Anyone touring top schools and finding then all to be dumpy and unimpressive?
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Anonymous
Mine are at private T10 and an ivy and the classes are not large compared to UVA, UCB , others. Cousin at a different T10 and also has not had the large classes of a state school, even as a premed. We personally know kids who graduated '23 and '24 from three of the other private T15/ivies. Each of these kids has had one or two classes above 100, all the rest have been half under 30, half 31-70, and in junior and senior year most classes are under 20. Maybe that is "large" to some, but coming from public HS with 35-40 in each class it is very reasonable. UVA has almost all classes above 200 for the first 2 years. Sure, there may be LACs that have overall smaller average class size than ivies, but they also have classes in the 100s for at least some intro courses. Ivies/T15 for the most part have dramatically more seminar-style classes than top state schools, other than William&Mary which is mostly seminar and is modeled after the private/ivy style of education. Even more important than class size is the opportunities for research with professors as early as freshman year, and professors connecting students for summer internships, volunteering to send emails and make connections. The students still need to hustle and investigate all options, but the connections the profs have with peer institutions is remarkable. That is what you are paying for, in addition to the value of having extremely bright peers and professors. And for some of us it is not 90k, because we get need-based aid bringing the cost to less than UVA with aid. |
Anonymous
What LAC has intro courses with 100s? I think the largest intro class at my alma mater is 50 students and it's probability. Econ, CS, and intro labs are all broken up into many small section to avoid large class sizes. I don't think there's a classroom on campus that can fit past 30 or so people, even that probability class was in an "auditorium" and students complained endlessly to faculty that it was too big. |
Anonymous
If a school is poor, what can it do? If T30 U has conferees dining on caviar at fancy human rights events in one building and students living in terrible conditions in another building, that’s shameful. Respect for other people begins at home. |
Anonymous
| No AC in most freshman forms in most colleges for $70K. |
Anonymous
If it’s to make the dorms fancy, spend on aid. If it’s to make the dorms acceptable for a dog, then the dorms. What kind of fake do-gooder thinks that it’s OK to let our kids live with rats and bad mold to pump up financial aid? |
Anonymous
Kid at an ivy has AC in freshman dorms and so did most of the other elite schools we toured |
Anonymous
Now we’ve gone from “dumpy and unimpressive” to “mold in hallways” to “rats and not fit for a dog”. Can you let me know where these rat-infested dorms not fit for a dog are, please? Yes I know Georgetown had mold problems. Be specific. Fancy = “not dumpy and impressive” as per the headline. FU with the fake do gooder BS. You’re a jerk. I am telling you why the colleges don’t turn their dumpy old dorms into fancy new ones. Actually if having a proper moral compass makes me a “fake do gooder” then fine, I’ll wear that. |
Anonymous
Not sure how often caviar is eaten, but universities don't typically pay for conferences--the grants or sponsoring organizations pay the universities to use their space and their budgets pay for the food. It's a revenue generator for universities, not an expense. At many places, there are policies in place that the university only provides/pays for food if students are involved. |
Anonymous
Lots of places don't need it--school isn't in session for the summer. It's changing of course in some places with climate change and when schools build new dorms, they add A/C. |
Anonymous
Well, my kid does attend an elite school, and I'm pissed off that his mandatory dorms have both been shabby dumps, the mandatory meal plan ranges from brown-bag lunch to revolting and (3) he can't opt out of either. For all 4 years. My preferred option, not allowed: he attends this elite school, soaks in the academics, lives off campus in tidy studio eating healthful, fresh food of his choosing - - - - > for less than $25k a year room+board bill. |
Anonymous
No idea what school this is but DC is at an elite and loves the food, had no mold, no mice and no roaches in their specific room. Neighbors had roaches because they left food out. And 25k room and board is way more than this ivy. There are very old buildings, it is one of the oldest four: kid loves it. |
Anonymous
| What school charges $25K for room and board? Not any of the ivies, it looks like. |
Anonymous
| We just got back from a couple of college tours. After looking at one form my son said “this must be close to what jail looks like.” Obviously it’s not but it immediately crossed that school off his list. Say what you want but dorms matter. |
Anonymous
I cannot find any T15 that does. PP likely does not have a kid there and just trying to trash elite schools. |
Anonymous
Make sure to add the residential college fee and the $1500 student experience fee and you arrive at $25k. It’s sickening and you can’t opt out |