It's been 10 years since our oldest graduated from high school. The most successful are

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another narcissist posting on dcum. I call them dcum scum.

It’s just a troll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My anecdotal observations of the class of 2002 at an above average prep school in a mid tier city with a large and strong tradition of private schools. Out of 80 graduates:

Of the top 5 students, who all went to elite colleges, three are doing extremely well. One is a senior tech guru living in Burlingame, one is a full professor with tenure at a major university, one is a highly placed finance executive. One went to medical school and is married to a surgeon.

However, the unofficial #1 is a permanent adjunct / tutor / fellow despite going to Harvard.

Of the next 15 or so who rounded out the top 25% of the class, I'd say around 12 are solidly upper middle class, lawyers and doctors and senior corporate executives. Most have kids in private schools or live in top ranked public districts. All went to excellent colleges ranging from Ivies to places like WUSTL or Bates. I suppose you would call this the grinder cohort.

The bottom 75% is all over the map. Some of the unquestionably bottom 25% are doing *extremely* well financially, major careers in sales and insurance or building up their family businesses. One became a very successful restauranter with several restaurants. For the bottom 75% there is *no pattern* between where they went to college and where they ended up life.

Granted, everyone went to college save one or two who failed out quickly. And a decent percentage of kids who started out in a privileged position in life have definitely, unquestionably, regressed socio-economically.

This is hilarious. Nice try, PP.

A full professor at 27-28? Very, very few people become full professors before age 40. Most people haven't finished their PhD by 27-28, let alone then go through the 6 year tenure process to associate and then minimum of several year process to full.

[Anonymous]

class of 2002.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:class of 2002.

Right, 2002 was 18 years ago! Those graduates would be about 40 now, not 27.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is particularly desirable about ambition or markers of status like wealth and high powered jobs?

I think the OPS point is correct, but it's sort of like, who cares? All these striving doctors and lawyers and tech bros who wanted nothing more than being rich and admired when they were older – good for them. The vast majority of average people in their mid level jobs are often more content and well adjusted than the strivers.

There's just something about the tone of discourse on this forum that is so offputting. You are all striving so damn hard to be better than the people around you.

I think the point is that this status-obsessed admission rat race is pointless long-term. It means nothing after college. Even if you somehow con your kid into an Ivy, they are who they are. The smart highly ambitious gal at the top of her high school class who wants to be a doctor can go to Northwestern or UVA or some flyover state liberal arts college this forum would sneer at...and she will still end up in medical school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At age 27 or 28, what is the difference between a "great" and "normal" career?

Prestige advanced degree, living in a prestige expensive city, prestige job, and married well? DCUM is the most status obsessed striver forum on the internet and you wanna play dumb that you don’t know what doing great is. lol

OMG! Aunt Jane from Canton?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Talk to me when these grads hit their mid-40's. Watching the marriages of white lined type A's burning up in the atmosphere.

Good grief, you sound miserable and you're posting misinformation. College-educated couples who marry in their 20s have the most successful marriages. Marrying soon after college is a sign of maturity, faith, and ambition. Building a life together is far wiser than dating around and renting for ten years after college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is particularly desirable about ambition or markers of status like wealth and high powered jobs?

I think the OPS point is correct, but it's sort of like, who cares? All these striving doctors and lawyers and tech bros who wanted nothing more than being rich and admired when they were older – good for them. The vast majority of average people in their mid level jobs are often more content and well adjusted than the strivers.

There's just something about the tone of discourse on this forum that is so offputting. You are all striving so damn hard to be better than the people around you.

I think the point is that this status-obsessed admission rat race is pointless long-term. It means nothing after college. Even if you somehow con your kid into an Ivy, they are who they are. The smart highly ambitious gal at the top of her high school class who wants to be a doctor can go to Northwestern or UVA or some flyover state liberal arts college this forum would sneer at...and she will still end up in medical school.

But that’s always true for medicine….
Not so much biglaw or UB, PE, consulting

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The most successful young adults who are now 27 or 28 years old were the top students in their high school class, no matter where they went to undergrad. From Ivies to tiny liberal arts college to fairly regional public universities, they all zoomed through undergrad, sometimes in three years, many went to grad or professional school, and they all have great careers. It seems all of them are married.

