Parents of college students…

[Anonymous]

All I know is, ranking is part of the fit, because even if a school checks all the other boxes on paper but people think poorly of it or it’s ranked very low, it would change house you feel about the school, which is actually what fit is. Feel.

[Anonymous]

to be fair, very few outside the arts and/or LD community have ever heard of my daughter's school. Once I explain what they do there, people always say "That sounds perfect for her"

So, the "what people think about it" factor is practically moot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a top 10 school on athletic scholarship. Incredibly poor. My mentors were union guys where I worked in the summer. They worked two jobs to send their kids to the local public university. No concerns about fit, just hustling to afford the local school.

A significant majority in this country are in this boat.

One hopes that with a family searching for fit, they realized just how fortunate they are. Concerns about the Greek system, campus environment and social factors are a relative luxury.

This is not to say that all families playing the admissions game are elitist - many are just looking out for their kids. But the elites set the rules and and many have no idea of the struggles of people who come from very little and break though.

Of course they know, many of us were those kids once.

Yes, many of us were those kids (nerd scholly for me, not athletic). And we escaped that socioeconomic/class level because of the top-10 education and offerings and 100% acknowledge it is a luxury to let your kids pick for fit and happily pay the 90k.

Well, some of us escaped it even without the Top 10 education. I went to a no-name school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:to be fair, very few outside the arts and/or LD community have ever heard of my daughter's school. Once I explain what they do there, people always say "That sounds perfect for her"

So, the "what people think about it" factor is practically moot.

Completely agree. If you are picking based on what other people think, then that is not about how the school fits you -- you are conforming to someone else's mold.

[Anonymous]

One thing that helped was kid alone decided where to apply. Kid abolutely loves it and said can’t imagine being anywhere else

[Anonymous]

My daughter went to a large, chaotic high school and was very much seeking a quieter college experience. She noticed things like whether students seemed happy and friendly, and how well-spoken and welcoming the faculty seemed. Very happy at a mid-range SLAC. (Think rank between 50 and 100)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter went to a large, chaotic high school and was very much seeking a quieter college experience. She noticed things like whether students seemed happy and friendly, and how well-spoken and welcoming the faculty seemed. Very happy at a mid-range SLAC. (Think rank between 50 and 100)

I love this. Yes, the large HS experience was overwhelming for my daughter. She's at a very small LAC and it is a much better environment for her.

[Anonymous]

My DC was waitlisted everywhere and ended up at their safety. They were very bummed at the result but, went in with a make the best of it attitude. They are now a sophomore and couldn’t be happier. So much has to do with meeting a good group of friends, liking the classes and trying new things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe it would ruin the vibe of this post, but I would love it if folks would post the name of their perfect fit schools.

There is no perfect fit school. It's an individual thing. One student's perfect fit is hated by others. Depends on the kid.

Agreed. I feel like it is like romantic partners. There just isn't one in the world. If you are lucky enough, you will meet one of the many partners you would have been happy with in your lifetime.

[Anonymous]

My oldest picked the wrong school. My middle picked the perfect school. It was the same state flagship. You just never know until your child is there as evidenced by the many kids who transfer each year. My youngest is now looking and while he thinks he wants a big D1 school, I think that’s a poor choice for him academically as he has always done best in classes where he makes a connection with his teachers. That’s hard at a big school. His dream school has a social life that revolves around sporting events and great dining halls. Time will tell where he lands and whether his criteria make for a good fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter went to a large, chaotic high school and was very much seeking a quieter college experience. She noticed things like whether students seemed happy and friendly, and how well-spoken and welcoming the faculty seemed. Very happy at a mid-range SLAC. (Think rank between 50 and 100)

I love this. Yes, the large HS experience was overwhelming for my daughter. She's at a very small LAC and it is a much better environment for her.

Same with my DD while DS preferred the energy and sports culture of a big school and is happy at VT

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe it would ruin the vibe of this post, but I would love it if folks would post the name of their perfect fit schools.

There is no perfect fit school. It's an individual thing. One student's perfect fit is hated by others. Depends on the kid.

Agreed. I feel like it is like romantic partners. There just isn't one in the world. If you are lucky enough, you will meet one of the many partners you would have been happy with in your lifetime.

Sure, there are generally at least a few schools that check all the boxes for your kid.

And yes, a fit for one kid is a horrible choice for another.

I still think mine found the best fit for her, at least on paper. Time will tell if the small size will be a good thing or too stifling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD loved liberal arts type colleges for their focus on arts, humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. She also had strong preferences in weather, location, and campus vibes. Naturally she picked the Claremont colleges and it turned out perfect for her.

Very similar to my kid who ended up at Swarthmore!!

[Anonymous]

Sure, OP - read point 3 carefully:

1. Visit a variety of small/large, urban/rural, sporty/non-sporty institutions before the kid finalizes their list. Consider reputation of desired major or field at each institution if kid has one; climate; distance to home.

2. Kid applies to reaches, targets and safeties.

3. Try to go to Admitted Student Days at every school kid has been accepted to! Very important, because they can be quite different from the formal campus tour, and it's where the real nature of the school shows through. This was when my son, who was about to accept his reach school, had a last-minute change of heart because he didn't like the vibe when we visited, and discovered while talking to the program director that the curriculum was too rigid and he wouldn't be able to go to his preferred study abroad. He loved the Admitted Student Day at one of his safeties, and the safety brought down the exorbitant price of tuition with guaranteed merit aid for 5 years. So he went to his safety, George Washington University.

4. He's happy, we're happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sure, OP - read point 3 carefully:

1. Visit a variety of small/large, urban/rural, sporty/non-sporty institutions before the kid finalizes their list. Consider reputation of desired major or field at each institution if kid has one; climate; distance to home.

2. Kid applies to reaches, targets and safeties.

3. Try to go to Admitted Student Days at every school kid has been accepted to! Very important, because they can be quite different from the formal campus tour, and it's where the real nature of the school shows through. This was when my son, who was about to accept his reach school, had a last-minute change of heart because he didn't like the vibe when we visited, and discovered while talking to the program director that the curriculum was too rigid and he wouldn't be able to go to his preferred study abroad. He loved the Admitted Student Day at one of his safeties, and the safety brought down the exorbitant price of tuition with guaranteed merit aid for 5 years. So he went to his safety, George Washington University.

4. He's happy, we're happy.

This is excellent advice, and #3 is especially important. Even if a student can't get to all of the admitted student days, it's vital to find out things like how rigid or flexible the curriculum really is; how hard or easy it is to get into classes you want; etc.