Best non-stressful selective schools

[Anonymous]

What area of study?

[Anonymous]

The Claremont Colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is such a frustrating question, OP. Your child is stressed out. Why are you still focusing on “selective” colleges? Look for good fits and step away from the prestige focus.

Excuse me, but OP asked about “selective” colleges not about the Ivy Plus schools. A selective school is one that doesn’t take every applicant. A “highly selective” school takes up to 1/3. There are plenty of selective schools , and even “highly” selective schools that are on the less intense side. I don’t think they need to send your child to school that takes every applicant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You also might want to prep her that even though she's stacked an impressive HS resume, it might not be enough to get into "selective" schools.

You should do like everyone else, find a balanced list of schools and cross any off that are known to be cut-throat like Ivy, UChicago, etc.

+1

My kid has super high stats and initially wanted to go to CMU. Went to state flagship instead. It's a much better fit. CMU is way too intense for my DC who, even with high stats, is somewhat chill. DC is happy at the state flagship, and while it is less impressive than CMU, DC's mental health and happiness is, in the words of Mastercard, "pricesless".

CMU seems like a joyless place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a frustrating question, OP. Your child is stressed out. Why are you still focusing on “selective” colleges? Look for good fits and step away from the prestige focus.

Excuse me, but OP asked about “selective” colleges not about the Ivy Plus schools. A selective school is one that doesn’t take every applicant. A “highly selective” school takes up to 1/3. There are plenty of selective schools , and even “highly” selective schools that are on the less intense side. I don’t think they need to send your child to school that takes every applicant.

I was assuming OP was asking about highly selective schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a frustrating question, OP. Your child is stressed out. Why are you still focusing on “selective” colleges? Look for good fits and step away from the prestige focus.

Excuse me, but OP asked about “selective” colleges not about the Ivy Plus schools. A selective school is one that doesn’t take every applicant. A “highly selective” school takes up to 1/3. There are plenty of selective schools , and even “highly” selective schools that are on the less intense side. I don’t think they need to send your child to school that takes every applicant.

It doesn't seem any more fair of you to assume what OP meant than for PP to do so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You also might want to prep her that even though she's stacked an impressive HS resume, it might not be enough to get into "selective" schools.

You should do like everyone else, find a balanced list of schools and cross any off that are known to be cut-throat like Ivy, UChicago, etc.

+1

My kid has super high stats and initially wanted to go to CMU. Went to state flagship instead. It's a much better fit. CMU is way too intense for my DC who, even with high stats, is somewhat chill. DC is happy at the state flagship, and while it is less impressive than CMU, DC's mental health and happiness is, in the words of Mastercard, "pricesless".

CMU seems like a joyless place.

pp here.. we toured there, and met someone from there, and yea, it's an intense and tense place. Obviously, very high caliber in terms of academics, but for a CS major, it was not a happy place.

[Anonymous]

I would recommend avoiding schools on the quarter system (Dartmouth, Northwestern, etc) as that schedule naturally creates a grind.

[Anonymous]

The simplest solution is to look for a less selective school.

That’s it, that’s the entire secret.

“My kid got stressed out working so hard for this goal” Okay, stop working so hard and be less stressed.

Nobody died from going to Montclair State instead of Princeton. They will learn and make friends and get jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You also might want to prep her that even though she's stacked an impressive HS resume, it might not be enough to get into "selective" schools.

You should do like everyone else, find a balanced list of schools and cross any off that are known to be cut-throat like Ivy, UChicago, etc.

+1

My kid has super high stats and initially wanted to go to CMU. Went to state flagship instead. It's a much better fit. CMU is way too intense for my DC who, even with high stats, is somewhat chill. DC is happy at the state flagship, and while it is less impressive than CMU, DC's mental health and happiness is, in the words of Mastercard, "pricesless".

CMU seems like a joyless place.

pp here.. we toured there, and met someone from there, and yea, it's an intense and tense place. Obviously, very high caliber in terms of academics, but for a CS major, it was not a happy place.

No. Your kid doesn’t need that sort of misery…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:William & Mary

They have an entire wellness center focused on helping kids stay balanced.

Big hint here that if the school needs a center for this, then stress is actually a huge problem on campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:William & Mary

They have an entire wellness center focused on helping kids stay balanced.

Big hint here that if the school needs a center for this, then stress is actually a huge problem on campus.

yeah also look away for schools that have their own police department.. that means crime is actually a huge problem?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:William & Mary

They have an entire wellness center focused on helping kids stay balanced.

Back in the day those were known as “bars.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stress is self-imposed. You could go to Harvard and not stress yourself out to get perfect grades. You could go to community college and be a basket case of stress.

This! It's the kid, not the school

It’s a combo of both. But I agree it’s hard to go 40 mph if everyone else is going 70 mph

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:William & Mary

They have an entire wellness center focused on helping kids stay balanced.

Big hint here that if the school needs a center for this, then stress is actually a huge problem on campus.

yeah also look away for schools that have their own police department.. that means crime is actually a huge problem?

Always amazed me when U Chicago people would claim their neighborhood was safe because there was a cop on every corner….