Okay,it seems you are trying to piss me off I presume?You keep replying me with articles.Each one is getting longer and longer than the previous.In order to make an informed reply,I am forced to read and analyse every word.I am afraid that once I reply to this latest ridiculous article,you will be directing me to a 100 page thesis on God knows what.And yet all this while you sit back and post out more and more articles while you smirk to yourself as I read through them.

I believe that I have proven my point that the first post in this thread is irrelevant.That is all I wanted to say.I believe you have been trying to coax me into buying into the idea that going to a better college is not important for success?I don't know because all you do is quote articles.You yourself directed me to a previous study that says that the qualities of the individual play an important role in success. And it turns out that these people go to selective schools or try to get into selective schools.Regardless of what you say,that is a fact.The students in better schools are better on average.Because they have good character they are successful in life.It just so happens that most of these talented people chose to go to elite schools.

However,it is true that there are advantages for these talented people in going to a lesser school.Now you just have to convince all the bright people in the best colleges to transfer out then.It's not going to happen anytime soon.

Anyway,I won't be replying to your nonsense anymore,or read any of your future activities as I have better things to do than read your google search results.

Farewell,you will not be missed.

What i want to stress is that not everyone has choices. Hence, there is a need to consider the notion of "fit". Treat college selection as a two-way process, a relationship. More importantly, the highly ranked one might not be the best "fit" in this relationship.

This post has been edited by invinciblebunny: Jun 9 2011, 12:04 PM

Friend, if you don't agree with a certain statement, just ignore. Like they said, feeding someone just makes him healthier and stronger. It's just the Internet after all (speaking from a neutral stand).

invinciblebunny is notorious for his posts of articles.. Its his own way, as opposed to independent thinking, his is a mix of factual reference. Maru&box couldn't cope since his true intention is to win this debate and convert invinciblebunny to his ideology, instead of expressing his view.. That's where the anger will release..
Both is right, just which is righter in an individual's eyes.

If you really, really want to study in the U.S. but need a boatload of financial aid, then you have several options:

a) if you're an all-rounder, there are several need-blind universities for international students: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, Dartmouth, and Amherst. There are also plenty of good schools out there that, while they're not need-blind to internationals, do promise to meet need should you be admitted.

b) there are also several schools that promise free tuition for everyone admitted, yay! Admission is COMPETITIVE, though, since they're free. Some I know: Franklin Olin College of Engineering, Berea College, College of the Ozarks, Deep Springs (male only), Curtis Institute of Music. Some of these offer a full ride (tuition + room + board), while others only offer free tuition.

c) if you want a more reasonable school: there are schools out there that really want to boost their international numbers, and they're willing to shell out money for good applicants. Mind you, you still need to have a strong academic record, but international-friendly schools are more willing to bend the rules. Some nice Liberal Arts Colleges that I think want international students are Agnes Scott College (female-only), Colby-Sawyer College, William Jewell College. There are probably a whole lot more that I don't know about, though.

This post has been edited by invinciblebunny: Jun 9 2011, 05:36 PM

TS is a she. #justsaying

BTW, wouldn't studying locally be better for anyone with financial problem? And many local universities are quite ok compared to lowly overseas one.

UKM for one is higher ranking (in QS's table) than Swinburn and Curtin, as well.

An overseas education is more than just the degree with the attached reputation of the institution. What happened to the process? You mean we only go to university to 'study' in the strictest sense of the word? Really, that paper alone, if you take nothing else back from your education, will really not buy you much of a future.

For prestige value, the U.S. News & World Report can give you all you need in this respect. Generally speaking, there are two kinds of colleges out there: Liberal Arts Colleges and public universities. Roughly speaking, LACs are smaller and provide more individual attention (and they're more expensive!) while public u's are larger and cheaper.

Studying abroad, making the experience count, says UK's Telegraph







This post has been edited by invinciblebunny: Jun 9 2011, 05:33 PM

Depends what you're studying.

Let's say my field Catalysis and Nanomaterials; UPM is one of the leading research universities in SEA, maybe slightly better than Swinburne because it is not their major. However, undisputedly MIT is the best place to study on that subject. Given the opportunity, students should choose in the order of MIT > UPM > Swinburne.

So, it boils down to the course you want to take and choose according to institute's expertise, not by fame. To say, no point of studying Bahasa Melayu in Oxford/Cambridge, when we are the best in that field.

Woops.. Not much difference, though.. Since I had TS imagined as a bunny anyway.

What I'm saying is that studying locally must not be seen as an inferior option, and highlighting the cost factor when seeking an overseas education. Certainly one would be a fool to spend a sum of money to study in a lowly overseas university when the local one is not that bad to begin with.

Yes, the experience and independence yadda yadda. In the end of the day money is what seals the deal. Plane ticket to the US can already cover one year's tuition fees in public universities (pretty sure more than one year).

Those articles that promote overseas education are those from rich countries. Realise that? Show me one article that preaches the same cause to developing country citizens of the middle income bracket, showing viability at the same time. Then only I agree.

