Which elite colleges are actually fun?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Princeton is a good time for most. People obviously take academics seriously, but most people also recognize you don't have to be at the top of your class to succeed, which takes some of the pressure off.

I think the people that can do well at what are considered elite or high stress schools, need to be okay with not being the highest in the class anymore. If you are going for a BS and not moving onto grad that makes it easier. Just a BS/BA from an elite school opens doors. No one is asking for a transcript and reviewing C’s to A’s.

But there are kids. Kids that need to be st the top, need to feel like the brightest in the room. Not content that others are smarter or can add depth to classes, really struggle.

Kids that scrap in andcrealize they aren’t nearly as educated as most others surrounding them really struggle.

But on the flip side you have to remember that some kids DON’T want to be around kids that aren’t as well educated, or see college as a party, or drop classes like nothing. Those kids may not do well in a large public or a probable school.

So it really depends on the kid and their expectations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD is a college sophomore at HYPS, and I have been surprised to hear that she and most of her friends are not enjoying college very much. It seems they are all still caught up in the rat race, and are surrounded by a lot of kids who never seem to want to leave the library. Even Dartmouth seems to be shedding its party school image (although that may be more of a good thing). Do you need to just forget about the elites and go to a big state school somewhere if you want a fun, social experience in college? Is this really what it has become? I remember college as some of the best years to my life, but it seems like kids today are being cheated.

Um, what did they think elite universities were for? I'm always surprised how often I hear high school students say things will get easier in college and the rat race is just about getting into college.

[Anonymous]

University of Chicago: Where fun goes to die.

Seriously, this is their own motto.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Princeton is a good time for most. People obviously take academics seriously, but most people also recognize you don't have to be at the top of your class to succeed, which takes some of the pressure off.

It runs the gambit from Prospect Street partying, to the orange plaid of the band, and everything in between, people did a lot more than study.

[Anonymous]

I know a lot of you people don't think much of Middlebury but I had so much fun there, met so many incredible people, and also worked my butt off in interesting classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:University of Chicago: Where fun goes to die.

Seriously, this is their own motto.

Not true. DS went from a Top 3 DC school to Chicago and loves it!

[Anonymous]

DD is at Rice and loves it. We specifically looked for schools with reputations for happy undergraduates. Even her roommate, who is premed, is having a great time!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:University of Chicago: Where fun goes to die.

Seriously, this is their own motto.

Not true. DS went from a Top 3 DC school to Chicago and loves it!

It's Chicago's own motto. I couldn't have made it up. For $70,000 per year, your kids has to say that to make you feel not stupid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:University of Chicago: Where fun goes to die.

Seriously, this is their own motto.

Not true. DS went from a Top 3 DC school to Chicago and loves it!

From one of the student reviews:

The weather is terrible, the skies are often gray/overcast, and I really did feel like I was sort of stuck there for four years. If the "life of the mind" is all you really care about, you'll probably like Chicago, but if you want to have fun too and a more "well-rounded" college experience in a location with more sunny days (and happier students), go elsewhere. There were a lot of unhappy students at Chicago when I attended?I certainly wasn't the only one biding my time and counting the days till I could leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know a lot of you people don't think much of Middlebury but I had so much fun there, met so many incredible people, and also worked my butt off in interesting classes.

Same here. And it was truly a place where people work hard and play hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My niece is at Penn and her social media is BRIMMING with photos of her at parties and going out.

+1 had a blast!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:University of Chicago: Where fun goes to die.

Seriously, this is their own motto.

Not true. DS went from a Top 3 DC school to Chicago and loves it!

From one of the student reviews:

The weather is terrible, the skies are often gray/overcast, and I really did feel like I was sort of stuck there for four years. If the "life of the mind" is all you really care about, you'll probably like Chicago, but if you want to have fun too and a more "well-rounded" college experience in a location with more sunny days (and happier students), go elsewhere. There were a lot of unhappy students at Chicago when I attended?I certainly wasn't the only one biding my time and counting the days till I could leave.

That was from the class of 1975. How is this relevant today?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:University of Chicago: Where fun goes to die.

Seriously, this is their own motto.

Not true. DS went from a Top 3 DC school to Chicago and loves it!

It's Chicago's own motto. I couldn't have made it up. For $70,000 per year, your kids has to say that to make you feel not stupid.

It originated as a self-deprecating joke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My niece is at Penn and her social media is BRIMMING with photos of her at parties and going out.

Because Penn lets in a lot of Z list rich kids whose parents make a six figure donation the summer before applying and are full pay.

by Z list, I don't mean gap year, I mean kids who'd be at Tulane, GW, USC or NYU if it weren't for daddy's $.

Haha, not by a long shot. But bet that made you feel good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:University of Chicago: Where fun goes to die.

Seriously, this is their own motto.

Not true. DS went from a Top 3 DC school to Chicago and loves it!

From one of the student reviews:

The weather is terrible, the skies are often gray/overcast, and I really did feel like I was sort of stuck there for four years. If the "life of the mind" is all you really care about, you'll probably like Chicago, but if you want to have fun too and a more "well-rounded" college experience in a location with more sunny days (and happier students), go elsewhere. There were a lot of unhappy students at Chicago when I attended?I certainly wasn't the only one biding my time and counting the days till I could leave.

That was from the class of 1975. How is this relevant today?

Has Chicago move its location so their weather is any different from 1975? Are there more sunny days now than in 1975?