Where you go to college doesn’t matter. What you do when you get there does!

[Anonymous]

I genuinely don’t understand the obsession on this board over the Ivies and prestige. Where you go to college doesn’t matter. It’s what you do when you get there that matters most!

I live in a suburb of the DMV that is “DCUM MC” (most families around me have a HHI ~$300-400k — enough for the upper middle class basics, but not enough for our kids to take rely on us when they’re adults). I’ve seen SO many kids go to elite schools and then flail after graduation because they made the wrong moves in college.

Example 1: A neighbor’s son graduated from MIT recently as a Bio major. He had a low GPA due to MIT’s intense, tough courses. Got shut out of every med school he applied to and now is working a minimum wage lab tech job.

Example 2: A

[Anonymous]

It cut off. Here is the rest:

Example 2: A neighbor’s daughter is currently a senior at Princeton majoring in Comparative Literature. I would never let my kid major in that. Last winter, I told her that her daughter absolutely needs to find a summer internship before her senior year of college if she wants any hope of being employed after graduation. The mom told me that her daughter didn’t intern—she worked as a summer camp counselor instead. Not surprisingly, she is in February of her senior year of college and still doesn’t have a job offer after graduation.

[Anonymous]

This was totally predictable from a mile away — who wants to hire a humanities major with no relevant internships? Don’t get why these Ivy kids just expect the name on their diploma to do all the heavy lifting. IIRC there was a poster on the jobs forum (“Daughter Ruining Career Prospects”) who was facing a similar dilemma. That’s just embarrassing

[Anonymous]

Sorry, but I've personally witnessed job candidates have doors open at the sight of the Ivy name on their resume. In multiple different fields.

The brand value is real, and wishing it weren't so doesn't change reality.

[Anonymous]

Forgot a few more:

Neighbor’s kid went to Harvard and majored in Philosophy. Yikes! He graduated a few years ago and moved to the PNW to be an “environmental educator” (whatever the hell that is) because he couldn’t get a real job post-grad.

But sometimes state school kids drop the ball. A friend’s DD is super smart. Turned down 3 Ivies for UMD on Banneker (donut family). She is majoring in Classics and English, and my friend told me that she wants to be an academic in the humanities. I told her that her DD should be prepared to not be able to find a job — the market for professors in the humanities is awful. And the kid wouldn’t even take my suggestion to at least minor in CS or Data Analytics (or anything useful!).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Sorry, but I've personally witnessed job candidates have doors open at the sight of the Ivy name on their resume. In multiple different fields.

The brand value is real, and wishing it weren't so doesn't change reality.

+1, places where comparative lit majors land on their feet. Generic state school is where these majors are worthlesss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Forgot a few more:

Neighbor’s kid went to Harvard and majored in Philosophy. Yikes! He graduated a few years ago and moved to the PNW to be an “environmental educator” (whatever the hell that is) because he couldn’t get a real job post-grad.

But sometimes state school kids drop the ball. A friend’s DD is super smart. Turned down 3 Ivies for UMD on Banneker (donut family). She is majoring in Classics and English, and my friend told me that she wants to be an academic in the humanities. I told her that her DD should be prepared to not be able to find a job — the market for professors in the humanities is awful. And the kid wouldn’t even take my suggestion to at least minor in CS or Data Analytics (or anything useful!).

It's great that some people follow paths that are not for you, OP. You should respect that. The world needs all sorts of professions in it. Why is everything about money for you? Are you THAT materialistic? Is it the only scale by which you measure people's worth? Did you marry for money, perchance? Are you only steering your kids towards professions that earn the most money?

And yet you're on here telling us that the type of college doesn't matter. But you think half the majors out there are crap.

Stop pretending you're open-minded. You're just a gold-digger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Forgot a few more:

Neighbor’s kid went to Harvard and majored in Philosophy. Yikes! He graduated a few years ago and moved to the PNW to be an “environmental educator” (whatever the hell that is) because he couldn’t get a real job post-grad.

But sometimes state school kids drop the ball. A friend’s DD is super smart. Turned down 3 Ivies for UMD on Banneker (donut family). She is majoring in Classics and English, and my friend told me that she wants to be an academic in the humanities. I told her that her DD should be prepared to not be able to find a job — the market for professors in the humanities is awful. And the kid wouldn’t even take my suggestion to at least minor in CS or Data Analytics (or anything useful!).

It's great that some people follow paths that are not for you, OP. You should respect that. The world needs all sorts of professions in it. Why is everything about money for you? Are you THAT materialistic? Is it the only scale by which you measure people's worth? Did you marry for money, perchance? Are you only steering your kids towards professions that earn the most money?

