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

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Huh?

[Anonymous]

This is what you spend your Saturday night pondering?

[Anonymous]

The world needs ditch diggers, too, Danny.

[Anonymous]

The partner I work for at my law firm, who is also the head of our department went to a law school I had never even heard of. Obviously it didn't prevent him from getting far in life.

[Anonymous]

I'm hoping that within the original post is a carefully crafted, embedded dig at a particular person and/or school because otherwise this is just sad, WTF stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The partner I work for at my law firm, who is also the head of our department went to a law school I had never even heard of. Obviously it didn't prevent him from getting far in life.

Lots of partners at my biglaw firm from St Johns -- which I think is a 4th tier local NYC school. I'm not suggested it prevented them from getting far in their career, but I do share the OP's views esp every single time when one of those partners talks about his kid going to Villanova or Temple. These are people who can pay 60k+ per year for any school in the country, but most of the time the kids are no where close to being Ivy or Top 10 material.

[Anonymous]

For any northeastern public school, the top 10 in the class getting into the schools you named is a HUGE success. Along with those there are probably a few respectable NYC, Emory, Vandy, Ga Tech, Carnegie Mellons in there -- that makes for about 15 at "big name" schools and frankly that's all any school district can hope for these days given the sub 10% ivy acceptance rates plus the few families who have kids who do get in but can't send them due to cost. So the numbers you're suggesting actually do denote a successful year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The world needs ditch diggers, too, Danny.

Best line ever

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm hoping that within the original post is a carefully crafted, embedded dig at a particular person and/or school because otherwise this is just sad, WTF stuff.

Why is it WTF to point out that a college list isn't impressive?

[Anonymous]

Most kids/families don't aim for the top schools. Sad but they don't. I'm not suggesting that by aiming you'll necessarily get in and be able to go but it's like that saying "shoot for the moon even if you miss, you'll be in the stars" (or something like that). If you had freshman coming in saying "I'm going to do everything I can to go to MIT in 4 yrs," the results would be different. Sure they may not get into MIT but the effort/grades may still get them into a Carnegie Mellon or a Ga Tech.

That's just not how it works in most US schools. Most families are content to have kids "do their best" in 9th-10th grade and THEN start looking at schools in 11th grade. Then when they see what it takes to get into the MITs of the world and that the grades just aren't there, they don't apply -- and start talking about where their kid will be happiest etc.

Things would be different if people starting seeing what top schools take 4-5 yrs in advance and work towards that, rather than limiting their own opportunities by not working hard enough in 9th-10th to be considered for the top schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The partner I work for at my law firm, who is also the head of our department went to a law school I had never even heard of. Obviously it didn't prevent him from getting far in life.

Lots of partners at my biglaw firm from St Johns -- which I think is a 4th tier local NYC school. I'm not suggested it prevented them from getting far in their career, but I do share the OP's views esp every single time when one of those partners talks about his kid going to Villanova or Temple. These are people who can pay 60k+ per year for any school in the country, but most of the time the kids are no where close to being Ivy or Top 10 material.

Oh, I've heard of St. Johns. This partner went to a school that wasn't even third tier.
Granted, I only got an associates degree from community college so obviously I am beyond stupid, but I don't understand your point. I am not disappointed in where my kids go to college as long as it's the best fit for them. Hopefully they feel the same way about where they go to college too.

[Anonymous]

I kind of understand where you're coming from. We moved to DC from a mid-sized Midwestern town two years back, when my son was a rising junior, and looking at the college list it DOES kind of disappoint me. Kids that I know were good students are going to state directionals or even community college...I think the best school on the list was Uw-Madison, the state flagship. And this is at a school that has always been on those 'most challenging HS's' list, Newsweek, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm hoping that within the original post is a carefully crafted, embedded dig at a particular person and/or school because otherwise this is just sad, WTF stuff.

Why is it WTF to point out that a college list isn't impressive?

Because it took OP 8 paragraphs and 512 irrelevant details to say what you said in just one sentence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I kind of understand where you're coming from. We moved to DC from a mid-sized Midwestern town two years back, when my son was a rising junior, and looking at the college list it DOES kind of disappoint me. Kids that I know were good students are going to state directionals or even community college...I think the best school on the list was Uw-Madison, the state flagship. And this is at a school that has always been on those 'most challenging HS's' list, Newsweek, etc.

Most kids are not UPenn/Stanford/insert top 10 material and as a PP above says I think people really do underestimate what it takes to get into those places and don't plan properly. So then by the time 12th grade rolls around their choices aren't as impressive as you'd expect even at the top high schools.