Turning down a much higher-ranked/more prestigious school

[Anonymous]

Who's done it? How do you keep the ranking from clouding your judgement? DC was 100% sure of their decision to attend the lower ranked school, but this latest admit was a total shock, and I think they're a bit swayed by the prestige of it.

[Anonymous]

Why so obtuse? What schools?

[Anonymous]

I’d ask opinions of people you trust? And depending on what the kid wants to study and do professionally. There are differences in terms of alumni networks and professional placement

[Anonymous]

Yeah, if you don't name the schools...or at least give proxy schools in the same locations, hard to really advise.

There are plenty of kids at strong in-state schools (UMD, UVA, Michigan, UC) that turn down an Ivy as example, but usually because they are full pay and the in-state option is very strong.

Is that the option?

[Anonymous]

I could see turning down ultra-prestigious but notoriously rigorous schools like UChicago, Cornell, Princeton, MIT, CalTech as being reasonable. The workloads can be grueling and tougher grading may also be detrimental to professional ambitions/professional school dreams. Not to mention mental health.

Turning down top notch schools with cake walk grading and awesome branding(think Harvard, Yale, Stanford) is tougher to justify.

[Anonymous]

Columbia?

[Anonymous]

Sorry, didn't think the schools mattered that much.

He's wanted to attend the Coast Guard Academy for years and was accepted EA. Then the Naval Academy admit came through, and now he's torn. He admits the culture isn't for him but that he's blinded by the higher prestige. I don't want to sway him, but I also don't want to see him make a big mistake.

[Anonymous]

He should go to the NA if he got in.

[Anonymous]

My college freshman picked the lower-ranked school last year. We saw it was the best fit for him, we agreed entirely, so it wasn't a struggle at all. Also, price was the same. It WOULD have been a struggle to see him pick a lower-ranked, more expensive option!

Congratulations to your son, OP! Those are all excellent options!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, didn't think the schools mattered that much.

He's wanted to attend the Coast Guard Academy for years and was accepted EA. Then the Naval Academy admit came through, and now he's torn. He admits the culture isn't for him but that he's blinded by the higher prestige. I don't want to sway him, but I also don't want to see him make a big mistake.

If he’s mature enough to know the culture isn’t for him, he should not go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, didn't think the schools mattered that much.

He's wanted to attend the Coast Guard Academy for years and was accepted EA. Then the Naval Academy admit came through, and now he's torn. He admits the culture isn't for him but that he's blinded by the higher prestige. I don't want to sway him, but I also don't want to see him make a big mistake.

I don't think nearly anyone on DCUM is qualified to answer this one. Take any advice with a grain of salt in terms of selecting between two service academies, unless someone really understands the difference between the service academies, post-grad service requirements, etc.

[Anonymous]

If one doesn’t like the culture of the Naval Academy, one would surely be signing up for years of misery by going. And then serving afterwards in the Navy rather than the Coast Guard - feels very different to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If one doesn’t like the culture of the Naval Academy, one would surely be signing up for years of misery by going. And then serving afterwards in the Navy rather than the Coast Guard - feels very different to me.

+1 sounds like he knows himself and should stick with the school that is a better fit.

[Anonymous]

I agree with everyone says he needs to stick with the cultural fit. But the question is, how does he keep the prestige of another school from blinding him? And how can I cautiously suggest this to him without being overly involved in the decision?

[Anonymous]

This is fairly easy and prestige has nothing to do with it. What Service does he want to spend 5-20+ years in when he graduates? That is the only question.