Okay, so where is DS/DD going to go to college next fall?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Curious where most of you live in the DC area. We moved to DC area this year in Loudoun. My dd is a sophomore so I'm doing my research. It seems most kids out here stick with state schools and from what I've heard, the counselors really push them in that direction. Your DC's school choices are more in line with what I expected to see out here. What's going on?

Well VA state schools are some of the best, and cheap for instate. As DC residents, we don't get any preferences in-state, except UDC

You do get the DC-Tag

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Curious where most of you live in the DC area. We moved to DC area this year in Loudoun. My dd is a sophomore so I'm doing my research. It seems most kids out here stick with state schools and from what I've heard, the counselors really push them in that direction. Your DC's school choices are more in line with what I expected to see out here. What's going on?

Based on the posts on other forums, I would bet that the vast majority of the posters on DCUM live within the beltway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's a "Boston College"?

Is this sarcastic or have you really never heard of Boston College? You're like the PP who had never heard of Scripps...you guys need to do some serious research before you and your kids head into the college application process!

Not the PP, but calm down. BC has certainly come up in the world, but it is not in the same league as the Claremont Colleges.

LOL. Very few people on a easy coast know the Claremont colleges - they are regional.

Actually - no. We are all from the east coast and DD's first choice two years ago was Claremont McKenna but she didn't get in. Two kid's for DS's class are going to Pomona (I think) and Harvey Mudd. There are big in the private school world maybe as they are very expensive and selective.

I'm both a west coast and east coast person. All educated people know about the Claremont colleges and its design to offer University-type services to five distinct colleges. Money is pooled to create state of the art facilities like library and health center, but students apply to each college (very very walkable). The child of a friend of mine coming in from Boston could not get into Claremont McKenna so accepted Scripps (all women) but is taking classes at Claremont mcKenna and will reapply every year until she gets in. In my day, I got into Pomona, which is an xlnt school. Pitzer wasn't a serious contender then because they did not give grades, just teacher letters, and since I wanted to go onto law school, that concerned me. The dorms were nicer at Scripps so I thought I would board there but take classes at then Claremont Men's College and Pomona. I went to Stanford instead. But I would rank Pomona and Claremont McKenna very high.

Sadly, in my experience all educated people are definitely not familiar with the Claremont colleges--which is no reflection on the colleges' quality. Word about SLAC's just doesn't get around--my Swarthmore and Williams friends say many employers haven't heard of their schools either. I'm an East Coast academic and used to be a professor at a SLAC similar to those colleges on the East Coast--and even so I am only vaguely familiar with the Claremont schools and I didn't even know that they were some kind of consortium until I read that here.

[Anonymous]

So first my background--I have experienced the range of schools: I attended a state school, went to a HYP for grad, and taught at a Top 25 liberal arts college.

I'm just curious...I went through this thread and I see a lot of people saying that they are going to stretch financially to send their kids to places like the place I used to teach. Which is to say schools like Bates or Pomona.

And I guess I'm just curious and trying to understand why. Based on my experience, these are places that are great and where a student will get a decent education and have a pleasant life for four years. But very honestly, they are a similar price as HYP without offering the same level of name recognition, facilities, faculty, peers, etc. You can get an equivalent education at the University of Maryland--maybe better if you are interested in doing undergraduate research--and typically go to the grad or professional school of your choice. So what draws people to faraway expensive colleges?

The answers I came up with myself are that for some parents college is not just about education but about DS/DD finding a partner, or maybe the family is interested in a religious education (Catholic schools, BYU, etc.), or maybe they think that four years on an idyllic campus and what are hopefully lifelong friendships are worth the $240k price tag. But I still honestly have some trouble wrapping my mind around that. I'd be curious to hear people's responses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My "B" student from FCPS is going to Nova for a year or two and then transferring. She got into others but the money is not there and she does not want to graduate 120k in debt.

I think she plans to transfer to American, hopefully in a year or two they will still offer the aid they offered.

Very odd acceptances for her. She's a white girl from FCPS with a 3.4 GPA and some good extracurriculars and held a part time job. I was surprised at some she got into and some she did not.

But in the end she made the call.

(Expecting the horrified responses any minute now...)

No horrified response from me. But I'm curious - can you please list the schools where she was accepted/rejected?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So first my background--I have experienced the range of schools: I attended a state school, went to a HYP for grad, and taught at a Top 25 liberal arts college.

