American Colleges are Overrated

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm wondering about American colleges too, and feeling very cynical since yesterday. My kid speaks French, so wondering whether to look at McGill or European universities when the time comes (many years away).

McGill's English.

PP here. Sure, but students have to be able to understand written and spoken French at McGill, since both English and French can be used in any course.

Not true. McGill teaches in English so you have to speak English. There's no French requirement although you're allowed to submit work in French if you prefer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm wondering about American colleges too, and feeling very cynical since yesterday. My kid speaks French, so wondering whether to look at McGill or European universities when the time comes (many years away).

This has been obvious for a decade at least.

[Anonymous]

So don't send your kids. Easy, done.

[Anonymous]

Plenty of great liberal arts colleges out there are underrated, but not as fashionable to attend

[Anonymous]

I'm thinking the recent scandal will bring down the global perception of some of these colleges.

[Anonymous]

Well... I agree many US colleges are overrated. But as a graduate of both two ives and Oxford, Oxford was even worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well... I agree many US colleges are overrated. But as a graduate of both two ives and Oxford, Oxford was even worse.

Oxford undergrad or grad?

[Anonymous]

There are 5,000 schools in the US. Some are definitely underrated. We should put more effort into understanding that no institution serves everyone.

[Anonymous]

Yes Canada has some excellent schools. And some not excellent schools. UT and UBC are excellent but not better than Berkeley or Michigan I would venture to say (but maybe not worse either). But US has privates--Ivies, UChicago, etc. so you can't really justify your claim Completely OP. Or do you mean literally colleges--I know you guys make a distinction (eh?). Yeah some American colleges suck. Same as there.

[Anonymous]

There simply are not enough slots at American colleges, but the students from out of the U.S. pay more, so that helps their case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well... I agree many US colleges are overrated. But as a graduate of both two ives and Oxford, Oxford was even worse.

Unicorns live in Oxford.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think places like Harvard are overrated. But others? yeah. I can never comprehend why non-independently wealthy people pay $75K/year for Tulane or wherever.

Harvard is both overrated and not overrated.

Education is no better than at many other schools. Quality of teaching is better at the LACs. But it's still Harvard and the name carries a lot of weight. You're really going there for the name, not the experience or education.

It’s easy to get an excellent education at Harvard if that’s what you want. Not sure most students do.

[Anonymous]

Let’s see. It’s mid-March. So, money says OP is a high school senior shocked to discover that a 12% acceptance rate means 88% of kids are rejected. Including most students who make broad sweeping generalizations with no substance to back them up.

Sorry about the college rejections OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There. I said it.

OK, then why are over 1 million students a year coming here from overseas to study in our colleges and universities? Why are their parents paying full freight even for grad school in the U.S.?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are certainly overrated relative to their sticker prices. It’s simply absurd what Americans spend on higher education, compared to other countries.

If cost isn’t an issue, American colleges are generally good. You have more fluff degrees and departments, but the real stuff is solid.

When government money is made readily available in the form of student loans and grants, schools want to take advantage of that. Hence, they have raised their tuitions to take full advantage of the free government money. The government needs to reform its student loan program.