Why can't folks that send their kids to average colleges ever admit it?

[Anonymous]

I went to Indiana, and was managing editor of the Indiana Daily Student my junior year. We won the gold medal in student publications from the Society of Professional Journalists that year. Silver medal went to the Harvard Crimson.

My point? You can achieve excellence anywhere, if are talented and you work hard.

I've achieved every personal and professional goal I have had to date. My undergraduate education definitely helped me along the way. My version of success may be different from yours. But get some perspective, OP: for the vast majority of people in this world, even an "average" education is a lofty goal that is out of reach for many reasons. Let's be grateful for what we have, and what we can do for our kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know, OP. DH and I both attended a fairly average school (#32 according to US News). And we make 7 figures between us now. I mention this *only* because money seems to be the one thing that DCUM respects, as gross as that is.

Dear God people. A school ranked #32 in the NATION is not an "average" school! There are over 2,000 schools in the country!

+1 ... and approx 70% of the US adult populations DOES NOT have a BA degree or higher. Get some perspective folks! People with college degrees are not average Americans no matter where they went to school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Seriously, when you get out of dc (and similar cities) no one gives a damn about prestige.

I want my kids in DC or a "similar city". Smart and successful people want to be around smart and successful people, hence: DC, SF, LA, NYC, Chicago, Boston, Seattle.

Why would anyone give a shit what commoners think? Seriously.

Personally, I can't stand DC and would love to see my kids end up in a smaller size city which in my experience tends to be more laid back and offer a better quality of life.

...and a nicer group of people.

[Anonymous]

^^^certainly less pretentious!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most of my friends are thrilled to tell me that "junior is going to XYZ University". Some of the schools are highly regarded and others aren't so much, but the parents all seem to exude the same happiness. No one goes about trying to justify why it's a good school. I don't know what circles the OP runs in, but I don't experience what OP seems to think she's hearing. OP- Do you ask them why they chose that school? Or do your make disparaging remarks to your peers when they tell you what school their child is attending so they feel that they need to explain their choice?? Maybe you should just say "congratulations to junior" and leave it at that.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Seriously, when you get out of dc (and similar cities) no one gives a damn about prestige.

I want my kids in DC or a "similar city". Smart and successful people want to be around smart and successful people, hence: DC, SF, LA, NYC, Chicago, Boston, Seattle.

Why would anyone give a shit what commoners think? Seriously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know, OP. DH and I both attended a fairly average school (#32 according to US News). And we make 7 figures between us now. I mention this *only* because money seems to be the one thing that DCUM respects, as gross as that is.

Dear God people. A school ranked #32 in the NATION is not an "average" school! There are over 2,000 schools in the country!

+1 ... and approx 70% of the US adult populations DOES NOT have a BA degree or higher. Get some perspective folks! People with college degrees are not average Americans no matter where they went to school.

To the #32 poster, yeah, you're right: William and Mary or University of Rochester truly suck.

[Anonymous]

My kid goes to an average college and I have no problem with it. She had acceptances from bigger name schools but Good outstanding scholarships from smaller ones. She fits in very well and her confidence in herself is leaps and bounds beyond what I expected. After all - these places courted her; she didn't "settle" for them. She's happy, we're happy. It's all good.

Think of all the people you work with - do you know where they all went to college? Probably only if they brag about it.

[Anonymous]

My dd goes to an average college -- it's NESCAC so OP and her ilk would probably consider it average. I do talk about how great it is a lot because dd is happy and I'm so happy I want to share all things that make her college great. I'm not trying to convince or impress anyone. Who does that? Sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because as adults we see the result of Ivy/top 10 vs Maryland State Schools and other "average" or "below average" schools and there was not really a big difference in successful lives.

...this is first-rate subtle trolling.

[Anonymous]

DH and I went to the University of Vermont. We had a fantastic time at a pretty average school.
Our HHI is nearly $2M and our net worth is reaching $10M.

[Anonymous]

I totally disagree with them that it doesn't matter. Ivy League students are better students. It's a fact. Ivy League schools have much higher graduation rates than normal schools. However, the reason that they're not admitting that their kid is "average" is for the mere reason that they go to college at all. There's nothing "average" about pursuing education after high school. Look at these statistics. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d13/tables/dt13_104.20.asp People who have completed even just a year of college have already accomplished more than a good portion of the country. And those who graduate college are more educated than most people in America.

Let me give you an analogy. Look at the white house. There are different positions in the white house and some positions are better than others. It's a fact and it's silly to argue otherwise. However, even someone in the lowest position in the white house still has a lot to be proud of because most people in the country can't get ANY position in the white-house. Similarly, someone who graduates from a mediocre college still has a lot to be proud of because most people never graduate from ANY college.

I also disagree with the statement that grad school matters more. If you click on the link I provided above, you'll see that there are even less people who earn a Master's Degree than there are people who earn a Bachelor's Degree, which means that graduate school matters less. It's more a question of, "Did you go to graduate school?" rather than, "Where did you go to graduate school?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH and I went to the University of Vermont. We had a fantastic time at a pretty average school.
Our HHI is nearly $2M and our net worth is reaching $10M.

Vermont is a solid school. Sort of trendy, in some circles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They always bend over backwards to say it doesn't matter what college you go to (or only graduate school matters), or how it has a great honors program (proven to be a marketing scam), or how some low-status niche major they offer is world class, rattle off a couple rich alums of the hundreds of thousands that are just regular Joes, blah blah blah. It's all so desperate.

Why can't they just admit they raised an Average Eddie who goes to a normal college? ¯\_(?)_/¯

Because I don't see my children as "average Eddies". They are (to me) important and interesting people and I am generally proud of what they accomplish. How is this so hard to understand?

[Anonymous]

OP issued a solid public service announcement. It's a shame people get so defensive. Oh well, keep embarrassing yourself pumping up your kid's mediocre college. This is what's going on in the heads of everyone you tell: