What is the obsession on DCUM with university rankings and were your kid goes to school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We sent our kids to public schools in NOVA then to UVA. Saved thousands and thousands of dollars in tuition while the kids got a great education and attended a college that was plenty good enough for us to hold our heads up high at cocktail parties and other DMV social events - and to retire much earlier than the typical DCUM poster.

But hey, continue to argue about whether Northeastern or Emory or Tulane or etc is prestigious and worth the money. Y’all are crazy.

Now that's not nice.

Your choices were fine, thoughtful, and right for you. Be nice to people who make different ones or everyone will think you are an A.H.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We sent our kids to public schools in NOVA then to UVA. Saved thousands and thousands of dollars in tuition while the kids got a great education and attended a college that was plenty good enough for us to hold our heads up high at cocktail parties and other DMV social events - and to retire much earlier than the typical DCUM poster.

But hey, continue to argue about whether Northeastern or Emory or Tulane or etc is prestigious and worth the money. Y’all are crazy.

Now that's not nice.

Your choices were fine, thoughtful, and right for you. Be nice to people who make different ones or everyone will think you are an A.H.

No, my choices weren’t just “fine” - they were the only reasonable choice for anyone who isn’t truly independently wealthy and for whom money truly is no object. And I’m talking about the truly wealthy - not Biglaw partners types, for example, who still have to work for their money and justify their horrible jobs by saying they’re necessary because they pay for private schools followed by a Tulane. Ridiculous. Just ridiculous.

Just this past weekend we hosted several couples around our same age, with similar backgrounds and educations and for a time incomes, and more than one of them was lamenting the end of the student loan payment freeze and saying they will be paying off loans for their kids’ colleges until they’re dead. We - early retirees - feigned empathy because we’re nice people, but in reality we have none. We think they’re nuts for making the decisions they did.

And I’m not just talking about borrowing. I’m talking about saving thousands of dollars a year into 529s at the expense of finding retirements or other investment accounts or activities so your kids can “go wherever they want regardless of cost.” WTF??? It makes no sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We sent our kids to public schools in NOVA then to UVA. Saved thousands and thousands of dollars in tuition while the kids got a great education and attended a college that was plenty good enough for us to hold our heads up high at cocktail parties and other DMV social events - and to retire much earlier than the typical DCUM poster.

But hey, continue to argue about whether Northeastern or Emory or Tulane or etc is prestigious and worth the money. Y’all are crazy.

Now that's not nice.

Your choices were fine, thoughtful, and right for you. Be nice to people who make different ones or everyone will think you are an A.H.

No, my choices weren’t just “fine” - they were the only reasonable choice for anyone who isn’t truly independently wealthy and for whom money truly is no object. And I’m talking about the truly wealthy - not Biglaw partners types, for example, who still have to work for their money and justify their horrible jobs by saying they’re necessary because they pay for private schools followed by a Tulane. Ridiculous. Just ridiculous.

Just this past weekend we hosted several couples around our same age, with similar backgrounds and educations and for a time incomes, and more than one of them was lamenting the end of the student loan payment freeze and saying they will be paying off loans for their kids’ colleges until they’re dead. We - early retirees - feigned empathy because we’re nice people, but in reality we have none. We think they’re nuts for making the decisions they did.

And I’m not just talking about borrowing. I’m talking about saving thousands of dollars a year into 529s at the expense of finding retirements or other investment accounts or activities so your kids can “go wherever they want regardless of cost.” WTF??? It makes no sense.

Well now you have removed all doubt.

[Anonymous]

DC is a multi-cultural city and I think we have a lot of posters here from cultures that infamously put a lot of pressure on their kids to go to to an ivy and/or make a lot of money. I swear I recognize one poster whose daughter got her finance degree 10 years ago - just obsessed with name dropping and prestige. No kidding , she found a way to bring up her SAT score at her wedding speech.

Since you’re new, I’ll warn you about the finance bros and their moms. They post a lot and perpetuate the “should my 1510 kid retake?” and “T20 or bust”. They’ll tell you a 3.8 1400 kid should start at community college.

Older white money is going to argue the benefits of a SLAC, and people from other parts of the country argue state flagship is best. Lots of inaccurate, ignorant posts about southern schools, but also lots of interest because it’s tough out there and people need to stay open-minded.

