The students who get into top SLACs and top universities don't seem to be picking the former

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Could it be that you just happen to know kids raised in a city? I know that my city-raised Junior can’t fathom spending 4 years locked in a small town. Concerned the social life would revolve exclusively around alcohol and there just wouldn’t be enough off campus restaurants and activities to them happy for 4 years. Feels like a step backwards for a teen who has enjoyed exploring the city they live in. I do see much less interest in alcohol from Gen Z as compared to Gen X.

Are college kids frequenting off campus restaurants? Sounds $$.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You’re starting a thread because you know of 6 students who chose a large university over Amherst/Williams etc? Really? Your title makes it sound like there was some study and a noticeable trend across the country. But you know 6 kids so it must be a thing.

Wow.

NP
OP, has a point.
There is a trend and people don’t have to bring study from “experts” for their random opinion.

Amongst my daughter and her friends they have definitely chosen large universities over SLACs. I think the large university experience is popular with genZ. Rising tuition costs may be part of it. If you are a genx parent, the college age population is way higher (both domestic and international) now. There are more kids applying to schools period. It has nothing to do with their popularity.

The college age population is smaller than it has been in a very long time.

??

“ The 18- to 24-year-old population, or the traditional college-age population, increased from 27.3 million in 2000 to 30.6 million in 2017.” https://nces.ed.gov/programs/raceindicators/indicator_raa.asp

[Anonymous]

This may be true but the top 20 (or so) SLACs are still very selective. Admission rates are not going up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You’re starting a thread because you know of 6 students who chose a large university over Amherst/Williams etc? Really? Your title makes it sound like there was some study and a noticeable trend across the country. But you know 6 kids so it must be a thing.

Wow.

NP
OP, has a point.
There is a trend and people don’t have to bring study from “experts” for their random opinion.

Amongst my daughter and her friends they have definitely chosen large universities over SLACs. I think the large university experience is popular with genZ. Rising tuition costs may be part of it. If you are a genx parent, the college age population is way higher (both domestic and international) now. There are more kids applying to schools period. It has nothing to do with their popularity.

The college age population is smaller than it has been in a very long time.

??

“ The 18- to 24-year-old population, or the traditional college-age population, increased from 27.3 million in 2000 to 30.6 million in 2017.” https://nces.ed.gov/programs/raceindicators/indicator_raa.asp

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/college-enrollment-birthrate-decline/2021/05/21/52d7e5a6-ba47-11eb-a5fe-bb49dc89a248_story.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You’re starting a thread because you know of 6 students who chose a large university over Amherst/Williams etc? Really? Your title makes it sound like there was some study and a noticeable trend across the country. But you know 6 kids so it must be a thing.

Wow.

NP
OP, has a point.
There is a trend and people don’t have to bring study from “experts” for their random opinion.

6 people is not a trend. But citing 6 people can be indicative of a troll. Don't feed it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are kids even applying to SLACS then?

Colgate had something like 22000 applicants this year. A few years ago it was 9000.

Why are kids applying to 10+ schools period? They are casting a wide net.

There are plenty of large universities to cast a wide net without applying to SLACS. So why are kids still applying to SLACS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Could it be that you just happen to know kids raised in a city? I know that my city-raised Junior can’t fathom spending 4 years locked in a small town. Concerned the social life would revolve exclusively around alcohol and there just wouldn’t be enough off campus restaurants and activities to them happy for 4 years. Feels like a step backwards for a teen who has enjoyed exploring the city they live in. I do see much less interest in alcohol from Gen Z as compared to Gen X.

Meh. My DC born and bred Gen Z kid loves her SLAC in a rural area. She figures she'll have the rest of her life to live in a city, so why not go to an excellent school in a beautiful place? And you do know that kids who go to city schools drink at bars, right? (Please stop clutching your pearls . . . I don't want you to hurt yourself.)

[Anonymous]

Look it’s not a shocker that more students attend LARGE universities than SMALL liberal arts colleges. Duh.

