qualified as the ones who graduated at my university, it's definitely something more related to the person itself and not much about the place specifically. Anyway, Nina, thx for this.

[@patricksedjro1764]

What is the point of going to a hospital, if all they do is ice and a bandade. And do not accept your insurance. Anyone can make ice in their own house.

[@victoragaba1783]

I agree with you on so many levels

[@urmanascrewed]

I think competition and status is a big part of it. Some high school students are familiar with colleges like a basketball fan would be with NBA teams. Then since most of what they've been doing with their life is school, they want a pay off. Also in some social circles (usually more affluent), certain schools will impress friends or parents. But compared with a different social class, just going to college at all is impressive. Maybe I'm more oblivious about reputation that most people, but I assumed that employers don't really notice your college unless it's an ivy or Stanford. That's like 9 schools, that means it's mostly up to you. I went to a couple different states schools and community colleges. How much I enjoyed each one depended on my classes/teachers, sense of community, practical skills for your field, and location amenities. The name never mattered, but figuring out those other things sometimes means you have to attend for a while to give it a chance. I eventually landed on a practical degree, had good rapport with the teachers/classmates, and was offered a solid job in that field after graduating.

[@Hana-vj6cs]

I mean my dream is to go to a good college and my parents know that, so every time I'm lazy and don't want to do my hw right when the weekend starts my father he is like: "OHHH, YOU KNOW THAT IF U DO LIKE THIS U R NOT GOING TO A GOOD SCHOOL, SO START STUDYING!!". I think that probably if it's gonna b like that I'm definitely not going to a good college, never. PERIODT

[@caitlingee642]

grades only judge a person’s ability to get a certain grade

[@asifislam2020]

Nina, you have to read this book called "Rich Dad Poor Dad".

[@jamesfairley2887]

My brother literally went to a community college and now is a plant manager at a chemical plant.

[@joonyroc201]

had my entire world rocked with "if its free online, how good can it be? "

[@mit4539]

Well, actually I don't think hthis is the case. Most of the courses are absolutely good, they are free just to build a "reputation".

[@joonyroc201]

@@mit4539 I doubt. She said it’s the same ones they use in their actual courses. Not saying they aren’t GOOD, but the price you pay to attend those universities doesn’t make the curriculum x times more valuable...

[@mit4539]

@@joonyroc201 I agree that the price doesn't make the curriculum more valuable, but these universities have more to offer than just the curriculum, you are gonna be surrounded by either brilliant people or athletes or super rich people which I think is very beneficial, and the practical side is far more important than the curriculum which you are not going to find on mit open course ware, with that said I am an international student, so I don't have a good opportunity to attend those colleges but this is the fact.

[@joonyroc201]

@@mit4539 ahh okay, I see what ur saying now. All those things you mentioned can supplement the overall Uni experience I guess😌

[@mit4539]

@@joonyroc201 it is not supplementary, this is the University, otherwise why would someone be welcoming to attend university in the case he can learn everything from books or on the internet, this is my thought process, I am an international student and maybe this is the reason I am concerned about the community I live in, my current community really sucks, people are not well educated even those who are well educated do not have the appreciation to education all what they are seeking is the fake prestige of being a doctor, they don't recognize something called passion, they are seeking just prestige!

[@heatheralisa8658]

I applied to only one college and it was my state college which is a pretty good one and I didn’t really care about going to a huge college that costs a lot of money

[@ktdb9496]

it's never about the school, it's about what YOU make out of the school

[@ellachristiansen1846]

people put so much weird pressure on students to go to the "best school" for their image and not the best school for them. I had a counselor suggest i go 200 thousand in debt to attend Columbia rather than pay in-state tuition AND go to a better program at UCLA. tldr work hard and dont let the college decision hype affect your self-worth

[@saloniagarwal9433]

Nina just stated facts yall. This video made me feel a lot less overwhelmed about getting into a "good" college. It is insane how most of us work our asses off to get into good colleges in the future but forget to live in the moment and just be happy for once.

[@zl473]

kinda ironic since she’s literally sitting in her mit dorm

[@biancalucia8388]

I think prestigious colleges help u become successful but u still have to do the hard work.

[@patricksedjro1764]

I promise you, you will learn the same things at a community college.

[@flamme_eternelle333]

@@patricksedjro1764 I’m a dual credit student I don’t recommend going to a community college, but any state college will still be awesome!

[@patricksedjro1764]

@@flamme_eternelle333 you will learn the same things, plus it is cheaper. Again. Not sure if FAFSA is still a thing here in the United States .

