Carnegie Mellon and Georgetown - why so low endowments?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD turned down CMU because the buildings were in such a state of disrepair. She thought the buildings were beautiful but falling down. Of course, it didn't help that the students seemed depressed and overworked. Her classmate enrolled and, while she likes the school, she is stressed. I know everyone rants about how the luxuries are a waste of money but when you turn off students because of a lack of upkeep, you are going to far in the other direction.

Let me guess, she opted for the beautiful campus and dorms of a large third-tier Southern state university.

[Anonymous]

CMU grad and donor here. Only in the last few years did they up their game on courting donors. They realized their endowment wasnt' great compared to similar schools.

Also, it's a pressure-cooker school so I think a lot of people spend so much time studying that they don't develop a big sense of community = less likely to donate later.

I met some amazingly intelligent people there and keep in touch with them 20 years later. Glad I went there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CMU grad and donor here. Only in the last few years did they up their game on courting donors. They realized their endowment wasnt' great compared to similar schools.

Also, it's a pressure-cooker school so I think a lot of people spend so much time studying that they don't develop a big sense of community = less likely to donate later.

I met some amazingly intelligent people there and keep in touch with them 20 years later. Glad I went there.

Donations contribute little to endowments. Stanford only got 1 billion in donations compared to their 20+ billion endowment. Most of the LACs with billion dollar+ endowments only raise several tens of million dollars a year. It's all about investing in the right things and getting a good return.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have yet to meet one person who graduated from GU that I have an ounce of respect for.

It funny you say that because I have had similar experience - although I would say I have been underwhelmed.

But they hold themselves in very very high esteem.
The school should do something to tone the attitude of its graduates down - it's repulsive to others.
The typical graduate says 'I went to GU and then there's a pause and you're supposed to bow, clap or throw money or something. All three I guess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have yet to meet one person who graduated from GU that I have an ounce of respect for.

It funny you say that because I have had similar experience - although I would say I have been underwhelmed.

But they hold themselves in very very high esteem.
The school should do something to tone the attitude of its graduates down - it's repulsive to others.
The typical graduate says 'I went to GU and then there's a pause and you're supposed to bow, clap or throw money or something. All three I guess.

If you don't throw enough money they start quoting Plato or Aristotle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Georgetown has a low enrollment because the Jesuits are terrible with money and never focused on it. The current president is the first non-Jesuit and that's why he was hired, but he's been playing catch up for the past fifteen years or so.

This. And Georgetown invested a lot in attracting quality faculty in the second half of the last century.

I don't think faculty spending is the answer. They tend to pay a little less on average than similar schools, especially when you factor in COL. and I've seen nothing that suggests their hiring efforts have been different from other similar schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have yet to meet one person who graduated from GU that I have an ounce of respect for.

It funny you say that because I have had similar experience - although I would say I have been underwhelmed.

But they hold themselves in very very high esteem.
The school should do something to tone the attitude of its graduates down - it's repulsive to others.
The typical graduate says 'I went to GU and then there's a pause and you're supposed to bow, clap or throw money or something. All three I guess.

I met my spouse at GU and while I don't think we are quite as bad as you think we are, I know what attitude you are referring to. It is what made it hard for me to like college until I met my now spouse halfway through the 4 years. I always assumed it was because I was a public school kid surrounded by private school kids with loads more money. I promise there are good people come out of GU, but I think the attitude you are referring to started in many of them before they were even accepted.

[Anonymous]

I went to Princeton, which has a big endowment and fanatical alum devotion. Much of that has to do with the experience of alums after they leave Princeton. Princeton keeps in constant touch with alums, the alum network is amazing, and reunions are really fun. Also, training for alum fundraisers is excellent. That said, I agree with the PP who noted that return on the endowment investment portfolio is key to building the endowment. Finally, it's critical to ask how the university is using its endowment. Princeton is spending a ton to try to increase socio-economic diversity -- an urgent goal that will make a difference on campus and beyond.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD turned down CMU because the buildings were in such a state of disrepair. She thought the buildings were beautiful but falling down. Of course, it didn't help that the students seemed depressed and overworked. Her classmate enrolled and, while she likes the school, she is stressed. I know everyone rants about how the luxuries are a waste of money but when you turn off students because of a lack of upkeep, you are going to far in the other direction.

a given university is better off without such students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD turned down CMU because the buildings were in such a state of disrepair. She thought the buildings were beautiful but falling down. Of course, it didn't help that the students seemed depressed and overworked. Her classmate enrolled and, while she likes the school, she is stressed. I know everyone rants about how the luxuries are a waste of money but when you turn off students because of a lack of upkeep, you are going to far in the other direction.

Cmu dorms are disgusting and filthy. I don't expect wake forest or Princeton level accommodations but come on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CMU grad and donor here. Only in the last few years did they up their game on courting donors. They realized their endowment wasnt' great compared to similar schools.

Also, it's a pressure-cooker school so I think a lot of people spend so much time studying that they don't develop a big sense of community = less likely to donate later.

I met some amazingly intelligent people there and keep in touch with them 20 years later. Glad I went there.

Donations contribute little to endowments. Stanford only got 1 billion in donations compared to their 20+ billion endowment. Most of the LACs with billion dollar+ endowments only raise several tens of million dollars a year. It's all about investing in the right things and getting a good return.

Obviously it's about investment returns but you need money to invest with in the first place......

[Anonymous]

Georgetown feels like it's fading, slowly...

[Anonymous]

Georgetown's relatively small endowment has been a problem for a long while. When I was in college (early 90s) my senior year there was not enough financial aid to go around. Seniors were told they could go to their flagship state university and still graduate from Georgetown. At the last minute, there was some deal where funds were found at the law school and loaned to the undergrad operations so that financial aid could be provided to seniors . . .

I'd always heard that the reason for the relatively small endowment (relative to the prestige of the school and success of its grads) was because it's a Catholic institution and people feel like when they give to the church, they're "covered" or something like this (even though the Catholic church does not financially support Georgetown U.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Georgetown's relatively small endowment has been a problem for a long while. When I was in college (early 90s) my senior year there was not enough financial aid to go around. Seniors were told they could go to their flagship state university and still graduate from Georgetown. At the last minute, there was some deal where funds were found at the law school and loaned to the undergrad operations so that financial aid could be provided to seniors . . .

I'd always heard that the reason for the relatively small endowment (relative to the prestige of the school and success of its grads) was because it's a Catholic institution and people feel like when they give to the church, they're "covered" or something like this (even though the Catholic church does not financially support Georgetown U.)

This does not seem to have affected Notre Dame (8.37B) or Boston College (2B) compared to Georgetown (1.4B)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have yet to meet one person who graduated from GU that I have an ounce of respect for.

It funny you say that because I have had similar experience - although I would say I have been underwhelmed.

But they hold themselves in very very high esteem.
The school should do something to tone the attitude of its graduates down - it's repulsive to others.
The typical graduate says 'I went to GU and then there's a pause and you're supposed to bow, clap or throw money or something. All three I guess.

Georgetown is the dream school for the student council try-hard dorks who lacked self-awareness. The few peers I know who are GU alums didn't even apply to Ivies. It was all about GU.