But there are plenty of kids who have no interest in gigantic schools. I know one who just chose a tiny rural LAC over a top 15 flagship that he decided was just too big.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could it be that you just happen to know kids raised in a city? I know that my city-raised Junior can’t fathom spending 4 years locked in a small town. Concerned the social life would revolve exclusively around alcohol and there just wouldn’t be enough off campus restaurants and activities to them happy for 4 years. Feels like a step backwards for a teen who has enjoyed exploring the city they live in. I do see much less interest in alcohol from Gen Z as compared to Gen X.

Meh. My DC born and bred Gen Z kid loves her SLAC in a rural area. She figures she'll have the rest of her life to live in a city, so why not go to an excellent school in a beautiful place? And you do know that kids who go to city schools drink at bars, right? (Please stop clutching your pearls . . . I don't want you to hurt yourself.)

Ha, ha there is probably more drinking and drug use in large universities.

[Anonymous]

Mine will likely choose a small Ivy or a smallish top uni over a top 20 LAC. Was rejected to Williams, and might have chosen that depending on faculty and course offerings, had they been admitted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You’re starting a thread because you know of 6 students who chose a large university over Amherst/Williams etc? Really? Your title makes it sound like there was some study and a noticeable trend across the country. But you know 6 kids so it must be a thing.

Wow.

NP
OP, has a point.
There is a trend and people don’t have to bring study from “experts” for their random opinion.

Amongst my daughter and her friends they have definitely chosen large universities over SLACs. I think the large university experience is popular with genZ. Rising tuition costs may be part of it. If you are a genx parent, the college age population is way higher (both domestic and international) now. There are more kids applying to schools period. It has nothing to do with their popularity.

The college age population is smaller than it has been in a very long time.

You are super clueless. High school graduate population is increasing. It is peaking fairly soon. I think the most recent estimates say that the national high school graduate population will peak in 2025.

[Anonymous]

The anti-SLAC thing on this forum is just so weird. I went to a NESCAC school and DH went to Michigan. Two of our kids chose to attend my alma mater and one is at Columbia. They've all been happy with their choices. Different strokes, baby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could it be that you just happen to know kids raised in a city? I know that my city-raised Junior can’t fathom spending 4 years locked in a small town. Concerned the social life would revolve exclusively around alcohol and there just wouldn’t be enough off campus restaurants and activities to them happy for 4 years. Feels like a step backwards for a teen who has enjoyed exploring the city they live in. I do see much less interest in alcohol from Gen Z as compared to Gen X.

Meh. My DC born and bred Gen Z kid loves her SLAC in a rural area. She figures she'll have the rest of her life to live in a city, so why not go to an excellent school in a beautiful place? And you do know that kids who go to city schools drink at bars, right? (Please stop clutching your pearls . . . I don't want you to hurt yourself.)

Yep. My DC born and raised kid decided on Georgetown. Her dad has always been dead set against any schools not in a city, believing that rural schools have more of a drinking problem. What my kid learned is that when you go to school in DC, social life revolves almost completely around going out to clubs. Expensive, annoying, and not that safe. She does have fun, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is just personal experience, but I know of at least six students this year who had an acceptance from a top 5 SLAC but are turning them down for top universities.

It seems like students these days want to be in major metropolitan areas. and they prefer the university social life. A number of the admits above raised the concern that the LAC social life would feel "dead" by comparison. It seems sad that the hallmark academic and collaborative strengths of LACs seem to be ignored these days. I'm not saying a LAC experience is good for everyone, but I feel like they're admitting students in RD who have no real interest in going to one.

Then why do they apply to SLAC’s?

I am also confused because schools like Bowdoin are harder and harder to get into. So I am not sure if your post holds credence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are kids even applying to SLACS then?

Colgate had something like 22000 applicants this year. A few years ago it was 9000.

Why are kids applying to 10+ schools period? They are casting a wide net.

There are plenty of large universities to cast a wide net without applying to SLACS. So why are kids still applying to SLACS?

If you asked my DC who just applied to 20 schools all over the map he would say:

For variety
For fun
Because I can