what "good" college did you attend but would not necessarily recommend to your kids or others?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From these posts, it strikes me that a lot of Top 25 kids would be more comfortable at a Top 26-50 school. Basically, they could get a great education without the cut throat competition and sole focus on academics.

I think it's because times have changed and the parents know their kids can't get into the schools that their parents now say they wouldn't want their kids to go to anyway. A defense mechanism.

Or maybe, just maybe the top 20 schools are not a dream experience for everyone who attends. I'm a Hopkins poster. Hopkins undergrad kind of sucks for a lot of people unless you really love competitive studying (and some people do). I had friends at all the Ivys. Some loved their experience, some did not.

I won't have my kid make a school decision based on any of these anecdotal tales but it do think it's interesting to hear about.

[Anonymous]

Welp, the church ladies have totally convinced me: Notre Dame sux.

[Anonymous]

I went to HYPS, and I hated every second of it. Great classes, lifelong friends, but I was miserable. I don't want to ID which school, only the sneering elitism made me ill much of the time. I have a nice group of friends who felt similarly about the school, so that's one great thing I got out of it. But it didn't open many doors for me, didn't make my life great, in fact I wish I'd gone to a much lower-ranked college and done well, graduated at the top. I would have kept my self-esteem. I was lost in a huge school full of hyper-competitive, hyper-achievers. Not for me. What a stupid idea it was, but my parents were so proud that I got in, so I went. Don't chase prestige, folks, that's what I learned. A lifelong lesson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Michigan

-- overwhelmingly huge; over 50,000 students, 30,000 undergrads
-- dovetailing above, bureaucracy is bloated beyond belief; it's daunting and exhausting
-- bottom 20% of LSA are legitimately dumb
-- location is cold and grey most of the school year
-- Mid-Michigan is dreary and isolated; spare me the Ann Arbor "great" college town rankings nonsense
-- Greek life and pseudo pro sports control campus
-- Lots of cocaine use
-- Everyone from out of state was rejected from all private top 20s and the top UC campuses, so they have an obnoxious insecure chip on their shoulder
-- dovetailing above, there's a lot of over-the-top and tacky bragging and flashing of money

If you truly seek a school environment like Michigan, I'm not sure why you wouldn't just go to USC. Or even Georgia, Clemson, UNC, Texas, UVA, Alabama. Honestly, nobody cares about Michigan's "top 30" standing, our BA/BS degrees are treated like any other large public university.

Michigan is a top 25 school. It is located in southeast Michigan and not mid Michigan. Comments like, “legitimately dumb” and the tired statement of every OOS student being rejected from all higher ranked schools plays into a simpleton thought process. Furthermore, that you would compare it to Clemson or Alabama tells me you have never attended Michigan.

By the way IU are correct about one thing, Michigan does have a top 30 standing in world rankings.

Thanks for corroborating the statement about students ‘having a chip on their shoulder.’

+1. Too predictable.

I didn't like Michigan either, but am aware that most people love it. I have to agree w/ a lot of what PP says. The weather is terrible not because it's so cold, but because it's so grey all the time. I also agree that there were A LOT of drugs...more than my friends from high school encountered at other top colleges across the country. There's also this kind of strange divide between the NY/NJ/DC/CA crowd vs. the MI students (excluding those MI students from Farmington, Bloomfield Hills, etc. who could hang w/ the NY/NJ, etc crowd). And the school is HUGE...I am completely steering my kids away from big schools. All that said, Ann Arbor is a great college town. I've visited a lot of college campuses at this point in my life and it's hands down one of the best in the country. I don't know how anyone can dispute that. But I didn't recommend U of M to my kid and he has no interest in even looking at the school.[/quote

The immediate above poster is entirely reasonable. The previous insulting statements pertaining to Michigan students using hyperbolic words like “dumb” and “everybody” is ridiculous. It’s not a chip on anybody’s shoulder when inane comments like the ones listed above are disputed.

Greek life at Michigan does not control the campus either. Another overstatement.

[Anonymous]

Thanks OP for posting this question. I think the non-snarky answers have been really insightful. I have worried about my child getting into a school that might be a little more cut-throat/academic than I think they can handle. Some of these responses just reinforce my concern. I think they are a little too concerned with prestige. I hope I can steer them more towards a place that is more balanced.

[Anonymous]

This is an interesting and insightful thread (except for the occasional snarky comments which are thankfully few). Of course, none of us will replace stats, visits, etc with these accounts, but it is helpful to have perspectives along with specific experiences.

Thanks for sharing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:University of Texas. It’s too big and easy to get lost in the crowd. Unless you’re in the business college, there is minimal career/job counseling or guidance of any kind. It is a good school for a self-starter with intuitive.

Same. UT grad here. It was just too damn big with zero counseling or assistance. Maybe that has changed now, but I would fit better at a smaller school instead of being lost in an 80K undergrad for 4 years. Definitely not the school for kids who are coming from a small private or who want any level of personalized attention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks OP for posting this question. I think the non-snarky answers have been really insightful. I have worried about my child getting into a school that might be a little more cut-throat/academic than I think they can handle. Some of these responses just reinforce my concern. I think they are a little too concerned with prestige. I hope I can steer them more towards a place that is more balanced.

I am the poster below you. So weird that we were posting similar thoughts at the same time!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From these posts, it strikes me that a lot of Top 25 kids would be more comfortable at a Top 26-50 school. Basically, they could get a great education without the cut throat competition and sole focus on academics.

I think it's because times have changed and the parents know their kids can't get into the schools that their parents now say they wouldn't want their kids to go to anyway. A defense mechanism.

