Prestige or ranking

[Obamablackcaucus]

Hey guys, I'm new to the forums but I've been stalking them for a few days and I appreciate all the insight on here.

 

I applied for education leadership/administration programs and have had the following results:

 

Accepted:

Vanderbilt

Boston College

 

Rejected:

Harvard

 

Waiting to hear from:

BU

Teachers College

UPenn

 

I want to be a principal or superintendent later down the line, so my question is: what matters more, the reputation of the university or the ranking of the program? For example, would I be a stronger candidate if I went to the more prestigious university (e.g. UPenn) or the higher ranked program (Vanderbilt)?

 

Thank you!

[gr8pumpkin]

I would go with the higher ranked program.  At some point a great school is a great school.  UPenn and Vanderbilt are both great schools.  So that being said, go with the higher ranked program.  No one is going to tut tut a Vanderbilt pedigree.

[VirginianFeminist]

I agree with gr8pumpkin. Vanderbilt is renowned within the field of education. Moreover, Peabody is the top-ranked program for your specialty (education administration and supervision). Your future employers will almost certainly be aware of Vanderbilt's prestige among schools of education. Even those of us outside the field of education know that it's one of the top institutions.       

[RedPill]

Well, in your case all those schools are prestigious even on a global scale - scale BC. Vanderbilt to education is as MIT is to engineering. 

 

Vandy is a great pick. Peabody is a known name. 

[babycakes]

You want to know the truth? No one looks at which schools you went to when hiring admin but are more interested in who you know. If you have a select school district to teach / become an admin in mind, look at where they went for their masters and PhDs. Many PhD principals are adjuncts and when they want a new AP, you'll be sure that they'd choose a star student than someone they barely know from a school far away! (that's how my SO got hired as an AP!) 

 

But otherwise, I guess it wouldn't hurt to go to a better school name. If you look at the names of top Super's they're getting their degrees at Harvard BUT, if you keep up with education news most of them are recommended by other important people (mayors from other cities) so do recognize the importance of networking and simply putting your name out there. I say program recognition would only be more important if you pursued academia. 

[phil413]

I would go to Teachers College to be honest.

 

Why? Can you substantiate this please?