Parents of Seniors, why are you bothering?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, why bother with college admissions anymore? Trump is single handedly destroying higher education. If your kid has any interest in STEM, I’d consider international. My kid is in a stem related PhD program and the scientific community is in dire circumstances right now. So long American Exceptionalism.

AI killed STEM already. The future is in humanities majors. That’s where the jobs will be.

Doing what exactly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are foreign research scientists in the US and know lots of other foreign scientists.

Our view is that the decisions of the current White House are so damaging and nonsensical, on so many fronts and for so many categories of activity (not just science), that this is temporary, and must be endured if possible. Future administrations, be they conservative or progressive, will probably return to a more rational approach. Perhaps there won't be the generous funding that existed before, and that's fine. But I am confident that in a few years, things will be better than they are today.

And don't kid yourself about the attraction that other wealthy nations can create regarding science education, research and development. We come from those countries, we know. Salaries are much lower than American ones, and the level of funding is low compared to what it was until recently in the US. If you're in an American lab that hasn't been defunded, sit tight. If your funds have been cut and you can't find other sources of funding here to continue your work, yes, you need to move elsewhere. Or change field (which is heartbreaking, if this was your life's work).

IDNGAF that you are sad. Go elsewhere, there will be more opportunities for American kids. US universities should not be admitting or employing foreign students at all.

What more opportunities? It's always been there for Americans. There is/was a shortage of people. Do "American" kids want them? certainly not in large droves at an average American high school.

[Anonymous]

Some of you need a hobby. Hope a lot more privileged suburban kids apply overseas.

[Anonymous]

This thread is a lot of angst for nothing. Almost every 2025 grad we know has a job or a grad school spot, most of them funded.
Every single kid in Dc circle had an internship this summer and they all have paid jobs lined up for next semester (TA, research, library). It is not that bad out there, at least at elites

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is a lot of angst for nothing. Almost every 2025 grad we know has a job or a grad school spot, most of them funded.
Every single kid in Dc circle had an internship this summer and they all have paid jobs lined up for next semester (TA, research, library). It is not that bad out there, at least at elites

"...at least at elites." Yet

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought this was going to be an AI post.

I am hoping that us parents with current or about to enter college students don't end being labeled the biggest suckers when our kids graduate into an AI hellscape for jobs.

One has to hope all these entirely new industries/companies will be created just like the Internet boom.

Oh you will be! You’d be a fool to put your kid into college right now. Now more than ever. Never mind AI that just exacerbated it.

[Anonymous]

Colleges needed a reset. Yes, there will be some pain but in the long run American education will be stronger than ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Colleges needed a reset. Yes, there will be some pain but in the long run American education will be stronger than ever.

I completely disagree. Eliminating funding for research is not a reset, it is destruction. I’m OP and I’ve heard about it from my kid, who is seeing it firsthand. My other kid has a major that is more cultural studies related. She fears the courses she needs could be eliminated and she will not be able to graduate. I don’t think that will happen, but then, I did not think we would gut medical research. This is dangerous. It’s thought control and autocracy, not a reset. I’m not some radical leftie. I get that the political correctness bit had gone over the top, but this reaction is absurd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is a lot of angst for nothing. Almost every 2025 grad we know has a job or a grad school spot, most of them funded.
Every single kid in Dc circle had an internship this summer and they all have paid jobs lined up for next semester (TA, research, library). It is not that bad out there, at least at elites

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colleges needed a reset. Yes, there will be some pain but in the long run American education will be stronger than ever.

I completely disagree. Eliminating funding for research is not a reset, it is destruction. I’m OP and I’ve heard about it from my kid, who is seeing it firsthand. My other kid has a major that is more cultural studies related. She fears the courses she needs could be eliminated and she will not be able to graduate. I don’t think that will happen, but then, I did not think we would gut medical research. This is dangerous. It’s thought control and autocracy, not a reset. I’m not some radical leftie. I get that the political correctness bit had gone over the top, but this reaction is absurd.

So what did you do about that? What did anyone do, other than stay on the train, leading to the counter-reaction, thus where we are now. You all should have spoken up earlier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, why bother with college admissions anymore? Trump is single handedly destroying higher education. If your kid has any interest in STEM, I’d consider international. My kid is in a stem related PhD program and the scientific community is in dire circumstances right now. So long American Exceptionalism.

AI killed STEM already. The future is in humanities majors. That’s where the jobs will be.

💯
Ask business leaders what they are looking for. They are looking for English, philosophy, history and interdisciplinary humanities studies.

Absolutely no business leaders are looking for this. They are looking for kids that best know how to leverage the AI to help their business.

At least make up a more believable lie by listing the exact job titles these these humanities majors are getting hired.

lol that poster disappeared

[Anonymous]

It’s time to be anti capitalist. The system is over. Revolt or die.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colleges needed a reset. Yes, there will be some pain but in the long run American education will be stronger than ever.

I completely disagree. Eliminating funding for research is not a reset, it is destruction. I’m OP and I’ve heard about it from my kid, who is seeing it firsthand. My other kid has a major that is more cultural studies related. She fears the courses she needs could be eliminated and she will not be able to graduate. I don’t think that will happen, but then, I did not think we would gut medical research. This is dangerous. It’s thought control and autocracy, not a reset. I’m not some radical leftie. I get that the political correctness bit had gone over the top, but this reaction is absurd.

So what did you do about that? What did anyone do, other than stay on the train, leading to the counter-reaction, thus where we are now. You all should have spoken up earlier.

+1000

OP all of this started many years ago (30+) when things like Womens Gendered Studies became so-called serious majors. When colleges started offering classes in Taylor Swift studies. When campuses bloated their staffs, overstretched on real estate and let too many students enroll, while letting dorms fall apart. When college sports became all about NIL deals.

It's all been a money grab for too long. No wonder things are crashing now.

[Anonymous]

Because we have hope that this regime will end soon.

[Anonymous]

No college? then what? Are they going to continue playing video game from your basement?