[@aomorgancool1775]

Nina do you have any tips on how to do well in college. I am in college and I'm struggling with the classes.

[@aprilmouse8793]

Love this, my college bound daughter and I were talking about this today. Would love to hear your thoughts on whether or not it’s worth it to strive to be in honors in college.

[@Peter-wh1cs]

I work in a university and I can tell you that if a student can get into an honors program, they should definitely do so. There are tuition waivers, funding for research, independent study, and study abroad. There is focused advising and opportunities to work with faculty on projects. It is a guaranteed pathway to a superb graduate program.

[@aprilmouse8793]

@@Peter-wh1cs Good to know, thank you!

[@salmaalmunayes4251]

u explained this perfectly

[@sci-tech3916]

Heard about Ramanujan , earned $5per week to survive and was one of the world class mathematician

[@DanikaBevirt]

My husband works at a tech company and they basically just hire the friends of the people already working at the company. They are like, 'hey do you know someone with experience in this field? We can just hire them.' This is broadly true of most of Silicon Valley. You will see the same cluster of people moving to different companies together. So the whole knowing the right people thing is true in certain job areas. It does help to have a broad network of acquaintances, you can find a job through someone. They don't even look at your resume that carefully, if the person recommends you.

[@Peter-wh1cs]

So true. The biggest value of going to ivy league and other highly selective schoolis the network you get into. Even if one doesn't complete their degree program, just the fact of having been admitted to highly selective school says to potential employers that you are an intelligent, resourceful and highly motivated individual who will make them $$$$.

[@ak20010211]

thank u smmm nina! i rlly needed this reminder and you couldn't have said it any better:) i appreciate u

[@eightrm]

as someone accepted to nyu, i’ve been thinking about this a lot. maybe i have to wait until i graduate to see how nyu’s reputation will aid me but at the same time, do i want to work and be apart of an establishment that chooses and hires people based on the prestige of their school? as a nyu sophomore though, in this moment, i definitely feel like it doesn’t matter what school you go to and if i could go back to my senior year, i feel like i would choose not to attend this school.

[@mrowl9969]

Yes? Who gives a shit really if you were given preference because of your school's name or like if an NYU alumni is your interviewer, all that matters is getting the job and you worked hard in high school to earn your place at NYU, become a part of that community and reap those benefits.

[@eightrm]

@@mrowl9969 to each their own i guess.

[@jennifermelton4147]

I felt very similar about the liberal arts college. It had name recognition and top majors. It had what I came there for, but it had very little social life. They had changed recruiting the year that I was there, so the student body was very different from me. That said, I did not go to the school for a social life. I went for an education. There was lots of studying. Decades later, I can still recall some of the content from those challenging classes. There was no establishment other than like someone else said, your hard work and intense studying paid off.

[@Espressoomartyni]

I've got rejected from all school that I applied to and idk how I feel

[@bee-bc3yj]

i got into uc berkeley (my dream school) but it was too expensive for out of state so i passed it up for my cheapest in-state option. i feel like berkeley was like “ah yes this girl is low income and can’t pay for tuition? let’s accept her to get her hopes up and give her very little aid so she won’t be able to attend!” my only option would have been doing outside scholarships but that would’ve been me doing 60+ scholarships per year to be debt free. i love u berkeley but u don’t like low income oos kids apparently 😔

[@gracegong9909]

!! this !! i was in the same situation except w ucla,, i ended up going to my state school too but it the uc oos costs r just insane

[@bee-bc3yj]

@@gracegong9909 dang ): it sucks how they got our hopes up like that ,,, personally i didn’t think i was good enough for any of these higher tier schools so i was thrilled when i got the acceptance letter. but then they gave me like nothing in aid so i was like Damn ok reality check! i know you will succeed wherever you go though! i hope u have a good life and are able to find your own path :D

[@gracegong9909]

@@bee-bc3yj HAHA same i literally didn't think i was going to get in at all so it was nice surprise! and YES--i know you'll succeed too wherever you go. this was such a nice message to see and i wish you the best :))

[@bedeoconnell2445]

Smart!

[@ethanma3916]

college admissions are like relationships. i would elaborate but its 1:33 and i should really sleep.

[@debicnvs]

ik this is really off topic, but ive been subbed to you for like a month and i had no idea your name was nina until you said the discount code 👁👄👁

[@anahello4558]

I love the way you outlined this video :) its well done and presented. glad this was in my recommended I subscribed