If your kid is not interested in Ivys or top 20

[Anonymous]

My kid has good grades as a rising senior. Took the ACT today. My kid has no interest in ivy or top 10-20 schools. Kid wants the rah rah of sports and a large state school experience . Only 70ish kids will be in graduating class from HS.

I'm excited for our kid to do whatever they do. Im excited about the choice of the school that he/she may love!

We are so happy that our kid is picking schools for their future.

Do you feel differently? Do you have a role in choosing schools for your kids? Or certain expectations ?

[Anonymous]

LOL no. They're 17-18 at the point they're choosing colleges. The only role we may have would be for opinions, if solicited.

[Anonymous]

I went to a large rah rah state school for undergrad (UCLA) and then a smaller school for grad (Columbia). I have told my DCs that based on my experience and my sister’s (who went to Michigan and then MIT) that I strongly suggest they consider a private school as neither of us had a great experience at the publics (enormous classes, cog in the wheel, no one cares, etc).

[Anonymous]

PP here. Ok maybe I exaggerate. My kid picked a T10 as his number one choice. I strongly encouraged for him to apply to some safeties. That was the extent of it.

[Anonymous]

Ugh so tired of hearing colleges described as rah rah. Stupid.

[Anonymous]

My kids all picked large "rah rah" state schools and have loved their experiences. Excellent counseling from day one and no issues with housing or super-large classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to a large rah rah state school for undergrad (UCLA) and then a smaller school for grad (Columbia). I have told my DCs that based on my experience and my sister’s (who went to Michigan and then MIT) that I strongly suggest they consider a private school as neither of us had a great experience at the publics (enormous classes, cog in the wheel, no one cares, etc).

Same. I went to a big state school. My kid is headed to an Ivy next year and we are both excited about it. 7k students instead of 17-30k. I saw the huge difference getting out of a public school system after 8th grade.

[Anonymous]

I wish mine would consider T20 schools b/c they have the stats for the lottery tickets, but they aren't interested.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid has good grades as a rising senior. Took the ACT today. My kid has no interest in ivy or top 10-20 schools. Kid wants the rah rah of sports and a large state school experience . Only 70ish kids will be in graduating class from HS.

I'm excited for our kid to do whatever they do. Im excited about the choice of the school that he/she may love!

We are so happy that our kid is picking schools for their future.

Do you feel differently? Do you have a role in choosing schools for your kids? Or certain expectations ?

Ours had the smarts to be at T15/ivy and both loved them when we toured and hated big schools. Both had too many sports-are-everything prep school peers, wanted student athletes not to dominate all conversations and social structures. Both ended up T10 and a different one than I went to, and loved it. We encouraged T15/ivy because our experiences in college made it clear to us it was the better path for them, considering how they learn and think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to a large rah rah state school for undergrad (UCLA) and then a smaller school for grad (Columbia). I have told my DCs that based on my experience and my sister’s (who went to Michigan and then MIT) that I strongly suggest they consider a private school as neither of us had a great experience at the publics (enormous classes, cog in the wheel, no one cares, etc).

Well obviously you two learned and excelled enough at your large publics so you could go on for a prestigious grad degree. So there's that to say for it.

I've attended 3 large flagships. I had great professors at all of them. If I'd wanted to get to know more of them, I felt it was possible. I did research work with a professor who became semi-famous.

To me, lost in a crowd where noone cares is job searching in our modern times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to a large rah rah state school for undergrad (UCLA) and then a smaller school for grad (Columbia). I have told my DCs that based on my experience and my sister’s (who went to Michigan and then MIT) that I strongly suggest they consider a private school as neither of us had a great experience at the publics (enormous classes, cog in the wheel, no one cares, etc).

But isn't that the point? Do you need hand holding in college?

[Anonymous]

We are no longer interested in the Ivys after they bungled the response to the pro-Hamas protests, and many were shown to be downright antiSemitic.

[Anonymous]

My DS’s counselor said he was an ivy candidate, but this is a kid who was obsessed with college sports stats since he was a young kid and is now a data nerd. Wanted Michigan. Got Michigan. Loves Michigan.

It was never going to be any other way, so didn’t bother suggesting anything else. Has tons of friends (i.e. network) and is making great money, so I’m glad he made the most of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a large rah rah state school for undergrad (UCLA) and then a smaller school for grad (Columbia). I have told my DCs that based on my experience and my sister’s (who went to Michigan and then MIT) that I strongly suggest they consider a private school as neither of us had a great experience at the publics (enormous classes, cog in the wheel, no one cares, etc).

Well obviously you two learned and excelled enough at your large publics so you could go on for a prestigious grad degree. So there's that to say for it.

I've attended 3 large flagships. I had great professors at all of them. If I'd wanted to get to know more of them, I felt it was possible. I did research work with a professor who became semi-famous.

To me, lost in a crowd where noone cares is job searching in our modern times.

[Anonymous]

Whatever works for your child.

My child liked small schools and will be attending a school of just 1200 students. It had everything SHE wanted.

After her big public high school experience, I think this will be a nice change for her.

She applied to schools of anywhere from 600 students to 20k+. But as I said, she was most comfortable in the smaller settings.

I attended a school of 3600 students, yet also had division 1 sports. I had a great 4 years. I had smaller classes, a campus just big enough where I didn’t know everyone.