Anyone truly not care where their kid goes to college? Come on in!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe she should consider a vocational school. If you and she care so little about an academic education, why are you trying to force her into one? As for the credential alone, it’s not worth much from a ho-hum school, especially if the program and grades are also weak.

Where did I say her and I care so little about academic education? Are you inferring that just because we don’t care about the prestige of the school? And where did I say I was forcing her into college? She absolutely positively wants to go.

Why don’t you care though? I think that’s what people are curious about. Is she not going in order to secure a future for herself?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do care because I equate top schools with better opportunities. I know that my child wants a lifestyle that is at least the same as how they grew up (UMC) and a top school will make that more likely. Do you not care because you don’t care about those sorts of outcomes?

NP: I don't care because I know your premise is incorrect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do care because I equate top schools with better opportunities. I know that my child wants a lifestyle that is at least the same as how they grew up (UMC) and a top school will make that more likely. Do you not care because you don’t care about those sorts of outcomes?

How do you know a top school will make that outcome more likely? Your child could go to a less prestigious school and continue their UMC existence.

It’s more likely because the kind of employers that pay really well routinely hire from top schools. While it’s certainly not impossible to achieve a UMC existence without a top school (and if that weren’t possible for my kid for whatever reason, I wouldn’t think that it couldn’t be achieved) , I don’t think anyone can reasonably argue that it’s not more likely. I understand that a top school is not dispositive of success but it’s one more thing that helps.

Not really. The real world just does not support this notion. Initial hiring statistics can look this way, especially for a select few kind of jobs and employers, but that is not dispositive of what happens to any individual's real world experience and career prospects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe she should consider a vocational school. If you and she care so little about an academic education, why are you trying to force her into one? As for the credential alone, it’s not worth much from a ho-hum school, especially if the program and grades are also weak.

Where did I say her and I care so little about academic education? Are you inferring that just because we don’t care about the prestige of the school? And where did I say I was forcing her into college? She absolutely positively wants to go.

Why don’t you care though? I think that’s what people are curious about. Is she not going in order to secure a future for herself?

You are confusing a school's prestige (created by a magazine no less) with the great academic education students receive at hundreds of colleges in the U.S. If you are hyperfocused on one kind of job at one Wall Street firm, then maybe this is a thing for you. Otherwise, prestige only matters at your mom's cocktail party.

[Anonymous]

To really not care would indicate a lot of wealth. Higher education is one of the most expensive things people purchase in their lives and they want to buy something of value.

[Anonymous]

DD is a senior and applied to 4 colleges. The state flagship is the "most prestigious" of the schools where she applied, but I don't have a preference for that one over the others, because I don't think that her life outcomes will be different with a degree from one over another.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To really not care would indicate a lot of wealth. Higher education is one of the most expensive things people purchase in their lives and they want to buy something of value.

Well, poor people don’t care because they don’t have the skills, the money, and the example. Hard to know if OP is the wealthy “I don’t care,” or the LC/MC “I don’t care.” OP, which is it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To really not care would indicate a lot of wealth. Higher education is one of the most expensive things people purchase in their lives and they want to buy something of value.

Well, poor people don’t care because they don’t have the skills, the money, and the example. Hard to know if OP is the wealthy “I don’t care,” or the LC/MC “I don’t care.” OP, which is it?

Not OP, but OP doesn’t sound wealthy. Though wealthy folks can help their children beyond college, most are competitive and ambitious and want their children to strive for the best they can achieve. OP seems indifferent and even hostile toward rigorous academics. That may work for her, but it’s not reflective of any wealthy folks I know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do care because I equate top schools with better opportunities. I know that my child wants a lifestyle that is at least the same as how they grew up (UMC) and a top school will make that more likely. Do you not care because you don’t care about those sorts of outcomes?

How do you know a top school will make that outcome more likely? Your child could go to a less prestigious school and continue their UMC existence.

It’s more likely because the kind of employers that pay really well routinely hire from top schools. While it’s certainly not impossible to achieve a UMC existence without a top school (and if that weren’t possible for my kid for whatever reason, I wouldn’t think that it couldn’t be achieved) , I don’t think anyone can reasonably argue that it’s not more likely. I understand that a top school is not dispositive of success but it’s one more thing that helps.

This is simply not true. Some of the most successful people I know went to no-name state schools. And I also know Ivy grads who have done nothing with their lives. It’s not the school that counts. It’s the ambition, drive, perseverance and grit of the student that makes the difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe she should consider a vocational school. If you and she care so little about an academic education, why are you trying to force her into one? As for the credential alone, it’s not worth much from a ho-hum school, especially if the program and grades are also weak.

Where did I say her and I care so little about academic education? Are you inferring that just because we don’t care about the prestige of the school? And where did I say I was forcing her into college? She absolutely positively wants to go.

Why don’t you care though? I think that’s what people are curious about. Is she not going in order to secure a future for herself?

I don’t care about prestige because I don’t think it’s important. I think she’ll do well and be successful no matter where she goes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just curious how many of us are out there. My Junior does well in school (not stellar), is artsy and a pretty good kid all around. I am letting her steer the ship in regards to college/major. I really just want her to be happy. Don’t give a crap about college rankings at all (pretty sure she doesn’t either). Anyone else?

The reason you don’t care about where your kid goes to college is that, as you describe her, she’s not a candidate for a top college anyway. So you can’t care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do care because I equate top schools with better opportunities. I know that my child wants a lifestyle that is at least the same as how they grew up (UMC) and a top school will make that more likely. Do you not care because you don’t care about those sorts of outcomes?

There’s no evidence that “top schools” do this for any but the least advantaged kids. Unless you’ve read the econometric or behavioral genetic literature and know better than I?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do care because I equate top schools with better opportunities. I know that my child wants a lifestyle that is at least the same as how they grew up (UMC) and a top school will make that more likely. Do you not care because you don’t care about those sorts of outcomes?

NP--What evidence do you have that a 'top school' will make a UMC lifestyle more likely?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do care because I equate top schools with better opportunities. I know that my child wants a lifestyle that is at least the same as how they grew up (UMC) and a top school will make that more likely. Do you not care because you don’t care about those sorts of outcomes?

There’s no evidence that “top schools” do this for any but the least advantaged kids. Unless you’ve read the econometric or behavioral genetic literature and know better than I?

Yea it really doesn’t matter where you go to college. Just that you go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would say I don' t care to a certain extent. As long as the school is reputable, I don't care.

Define reputable.