There's no arguing about studying in a high ranking prestigious overseas university, or supporting with a scholarship. I'm talking about the lowly ones. Does not make economic sense at all.

What about these?

Why Public Malaysian Universities will Never Improve - by ex-researcher

The State of Higher Education in Malaysia



By contrast:

High achiever scores big overseas - NST

Great Opportunities for Undergraduate Research…



William A. Thomas, a Professor Unlike any Other



BTW, you can APPLY for the Opportunity Fund Award. The Opportunity Fund, if granted to you, will help you offset some of the cost including plane ticket to the US and a host of other stuffs, however, subjected to the discretion of the U.S. Embassy.

This post has been edited by invinciblebunny: Jun 10 2011, 11:12 PM

You'd have to be a fool to go to the lowly ones, of that there is no doubt.

Yes, it's hard to get a scholarship, so I would understand if you went to a lower/lowly one on a grant or scholarship or something.

However, if you're paying fees, then you must be either not good enough to get admitted into a better university, or too dumb to differentiate between top universities and their lowly counterparts.

Can i apply for Opportunity Fund to finance my studies in other American universities besides Colby-Sawyer?

Sorry, I got the AMCHAM-MACEE Scholarship, which awards one student USD$20,000 for their 4 year study in the U.S.

This post has been edited by invinciblebunny: Jun 10 2011, 11:14 PM

I don't believe USD 5000 per year is quite enough, especially in the United States...

I forgot to mention that I'm also receiving scholarships/grants from my college.

I disagree on this. It seems so pessimistic. For the better or for the worse they still teach us something. I'm lucky to get good teachers throughout my life, and I wholeheartedly thankful to them. Now in University, my lecturers are the best. Plus they have earned more before they decided to become a educator. So, don't lump all educators like that. They are more good educator compared to the bad ones.

IMHO, I think that the education system is the main problem. Not the educators.


+1

And look at their suicide rate. Amazing.

Maru&box, Akidos & Double7, your comments have been featured in a U.S. article. you should be proud of it! http://ow.ly/5e80Q

Wow they take comments from Lowyat seriously???

Is it really hard to get a pass degree anywhere in the world now days?

Think about this scenario.

Say MIT - top engineering university (THER-2) versus University of Michigan (THER-14). Say MIT with a 20% pass rate and UoM with a 90% pass rate. You are on average say spending 2 years at this university averaging RM100k per year (all expense included).

If you get an offer to both the universities which will you pick?

Unless you are bloody confident/genius that you can pass MIT, just the review, the taught of the money and time spent will push you to decide to go for UoM. This will be the same for US citizens whom unlike Asian's don't tend to save money and the taught of 4 years+money and coupled with the low success rate will prove to be a deterrent to go to MIT.

And where do you think all the resources(ie:funding) for research, facilities etc etc will come from? the US gov? even so for how long will the US gov fund the uni for resources? as they are already loaning money out to the students through (cant remember Fannie may/Freddie Mac?) for the tuition.

Trust me it is easy to get a pass for any uni generally even in MIT, as you go down the ranking the pass rate becomes easier - and for one reason. Without an increase in student enrollment you can produce 1 Nobel prize graduate per year and make it the hardest course in the world but you will still become bankrupt after a couple of years. Serves totally no purpose at all (and you think those high achieving graduates gonna work for free for the uni?).


In malaysia's scenario say UM against USM.

UM pass rate is similar at 20% and USM has a 90% pass rate. Which uni choice going to be your first? You want to waste four years of your life with the taught that you can fail at the slightest drop in performance? trust me 90% of the applicants are going to select USM as their first choice. Even with government funding how long will the course last while making losses (ie: revenue less than expenditure), the government itself will probably pressure the uni to pass students more easily.

Once again, the pass rate will be come easier as you go down the ranking. Same purpose, to attract students. It is probably easier to pass in private university than public university- same reason.

Success is marketable, people perceptions are drawn to this.

Mr. Abdirahman did note that the nature of studies is what attracts the students. It is about how to get the best result out of your degree. If you think you are the exam type than go do a course more suited to exam based, and if you are more hands-on than go to the course more suited for hands-on approach.

He forgot to factor in some very important details especially regarding to resources made available in the US for the course, proper structure and research into course content to be INDUSTRY orientated (since you are going to be working after you study) with input from experienced consultants and tutors.

"my US education is only necessary to get a degree in engineering in order to recognize my job title and therefore to get my salary based on my degree only.. otherwise ,the nature of my work has nothing related in direct of what i study in theoretical study in the USA"

He is working in civil engineering field. He probably got his job through contacts or his father/family etc. I am very sure of this. He doesn't do static analysis at his work? dynamics? F=ma? statistics? materials? etc etc? The credibility of his statement (based on the article) as an engineer IMHO=0

He shouldn't compare Kuwait with the US, technologically and engineering speaking they know things way way better by a mile. His deductions from a pass degree is a joke in my view with no evidence to back it up.