Ever disappointed when you look at lists of where kids are going to college?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure if disappointment is the right word, but I know that I was not alone in being “shocked” as the matriculation at my DC’s Big 3 private school became evident to me (after more than 7 years at the school). Though the school doesn’t publish a matriculation list (and certainly doesn’t make any promises), I’d been led to believe that most of students matriculated to Ivy caliber colleges. It’s now clear to me that a majority are not even matriculating to Top 25 schools. We’ve adjusted to this reality and have calibrated expectations accordingly, but it was a shock at the time. My advice to anyone who considers matriculation lists important is don’t trust anecdotal “word of the street” information – most of it is wrong.

Your reply is so spot on. My DC is also at a Big 3, we had expectations that students matriculated at ivy caliber colleges. Our expectations were based on the school's reputation for academic excellence. As corny as it sounds, I actually thought that the name of the school would open doors that applying from an okay public school wouldn't.

The shock is no longer raw, we're still in the process of adjusting to this reality. To be honest, it's been hard to deal with this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure if disappointment is the right word, but I know that I was not alone in being “shocked” as the matriculation at my DC’s Big 3 private school became evident to me (after more than 7 years at the school). Though the school doesn’t publish a matriculation list (and certainly doesn’t make any promises), I’d been led to believe that most of students matriculated to Ivy caliber colleges. It’s now clear to me that a majority are not even matriculating to Top 25 schools. We’ve adjusted to this reality and have calibrated expectations accordingly, but it was a shock at the time. My advice to anyone who considers matriculation lists important is don’t trust anecdotal “word of the street” information – most of it is wrong.

Your reply is so spot on. My DC is also at a Big 3, we had expectations that students matriculated at ivy caliber colleges. Our expectations were based on the school's reputation for academic excellence. As corny as it sounds, I actually thought that the name of the school would open doors that applying from an okay public school wouldn't.

The shock is no longer raw, we're still in the process of adjusting to this reality. To be honest, it's been hard to deal with this.

I don't doubt you guys at all. My issue is, people routinely post awesome Big 3 matriculation lists on DCUM. It seems like substantial chunks of the graduating classes at Sidwell and the cathedral schools are going to highly selective universities, and the rest are going to top 25s. Is there something that's not obvious, like the lists are acceptances not matriculations. and in fact the same 5 kids got 25 acceptances? Or maybe these lists are 5-year averages? But you see, I know to look for these things -- so is there something else going on? It's hard for those of us on the outside, who are trying to make decisions, to know what's going on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Now I realize that an education is an education and that if you eventually want to go to med school, there is probably no difference in going to the College of NJ or Harvard for your bio undergrad studies (in terms of what you learn), but like many I am an admitted prestige-whore with 2 ivy degrees.

Just checked out a list of where the class of 2014 from my old public high school is going and while it's fine, it's not anything worth celebrating. Of 500 graduating seniors, a handful are going to "top" (per USNews and the major rankings scales) schools -- 5-6 going to Penn; 1 to Gtown; 1 to Stanford; 1 to Dartmouth. The rest -- the list consists of the College of NJ, Rutgers, Mulhenberg, Millersville, Temple, Drexel, Penn State etc.

Before I get flamed for picking on people because of money -- this is a public HS in a wealthy part of NJ where kids routinely drive 50k vehicles to school; and those who are going to the PA state schools and to private schools like Drexel are paying quite of bit of money still because they are either going out of state or private. Sure some of the kids staying in NJ may be giving up better schools elsewhere for a full ride at Rutgers but lots of them are still spending 40-50k+ on mediocre schools.

Is about 2% of the class at the top schools "normal" -- it could be the top 10 that are going to the above listed schools? Given the acceptance rates, it probably is but why isn't there a greater emphasis to get top grades in high school and get into the highest rank school that you can get into and financially afford? That name/degree sticks with you for life and while I realize it isn't make or break -- there is something about saying that you're an MIT grad that has a credibility for life that you just don't get if you say you're a Millersville grad.

Do you think you would be accepted (where u got your 2 ivy degrees) today?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure if disappointment is the right word, but I know that I was not alone in being “shocked” as the matriculation at my DC’s Big 3 private school became evident to me (after more than 7 years at the school). Though the school doesn’t publish a matriculation list (and certainly doesn’t make any promises), I’d been led to believe that most of students matriculated to Ivy caliber colleges. It’s now clear to me that a majority are not even matriculating to Top 25 schools. We’ve adjusted to this reality and have calibrated expectations accordingly, but it was a shock at the time. My advice to anyone who considers matriculation lists important is don’t trust anecdotal “word of the street” information – most of it is wrong.

Your reply is so spot on. My DC is also at a Big 3, we had expectations that students matriculated at ivy caliber colleges. Our expectations were based on the school's reputation for academic excellence. As corny as it sounds, I actually thought that the name of the school would open doors that applying from an okay public school wouldn't.

The shock is no longer raw, we're still in the process of adjusting to this reality. To be honest, it's been hard to deal with this.

