Happy IVY (reaping) day!

[Anonymous]

The day my 2 Ivy nos came (by snail mail ;P) was the day I made my decision on which of my other 5 choices to attend.

I mean, yeah, it was a bummer to get those rejections, but it actually steered me to the right school for me in the end.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Serious question, when in your adult life and career has anyone ever asked you if you attended an honors college? I hope students are having good experiences in these programs, but people will form their impressions of their education based on the overall reputation of the school.

I agree, but also I really don't think State U is an impediment to a higher-level positions or lucrative fields.

But for most people it isn't really a choice, PP, even for the middle and upper middle class who isn't eligible for financial aid. Many people on here could "technically" afford 90K a year. But should they, considering what old age can cost, and given more tangible benefits, such as downpayment on homes, they can give their adult children? It's important to understand asset growth and wealth transfers from generation to generation. Maybe a brand-name undergrad degree is not the best investment compared to other options that will ease their children's financial pressures in midlife. We're talking here about ensuring ways to make our children wealthy: if they're not over-leveraged on a home and can invest their salaries in the stock market or other real estate, let's say, is that better than putting all your eggs in a very expensive undergrad degree and hoping your kids reach stratospheric levels in their career thanks to meeting the right people and going into a field that venerates the name on the diploma?

I'm not talking about low-income families on FA, or very wealthy families who can do it all. I'm specifically addressing the middle class family conundrum, for whom 90K is a workable stretch, but with sacrifices elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

ok, but $90k/year isn't a workable stretch for anyone who is truly middle class. Not by a long shot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ok, but $90k/year isn't a workable stretch for anyone who is truly middle class. Not by a long shot.

Middle class people don't pay 90k. We pay 20-45k

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s great how folks are being more practical-no secret how everyone knows the smartest kids with the greatest degree of merit are all located in Honors colleges of flagship state schools. Ivys all a DEI/legacy gamed admit these days!!

Make whatever choice makes you and your kid happy...but you have stop trying to justify it with reasoning like this. Know plenty of the "smartest" kids turning down honors colleges to attend Ivy schools, MIT, Stanford, etc.

Also, the whole "Honors colleges" thing is drastically overblown in its own right. I know kids at state schools turning down Honors colleges or not even bothering because the benefits aren't all the exciting (and often it comes with more work).

DP. Precisely this. Both my kids turned down their schools’ honor colleges for exactly those reasons. They had plenty going on within their majors and other activities - no need for additional “make-work.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s great how folks are being more practical-no secret how everyone knows the smartest kids with the greatest degree of merit are all located in Honors colleges of flagship state schools. Ivys all a DEI/legacy gamed admit these days!!

Make whatever choice makes you and your kid happy...but you have stop trying to justify it with reasoning like this. Know plenty of the "smartest" kids turning down honors colleges to attend Ivy schools, MIT, Stanford, etc.

Also, the whole "Honors colleges" thing is drastically overblown in its own right. I know kids at state schools turning down Honors colleges or not even bothering because the benefits aren't all the exciting (and often it comes with more work).

DP. Precisely this. Both my kids turned down their schools’ honor colleges for exactly those reasons. They had plenty going on within their majors and other activities - no need for additional “make-work.”

Exactly. Doing the extra make-work in the honors college of a state university is a horrible waste of time. No one will ever care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s great how folks are being more practical-no secret how everyone knows the smartest kids with the greatest degree of merit are all located in Honors colleges of flagship state schools. Ivys all a DEI/legacy gamed admit these days!!

Make whatever choice makes you and your kid happy...but you have stop trying to justify it with reasoning like this. Know plenty of the "smartest" kids turning down honors colleges to attend Ivy schools, MIT, Stanford, etc.

Also, the whole "Honors colleges" thing is drastically overblown in its own right. I know kids at state schools turning down Honors colleges or not even bothering because the benefits aren't all the exciting (and often it comes with more work).

DP. Precisely this. Both my kids turned down their schools’ honor colleges for exactly those reasons. They had plenty going on within their majors and other activities - no need for additional “make-work.”

Exactly. Doing the extra make-work in the honors college of a state university is a horrible waste of time. No one will ever care.

Plan II at UT is pretty prestigious for those who know. Really depends on where.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ok, but $90k/year isn't a workable stretch for anyone who is truly middle class. Not by a long shot.

Middle class people don't pay 90k. We pay 20-45k

Yep

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s great how folks are being more practical-no secret how everyone knows the smartest kids with the greatest degree of merit are all located in Honors colleges of flagship state schools. Ivys all a DEI/legacy gamed admit these days!!

Make whatever choice makes you and your kid happy...but you have stop trying to justify it with reasoning like this. Know plenty of the "smartest" kids turning down honors colleges to attend Ivy schools, MIT, Stanford, etc.

Also, the whole "Honors colleges" thing is drastically overblown in its own right. I know kids at state schools turning down Honors colleges or not even bothering because the benefits aren't all the exciting (and often it comes with more work).

DP. Precisely this. Both my kids turned down their schools’ honor colleges for exactly those reasons. They had plenty going on within their majors and other activities - no need for additional “make-work.”

My kid is enjoying his honors college experience. Knocking out some gen Ed requirements. Starting a multi year team based research project. Didn't get benefit of top tier housing or early class registration, but after some initial hesitation, he thinks it will be beneficial.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s great how folks are being more practical-no secret how everyone knows the smartest kids with the greatest degree of merit are all located in Honors colleges of flagship state schools. Ivys all a DEI/legacy gamed admit these days!!

That's some serious sour grapes and wishful thinking there.

+1 mixed in with a political agenda!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ok, but $90k/year isn't a workable stretch for anyone who is truly middle class. Not by a long shot.

Middle class people don't pay 90k. We pay 20-45k

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ok, but $90k/year isn't a workable stretch for anyone who is truly middle class. Not by a long shot.

Middle class people don't pay 90k. We pay 20-45k

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Now wishing my kid didn’t apply.

$38k for UVA vs $90k for most of them is tough nut.

Same.

Well, you likely won’t have anything to worry about!

We’ll see. He got into a few 5% acceptance rate schools already.

Humble brag....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Now wishing my kid didn’t apply.

$38k for UVA vs $90k for most of them is tough nut.

Same.

Well, you likely won’t have anything to worry about!

We’ll see. He got into a few 5% acceptance rate schools already.

Humble brag....

I was going to call "BS".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ok, but $90k/year isn't a workable stretch for anyone who is truly middle class. Not by a long shot.

Middle class people don't pay 90k. We pay 20-45k

Yes $300-450k are full pay $95k/year.

I should have quit my job and gone to a 1-bread winner household a few years ago. lol