And yet you're on here telling us that the type of college doesn't matter. But you think half the majors out there are crap.

Stop pretending you're open-minded. You're just a gold-digger.

If you want to be an academic in the classics, you better get your PhD from one of a very small handful of schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This was totally predictable from a mile away — who wants to hire a humanities major with no relevant internships? Don’t get why these Ivy kids just expect the name on their diploma to do all the heavy lifting. IIRC there was a poster on the jobs forum (“Daughter Ruining Career Prospects”) who was facing a similar dilemma. That’s just embarrassing

Actually a lot of people. They are the only ones who know how to learn and apply disparate knowledge in a variety of circumstances and they are the only ones who know how to communicate effectively.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Sorry, but I've personally witnessed job candidates have doors open at the sight of the Ivy name on their resume. In multiple different fields.

The brand value is real, and wishing it weren't so doesn't change reality.

+1, places where comparative lit majors land on their feet. Generic state school is where these majors are worthlesss.

Median Social Studies major at Harvard makes $52k/year. Not exactly “landing on their feet”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Forgot a few more:

Neighbor’s kid went to Harvard and majored in Philosophy. Yikes! He graduated a few years ago and moved to the PNW to be an “environmental educator” (whatever the hell that is) because he couldn’t get a real job post-grad.

But sometimes state school kids drop the ball. A friend’s DD is super smart. Turned down 3 Ivies for UMD on Banneker (donut family). She is majoring in Classics and English, and my friend told me that she wants to be an academic in the humanities. I told her that her DD should be prepared to not be able to find a job — the market for professors in the humanities is awful. And the kid wouldn’t even take my suggestion to at least minor in CS or Data Analytics (or anything useful!).

This child needs a Ph.D. before she knows whether she can make it. If she doesn't, she could teach in the public schools. It's a respectable job that has job security and great benefits, and there is opportunity to supplement teaching income with tutoring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Forgot a few more:

Neighbor’s kid went to Harvard and majored in Philosophy. Yikes! He graduated a few years ago and moved to the PNW to be an “environmental educator” (whatever the hell that is) because he couldn’t get a real job post-grad.

But sometimes state school kids drop the ball. A friend’s DD is super smart. Turned down 3 Ivies for UMD on Banneker (donut family). She is majoring in Classics and English, and my friend told me that she wants to be an academic in the humanities. I told her that her DD should be prepared to not be able to find a job — the market for professors in the humanities is awful. And the kid wouldn’t even take my suggestion to at least minor in CS or Data Analytics (or anything useful!).

It's great that some people follow paths that are not for you, OP. You should respect that. The world needs all sorts of professions in it. Why is everything about money for you? Are you THAT materialistic? Is it the only scale by which you measure people's worth? Did you marry for money, perchance? Are you only steering your kids towards professions that earn the most money?

And yet you're on here telling us that the type of college doesn't matter. But you think half the majors out there are crap.

Stop pretending you're open-minded. You're just a gold-digger.

OP here. I don’t have generational wealth. Money is important!

And yes, I told my kid that I would only pay for college if they were pre-med or pre-law or majored in STEM or accounting/finance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Forgot a few more:

Neighbor’s kid went to Harvard and majored in Philosophy. Yikes! He graduated a few years ago and moved to the PNW to be an “environmental educator” (whatever the hell that is) because he couldn’t get a real job post-grad.

But sometimes state school kids drop the ball. A friend’s DD is super smart. Turned down 3 Ivies for UMD on Banneker (donut family). She is majoring in Classics and English, and my friend told me that she wants to be an academic in the humanities. I told her that her DD should be prepared to not be able to find a job — the market for professors in the humanities is awful. And the kid wouldn’t even take my suggestion to at least minor in CS or Data Analytics (or anything useful!).

This child needs a Ph.D. before she knows whether she can make it. If she doesn't, she could teach in the public schools. It's a respectable job that has job security and great benefits, and there is opportunity to supplement teaching income with tutoring.

It would be sad to see such a bright girl end up as a public school teacher.

[Anonymous]

I can’t believe your neighbor did not listen to your advice. You sound . . . Great. Do your friends and neighbors know you are stalking and judging their kids? Get a new hobby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Sorry, but I've personally witnessed job candidates have doors open at the sight of the Ivy name on their resume. In multiple different fields.

The brand value is real, and wishing it weren't so doesn't change reality.

+1, places where comparative lit majors land on their feet. Generic state school is where these majors are worthlesss.

It's cute you think it's the school that's doing that for them.