New "Dream Schools" from Selingo's new book ...

[Anonymous]

With a few exceptions (not sure why umd is on there for example), isn’t this basically the same as his list of buyer schools from his last book? It feels like the same point. Some schools have higher acceptance rates and give discounts bc they are less popular but they still solid so give them a look. Ok!

[Anonymous]

Deep breathes, Ithaca College hater. It’s okay if that school isn’t the right fit for you or your student, but for some families it checks a lot of boxes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just read the list. Completely random. Save your money. Don't buy.

you can read the book for free at the library. on kindle, it only cost me $15. I just finished it and definitely got more than $15 worth of advice and insight. the list is just in the appendix and it includes a longer commentary on each selected school. but the book is really not about the dream school list alone.

+100.

What's sending me about this thread is all the people commenting on just the list who have not read the actual book. I guess this is what I should have expected because this crowd is not known for context or nuance. I wish he had never included the list in the appendix - it distracts from the broader message. The real value is not in the list but in the insights and tools he provides to help families make informed decisions. People seem to be missing the forest for the trees here.

Agreed!

[Anonymous]

I read the book. It's an easy read.

I dont think all his anecdotes are as compelling as he did. Did someone already mention the girl who chose SMU (over what .. some other more prestigious school, but can't remember), also didn't like SMU. Like the Columbia kid. She just didn't leave after freshman year.

I can't really imagine picking Mississippi over Rice, especially considering Rice was giving that student a ton of money.

I do get MN! That's a great flagship.

(I am also considering some political stuff to be fair, I wouldn't want my kids in Mississippi really)

And the info about how to look at schools is stuff I knew, but I also realize I'm a super consumer of this info, which is why I read this book first week out.

The story about the MIT AO was news. I googled more of that and honestly it sounds more traumatic than Selingo even described (which makes sense). A nightmare

[Anonymous]

People here are horrible. I'm a Harvard grad, my husband is U Penn. While my son is a great kid, he is not going to make either of those schools - he's a likely or target at somewhere like UIUC, which is discussed in the book and would be a potential good fit for him. Does that mean he's worthless as a person, by DCUM?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People here are horrible. I'm a Harvard grad, my husband is U Penn. While my son is a great kid, he is not going to make either of those schools - he's a likely or target at somewhere like UIUC, which is discussed in the book and would be a potential good fit for him. Does that mean he's worthless as a person, by DCUM?

Maybe you should check the mirror.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I read the book. It's an easy read.

I dont think all his anecdotes are as compelling as he did. Did someone already mention the girl who chose SMU (over what .. some other more prestigious school, but can't remember), also didn't like SMU. Like the Columbia kid. She just didn't leave after freshman year.

I can't really imagine picking Mississippi over Rice, especially considering Rice was giving that student a ton of money.

I do get MN! That's a great flagship.

(I am also considering some political stuff to be fair, I wouldn't want my kids in Mississippi really)

And the info about how to look at schools is stuff I knew, but I also realize I'm a super consumer of this info, which is why I read this book first week out.

The story about the MIT AO was news. I googled more of that and honestly it sounds more traumatic than Selingo even described (which makes sense). A nightmare

Yes she went through a nightmare, from age 15 to 18. She was only 18 and on her way to the University of Richmond when she died of accidental drug overdose. Full details supplied by her mother here (trigger warning: sexual assault and cyberbullying): https://apps.bostonglobe.com/opinion/graphics/2022/10/teen-social-media-I-wont-see-my-daughter-grow-up/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s easy to take pot shots at the “hidden values” section of list. I don’t see anyone claiming they’d never in a million years allow their child to apply to UMCP, VT, or W&M, all of which are also on the complete Selingo list.

Do you understand why that is?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The "hidden value" list is a list of schools I would not spend my money on. If those are my kids options, in-state it is.

Isn't the assumption that those would be nearly free due to merit? Otherwise, I 100% agree with you.

I suspect that they get down to State costs with merit, not nearly free. There are schools on that list that are far better than most state schools.

Such as? I would choose one of our excellent state schools any day over that random list of "hidden value" schools.
DP

I agree.

Yep, economy is going to hell. Not the time to take a chance on a flailing private. This list is a decade too late.

Some of these schools have big endowments. Depauw has an endowment of almost a billion. Denison's is a little over a billion. Berry has an endowment of 1.2 Billion. Santa Clara has a 1.55 billion dollar endowment. Trinity has an endowment of 1.84 billion. Furman has an 828 million dollar endowment.

+1 People on this board are off the chain. Because most people only acknowledge the existence of about 300 colleges and universities, they think the schools facing closure are places like Conn. College or Franklin and Marshall. Schools like that aren’t going anywhere. Same tunnel vision that allows people to guilelessly say that schools like Emory or Tufts are shit. I’ll just never get it.

[Anonymous]

Good. My school is not part of this list lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People here are horrible. I'm a Harvard grad, my husband is U Penn. While my son is a great kid, he is not going to make either of those schools - he's a likely or target at somewhere like UIUC, which is discussed in the book and would be a potential good fit for him. Does that mean he's worthless as a person, by DCUM?

Maybe you should check the mirror.

NP here. I understand why PP listed his/her schools. Otherwise, how many seconds would have taken someone to post “You’re just bitter because you didn’t get in.” ?

[Anonymous]

How is UCSD on this list? It is ranked #29 in US News — ahead of NYU, U Florida, Georgia Tech, UT Austin, Boston College.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People here are horrible. I'm a Harvard grad, my husband is U Penn. While my son is a great kid, he is not going to make either of those schools - he's a likely or target at somewhere like UIUC, which is discussed in the book and would be a potential good fit for him. Does that mean he's worthless as a person, by DCUM?

Maybe you should check the mirror.

NP here. I understand why PP listed his/her schools. Otherwise, how many seconds would have taken someone to post “You’re just bitter because you didn’t get in.” ?

Agree, people get so triggered at the mere mention. It’s intended to give context and I appreciate it.

[Anonymous]

This just looks like a list of well known, reputable schools kids attend from our local APS high school after shooting their shot ag a bunch of the highest ranked schools and not getting in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This just looks like a list of well known, reputable schools kids attend from our local APS high school after shooting their shot ag a bunch of the highest ranked schools and not getting in.

I just finished the book last night. The list is a pretty minor section of the book but its more than a list and I like some of the factors it uses like a price to earnings ratio