Middle class family being bamboozled with large "scholarships" from tier 5 LACs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it so interesting that so many kids from my DC's public MCPS high school go to these no name D3 colleges to play a sport. It's not like they are getting a full scholarship. Just seems so short sighted to pick a school with low return on investment for the privilege of playing in a mediocre league for 4 years. Some of these kids could clearly get better educations for the same price.

Wealthy parents trying to save face and not feel like they wasted ten plus years on travel sports, hotels, travel, lessons, etc. One wealthy couple we knew said their daughter was going to play soccer at an obscure D3 college in Boston. Turns out she is not even on the varsity team, she is only playing club soccer at the college.

That's not a waste if the child wanted to play and enjoyed soccer.

Can't basically anyone who played travel easily walk on a club team at a no-name lower rung D3? Don't mislead people and spin yarn about how your teen is going to college across the country to play a sport at the next level when they're going to play club, barely a step up from intramurals, at some bottom tier D3. Even the varsity teams at bottom tier D3s are mediocre.

Then you clearly do not follow NCAA D1-3 soccer with schools you've "never heard of" in the 2023 championship playoffs right now.

I... can't imagine caring about this. Let alone using this as a basis for college choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it so interesting that so many kids from my DC's public MCPS high school go to these no name D3 colleges to play a sport. It's not like they are getting a full scholarship. Just seems so short sighted to pick a school with low return on investment for the privilege of playing in a mediocre league for 4 years. Some of these kids could clearly get better educations for the same price.

Wealthy parents trying to save face and not feel like they wasted ten plus years on travel sports, hotels, travel, lessons, etc. One wealthy couple we knew said their daughter was going to play soccer at an obscure D3 college in Boston. Turns out she is not even on the varsity team, she is only playing club soccer at the college.

That's not a waste if the child wanted to play and enjoyed soccer.

I am not aware of many D3 schools where it is all that difficult to play on club sports teams.

Hopefully, she picked the school for better reasons and that they even had a club soccer team (many D3 schools don't offer extensive club sports).

Aren't you contradicting yourself here? Not that difficult, but then not extensive?

I don't think so. Obviously, if the kid wants to continue playing the sport in any capacity in college, they need to offer the sport (or the kid has to take the initiative to start a club soccer team). For the D3 schools that offer the sport, it really is not that hard to play club especially if a kid was playing a reasonably decent travel team for the last 10 years.

But you say club offerings are not always extensive @ D3s, so it's not a lock that a kid can play.

Our DC played travel from 7 y.o. through HS. Decided early on in pandemic that they did not want to pursue recruiting. Travel team won state and went to nationals. HS team, where DC was more invested, then ended up winning local, regionals, and, ultimately, state. DC was then a little on the fence but had missed recruiting window and decided now to try as a walk on. DC is now at a LAC approved by the OP and school does not offer club. We've learned that the paucity of club teams @ D3 schools is not unusual.

I just don't get why folks are so judgy about this. Let the kids be.

Ok...I guess. If your kid really wants to play soccer in college, even if it is just club, I assume you would make sure the school offers club soccer.

I don't understand your post. It also seems that your LAC decision was not going to be dictated by LACs that offered club soccer.

Never did I indicate that DC "really want[ed] to play soccer in college." DC told us they didn't want to play in college, then had a slight change of heart after a lot of team success in their senior year. After mulling walk on, they decided against it. That's all I said regarding our DC.

The conclusion of my PP remains the same - if kids want to pursue sports in college, even at LACs you find personally offensive, then let them be. It's not your life and certainly not your DCs because you seem fairly hellbent on what they can do with theirs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it so interesting that so many kids from my DC's public MCPS high school go to these no name D3 colleges to play a sport. It's not like they are getting a full scholarship. Just seems so short sighted to pick a school with low return on investment for the privilege of playing in a mediocre league for 4 years. Some of these kids could clearly get better educations for the same price.

Wealthy parents trying to save face and not feel like they wasted ten plus years on travel sports, hotels, travel, lessons, etc. One wealthy couple we knew said their daughter was going to play soccer at an obscure D3 college in Boston. Turns out she is not even on the varsity team, she is only playing club soccer at the college.

That's not a waste if the child wanted to play and enjoyed soccer.

Can't basically anyone who played travel easily walk on a club team at a no-name lower rung D3? Don't mislead people and spin yarn about how your teen is going to college across the country to play a sport at the next level when they're going to play club, barely a step up from intramurals, at some bottom tier D3. Even the varsity teams at bottom tier D3s are mediocre.

