CTCL schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like one of these supposed colleges that change lives, Marlboro College, has already shuttered due to bankruptcy last year. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlboro_College

Wonder which ones will come next.

Generally don't think it's wise to uphold a college list from 25 years ago as gospel. 25 years is a long time for things to have changed, and while I don't doubt many of these schools were fine at the time of publication, why would you expect the same list of obscure schools to uphold the same level of quality through the decades?

I honestly do not know why a poster would be SO committed to this particular line of argument. Building a straw man, arguing against the straw man, jumping in every time the opportunity presents itself, it's bizarre.

Because marketing scams are annoying? And the people who fall for them seem to be doubly so?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

+1
People on DCUM who say they went to a school on the CTCL list on an anonymous forum are giving people a narrower category than "a liberal arts college" but not "outing" themselves or their child on an anonymous forum when maybe a small handful of kids from the DMV goes to their particular small school (esp the further away ones).

When they talk about what they like about this "CTCL school," it's not that they are bragging about going to a CTCL, more that they are sharing with other parents who are struggling with the same pressures of finances and selectivity, that it turns out that many of the schools suggested by the CTCL are a viable path for strong/ambitious students. There are some LACs outside the top 20 that have fantastic grad school admissions rates, great merit aid, or some other feature you are looking for. It also can be simultaneously true that they are really happy with their CTCL school AND that if they could afford it and/or their kid got in they would go to a more highly ranked school given how much the DMV context emphasizes that. Doesn't make them dishonest to talk about how happy they are with the way things worked out and appreciative to the CTCL presentation that alerted them to the school and are suggesting to other parents to check out the organization for guidance.

I don't think schools on the CTCL list are unequivocally better than all other LACs outside the top tier --and I do think you have to do due diligence on schools on their list that they meet what you want. But it can be overwhelming to search once you move away from in-state publics and well-known schools. There a ton of LACs that might look fine on the surface, but offer tired curricula, the faculty aren't well-supported, they lack some key resources like access to databases, aren't favored by grad schools etc. CTCL offers a way of looking at schools, some compiled data, and a list of schools that they have reviewed. It's more manageable than going through the 320+ in other guides and is targeted on liberal arts colleges in particular.

Good points, PP!

+100.

[Anonymous]

My child will likely get into better schools (no guarantees but based on his stats he is certainly a strong candidate). But I don’t know if the intensity of those schools is the right place for him. It’s not just about being admitted. It’s about graduating and being successful. It’s great to have a list as a starting point and he may apply to 2 out of the 10 or so colleges he applies to. We are evaluating the schools individually, just like with all of the schools on his potential list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child will likely get into better schools (no guarantees but based on his stats he is certainly a strong candidate). But I don’t know if the intensity of those schools is the right place for him. It’s not just about being admitted. It’s about graduating and being successful. It’s great to have a list as a starting point and he may apply to 2 out of the 10 or so colleges he applies to. We are evaluating the schools individually, just like with all of the schools on his potential list.

Uh oh. It’s one of those “we” parents.

The top LACs all have higher graduation rates than the CTCL schools. That’s one of the things that makes them, well, better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child will likely get into better schools (no guarantees but based on his stats he is certainly a strong candidate). But I don’t know if the intensity of those schools is the right place for him. It’s not just about being admitted. It’s about graduating and being successful. It’s great to have a list as a starting point and he may apply to 2 out of the 10 or so colleges he applies to. We are evaluating the schools individually, just like with all of the schools on his potential list.

Uh oh. It’s one of those “we” parents.

The top LACs all have higher graduation rates than the CTCL schools. That’s one of the things that makes them, well, better.

also, the top SLACs have academic supports - they don't want a freshman to fail out, it's not in anyone's interest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child will likely get into better schools (no guarantees but based on his stats he is certainly a strong candidate). But I don’t know if the intensity of those schools is the right place for him. It’s not just about being admitted. It’s about graduating and being successful. It’s great to have a list as a starting point and he may apply to 2 out of the 10 or so colleges he applies to. We are evaluating the schools individually, just like with all of the schools on his potential list.

Uh oh. It’s one of those “we” parents.

The top LACs all have higher graduation rates than the CTCL schools. That’s one of the things that makes them, well, better.