I'm just curious...I went through this thread and I see a lot of people saying that they are going to stretch financially to send their kids to places like the place I used to teach. Which is to say schools like Bates or Pomona.

And I guess I'm just curious and trying to understand why. Based on my experience, these are places that are great and where a student will get a decent education and have a pleasant life for four years. But very honestly, they are a similar price as HYP without offering the same level of name recognition, facilities, faculty, peers, etc. You can get an equivalent education at the University of Maryland--maybe better if you are interested in doing undergraduate research--and typically go to the grad or professional school of your choice. So what draws people to faraway expensive colleges?

The answers I came up with myself are that for some parents college is not just about education but about DS/DD finding a partner, or maybe the family is interested in a religious education (Catholic schools, BYU, etc.), or maybe they think that four years on an idyllic campus and what are hopefully lifelong friendships are worth the $240k price tag. But I still honestly have some trouble wrapping my mind around that. I'd be curious to hear people's responses.

I agree. There are many wonderful LACs around the country that would provide a good education and a nice four years on a pretty college campus in a quaint town. But for most people going to a solid flagship that has endless opportunities for half the cost is a much better deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So first my background--I have experienced the range of schools: I attended a state school, went to a HYP for grad, and taught at a Top 25 liberal arts college.

I'm just curious...I went through this thread and I see a lot of people saying that they are going to stretch financially to send their kids to places like the place I used to teach. Which is to say schools like Bates or Pomona.

And I guess I'm just curious and trying to understand why. Based on my experience, these are places that are great and where a student will get a decent education and have a pleasant life for four years. But very honestly, they are a similar price as HYP without offering the same level of name recognition, facilities, faculty, peers, etc. You can get an equivalent education at the University of Maryland--maybe better if you are interested in doing undergraduate research--and typically go to the grad or professional school of your choice. So what draws people to faraway expensive colleges?

The answers I came up with myself are that for some parents college is not just about education but about DS/DD finding a partner, or maybe the family is interested in a religious education (Catholic schools, BYU, etc.), or maybe they think that four years on an idyllic campus and what are hopefully lifelong friendships are worth the $240k price tag. But I still honestly have some trouble wrapping my mind around that. I'd be curious to hear people's responses.

My son will probably go to a Bates type college. He has mild LDs and would get lost at UMCP. He needs a small environment. He will be able to play a sport at a LAC but not at UMCP. He loves sports. It is the difference between muddling through end being successful and engaged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Curious where most of you live in the DC area. We moved to DC area this year in Loudoun. My dd is a sophomore so I'm doing my research. It seems most kids out here stick with state schools and from what I've heard, the counselors really push them in that direction. Your DC's school choices are more in line with what I expected to see out here. What's going on?

Well VA state schools are some of the best, and cheap for instate. As DC residents, we don't get any preferences in-state, except UDC

You do get the DC-Tag

DC Tag does not give DC residents in-state status for acceptance. The kids are still seen as an OOS applicant.

The DC Tag program is only a way to allow DC residents the ability to have something close to in-state tuition since we do not have a state public university. We don't get the actual in-state tuition, but with the grant money it can sometimes come very close to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Curious where most of you live in the DC area. We moved to DC area this year in Loudoun. My dd is a sophomore so I'm doing my research. It seems most kids out here stick with state schools and from what I've heard, the counselors really push them in that direction. Your DC's school choices are more in line with what I expected to see out here. What's going on?

Well VA state schools are some of the best, and cheap for instate. As DC residents, we don't get any preferences in-state, except UDC

You do get the DC-Tag

DC Tag does not give DC residents in-state status for acceptance. The kids are still seen as an OOS applicant.

The DC Tag program is only a way to allow DC residents the ability to have something close to in-state tuition since we do not have a state public university. We don't get the actual in-state tuition, but with the grant money it can sometimes come very close to it.

You are free to move to MD and Va.

[Anonymous]

Yale. We are very pleased, especially because DH is a proud alum.

Next DS has got to focus on getting into a top law school in four years!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Curious where most of you live in the DC area. We moved to DC area this year in Loudoun. My dd is a sophomore so I'm doing my research. It seems most kids out here stick with state schools and from what I've heard, the counselors really push them in that direction. Your DC's school choices are more in line with what I expected to see out here. What's going on?

Well VA state schools are some of the best, and cheap for instate. As DC residents, we don't get any preferences in-state, except UDC

You do get the DC-Tag

DC Tag does not give DC residents in-state status for acceptance. The kids are still seen as an OOS applicant.