Wrong. Some of the strongest D3 sports programs are at lower-ranked schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it so interesting that so many kids from my DC's public MCPS high school go to these no name D3 colleges to play a sport. It's not like they are getting a full scholarship. Just seems so short sighted to pick a school with low return on investment for the privilege of playing in a mediocre league for 4 years. Some of these kids could clearly get better educations for the same price.

Wealthy parents trying to save face and not feel like they wasted ten plus years on travel sports, hotels, travel, lessons, etc. One wealthy couple we knew said their daughter was going to play soccer at an obscure D3 college in Boston. Turns out she is not even on the varsity team, she is only playing club soccer at the college.

That's not a waste if the child wanted to play and enjoyed soccer.

Can't basically anyone who played travel easily walk on a club team at a no-name lower rung D3? Don't mislead people and spin yarn about how your teen is going to college across the country to play a sport at the next level when they're going to play club, barely a step up from intramurals, at some bottom tier D3. Even the varsity teams at bottom tier D3s are mediocre.

Then you clearly do not follow NCAA D1-3 soccer with schools you've "never heard of" in the 2023 championship playoffs right now.

I... can't imagine caring about this. Let alone using this as a basis for college choice.

Our family is into sports. Some of our DCs' friends are on teams in the playoffs. I was struck by the range of schools when looking at the brackets.

No one said "us[e] this as a basis for college choice." I'm simply pointing out that varsity teams at a range of colleges/universities are competing in the playoffs.

Reading comprehension seems to be a real challenge for some folks on this thread who put a lot of energy into fretting about quality academics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it so interesting that so many kids from my DC's public MCPS high school go to these no name D3 colleges to play a sport. It's not like they are getting a full scholarship. Just seems so short sighted to pick a school with low return on investment for the privilege of playing in a mediocre league for 4 years. Some of these kids could clearly get better educations for the same price.

Wealthy parents trying to save face and not feel like they wasted ten plus years on travel sports, hotels, travel, lessons, etc. One wealthy couple we knew said their daughter was going to play soccer at an obscure D3 college in Boston. Turns out she is not even on the varsity team, she is only playing club soccer at the college.

That's not a waste if the child wanted to play and enjoyed soccer.

+1

Kids do best in college when they are happy, the ranking of the university does NOT matter. If your kid is happy, they will attend class, have friends and study groups and be involved in research and activities for their major, and that translates to better GPA, more internships/work experience and ultimately a job in that uses their major. If playing a sport makes them more motivated/happy, so be it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All of those mailers apparently do work on some families. Is there a polite way to underscore this is the non-selective liberal arts college business model and they are not actually getting an amazing deal? Going to lead to a lot of student and parent loans for abysmal career resources and a degree which confers zero brand recognition.

You might want to suggest to whomever you know that they should look at a school like Bridgewater College who at least has decided to get out of the "high rack rate, huge discount" racket.

They dropped their tuition from $40,300 to $15,000 and are no longer going to play the game.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it so interesting that so many kids from my DC's public MCPS high school go to these no name D3 colleges to play a sport. It's not like they are getting a full scholarship. Just seems so short sighted to pick a school with low return on investment for the privilege of playing in a mediocre league for 4 years. Some of these kids could clearly get better educations for the same price.

Wealthy parents trying to save face and not feel like they wasted ten plus years on travel sports, hotels, travel, lessons, etc. One wealthy couple we knew said their daughter was going to play soccer at an obscure D3 college in Boston. Turns out she is not even on the varsity team, she is only playing club soccer at the college.

That's not a waste if the child wanted to play and enjoyed soccer.

Can't basically anyone who played travel easily walk on a club team at a no-name lower rung D3? Don't mislead people and spin yarn about how your teen is going to college across the country to play a sport at the next level when they're going to play club, barely a step up from intramurals, at some bottom tier D3. Even the varsity teams at bottom tier D3s are mediocre.

Then you clearly do not follow NCAA D1-3 soccer with schools you've "never heard of" in the 2023 championship playoffs right now.

I... can't imagine caring about this. Let alone using this as a basis for college choice.

Really? So little imagination and empathy that you can’t imagine someone has different joys, loves, and goals than you? I think what you mean is you judge other people for having different priorities. I bet it scares you a little too, the thought that a kid could do what brings them joy (prioritize their activity when choosing a college) and then actually end up a happy and productive adult. Since you’ve prioritized prestige, money, and a constrained career path it is threatening to know there was another way to a good life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it so interesting that so many kids from my DC's public MCPS high school go to these no name D3 colleges to play a sport. It's not like they are getting a full scholarship. Just seems so short sighted to pick a school with low return on investment for the privilege of playing in a mediocre league for 4 years. Some of these kids could clearly get better educations for the same price.

