Elite Colleges Seem Like A Rat Race to Nowhere

[Anonymous]

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/09/yale-college-undergrad-clubs-competitive/675219/

Competitive clubs? Disgusting. Seems like the elitism and relentless competition doesn't end once you get into an Ivy.

Am I ever glad that I went to a SLAC that prided itself on inclusiveness and being pretty laid-back.

[Anonymous]

With the exception of a few elite schools like Princeton and MIT that still give actual grades it is the only place where students compete.

Everybody gets As and A-s, so the average GPA for the school is a 3.8 and it becomes the future employers job to sort out the wheat from the chaff.

[Anonymous]

Can’t read article (paywall), but it looks interesting.

[Anonymous]

Tend to agree. Went to one of these elite schools and now DS is at a laid back SLAC. Certainly would have gone to one of them if it were possible (who turns that down?) but I think he’s better off psychologically and otherwise. It’s like ten thousand type AAA people driving each other crazy.

[Anonymous]

I can't read the article (paywall) but is Georgetown mentioned? They're very selective with the Corp and GUFCU, even more so than a generation ago.

[Anonymous]

Grinders going to grind.

[Anonymous]

Even big10 flagships have cringey clubs that have layers of apps to get in like investing club at PSU etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tend to agree. Went to one of these elite schools and now DS is at a laid back SLAC. Certainly would have gone to one of them if it were possible (who turns that down?) but I think he’s better off psychologically and otherwise. It’s like ten thousand type AAA people driving each other crazy.

While it stung at the time, not getting into the ivies I applied to was a blessing in disguise. I wound up at a school just a step below that craziness and I had an amazing time-great education but not as cutthroat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With the exception of a few elite schools like Princeton and MIT that still give actual grades it is the only place where students compete.

Everybody gets As and A-s, so the average GPA for the school is a 3.8 and it becomes the future employers job to sort out the wheat from the chaff.

Many T25 schools give real grades. Go look at FB/Reddit/CC for northwestern---the first 2 years of chem are brutal, along with the general engineering sequence. Former 4.0UW/12+ AP kids are struggling to get B's. It's the same at many elite schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tend to agree. Went to one of these elite schools and now DS is at a laid back SLAC. Certainly would have gone to one of them if it were possible (who turns that down?) but I think he’s better off psychologically and otherwise. It’s like ten thousand type AAA people driving each other crazy.

While it stung at the time, not getting into the ivies I applied to was a blessing in disguise. I wound up at a school just a step below that craziness and I had an amazing time-great education but not as cutthroat.

That's what I see currently. My kid is at a school just below, where most kids applied to several T25 schools and many were waitlisted or spring start or transfer fall of sophomore year offers at at least one. The school is much less cut throat, the kids are happy, work hard and genuinely like to learn--at end of freshman year two of my kids friends were seriously discussing what books they planned to read over the summer during some down time (and they were challenging, thought provoking books). IMO, my kid is in a better place for them than if they'd made it into their T10 choice or the T25 WL choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tend to agree. Went to one of these elite schools and now DS is at a laid back SLAC. Certainly would have gone to one of them if it were possible (who turns that down?) but I think he’s better off psychologically and otherwise. It’s like ten thousand type AAA people driving each other crazy.

While it stung at the time, not getting into the ivies I applied to was a blessing in disguise. I wound up at a school just a step below that craziness and I had an amazing time-great education but not as cutthroat.

The social competitiveness was actually much worse than the academic competitiveness, which wasn’t really a problem. People who wanted high grades worked hard and got them, those who didn’t care didn’t. No one knew what your grades were anyway. There is a coldness and a fakeness that comes with a socially competitive atmosphere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tend to agree. Went to one of these elite schools and now DS is at a laid back SLAC. Certainly would have gone to one of them if it were possible (who turns that down?) but I think he’s better off psychologically and otherwise. It’s like ten thousand type AAA people driving each other crazy.

While it stung at the time, not getting into the ivies I applied to was a blessing in disguise. I wound up at a school just a step below that craziness and I had an amazing time-great education but not as cutthroat.

That's what I see currently. My kid is at a school just below, where most kids applied to several T25 schools and many were waitlisted or spring start or transfer fall of sophomore year offers at at least one. The school is much less cut throat, the kids are happy, work hard and genuinely like to learn--at end of freshman year two of my kids friends were seriously discussing what books they planned to read over the summer during some down time (and they were challenging, thought provoking books). IMO, my kid is in a better place for them than if they'd made it into their T10 choice or the T25 WL choice.

High school kids need to know this so they can stop freaking out about 'needing' to get into an elite college.

[Anonymous]

Well, the socially savvy almost always do better in life than the awkward and socially clueless.
As PPs state, the social competition is ruthless. If you don't want to participate, then it's best to focus your efforts on fields that are more data-driven and analytical, even if social skills are needed there too.

[Anonymous]

Are any of the T25…T50 schools not like this for clubs? Have a smart thoughtful kid who isn’t looking for competitive club culture

[Anonymous]

Yes, W&M, BC, Wake Forest, to name a few.