The DC Tag program is only a way to allow DC residents the ability to have something close to in-state tuition since we do not have a state public university.. We don't get the actual in-state tuition, but with the grant money it can sometimes come very close to it.

What you talking about? DC's got UDC, soon to be officially the Marion Barry University of the District of Columbia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So first my background--I have experienced the range of schools: I attended a state school, went to a HYP for grad, and taught at a Top 25 liberal arts college.

I'm just curious...I went through this thread and I see a lot of people saying that they are going to stretch financially to send their kids to places like the place I used to teach. Which is to say schools like Bates or Pomona.

And I guess I'm just curious and trying to understand why. Based on my experience, these are places that are great and where a student will get a decent education and have a pleasant life for four years. But very honestly, they are a similar price as HYP without offering the same level of name recognition, facilities, faculty, peers, etc. You can get an equivalent education at the University of Maryland--maybe better if you are interested in doing undergraduate research--and typically go to the grad or professional school of your choice. So what draws people to faraway expensive colleges?

The answers I came up with myself are that for some parents college is not just about education but about DS/DD finding a partner, or maybe the family is interested in a religious education (Catholic schools, BYU, etc.), or maybe they think that four years on an idyllic campus and what are hopefully lifelong friendships are worth the $240k price tag. But I still honestly have some trouble wrapping my mind around that. I'd be curious to hear people's responses.

Another academic here -- and, abstractly, I have the same reaction to SLACs vs. public schools (with some exceptions re specific schools and specific majors). But I'd also throw in the mix the facts that the best state universities are getting harder to get into for in-state residents and, of course, for those of us in DC, there's no high-quality public university. So, yeah, Berkeley over Bates but if the choice is Claremont vs. JMU (or Carleton vs. UC Merced), it's not so clear cut to me.

What I don't get is why so many private school parents seem be more inclined to pay for Colby than to pay OOS tuition to send their kids to Ann Arbor or Madison. But then I'm biased toward major research universities and am not particularly invested in the public/private distinction. And I'm guessing that not many parents (or kids) are primarily interested in seeking out schools where the intellectual action is. They're looking at social environment, networks, job prospects, and grad school acceptance rates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's a "Boston College"?

Is this sarcastic or have you really never heard of Boston College? You're like the PP who had never heard of Scripps...you guys need to do some serious research before you and your kids head into the college application process!

Not the PP, but calm down. BC has certainly come up in the world, but it is not in the same league as the Claremont Colleges.

LOL. Very few people on a easy coast know the Claremont colleges - they are regional.

Actually - no. We are all from the east coast and DD's first choice two years ago was Claremont McKenna but she didn't get in. Two kid's for DS's class are going to Pomona (I think) and Harvey Mudd. There are big in the private school world maybe as they are very expensive and selective.

I'm both a west coast and east coast person. All educated people know about the Claremont colleges and its design to offer University-type services to five distinct colleges. Money is pooled to create state of the art facilities like library and health center, but students apply to each college (very very walkable). The child of a friend of mine coming in from Boston could not get into Claremont McKenna so accepted Scripps (all women) but is taking classes at Claremont mcKenna and will reapply every year until she gets in. In my day, I got into Pomona, which is an xlnt school. Pitzer wasn't a serious contender then because they did not give grades, just teacher letters, and since I wanted to go onto law school, that concerned me. The dorms were nicer at Scripps so I thought I would board there but take classes at then Claremont Men's College and Pomona. I went to Stanford instead. But I would rank Pomona and Claremont McKenna very high.

Sadly, in my experience all educated people are definitely not familiar with the Claremont colleges--which is no reflection on the colleges' quality. Word about SLAC's just doesn't get around--my Swarthmore and Williams friends say many employers haven't heard of their schools either. I'm an East Coast academic and used to be a professor at a SLAC similar to those colleges on the East Coast--and even so I am only vaguely familiar with the Claremont schools and I didn't even know that they were some kind of consortium until I read that here.

You sound moronic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UNC. Planning to be an African-American Studies Major. My DS heard the classes were rigorous. Anyone familiar with the program or UNC?

Please stop.

Yes, please get a life.

Is ur kid a athlete?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Curious where most of you live in the DC area. We moved to DC area this year in Loudoun. My dd is a sophomore so I'm doing my research. It seems most kids out here stick with state schools and from what I've heard, the counselors really push them in that direction. Your DC's school choices are more in line with what I expected to see out here. What's going on?

The counselors do push them toward the state schools. I'm not sure why myself. Would be interested in finding out.