I don't doubt you guys at all. My issue is, people routinely post awesome Big 3 matriculation lists on DCUM. It seems like substantial chunks of the graduating classes at Sidwell and the cathedral schools are going to highly selective universities, and the rest are going to top 25s. Is there something that's not obvious, like the lists are acceptances not matriculations. and in fact the same 5 kids got 25 acceptances? Or maybe these lists are 5-year averages? But you see, I know to look for these things -- so is there something else going on? It's hard for those of us on the outside, who are trying to make decisions, to know what's going on.

12:14 here. I haven't seen a matriculation listing since last year in the school magazine. This is a portion of a list with schools that aren't top 25 in my mind any way; however, on second look a few are:

Auburn University
Colorado State University
Drexel University
Durham University
Elon University
Furman University
George Mason University
Jacksonville University
Morehouse College
Northeastern University
Rollins College
Sewanee: The University of the South
St. John's University - Queens Campus
University of Kentucky
University of Mary Washington
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
University of Mississippi
University of South Carolina
University of Vermont

Nothing wrong with these schools, but rather a step down after attending a Big3 for 7 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure if disappointment is the right word, but I know that I was not alone in being “shocked” as the matriculation at my DC’s Big 3 private school became evident to me (after more than 7 years at the school). Though the school doesn’t publish a matriculation list (and certainly doesn’t make any promises), I’d been led to believe that most of students matriculated to Ivy caliber colleges. It’s now clear to me that a majority are not even matriculating to Top 25 schools. We’ve adjusted to this reality and have calibrated expectations accordingly, but it was a shock at the time. My advice to anyone who considers matriculation lists important is don’t trust anecdotal “word of the street” information – most of it is wrong.

Your reply is so spot on. My DC is also at a Big 3, we had expectations that students matriculated at ivy caliber colleges. Our expectations were based on the school's reputation for academic excellence. As corny as it sounds, I actually thought that the name of the school would open doors that applying from an okay public school wouldn't.

The shock is no longer raw, we're still in the process of adjusting to this reality. To be honest, it's been hard to deal with this.

I don't doubt you guys at all. My issue is, people routinely post awesome Big 3 matriculation lists on DCUM. It seems like substantial chunks of the graduating classes at Sidwell and the cathedral schools are going to highly selective universities, and the rest are going to top 25s. Is there something that's not obvious, like the lists are acceptances not matriculations. and in fact the same 5 kids got 25 acceptances? Or maybe these lists are 5-year averages? But you see, I know to look for these things -- so is there something else going on? It's hard for those of us on the outside, who are trying to make decisions, to know what's going on.

12:14 here. I haven't seen a matriculation listing since last year in the school magazine. This is a portion of a list with schools that aren't top 25 in my mind any way; however, on second look a few are:

Auburn University
Colorado State University
Drexel University
Durham University
Elon University
Furman University
George Mason University
Jacksonville University
Morehouse College
Northeastern University
Rollins College
Sewanee: The University of the South
St. John's University - Queens Campus
University of Kentucky
University of Mary Washington
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
University of Mississippi
University of South Carolina
University of Vermont

Nothing wrong with these schools, but rather a step down after attending a Big3 for 7 years.

12:14 again. The matriculation list that I've seen the fall after graduation are individual acceptances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure if disappointment is the right word, but I know that I was not alone in being “shocked” as the matriculation at my DC’s Big 3 private school became evident to me (after more than 7 years at the school). Though the school doesn’t publish a matriculation list (and certainly doesn’t make any promises), I’d been led to believe that most of students matriculated to Ivy caliber colleges. It’s now clear to me that a majority are not even matriculating to Top 25 schools. We’ve adjusted to this reality and have calibrated expectations accordingly, but it was a shock at the time. My advice to anyone who considers matriculation lists important is don’t trust anecdotal “word of the street” information – most of it is wrong.

Your reply is so spot on. My DC is also at a Big 3, we had expectations that students matriculated at ivy caliber colleges. Our expectations were based on the school's reputation for academic excellence. As corny as it sounds, I actually thought that the name of the school would open doors that applying from an okay public school wouldn't.

The shock is no longer raw, we're still in the process of adjusting to this reality. To be honest, it's been hard to deal with this.

I don't doubt you guys at all. My issue is, people routinely post awesome Big 3 matriculation lists on DCUM. It seems like substantial chunks of the graduating classes at Sidwell and the cathedral schools are going to highly selective universities, and the rest are going to top 25s. Is there something that's not obvious, like the lists are acceptances not matriculations. and in fact the same 5 kids got 25 acceptances? Or maybe these lists are 5-year averages? But you see, I know to look for these things -- so is there something else going on? It's hard for those of us on the outside, who are trying to make decisions, to know what's going on.

