Where do normal kids go to college?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work at the University of Missouri. Admissions are guaranteed for 24 ACT / 1160 SAT and a 2.0+ GPA. This is the state flagship; other state schools are even easier. It's crazy to me as a native New Yorker that so many locals send their talented, accomplished kids to Mizzou. But then they are having a good time, graduating without debt and still getting into law and med school, so maybe I am the crazy one. Still trying to figure that out.

I’ve lived in the Midwest & in the Northeast. Except for a few wealthy suburbs, college aspirations are indeed strikingly different in the Midwest.

After trying to explain the difference many times, the best way I’ve found to sum it up is that most Midwesterners simply don’t view college as a source of prestige. You went to Princeton, great. You went to Eastern Illinois, great. THAT you went to college is far more important than WHERE you went, but neither is directly connected to prestige.

Prestige is more likely linked to what kind of boat you have, if you shot a deer during hunting season, how well your house & yard are maintained, what your golf handicap is, and so on.

Most Midwesterners know smart & financially stable farmers, tradesmen, and union workers who never went to college at all, so assuming there is a necessary connection between college & brains/wealth seems odd to them.

I grew up in Ohio and it is very true there, as well. Most kids in Ohio never even consider colleges outside of the State. The only ones I know who went out of state in my class were a couple to ND (we were a Catholic school so that wasn't surprising) and maybe one or two went out of state to Michigan.

At least where I lived, it was not a wealthy area so costs (even then at a fraction of what they are now) were prohibitive to go very far from home (my college roommate gave up an Ivy that was not affordable for a full ride at our low tier state school). All of our teachers, parents, doctors, etc. all went to Ohio schools. We didn't "mix" with ivy leaguers or T10 schools.

I left Ohio for a reason but, I will say, I do miss the fact that the people there are not prestige obsessed like they are here. It's so tiresome and the cutting down of schools (and kids) that are not top 50 in the country is really, really grotesque. But people seem to have no shame about how they act and the things they say. Also gross.

I always assumed this was because we’re all anonymous. You think these status chasers say crazy stuff IRL?

No, IRL too. I had one parent recently tell me it was great my kid (high stats but chasing merit at lower tiered schools) was mature to be able to consider "a school like that." That's just one example of the rude sh-- I've heard out of peoples' mouths.

Omg. I want to punch that woman in the face for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work at the University of Missouri. Admissions are guaranteed for 24 ACT / 1160 SAT and a 2.0+ GPA. This is the state flagship; other state schools are even easier. It's crazy to me as a native New Yorker that so many locals send their talented, accomplished kids to Mizzou. But then they are having a good time, graduating without debt and still getting into law and med school, so maybe I am the crazy one. Still trying to figure that out.

I’ve lived in the Midwest & in the Northeast. Except for a few wealthy suburbs, college aspirations are indeed strikingly different in the Midwest.

After trying to explain the difference many times, the best way I’ve found to sum it up is that most Midwesterners simply don’t view college as a source of prestige. You went to Princeton, great. You went to Eastern Illinois, great. THAT you went to college is far more important than WHERE you went, but neither is directly connected to prestige.

Prestige is more likely linked to what kind of boat you have, if you shot a deer during hunting season, how well your house & yard are maintained, what your golf handicap is, and so on.

Most Midwesterners know smart & financially stable farmers, tradesmen, and union workers who never went to college at all, so assuming there is a necessary connection between college & brains/wealth seems odd to them.

I grew up in Ohio and it is very true there, as well. Most kids in Ohio never even consider colleges outside of the State. The only ones I know who went out of state in my class were a couple to ND (we were a Catholic school so that wasn't surprising) and maybe one or two went out of state to Michigan.

At least where I lived, it was not a wealthy area so costs (even then at a fraction of what they are now) were prohibitive to go very far from home (my college roommate gave up an Ivy that was not affordable for a full ride at our low tier state school). All of our teachers, parents, doctors, etc. all went to Ohio schools. We didn't "mix" with ivy leaguers or T10 schools.