Welcome to the most miserable subject forum on the site.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We sent our kids to public schools in NOVA then to UVA. Saved thousands and thousands of dollars in tuition while the kids got a great education and attended a college that was plenty good enough for us to hold our heads up high at cocktail parties and other DMV social events - and to retire much earlier than the typical DCUM poster.

But hey, continue to argue about whether Northeastern or Emory or Tulane or etc is prestigious and worth the money. Y’all are crazy.

Now that's not nice.

Your choices were fine, thoughtful, and right for you. Be nice to people who make different ones or everyone will think you are an A.H.

No, my choices weren’t just “fine” - they were the only reasonable choice for anyone who isn’t truly independently wealthy and for whom money truly is no object. And I’m talking about the truly wealthy - not Biglaw partners types, for example, who still have to work for their money and justify their horrible jobs by saying they’re necessary because they pay for private schools followed by a Tulane. Ridiculous. Just ridiculous.

Just this past weekend we hosted several couples around our same age, with similar backgrounds and educations and for a time incomes, and more than one of them was lamenting the end of the student loan payment freeze and saying they will be paying off loans for their kids’ colleges until they’re dead. We - early retirees - feigned empathy because we’re nice people, but in reality we have none. We think they’re nuts for making the decisions they did.

And I’m not just talking about borrowing. I’m talking about saving thousands of dollars a year into 529s at the expense of finding retirements or other investment accounts or activities so your kids can “go wherever they want regardless of cost.” WTF??? It makes no sense.

Well now you have removed all doubt.

Thanks for stating the obvious. I agree with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We sent our kids to public schools in NOVA then to UVA. Saved thousands and thousands of dollars in tuition while the kids got a great education and attended a college that was plenty good enough for us to hold our heads up high at cocktail parties and other DMV social events - and to retire much earlier than the typical DCUM poster.

But hey, continue to argue about whether Northeastern or Emory or Tulane or etc is prestigious and worth the money. Y’all are crazy.

Well, I would have done that too but UVA only takes the top 5% of the class and in some high schools, that’s still a 4.5. It wasn’t an option for my kid. So maybe be grateful your kids got into UVA and gave you the freedom you have now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We sent our kids to public schools in NOVA then to UVA. Saved thousands and thousands of dollars in tuition while the kids got a great education and attended a college that was plenty good enough for us to hold our heads up high at cocktail parties and other DMV social events - and to retire much earlier than the typical DCUM poster.

But hey, continue to argue about whether Northeastern or Emory or Tulane or etc is prestigious and worth the money. Y’all are crazy.

Now that's not nice.

Your choices were fine, thoughtful, and right for you. Be nice to people who make different ones or everyone will think you are an A.H.

No, my choices weren’t just “fine” - they were the only reasonable choice for anyone who isn’t truly independently wealthy and for whom money truly is no object. And I’m talking about the truly wealthy - not Biglaw partners types, for example, who still have to work for their money and justify their horrible jobs by saying they’re necessary because they pay for private schools followed by a Tulane. Ridiculous. Just ridiculous.

Just this past weekend we hosted several couples around our same age, with similar backgrounds and educations and for a time incomes, and more than one of them was lamenting the end of the student loan payment freeze and saying they will be paying off loans for their kids’ colleges until they’re dead. We - early retirees - feigned empathy because we’re nice people, but in reality we have none. We think they’re nuts for making the decisions they did.

And I’m not just talking about borrowing. I’m talking about saving thousands of dollars a year into 529s at the expense of finding retirements or other investment accounts or activities so your kids can “go wherever they want regardless of cost.” WTF??? It makes no sense.

Well now you have removed all doubt.

Thanks. Now I know that every single person can go to UVA if they are just willing to apply. There is no barrier, it is all a matter of applying and boom automatic admission and early retirement for the parents (who can hold their heads high). Brilliant! This is an example of the great info you get on dcum

[Anonymous]

Our mortgage guy went to Ithaca and could buy and sell everyone on this board - and then some.

It’s not the college. It’s the kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I must be new here.

Why do so many of you care where our DC or other kids choose to go to college? I just don't understand all the arguments Public vs Private, blah blah blah. Top 10-50 colleges or bust? (You are a fool for spending $50K a year on private school) when my kids public school was free (and our public kid was accepted to the same university as your private school kid}.

What exactly is the point of these posts? Why does it matter? I hope that we all make decisions that we believe are best for our kids.

I went to an elite college. Lots of amazing peers and many amazing professors. A few terrible profs and bad required classes in and out of major. About 1/4 of my classes were a total waste for one reason or another. Did I get a $200K education? Absolutely not. Did I get a $200K degree and make connections and get a job that paid that back and a lot more? Yes.