Wealthy parents trying to save face and not feel like they wasted ten plus years on travel sports, hotels, travel, lessons, etc. One wealthy couple we knew said their daughter was going to play soccer at an obscure D3 college in Boston. Turns out she is not even on the varsity team, she is only playing club soccer at the college.

That's not a waste if the child wanted to play and enjoyed soccer.

Can't basically anyone who played travel easily walk on a club team at a no-name lower rung D3? Don't mislead people and spin yarn about how your teen is going to college across the country to play a sport at the next level when they're going to play club, barely a step up from intramurals, at some bottom tier D3. Even the varsity teams at bottom tier D3s are mediocre.

Then you clearly do not follow NCAA D1-3 soccer with schools you've "never heard of" in the 2023 championship playoffs right now.

I... can't imagine caring about this. Let alone using this as a basis for college choice.

Really? So little imagination and empathy that you can’t imagine someone has different joys, loves, and goals than you? I think what you mean is you judge other people for having different priorities. I bet it scares you a little too, the thought that a kid could do what brings them joy (prioritize their activity when choosing a college) and then actually end up a happy and productive adult. Since you’ve prioritized prestige, money, and a constrained career path it is threatening to know there was another way to a good life.

You, PP, are the best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it so interesting that so many kids from my DC's public MCPS high school go to these no name D3 colleges to play a sport. It's not like they are getting a full scholarship. Just seems so short sighted to pick a school with low return on investment for the privilege of playing in a mediocre league for 4 years. Some of these kids could clearly get better educations for the same price.

Wealthy parents trying to save face and not feel like they wasted ten plus years on travel sports, hotels, travel, lessons, etc. One wealthy couple we knew said their daughter was going to play soccer at an obscure D3 college in Boston. Turns out she is not even on the varsity team, she is only playing club soccer at the college.

That's not a waste if the child wanted to play and enjoyed soccer.

Agree. Is the entire point of childhood now to get accepted to a T15? Cannot co-sign this pov.

+1

We let our kids do what they loved in HS. We did require them to volunteer (they got to pick it) and have some ECs---but they got to pick. We also let them pick their courses in HS. Our "really smart kid" choose all STEM APs and skipped the APUSH/AP Eng/AP For Lang so that they would have time to dance 15-20+ hours each week. Given they are an engineering/CS major, they picked the classes that matter and are interesting to them. Sure they could have done the other APs, but they'd have gotten no sleep, would have been miserable, and that is not healthy. Ultimately they landed at a university that is a better first for them than the T20 schools they wanted (theirs is in T40). And ironically, at both of their final choices for college, they cannot use "AP credit for Core curriculum credit" so the ONLY reason they would have taken those other courses wouldn't have materialized.

So they were extremely happy they chose wisely in HS and took a bit of stress off their plate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:so, they have to spend even more money to get a good paying job? Even more bamboozling.

Tell us, is there some secret way to making millions as a BigLaw partner with only an undergraduate degree?

Aggressive smart kids in 2023 who want to go to a hyper-competitive T14 law school and hyper-competitive "Big Law" career aren't going to podunk bottom tier private colleges nobody has heard of, where their average classmate is some nitwit who scored 1,100 on the SAT, and one-third of their class never graduates.

Ha! Have you even looked at the bios of the partners of the biggest firms? A lot of “podunk” undergrads in there (but usually, but not always, top law schools).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:so, they have to spend even more money to get a good paying job? Even more bamboozling.

Tell us, is there some secret way to making millions as a BigLaw partner with only an undergraduate degree?

Aggressive smart kids in 2023 who want to go to a hyper-competitive T14 law school and hyper-competitive "Big Law" career aren't going to podunk bottom tier private colleges nobody has heard of, where their average classmate is some nitwit who scored 1,100 on the SAT, and one-third of their class never graduates.

Ha! Have you even looked at the bios of the partners of the biggest firms? A lot of “podunk” undergrads in there (but usually, but not always, top law schools).

The people going on ad nausuem about LAC tiers, etc betray a fair amount of ignorance about the academic pedigrees of many successful people today. Yeah, there are a lot of HYPSMs out there, but not every grad/professional school admit slot is filled by them nor in their corresponding professions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it so interesting that so many kids from my DC's public MCPS high school go to these no name D3 colleges to play a sport. It's not like they are getting a full scholarship. Just seems so short sighted to pick a school with low return on investment for the privilege of playing in a mediocre league for 4 years. Some of these kids could clearly get better educations for the same price.

