What do you wish you had known in terms of college advice?

[Anonymous]

Do you regret the choice your dc made? Do they regret it? Or did it work out okay?

[Anonymous]

It worked out well but probably could've worked equally well for them and much better for our finances if they went to schools where they had full merit scholarships, instead of $80K/year undergrad and grad. However, who really knows!

[Anonymous]

Go to the best college u can get into and can afford. In terms of peer network, respect for the college in the eyes of others, and opportunities yes it has worked out well.

[Anonymous]

My advisor screwed me over, did not have me start a prerequisit early enough and it forced me into a 5th year. Alot of programs have mandatory 4th year random electives then don't offer them when the student needs them, or they fill up. Didn't happen to me, but alot of times planning to go to CC then transfer is equivalent to wasting a year because the higher level college won't accept a bunch of credits. Do not do this unless there is an explicit relationship where the higher level school will recognize the CC credits. Going into debt is not worth the lost opportunity cost. If a school is asking for $50,000 a year they don't really care whether you come or not, pick a different school. Half of people with college degrees are not working a job that requires a college degree, wasting 4 years old your life and being in 6 figures of debt is not worth it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My advisor screwed me over, did not have me start a prerequisit early enough and it forced me into a 5th year. Alot of programs have mandatory 4th year random electives then don't offer them when the student needs them, or they fill up. Didn't happen to me, but a lot of times planning to go to CC then transfer is equivalent to wasting a year because the higher level college won't accept a bunch of credits. Do not do this unless there is an explicit relationship where the higher level school will recognize the CC credits. Going into debt is not worth the lost opportunity cost. If a school is asking for $50,000 a year they don't really care whether you come or not, pick a different school. Half of people with college degrees are not working a job that requires a college degree, wasting 4 years old your life and being in 6 figures of debt is not worth it

It’s worth noting that VA has explicit guaranteed admissions agreements between all of its community colleges and all of its state schools. GA doesn’t mean everything will transfer, but you can definitely get 100% of the community college credits to transfer if you pay attention. VA is very transparent about degree requirements and cc classes you need to take in order for everything to transfer.

[Anonymous]

Also, after five years of college, you should know that “a lot” is two words.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go to the best college u can get into and can afford. In terms of peer network, respect for the college in the eyes of others, and opportunities yes it has worked out well.

Completely opposite advice. Go to the college that is the best fit for your kid and that they are excited about. Don’t worry what other people think. We did this. DS went to lower ranked school than others he got into and he is killing it. Has loved his time there, met his people and has prestigious job offer. Don’t get wrapped up in the rankings BS.

[Anonymous]

College ranking is only good because peer quality is good at highly sort after places. You are sum of five of your closest people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go to the best college u can get into and can afford. In terms of peer network, respect for the college in the eyes of others, and opportunities yes it has worked out well.

Completely opposite advice. Go to the college that is the best fit for your kid and that they are excited about. Don’t worry what other people think. We did this. DS went to lower ranked school than others he got into and he is killing it. Has loved his time there, met his people and has prestigious job offer. Don’t get wrapped up in the rankings BS.

My DC did this and liked the school but occasionally questions the choice made now years later. I said if you chose it it was right at the time.

[Anonymous]

If for some reason your school didn't offer calculus and you want a STEM major, take it on your own somehow. My school system didn't and it was harder catching up in both math and physics which of course uses calculus. If I had been told, I could at least have gotten a book to work on. If I had well off parents like now in DCUM they could have gotten me a tutor, lol.

[Anonymous]

There is a world of resources on internet, Khan Academy being most popular for all levels of mathematics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:College ranking is only good because peer quality is good at highly sort after places. You are sum of five of your closest people.

That's total crap. Did you read that in a self-help book?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:College ranking is only good because peer quality is good at highly sort after places. You are sum of five of your closest people.

Oh, please. I went to a T20 and of my five closest friends there, one became a drug addict before finally getting on the right track after 20 years of rehab, one never used her degree because she married a dentist and became a SAHM, one burned out after years in luxury retail and semi-retired to Vermont in her 40s; the other two, I lost touch with completely.

[Anonymous]

If you have an average kid and aren’t jockeying for a T-25 school, you can ignore most of the stressed out posts on this board. My kid literally almost failed HS and got into a perfectly normal college that was his first choice, EA, and found out before Christmas. Very limited stress versus friends thinking about Ivy League schools who ended up at average schools too, but only after applying to 20 schools, employing private counseling, multiple SAT rounds, high level sports, and general tiger mom drama starting in 9th grade. They shot their shot I guess and I hope it was worth all the rejections and stress about revisiting and picking schools up to the last minute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you have an average kid and aren’t jockeying for a T-25 school, you can ignore most of the stressed out posts on this board. My kid literally almost failed HS and got into a perfectly normal college that was his first choice, EA, and found out before Christmas. Very limited stress versus friends thinking about Ivy League schools who ended up at average schools too, but only after applying to 20 schools, employing private counseling, multiple SAT rounds, high level sports, and general tiger mom drama starting in 9th grade. They shot their shot I guess and I hope it was worth all the rejections and stress about revisiting and picking schools up to the last minute.

And where did your kid get a job after college what was their major?

You are assuming lots of dumb things with your post.

My kids were A students and great text takers we did not help them with college apps or carrer choices

I have more than the average dcurban mom fan club kids.
While mine mostly went to MIT or Ivies my youngest went to NCST and University of Colorado Boulder for grad school. DS has done fantastic . Why bec he’s driven at everything he does , bec he was educated with fabulous teachers in MCPS.

Education is a gift it is not one size fits all. It’s about loving learning open mindedness


Community college students do well too do not discount that. Not everyone can afford a four year and not everyone is dumb enough to pay for a four year. Yes I taught my children financial responsibility before they went to college

And although we could easily afford any school in the country all of mine worked summers and breaks to pay for some aspect of their schooling. They should own part of it.