I left Ohio for a reason but, I will say, I do miss the fact that the people there are not prestige obsessed like they are here. It's so tiresome and the cutting down of schools (and kids) that are not top 50 in the country is really, really grotesque. But people seem to have no shame about how they act and the things they say. Also gross.

I always assumed this was because we’re all anonymous. You think these status chasers say crazy stuff IRL?

No, IRL too. I had one parent recently tell me it was great my kid (high stats but chasing merit at lower tiered schools) was mature to be able to consider "a school like that." That's just one example of the rude sh-- I've heard out of peoples' mouths.

Omg. I want to punch that woman in the face for you.

+1. Me too. Backhanded compliments out of the side of their mouths.

[Anonymous]

LMU = Loyola Marymount University, in suburban Los Angeles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work at the University of Missouri. Admissions are guaranteed for 24 ACT / 1160 SAT and a 2.0+ GPA. This is the state flagship; other state schools are even easier. It's crazy to me as a native New Yorker that so many locals send their talented, accomplished kids to Mizzou. But then they are having a good time, graduating without debt and still getting into law and med school, so maybe I am the crazy one. Still trying to figure that out.

I’ve lived in the Midwest & in the Northeast. Except for a few wealthy suburbs, college aspirations are indeed strikingly different in the Midwest.

After trying to explain the difference many times, the best way I’ve found to sum it up is that most Midwesterners simply don’t view college as a source of prestige. You went to Princeton, great. You went to Eastern Illinois, great. THAT you went to college is far more important than WHERE you went, but neither is directly connected to prestige.

Prestige is more likely linked to what kind of boat you have, if you shot a deer during hunting season, how well your house & yard are maintained, what your golf handicap is, and so on.

Most Midwesterners know smart & financially stable farmers, tradesmen, and union workers who never went to college at all, so assuming there is a necessary connection between college & brains/wealth seems odd to them.

I grew up in Ohio and it is very true there, as well. Most kids in Ohio never even consider colleges outside of the State. The only ones I know who went out of state in my class were a couple to ND (we were a Catholic school so that wasn't surprising) and maybe one or two went out of state to Michigan.

At least where I lived, it was not a wealthy area so costs (even then at a fraction of what they are now) were prohibitive to go very far from home (my college roommate gave up an Ivy that was not affordable for a full ride at our low tier state school). All of our teachers, parents, doctors, etc. all went to Ohio schools. We didn't "mix" with ivy leaguers or T10 schools.

I left Ohio for a reason but, I will say, I do miss the fact that the people there are not prestige obsessed like they are here. It's so tiresome and the cutting down of schools (and kids) that are not top 50 in the country is really, really grotesque. But people seem to have no shame about how they act and the things they say. Also gross.

I always assumed this was because we’re all anonymous. You think these status chasers say crazy stuff IRL?

No, IRL too. I had one parent recently tell me it was great my kid (high stats but chasing merit at lower tiered schools) was mature to be able to consider "a school like that." That's just one example of the rude sh-- I've heard out of peoples' mouths.

You're the one who calls schools "lower tier".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work at the University of Missouri. Admissions are guaranteed for 24 ACT / 1160 SAT and a 2.0+ GPA. This is the state flagship; other state schools are even easier. It's crazy to me as a native New Yorker that so many locals send their talented, accomplished kids to Mizzou. But then they are having a good time, graduating without debt and still getting into law and med school, so maybe I am the crazy one. Still trying to figure that out.

Weird that ppl send their kids here given the peer group.

I have no knowledge of Mizzou but why can't people just understand that kids can have accomplishments, be successful, go to grad schools, make money . . . whatever your definition of success is . . . from any school. I get that some may provide some intangibles (networks or pathways to super selective careers). But that is the exception, not the rule. Yes, even for kids at Mizzou.