Wealthy parents trying to save face and not feel like they wasted ten plus years on travel sports, hotels, travel, lessons, etc. One wealthy couple we knew said their daughter was going to play soccer at an obscure D3 college in Boston. Turns out she is not even on the varsity team, she is only playing club soccer at the college.

That's not a waste if the child wanted to play and enjoyed soccer.

Can't basically anyone who played travel easily walk on a club team at a no-name lower rung D3? Don't mislead people and spin yarn about how your teen is going to college across the country to play a sport at the next level when they're going to play club, barely a step up from intramurals, at some bottom tier D3. Even the varsity teams at bottom tier D3s are mediocre.

Then you clearly do not follow NCAA D1-3 soccer with schools you've "never heard of" in the 2023 championship playoffs right now.

I... can't imagine caring about this. Let alone using this as a basis for college choice.

Really? So little imagination and empathy that you can’t imagine someone has different joys, loves, and goals than you? I think what you mean is you judge other people for having different priorities. I bet it scares you a little too, the thought that a kid could do what brings them joy (prioritize their activity when choosing a college) and then actually end up a happy and productive adult. Since you’ve prioritized prestige, money, and a constrained career path it is threatening to know there was another way to a good life.

You, PP, are the best.

+1. That was so well said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it so interesting that so many kids from my DC's public MCPS high school go to these no name D3 colleges to play a sport. It's not like they are getting a full scholarship. Just seems so short sighted to pick a school with low return on investment for the privilege of playing in a mediocre league for 4 years. Some of these kids could clearly get better educations for the same price.

Wealthy parents trying to save face and not feel like they wasted ten plus years on travel sports, hotels, travel, lessons, etc. One wealthy couple we knew said their daughter was going to play soccer at an obscure D3 college in Boston. Turns out she is not even on the varsity team, she is only playing club soccer at the college.

That's not a waste if the child wanted to play and enjoyed soccer.

Can't basically anyone who played travel easily walk on a club team at a no-name lower rung D3? Don't mislead people and spin yarn about how your teen is going to college across the country to play a sport at the next level when they're going to play club, barely a step up from intramurals, at some bottom tier D3. Even the varsity teams at bottom tier D3s are mediocre.

Then you clearly do not follow NCAA D1-3 soccer with schools you've "never heard of" in the 2023 championship playoffs right now.

I... can't imagine caring about this. Let alone using this as a basis for college choice.

Our family is into sports. Some of our DCs' friends are on teams in the playoffs. I was struck by the range of schools when looking at the brackets.

No one said "us[e] this as a basis for college choice."

Further up in this reply thread:

"many kids from my DC's public MCPS high school go to these no name D3 colleges to play a sport"
" One wealthy couple we knew said their daughter was going to play soccer at an obscure D3 college in Boston"
"That's not a waste if the child wanted to play and enjoyed soccer"

Yes, people are saying that playing a sport is the basis for their kid's college choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:so, they have to spend even more money to get a good paying job? Even more bamboozling.

Tell us, is there some secret way to making millions as a BigLaw partner with only an undergraduate degree?

Aggressive smart kids in 2023 who want to go to a hyper-competitive T14 law school and hyper-competitive "Big Law" career aren't going to podunk bottom tier private colleges nobody has heard of, where their average classmate is some nitwit who scored 1,100 on the SAT, and one-third of their class never graduates.

Ha! Have you even looked at the bios of the partners of the biggest firms? A lot of “podunk” undergrads in there (but usually, but not always, top law schools).

The people going on ad nausuem about LAC tiers, etc betray a fair amount of ignorance about the academic pedigrees of many successful people today. Yeah, there are a lot of HYPSMs out there, but not every grad/professional school admit slot is filled by them nor in their corresponding professions.

HYPSM grads are certainly overrepresented relative to their proportion of the total college undergraduate pool, and it's foolish to pretend this doesn't give you a significant advantage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:so, they have to spend even more money to get a good paying job? Even more bamboozling.

Tell us, is there some secret way to making millions as a BigLaw partner with only an undergraduate degree?

Aggressive smart kids in 2023 who want to go to a hyper-competitive T14 law school and hyper-competitive "Big Law" career aren't going to podunk bottom tier private colleges nobody has heard of, where their average classmate is some nitwit who scored 1,100 on the SAT, and one-third of their class never graduates.

Have you actually worked in BigLaw? The partner ranks are filled with non-T14 grads.