And I don't mean hobnobbing at country clubs. I hated the concept of networking and "golf" and "tennis"; I was committed to earning my way on my own efforts, and wanted to believe the world was fair. I got some bad grades because I refused to cheat or accept giveaways from profs like many classmates did.

But just casually knowing someone who knew someone who was hiring for upwardly mobile roles, set my life trajectory.

I got an amazing job for a new grad, from career fair in college because a friend's older friend worked there and invited me to apply, even after I applied my filter of avoiding "evil" companies.
I got an interview at a rising star company because a friend from HS and college was visiting and told me their friend from college had a friend from college who was hiring, and gave me the hiring manager's info.
A classmate friend married a classmate whose family member was someone you know from the news, and gave me that person's cell phone number to apply for a job at their young growing company.

That's why elite colleges are important to people. Even people who don't know those details, who only know "PYSH is elite" are indirectly getting their impression from facts like what I mentioned above. People who go to those schools arecon average more successful than people who don't, all else equal.

Are things different now? Can you rise above your station thanks to the Internet and Twitter and whatever to find opportunities and compete in your merit? Maybe.

But if you stop accepting the legacy kids and rich 1%s, these type of opportunities are diminished. Is your first gen roommate’s dad going to get you a summer job? If the rich and powerful are no longer at the school, the chance for connections and social mobility are also minimized.

You may be right...but none of those practices have been stopped anywhere as of today at the top national universities (MIT being the exception with no legacy preference). The top 1% and more importantly the top 0.1% are way, way, way over-represented at the top schools. Actually, even MIT with no legacy bump still ranks in the top 10 for wealthiest student bodies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We sent our kids to public schools in NOVA then to UVA. Saved thousands and thousands of dollars in tuition while the kids got a great education and attended a college that was plenty good enough for us to hold our heads up high at cocktail parties and other DMV social events - and to retire much earlier than the typical DCUM poster.

But hey, continue to argue about whether Northeastern or Emory or Tulane or etc is prestigious and worth the money. Y’all are crazy.

1. You sound bitter
2. Emory is a better school than UVA
3. This board hates Northeastern and Tulane and would never compare than to UVA let alone Emory.
4. UVA parents are always trying to validate their choice by bringing better schools down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is that, sure, but I've also gotten some great info here, and even support. You just try to ignore the snark and take heart with the many good folks on the board.

Different poster here. Could you give me an example of the “great info” that you’ve gotten here. I ask because I have a perverse impulse to read treads on the college admissions forum time and again, and more often than not what’s posted here isn’t only not helpful, it’s demonstrably wrong. I don’t know why I keep coming back lol.

+1

So true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We sent our kids to public schools in NOVA then to UVA. Saved thousands and thousands of dollars in tuition while the kids got a great education and attended a college that was plenty good enough for us to hold our heads up high at cocktail parties and other DMV social events - and to retire much earlier than the typical DCUM poster.

But hey, continue to argue about whether Northeastern or Emory or Tulane or etc is prestigious and worth the money. Y’all are crazy.

1. You sound bitter
2. Emory is a better school than UVA
3. This board hates Northeastern and Tulane and would never compare than to UVA let alone Emory.
4. UVA parents are always trying to validate their choice by bringing better schools down.

LOL - great work! This is DCUM in a nutshell. HAHHAHAHAHAA

[Anonymous]

I think it's White ALDC folks.

Look at the list of recent admission scandal criminals. Mostly richh Whites.

They are trying to maintain the elitism I guess.

[Anonymous]

Yes, major and actual career outcome is much more important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We sent our kids to public schools in NOVA then to UVA. Saved thousands and thousands of dollars in tuition while the kids got a great education and attended a college that was plenty good enough for us to hold our heads up high at cocktail parties and other DMV social events - and to retire much earlier than the typical DCUM poster.

But hey, continue to argue about whether Northeastern or Emory or Tulane or etc is prestigious and worth the money. Y’all are crazy.

1. You sound bitter
2. Emory is a better school than UVA
3. This board hates Northeastern and Tulane and would never compare than to UVA let alone Emory.
4. UVA parents are always trying to validate their choice by bringing better schools down.

Look, I’m not here to argue whether Emory or Tulane or Northeastern is “better” or worse than UVA. This much is clear, though: none of them is so much better that they are worth twice the price and then some.