Hmm...you don't think accepting the top 3% of SAT and GPA scores and only accepting 15% of applicants has anything to do with graduation rates? If a kid is a competitive candidate for a top LAC, they will have no problem graduating from a CTCL. It doesn't have anything to do with the top LACs providing a "better" education. It's more impressive when a school takes a wider range of applicants and then STILL has stronger than average graduation rates and graduate admissions after college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Generally don't think it's wise to uphold a college list from 25 years ago as gospel. 25 years is a long time for things to have changed, and while I don't doubt many of these schools were fine at the time of publication, why would you expect the same list of obscure schools to uphold the same level of quality through the decades?

The current group has changed slightly from the original list in the book.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child will likely get into better schools (no guarantees but based on his stats he is certainly a strong candidate). But I don’t know if the intensity of those schools is the right place for him. It’s not just about being admitted. It’s about graduating and being successful. It’s great to have a list as a starting point and he may apply to 2 out of the 10 or so colleges he applies to. We are evaluating the schools individually, just like with all of the schools on his potential list.

Uh oh. It’s one of those “we” parents.

The top LACs all have higher graduation rates than the CTCL schools. That’s one of the things that makes them, well, better.

also, the top SLACs have academic supports - they don't want a freshman to fail out, it's not in anyone's interest.

And we don’t want him to fail out by going to the wrong school so we are helping him figure out which schools will give him those supports. We aren’t picking the schools for him. We are pretty biased towards the top SLACs because that is where we both went. But they may not be the right schools for him.

It’s like you are bragging that your kid doesn’t have special needs. What would you do if they did? Hopefully you would rise to the occasion.

[Anonymous]

Go to your small liberal arts college. That's fine. Just don't call it a CTCL? Why is that a designation that you're so eager to boost? It feels awfully arbitrary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Generally don't think it's wise to uphold a college list from 25 years ago as gospel. 25 years is a long time for things to have changed, and while I don't doubt many of these schools were fine at the time of publication, why would you expect the same list of obscure schools to uphold the same level of quality through the decades?

The current group has changed slightly from the original list in the book.

Yes, one went bankrupt, and they added four more. How many more will have to go bankrupt before we have to stop hearing about this bizarre marketing push?

[Anonymous]

Says the poster who has been blathering on for 16 pages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like one of these supposed colleges that change lives, Marlboro College, has already shuttered due to bankruptcy last year. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlboro_College

Wonder which ones will come next.

Generally don't think it's wise to uphold a college list from 25 years ago as gospel. 25 years is a long time for things to have changed, and while I don't doubt many of these schools were fine at the time of publication, why would you expect the same list of obscure schools to uphold the same level of quality through the decades?

I honestly do not know why a poster would be SO committed to this particular line of argument. Building a straw man, arguing against the straw man, jumping in every time the opportunity presents itself, it's bizarre.

Because marketing scams are annoying? And the people who fall for them seem to be doubly so?

Like for example "U.S. News Best Colleges"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like one of these supposed colleges that change lives, Marlboro College, has already shuttered due to bankruptcy last year. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlboro_College

Wonder which ones will come next.

Generally don't think it's wise to uphold a college list from 25 years ago as gospel. 25 years is a long time for things to have changed, and while I don't doubt many of these schools were fine at the time of publication, why would you expect the same list of obscure schools to uphold the same level of quality through the decades?

I honestly do not know why a poster would be SO committed to this particular line of argument. Building a straw man, arguing against the straw man, jumping in every time the opportunity presents itself, it's bizarre.

Because marketing scams are annoying? And the people who fall for them seem to be doubly so?

Like for example "U.S. News Best Colleges"

Has anyone even brought up US News until now? Seems like an odd straw man to bring up.

The self-proclaimed "CTCL parents" and "CTCL families" seem deeply, deeply hurt.

[Anonymous]

The poster who is concerned that her kid won’t be able to graduate from a top LAC clearly knows that her kid isn’t likely to be accepted into one either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The poster who is concerned that her kid won’t be able to graduate from a top LAC clearly knows that her kid isn’t likely to be accepted into one either.

Not true. I think he can get in and am sad that it might not be the right school for him since I went to one myself.