12:14 here. I haven't seen a matriculation listing since last year in the school magazine. This is a portion of a list with schools that aren't top 25 in my mind any way; however, on second look a few are:

Auburn University
Colorado State University
Drexel University
Durham University
Elon University
Furman University
George Mason University
Jacksonville University
Morehouse College
Northeastern University
Rollins College
Sewanee: The University of the South
St. John's University - Queens Campus
University of Kentucky
University of Mary Washington
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
University of Mississippi
University of South Carolina
University of Vermont

Nothing wrong with these schools, but rather a step down after attending a Big3 for 7 years.

Yeah after paying Big 3 money for 7 yrs I wouldn't be pleased at my kid going to Drexel or UMBC -- you can go there being middle/lower end of the pack at a free public school. Depends on your views of private school though. If you send your kid because it's the best learning environment for them that you can afford, then I can see you being "okay" with these schools. If you send them because you see it as an "investment" to get them an advantage (which is my view - right or wrong), then I can't see being pleased with U Kentucky.

[Anonymous]

Foreigners and minorities now fill up many of the slots that used to go to the white kids.

[Anonymous]

Can't speak to the motivations of parents who can afford Big 3 tuition, but I know that for many public school families in wealthy areas perceive the cost of top schools (which typically offer ONLY financial aid) to be prohibitive.

We are an upper middle class family living in a close-in, wealthy suburb of DC. We are a federal government employee and a county government employee. We live in a <2000 square foot house, drive 6- and 8-year-old cars, and take most of our vacations within driving distance of DC. We save diligently for retirement. We are comfortable but hardly living high on the hog. Our FAFSA-generated expected financial contribution is $45,000 per year. Although we have saved steadily for college, we won't have anywhere near this amount saved. Rather, we project we can afford about $30k per year for college. Since virtually all of the top colleges will certainly charge us much more than that, they are all off our DC's list. Instead, DC will be applying (a) to state schools, both in-state and in other states with costs of attendance ~$30-$35k, or to lower-tier schools that give merit aid to an excellent student like DC. IOW, they are all sub-25 in the rankings. That may disappoint some people, but it won't disappoint my bank account.

[Anonymous]

People at Big 3 who are disappointed: Did you ever do the math? How could a slew of students from your child's school get into top schools when there are schools on par or superior to your child's around the country. Think boarding schools. It astonishes me, this thinking. It is provincial.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People at Big 3 who are disappointed: Did you ever do the math? How could a slew of students from your child's school get into top schools when there are schools on par or superior to your child's around the country. Think boarding schools. It astonishes me, this thinking. It is provincial.

My DD attended NCS, none of her college friends had heard of it. Yes, many kids came from top boarding schools and other nationally-recognized day schools. Her grades and board scores were comparable to her peers. Not speaking for the other Big 3 pps, I assumed the school's name and reputation would carry some weight. In hindsight, sure my thinking was provincial, fortunately DD was a stellar applicant.

[Anonymous]

My DD attended NCS, none of her college friends had heard of it. Yes, many kids came from top boarding schools and other nationally-recognized day schools. Her grades and board scores were comparable to her peers. Not speaking for the other Big 3 pps, I assumed the school's name and reputation would carry some weight. In hindsight, sure my thinking was provincial, fortunately DD was a stellar applicant.

Why would you know the top schools in a city you don't live in, unless you have relatives there or lived there for a while or participated in a ton of national competitions? Can you name all the top prep schools in Los Angeles, for example? Especially at age 18, why would you care to store that information in your head?

[Anonymous]

This thread is ridiculous. One simply cannot equate college admittances solely to the school itself. What about the STUDENT???? Regardless of the school, if the STUDENT doesn't have the scores/grades they simply won't get in. HOWEVER, before the knives come out, keep in mind that YES, there will be some legacies getting in spite of their performance. Those of course boost the particular school's profile. Anyone who thinks simply getting into a Big 3 is a ticket into HRP needs to drink some more expensive wine and chill out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is ridiculous. One simply cannot equate college admittances solely to the school itself. What about the STUDENT???? Regardless of the school, if the STUDENT doesn't have the scores/grades they simply won't get in. HOWEVER, before the knives come out, keep in mind that YES, there will be some legacies getting in spite of their performance. Those of course boost the particular school's profile. Anyone who thinks simply getting into a Big 3 is a ticket into HRP needs to drink some more expensive wine and chill out.

Point is that these are "good" schools -- whether they are NJ publics or DC Top 3 -- that are touting their "good" results -- but when you look at the list, you see too many who are going places out of the top 10/top 25 and you wonder what these schools consider "good."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

My DD attended NCS, none of her college friends had heard of it. Yes, many kids came from top boarding schools and other nationally-recognized day schools. Her grades and board scores were comparable to her peers. Not speaking for the other Big 3 pps, I assumed the school's name and reputation would carry some weight. In hindsight, sure my thinking was provincial, fortunately DD was a stellar applicant.

Why would you know the top schools in a city you don't live in, unless you have relatives there or lived there for a while or participated in a ton of national competitions? Can you name all the top prep schools in Los Angeles, for example? Especially at age 18, why would you care to store that information in your head?

Unless they've been living under a rock, most college-aged teens have probably heard of these schools: Andover, Exeter, Spence, Dalton

[Anonymous]