People with kids at a safety school — How are they doing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UC Boulder has basically become a MoCo satellite campus.......

Just fyi, the abbreviation is CU Boulder (even though the name is University of Colorado)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any big state/football school in the south breeds the happiest students. Auburn, Alabama, USC, GA, Ole Miss, Fla State, UF, LSU. A happy...and drunk 4 or usually 5 years...with a rabid alumni network that will make sure your DC becomes successful and...a regular university donor. It's a script that has proven itself over and over but y'all are so obsessed with those NE schools you miss this blissful and well worn path to a life of success and comfort and happiness.

Sure, if your goal is to live in Charlotte or Atlanta or Jacksonville.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any big state/football school in the south breeds the happiest students. Auburn, Alabama, USC, GA, Ole Miss, Fla State, UF, LSU. A happy...and drunk 4 or usually 5 years...with a rabid alumni network that will make sure your DC becomes successful and...a regular university donor. It's a script that has proven itself over and over but y'all are so obsessed with those NE schools you miss this blissful and well worn path to a life of success and comfort and happiness.

I went to one of those schools eons ago. It’s not all you are saying…

+1

[Anonymous]

My DC went to a safety and was extremely happy there. My younger DC went to a safety and was extremely unhappy there. What's the point, OP? They are different kids. They went to safeties because we got merit aid. DC#1 liked the school, and DC#2 didn't because it wasn't the right fit. That can happen anywhere.

[Anonymous]

DS is excelling, big fish in small pond, BUT a lot of his friends have transferred out or are planning to do so. Be sure you check to see how many peers your kid will have in top 25th%, and if kid is way above the top 25% number, perhaps apply to a few more places where SAT would put kid at bottom rung of top 25 instead of higher end. He is working on transfer apps and as a transfer there is no possibility for aid.

[Anonymous]

10:13 here…To clarify, no possibility for merit aid as transfer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS is excelling, big fish in small pond, BUT a lot of his friends have transferred out or are planning to do so. Be sure you check to see how many peers your kid will have in top 25th%, and if kid is way above the top 25% number, perhaps apply to a few more places where SAT would put kid at bottom rung of top 25 instead of higher end. He is working on transfer apps and as a transfer there is no possibility for aid.

not sure i follow. DS's friends are transferring b/c the school is not academically challenging enough?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is excelling, big fish in small pond, BUT a lot of his friends have transferred out or are planning to do so. Be sure you check to see how many peers your kid will have in top 25th%, and if kid is way above the top 25% number, perhaps apply to a few more places where SAT would put kid at bottom rung of top 25 instead of higher end. He is working on transfer apps and as a transfer there is no possibility for aid.

not sure i follow. DS's friends are transferring b/c the school is not academically challenging enough?

Correct. Too small a peer group as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is excelling, big fish in small pond, BUT a lot of his friends have transferred out or are planning to do so. Be sure you check to see how many peers your kid will have in top 25th%, and if kid is way above the top 25% number, perhaps apply to a few more places where SAT would put kid at bottom rung of top 25 instead of higher end. He is working on transfer apps and as a transfer there is no possibility for aid.

not sure i follow. DS's friends are transferring b/c the school is not academically challenging enough?

Correct. Too small a peer group as well.

np - i don't buy "transferring because the school is not academically challenging enough" crap. i don't care if you are a big fish, large frog, or ugly crab, if you want to challenge yourself, you can push yourself in any college. What a nonsense

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS is excelling, big fish in small pond, BUT a lot of his friends have transferred out or are planning to do so. Be sure you check to see how many peers your kid will have in top 25th%, and if kid is way above the top 25% number, perhaps apply to a few more places where SAT would put kid at bottom rung of top 25 instead of higher end. He is working on transfer apps and as a transfer there is no possibility for aid.

If he is excelling, why transfer? Can’t he make more friends? He will have to at the new school anyway…

Or is his superiority complex, fed by you, motivating the move?

[Anonymous]

It is not like you can only socialize with people who are within 3 points if your SAT score. If that is the case, you are pretty messed up and won’t fit in most places.

[Anonymous]

My child had 1580 SAT, GPA of 4,6. They are at W&M for CS, which was a safety. Doing great, spent a year abroad, had
enough credits from school to do classes they want, not just they need. Had an internship every summer. Can't wish any better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is excelling, big fish in small pond, BUT a lot of his friends have transferred out or are planning to do so. Be sure you check to see how many peers your kid will have in top 25th%, and if kid is way above the top 25% number, perhaps apply to a few more places where SAT would put kid at bottom rung of top 25 instead of higher end. He is working on transfer apps and as a transfer there is no possibility for aid.

not sure i follow. DS's friends are transferring b/c the school is not academically challenging enough?

Correct. Too small a peer group as well.

np - i don't buy "transferring because the school is not academically challenging enough" crap. i don't care if you are a big fish, large frog, or ugly crab, if you want to challenge yourself, you can push yourself in any college. What a nonsense

DP. When your peers are significantly below you in ability, motivation, ambition, goals, etc. they are not challenging or helping you be better. Imagine yourself on a sports team of elite athletes vs. a team of Bad News Bears. The elite team is motivated, has the best equipment, the best coaches, the best alumni support. Who do you think is going to go somewhere faster?

My kid went to an elite school last year. When asked about his top-of-mind takeaway, he said that he’s been surprised how much harder he works - in all aspects of his life - because he’s with highly motivated students. Environment matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is excelling, big fish in small pond, BUT a lot of his friends have transferred out or are planning to do so. Be sure you check to see how many peers your kid will have in top 25th%, and if kid is way above the top 25% number, perhaps apply to a few more places where SAT would put kid at bottom rung of top 25 instead of higher end. He is working on transfer apps and as a transfer there is no possibility for aid.

If he is excelling, why transfer? Can’t he make more friends? He will have to at the new school anyway…

Or is his superiority complex, fed by you, motivating the move?

If you’re 6’6” and dunking on 5 footers, there’s not much joy. Instead, it’s increasingly apparent that you’re playing WAY BELOW your potential. You will get better only when you are well-matched to your peers or those somewhat better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
If he is excelling, why transfer? Can’t he make more friends? He will have to at the new school anyway…

Or is his superiority complex, fed by you, motivating the move?

If you’re 6’6” and dunking on 5 footers, there’s not much joy. Instead, it’s increasingly apparent that you’re playing WAY BELOW your potential. You will get better only when you are well-matched to your peers or those somewhat better.

I had friends who started at more-rigorous schools and had to take some time someplace less demanding but closer to home (for family or medical reasons). They all agree that they liked the more-demanding schools better.