The handful of middle of the pack students and student-athletes who surprised everyone when they got into elite T20s regressed to their mean and have totally normal careers, at best.

It seems smart ambitious highly-motivated teens become smart ambitious highly-motivated adults. And if your teen is not those things, Tiger Mom'ing them into an elite college probably isn't going to change anything about their life and professional trajectory.

I see many mediocre performer kids doing as well as high performing kids, some even better. Most top performing kids are doing great. I see average students somehow making it into some med school and finishing residencies like their high achiever peers. I see high A+ kids doing similar law schools, consulting, finance jobs as barely A kids. Marriage and dating is also mixed. I think its too early to pass verdict of successful or unsuccessful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The most successful young adults who are now 27 or 28 years old were the top students in their high school class, no matter where they went to undergrad. From Ivies to tiny liberal arts college to fairly regional public universities, they all zoomed through undergrad, sometimes in three years, many went to grad or professional school, and they all have great careers. It seems all of them are married.

The handful of middle of the pack students and student-athletes who surprised everyone when they got into elite T20s regressed to their mean and have totally normal careers, at best.

It seems smart ambitious highly-motivated teens become smart ambitious highly-motivated adults. And if your teen is not those things, Tiger Mom'ing them into an elite college probably isn't going to change anything about their life and professional trajectory.

All of them are married at 27? Do you live in the deep south or Pakistan?

Most high school class of 2014 are age 28 right now. And yes, high value smart couples are marrying in their early and mid 20s. We know a Yale '23 & Harvard '23 couple who got married last fall.

You know one couple so yep, “everyone” must be doing it!

Our twins graduated from UVA in 2022. They began getting wedding invites that summer and autumn after college.

60% of those marriages will be in the trash can before Trump is out of office.

[Anonymous]

I was salutatorian of my high school, not doing anything awe worthy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. This is so full of generalizations, inaccuracies and judgments. Yikes!

Oh, OP is just one of DCUM’s deranged anti-athlete posters. They start threads all the time like this. To be honest, I find the threads entertaining because the crazies out quickly.

🍿

Must be why you're here.

I’m definitely only here for the entertainment. I find DCUMs anti-athlete crazies to be so out in left field (pun intended!) that it’s funny.

[Anonymous]

*and wasn't tiger momed into becoming high achiever, mom was a high school drop out child bride so all I did was on my own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Correct. Ambitious kids become ambitious adults.

+1
Wow! This sounds like ground breaking rocket science! I wonder how OP came up with such unique insight that no one ever could have predicted.

This forum and others like it and also travel sports forums are full of parents who think prestige colleges are going to change their kids' lives. It is delusional. Your teen either has "it" or they don't by the time they leave your nest. You put a kid ambitious and smart enough for UVA, Duke or Penn into some regional degree mill and they will graduate with a 4.0 GPA and have their pick of jobs and grad schools.

Omg. The UVA boosting never ends. UVA and Duke and Penn? Okay. 🤣🤣

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The most successful young adults who are now 27 or 28 years old were the top students in their high school class, no matter where they went to undergrad. From Ivies to tiny liberal arts college to fairly regional public universities, they all zoomed through undergrad, sometimes in three years, many went to grad or professional school, and they all have great careers. It seems all of them are married.

The handful of middle of the pack students and student-athletes who surprised everyone when they got into elite T20s regressed to their mean and have totally normal careers, at best.

It seems smart ambitious highly-motivated teens become smart ambitious highly-motivated adults. And if your teen is not those things, Tiger Mom'ing them into an elite college probably isn't going to change anything about their life and professional trajectory.

you lost me at the athlete kid hate

Recruited student-athlete, URM, and first-generation are examples of admissions hooks. This is common vernacular on college admission forums. Ten years out hooked kids who were mid-pack of their high school class and yet got into elite colleges have not set the world on fire. They regressed to their mean even with the fancy degree and alleged network. It's a fascinating observation.

Regressed to the mean in the backwater that OP is from, perhaps.