Are only kids of wealthy parents in elite professions majoring in arts/going to elite colleges?

[Anonymous]

It seems that the kids I know going to T-10 schools and are majoring in things like philosophy or sociology are from families that are in big law, IB, or medicine. They also have generational wealth from grandparents. We are first generation college grads with no parental help but worked our way up to UMC with no advice or mentoring. Our kids did well enough to get merit at some private universities but ultimately chose the state flagship to save money. They also pursued majors that led to high paying fields upon graduation. But are people like us short-changing our kids in not providing them with a liberal arts education at an elite school so they can join the rarefied alumni clubs and networking opportunities that lead to the truly big bucks?

[Anonymous]

It sounds like you made the right call. In my eyes, unless you’re at an elite school and have zero loans to pay back, it’s too risky to major in the humanities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like you made the right call. In my eyes, unless you’re at an elite school and have zero loans to pay back, it’s too risky to major in the humanities.

This. Plus, what’s wrong with just a well-paying career? Why do you want them to have the “truly big bucks”?

[Anonymous]

DD at SLAC notices it's the wealthy and URM first-gen students. The latter not for say fine arts, but Sociology, English, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD at SLAC notices it's the wealthy and URM first-gen students. The latter not for say fine arts, but Sociology, English, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD at SLAC notices it's the wealthy and URM first-gen students. The latter not for say fine arts, but Sociology, English, etc.

'

I don't understand what you are saying.

[Anonymous]

"But are people like us short-changing our kids in not providing them with a liberal arts education at an elite school so they can join the rarefied alumni clubs and networking opportunities that lead to the truly big bucks?"
It's not a liberal arts major at an elite school that leads to networking opportunities; it's those connections that are made with the so-called "elite," regardless of major.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD at SLAC notices it's the wealthy and URM first-gen students. The latter not for say fine arts, but Sociology, English, etc.

'

I don't understand what you are saying.

The wealthy legacy types, as well as lower income URM students, are the vast majority of the English department.

[Anonymous]

At Harvard a high % of kids major in CS, which surprises as I thought it hardly matters what you major in if you get in there.

But if you’re at a state school, especially a “lower tier” one, the history or English majors are going to be teaching high school. You’d be wise to major in nursing, CS, engineering or accounting at such a school. Nothing wrong with that, but they’re not going to be recruited to IB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At Harvard a high % of kids major in CS, which surprises as I thought it hardly matters what you major in if you get in there.

But if you’re at a state school, especially a “lower tier” one, the history or English majors are going to be teaching high school. You’d be wise to major in nursing, CS, engineering or accounting at such a school. Nothing wrong with that, but they’re not going to be recruited to IB.

Very true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At Harvard a high % of kids major in CS, which surprises as I thought it hardly matters what you major in if you get in there.

But if you’re at a state school, especially a “lower tier” one, the history or English majors are going to be teaching high school. You’d be wise to major in nursing, CS, engineering or accounting at such a school. Nothing wrong with that, but they’re not going to be recruited to IB.

I'm always confused by comments like this. Someone has to teach high school. Or elementary or middle schools. Who do YOU think should teach in our schools.

[Anonymous]

I came from a family without means, went to an Ivy, majored in a humanity that DCUM likes to make jokes about. Then I got paid to go to graduate school, and I now earn a 6 figure salary. I had some student loans but not much and paid them off quickly. Since my family had no means, they paid nothing for undergraduate or graduate school.


So no, it's not only the wealthy and elite who major in the arts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At Harvard a high % of kids major in CS, which surprises as I thought it hardly matters what you major in if you get in there.

But if you’re at a state school, especially a “lower tier” one, the history or English majors are going to be teaching high school. You’d be wise to major in nursing, CS, engineering or accounting at such a school. Nothing wrong with that, but they’re not going to be recruited to IB.

I'm always confused by comments like this. Someone has to teach high school. Or elementary or middle schools. Who do YOU think should teach in our schools.

The best and the brightest kids, ideally. But teaching is not what most kids at elite schools or aspiring for elite professions (regardless of how realistic it is) are aiming for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At Harvard a high % of kids major in CS, which surprises as I thought it hardly matters what you major in if you get in there.

But if you’re at a state school, especially a “lower tier” one, the history or English majors are going to be teaching high school. You’d be wise to major in nursing, CS, engineering or accounting at such a school. Nothing wrong with that, but they’re not going to be recruited to IB.

I'm always confused by comments like this. Someone has to teach high school. Or elementary or middle schools. Who do YOU think should teach in our schools.

The best and the brightest kids, ideally. But teaching is not what most kids at elite schools or aspiring for elite professions (regardless of how realistic it is) are aiming for.

It's a shame. In other countries to be a teacher is a really respected profession. It's one of the most important ones for our society.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At Harvard a high % of kids major in CS, which surprises as I thought it hardly matters what you major in if you get in there.

But if you’re at a state school, especially a “lower tier” one, the history or English majors are going to be teaching high school. You’d be wise to major in nursing, CS, engineering or accounting at such a school. Nothing wrong with that, but they’re not going to be recruited to IB.

Very true.

LOL no. You all obviously have no idea at all what you're talking about and should really stop embarrassing yourselves like this. I've never known a history or English major with any brains at all to have any trouble getting a well-paying job if that's what they wanted. Yes, including those from "lower tier" state schools. Nobody cares where you got your degree from except this subset of desperate social climbers here on DCUM.