I was actually thinking the same thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks OP for posting this question. I think the non-snarky answers have been really insightful. I have worried about my child getting into a school that might be a little more cut-throat/academic than I think they can handle. Some of these responses just reinforce my concern. I think they are a little too concerned with prestige. I hope I can steer them more towards a place that is more balanced.

I am the poster below you. So weird that we were posting similar thoughts at the same time!

Lol! I was thinking the exact same thing and started typing a reply saying that but got pulled away before I could post. ☺️

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:University of Texas. It’s too big and easy to get lost in the crowd. Unless you’re in the business college, there is minimal career/job counseling or guidance of any kind. It is a good school for a self-starter with intuitive.

Same. UT grad here. It was just too damn big with zero counseling or assistance. Maybe that has changed now, but I would fit better at a smaller school instead of being lost in an 80K undergrad for 4 years. Definitely not the school for kids who are coming from a small private or who want any level of personalized attention.

We toured UT this summer, and they emphasized the assistance they provide via the 24-hour Writing Center, etc., so I think it has changed a bit. Now that they've gone to the current method of accepting in-state students, they had to up their game in order to get their retention rate up.

That said, I went to UT for graduate school and had a wonderful experience, but I have discouraged my DC from attending for undergrad. He does't know exactly what he wants to do, and I think it would be too easy for him to get lost. I've told him that he should definitely keep it in mind for graduate school.

I came to UT from a small private university, and I was astounded by the bureaucracy at the school. Dealing with the registrar was like being at the DMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Michigan

-- overwhelmingly huge; over 50,000 students, 30,000 undergrads
-- dovetailing above, bureaucracy is bloated beyond belief; it's daunting and exhausting
-- bottom 20% of LSA are legitimately dumb
-- location is cold and grey most of the school year
-- Mid-Michigan is dreary and isolated; spare me the Ann Arbor "great" college town rankings nonsense
-- Greek life and pseudo pro sports control campus
-- Lots of cocaine use
-- Everyone from out of state was rejected from all private top 20s and the top UC campuses, so they have an obnoxious insecure chip on their shoulder
-- dovetailing above, there's a lot of over-the-top and tacky bragging and flashing of money

If you truly seek a school environment like Michigan, I'm not sure why you wouldn't just go to USC. Or even Georgia, Clemson, UNC, Texas, UVA, Alabama. Honestly, nobody cares about Michigan's "top 30" standing, our BA/BS degrees are treated like any other large public university.

Michigan is a top 25 school. It is located in southeast Michigan and not mid Michigan. Comments like, “legitimately dumb” and the tired statement of every OOS student being rejected from all higher ranked schools plays into a simpleton thought process. Furthermore, that you would compare it to Clemson or Alabama tells me you have never attended Michigan.

By the way IU are correct about one thing, Michigan does have a top 30 standing in world rankings.

Thanks for corroborating the statement about students ‘having a chip on their shoulder.’

+1. Too predictable.

I didn't like Michigan either, but am aware that most people love it. I have to agree w/ a lot of what PP says. The weather is terrible not because it's so cold, but because it's so grey all the time. I also agree that there were A LOT of drugs...more than my friends from high school encountered at other top colleges across the country. There's also this kind of strange divide between the NY/NJ/DC/CA crowd vs. the MI students (excluding those MI students from Farmington, Bloomfield Hills, etc. who could hang w/ the NY/NJ, etc crowd). And the school is HUGE...I am completely steering my kids away from big schools. All that said, Ann Arbor is a great college town. I've visited a lot of college campuses at this point in my life and it's hands down one of the best in the country. I don't know how anyone can dispute that. But I didn't recommend U of M to my kid and he has no interest in even looking at the school.[/quote

The immediate above poster is entirely reasonable. The previous insulting statements pertaining to Michigan students using hyperbolic words like “dumb” and “everybody” is ridiculous. It’s not a chip on anybody’s shoulder when inane comments like the ones listed above are disputed.

Greek life at Michigan does not control the campus either. Another overstatement.

Our dc and spouse love love it for PhD program … different strokes …

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:University of Rochester as a non-stem major. Got a large academic scholarship and was a multiple Gen legacy. I didn’t have much choice in the matter “back in the day.”

It was a fine experience but not the kind of ra ra make lifelong friends, intellectual type of college that others have.

Not something an 18 yr old would have known but my big regret is lack of name recognition outside NY. The expectation was that you would go direct to grad school. There was barely a career center and very weak alumni support.

I would not recommend for non-STEM majors, unless they plan to go directly to a brand name grad school. Of course, my DD wants pre-med so it’s on the list..

My niece is a senior this year, interested in science, and both her counselor and I recommended this school. I was surprised at the lack of name recognition! It’s an excellent school. It is, however, a school much better known for its science and music programs. I compared it to Hopkins, Carnegie Mellon and maybe even Case. Did you find your education in a non-science area to be rigorous? And was the school hyper-competitive?

[Anonymous]

Ann Arbor can’t be both dreary deindustrialized Rust Belt, cold and grey most of the school year and one of the “best” college towns. Those lists are literally for sale to the highest bidder. I mean even locally, you really think Ann Arbor is prettier than Georgetown / NW DC or Charlottesville? Hell no it’s not.

The best college towns have warm climate, obviously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ann Arbor can’t be both dreary deindustrialized Rust Belt, cold and grey most of the school year and one of the “best” college towns. Those lists are literally for sale to the highest bidder. I mean even locally, you really think Ann Arbor is prettier than Georgetown / NW DC or Charlottesville? Hell no it’s not.

The best college towns have warm climate, obviously.

Ann Arbor is beautiful. What are you talking about? Here's that psycho Rust Belt babbler again, lol.