Mizzou is a fine school and I went to an elite law school with a Mizzou grad. But it's weird to go from NY to Mizzou undergrad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work at the University of Missouri. Admissions are guaranteed for 24 ACT / 1160 SAT and a 2.0+ GPA. This is the state flagship; other state schools are even easier. It's crazy to me as a native New Yorker that so many locals send their talented, accomplished kids to Mizzou. But then they are having a good time, graduating without debt and still getting into law and med school, so maybe I am the crazy one. Still trying to figure that out.

I’ve lived in the Midwest & in the Northeast. Except for a few wealthy suburbs, college aspirations are indeed strikingly different in the Midwest.

After trying to explain the difference many times, the best way I’ve found to sum it up is that most Midwesterners simply don’t view college as a source of prestige. You went to Princeton, great. You went to Eastern Illinois, great. THAT you went to college is far more important than WHERE you went, but neither is directly connected to prestige.

Prestige is more likely linked to what kind of boat you have, if you shot a deer during hunting season, how well your house & yard are maintained, what your golf handicap is, and so on.

Most Midwesterners know smart & financially stable farmers, tradesmen, and union workers who never went to college at all, so assuming there is a necessary connection between college & brains/wealth seems odd to them.

I like this

Not true in my Midwestern experience. This just sounds like middle class values anywhere vs. upper middle class values anywhere.

[Anonymous]

I have cousins at: Penn State, University of TN, Cornell, Wellesley, Towson, SUNY Geneseo, Hofstra, Miami at Ohio, U of Delaware, Smith and that's all I can think of.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work at the University of Missouri. Admissions are guaranteed for 24 ACT / 1160 SAT and a 2.0+ GPA. This is the state flagship; other state schools are even easier. It's crazy to me as a native New Yorker that so many locals send their talented, accomplished kids to Mizzou. But then they are having a good time, graduating without debt and still getting into law and med school, so maybe I am the crazy one. Still trying to figure that out.

I’ve lived in the Midwest & in the Northeast. Except for a few wealthy suburbs, college aspirations are indeed strikingly different in the Midwest.

After trying to explain the difference many times, the best way I’ve found to sum it up is that most Midwesterners simply don’t view college as a source of prestige. You went to Princeton, great. You went to Eastern Illinois, great. THAT you went to college is far more important than WHERE you went, but neither is directly connected to prestige.

Prestige is more likely linked to what kind of boat you have, if you shot a deer during hunting season, how well your house & yard are maintained, what your golf handicap is, and so on.

Most Midwesterners know smart & financially stable farmers, tradesmen, and union workers who never went to college at all, so assuming there is a necessary connection between college & brains/wealth seems odd to them.

I grew up in Ohio and it is very true there, as well. Most kids in Ohio never even consider colleges outside of the State. The only ones I know who went out of state in my class were a couple to ND (we were a Catholic school so that wasn't surprising) and maybe one or two went out of state to Michigan.

At least where I lived, it was not a wealthy area so costs (even then at a fraction of what they are now) were prohibitive to go very far from home (my college roommate gave up an Ivy that was not affordable for a full ride at our low tier state school). All of our teachers, parents, doctors, etc. all went to Ohio schools. We didn't "mix" with ivy leaguers or T10 schools.

I left Ohio for a reason but, I will say, I do miss the fact that the people there are not prestige obsessed like they are here. It's so tiresome and the cutting down of schools (and kids) that are not top 50 in the country is really, really grotesque. But people seem to have no shame about how they act and the things they say. Also gross.

I always assumed this was because we’re all anonymous. You think these status chasers say crazy stuff IRL?

No, IRL too. I had one parent recently tell me it was great my kid (high stats but chasing merit at lower tiered schools) was mature to be able to consider "a school like that." That's just one example of the rude sh-- I've heard out of peoples' mouths.

You're the one who calls schools "lower tier".

DP
What phrasing would you prefer? Less selective? Lower ranked? Non elite? Sounds all the same to me. Calling something a “school like that” is the issue.

