Why do you want your child to go to a "top" college?

[Anonymous]

This is a serious question from someone who attended an Ivy League School. Can you articulate your reasons for wanting your children to attend a top elite college? Is it because you think they will get better jobs? Meet better or smarter people? So you can feel good about your parenting and the sacrifices you've made? I am not trying to start an argument - honestly curious about what makes certain schools seem substantively so much better than others.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, it's b/c I'll like him to go to my alma mater. My dad and grandfather and great grand father all went there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, it's b/c I'll like him to go to my alma mater. My dad and grandfather and great grand father all went there.

Then as long as your kid exhibits signs of life and the checks don't bounce, I don't see where you have much to worry about.

[Anonymous]

Because it's a good way to get a better entry-level job.

[Anonymous]

Bragging rights...that's really it. Not even for me because who do I have have to impress anymore? Its for her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, it's b/c I'll like him to go to my alma mater. My dad and grandfather and great grand father all went there.

Then as long as your kid exhibits signs of life and the checks don't bounce, I don't see where you have much to worry about.

This isn't true anymore unfortunately... So we donate

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, it's b/c I'll like him to go to my alma mater. My dad and grandfather and great grand father all went there.

Then as long as your kid exhibits signs of life and the checks don't bounce, I don't see where you have much to worry about.

[Anonymous]

I don't. I just want them to be happy. I hope they don't measure their happiness with college entrance or their entry level job.

[Anonymous]

As more and more students attend college, attending a top school becomes more important. The "sorting mechanism" used to be just graduating from a college with a bachelors degree. This gave you a leg up in life and helped sucre a middle to upper middle class life. Those days are long gone. There is a huge chasm between the top and the bottom in our society and a shrinking middle. I will do everything in my power to help ensure that my child has a shot at a secure future.

[Anonymous]

Because of the differences I noted between myself (top school) and my high school friends who didn't end up a top school. Even the ones who went to the local top 10 state school seemed to stay the same as they were in high school, whereas I think I grew and changed and actually learned something new, and that's what I want for my kids. This is coming from a town in the south, so maybe the kids from DC aren't as "simple" as we were back then so the delta won't be as important.

(I am home sick today so please don't blame my school if this doesn't make sense... )

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because of the differences I noted between myself (top school) and my high school friends who didn't end up a top school. Even the ones who went to the local top 10 state school seemed to stay the same as they were in high school, whereas I think I grew and changed and actually learned something new, and that's what I want for my kids. This is coming from a town in the south, so maybe the kids from DC aren't as "simple" as we were back then so the delta won't be as important.

(I am home sick today so please don't blame my school if this doesn't make sense... )

I have the opposite experience. My "top" graduate friends and family are not really doing much better than the rest, even those that opted to start a business straight out of HS.

[Anonymous]

I went to an Ivy and the only reason I might care (I have a long way to go and haven't thought much about it) is for the peer group that my kids would be surrounded by at a top school. I thought most of the people I went to school with were exceptional at the time (smart, funny, intersting, etc.) and 15+ years later they still are. And most now have interesting and good jobs, which doesn't hurt for networking.

I know this is terribly un PC and I will get flamed, but I had a roomate throughout my 20s who had gone to a large and mediocre state school. I could see the difference in her friend group from this college. Most were not terribly bright or interesting to be around. And yes, it's possible that these were just her friends and everyone else walking around this school was a genius with a terrific personality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because it's a good way to get a better entry-level job.

This^^^. All things being completely equal, I have observed that friends' kids who went to top 20 schools were much, much, much more likely to be recruited for entry-level jobs.

Top Tech companies go to Stanford and UC Berkeley and woo 20 year olds but they don't go to U. Minnesota or Grinnell, which I think is are fine schools. Google isn't visiting Kansas State or Marquette.

In my personal experience after 20 years in Washington, as a state college grad working alongside Princeton and Yale grads ..... those guys had it SO much easier than I did to get to the same place. They're not smarter than I am, but life was kind of handed to them in the 21 - 28 year old range because the Justice Department, Harvard School of Public Policy and Columbia Journalism School automatically assumed that, as a 22, 24 and 27 year old, they were "better" than the K State grad.

Can't say I blame DoJ and Harvard grad programs, but, what wouldn't I want my progeny to avoid that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because of the differences I noted between myself (top school) and my high school friends who didn't end up a top school. Even the ones who went to the local top 10 state school seemed to stay the same as they were in high school, whereas I think I grew and changed and actually learned something new, and that's what I want for my kids. This is coming from a town in the south, so maybe the kids from DC aren't as "simple" as we were back then so the delta won't be as important.

(I am home sick today so please don't blame my school if this doesn't make sense... )

This is what I think. I'm pretty sure my kid is going to do okay no matter where he goes to college.

What I care about is the quality of the education and that my kid be able to find intellectually stimulating company. I know he doesn't need to go to an "elite" college to get those things, but I also know that they aren't available everywhere. Unlike many others, I'm not impressed by designer names, whether in handbags or colleges; I am decidedly NOT interested in bragging rights. As with most high-end purchases, we will be shopping very carefully.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, it's b/c I'll like him to go to my alma mater. My dad and grandfather and great grand father all went there.

Then as long as your kid exhibits signs of life and the checks don't bounce, I don't see where you have much to worry about.

This isn't true anymore unfortunately... So we donate

Exactly as stated before. Just make sure the checks clear and all is good!