[Anonymous]

Normal kids go to Illinois State.

[Anonymous]

My cousins, siblings and I all went to a variety of schools starting in the early aughts: UNC-CH (in state), American University, George Mason University, Manhattan College, Pace University, Frostburg State University, Eastern Carolina University, UMCP, Bryn Mawr, WVU, UMass - Amherst, Western Carolina University. Those of us with ambition have been professionally successful…alma mater really hasn’t been relevant.

I do *not* get the obsession.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Normal kids go to Illinois State.

Haha. Funny enough, at one point, this was a dark horse on a list of schools for my daughter here in nova. They did an episode of The College Tour there and it looks like a fun place to go to school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work at the University of Missouri. Admissions are guaranteed for 24 ACT / 1160 SAT and a 2.0+ GPA. This is the state flagship; other state schools are even easier. It's crazy to me as a native New Yorker that so many locals send their talented, accomplished kids to Mizzou. But then they are having a good time, graduating without debt and still getting into law and med school, so maybe I am the crazy one. Still trying to figure that out.

I’ve lived in the Midwest & in the Northeast. Except for a few wealthy suburbs, college aspirations are indeed strikingly different in the Midwest.

After trying to explain the difference many times, the best way I’ve found to sum it up is that most Midwesterners simply don’t view college as a source of prestige. You went to Princeton, great. You went to Eastern Illinois, great. THAT you went to college is far more important than WHERE you went, but neither is directly connected to prestige.

Prestige is more likely linked to what kind of boat you have, if you shot a deer during hunting season, how well your house & yard are maintained, what your golf handicap is, and so on.

Most Midwesterners know smart & financially stable farmers, tradesmen, and union workers who never went to college at all, so assuming there is a necessary connection between college & brains/wealth seems odd to them.

I like this

Not true in my Midwestern experience. This just sounds like middle class values anywhere vs. upper middle class values anywhere.

+100
The upper class people I know from my corporate HQ in Midwest are just as focused on status, but they talk about Notre Dame, UChicago and Mich a lot more, it’s a different mix of colleges but they are all the name brands

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work at the University of Missouri. Admissions are guaranteed for 24 ACT / 1160 SAT and a 2.0+ GPA. This is the state flagship; other state schools are even easier. It's crazy to me as a native New Yorker that so many locals send their talented, accomplished kids to Mizzou. But then they are having a good time, graduating without debt and still getting into law and med school, so maybe I am the crazy one. Still trying to figure that out.

Weird that ppl send their kids here given the peer group.

I have no knowledge of Mizzou but why can't people just understand that kids can have accomplishments, be successful, go to grad schools, make money . . . whatever your definition of success is . . . from any school. I get that some may provide some intangibles (networks or pathways to super selective careers). But that is the exception, not the rule. Yes, even for kids at Mizzou.

Mizzou is a fine school and I went to an elite law school with a Mizzou grad. But it's weird to go from NY to Mizzou undergrad.

I hired someone from Mizzou who is is competent enough but has a limited vocabulary. Words like “chasm” and “protracted” threw her and she would throw a tantrum about how someone was trying to ‘show her up with fancy words’. 🤷

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A ton of schools. Some suggestions Bates, Denison, Wilamette, Fordham, Syracuse, University of Vermont, WPI, Boulder, University of Denver, SMU, TCU, University of Oregon, Oregon State, University of Tennessee, University of Kansas, Arizona State, Gonzaga, Franklin & Marshall, Elon, Marist, College of Charleston

Good options.

Bates? I thought it was fairly selective?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work at the University of Missouri. Admissions are guaranteed for 24 ACT / 1160 SAT and a 2.0+ GPA. This is the state flagship; other state schools are even easier. It's crazy to me as a native New Yorker that so many locals send their talented, accomplished kids to Mizzou. But then they are having a good time, graduating without debt and still getting into law and med school, so maybe I am the crazy one. Still trying to figure that out.

And they get instate tuition after a year.