What is an unpopular belief that you hold about the college application process?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That going to community college for the first two years greatly increases your options for where you attend for your last two years. Not to mention the tens of thousands you will save on tuition.

I think this is myth that people tell themselves and the majority of students will not ever finish the 2 years much less go on to a 4 yr school. Those who do are the exception

That does not in principle contradict that “going to community college for the first two years greatly increases your options for where you attend for your last two years.” Both can be true. I don’t know if it is, but the belief is that if you have the drive and talent community college is a great and cost efficient option. That doesn’t mean it works out for the average community college student (for whom it may still be better than whatever the alternatives are)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That going to community college for the first two years greatly increases your options for where you attend for your last two years. Not to mention the tens of thousands you will save on tuition.

I think this is myth that people tell themselves and the majority of students will not ever finish the 2 years much less go on to a 4 yr school. Those who do are the exception

This. Also those Harvard Law grads boasting on this thread are probably in their 60s now. It's very, very old news. CC is just not a popular choice amongst kids with prospects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That going to community college for the first two years greatly increases your options for where you attend for your last two years. Not to mention the tens of thousands you will save on tuition.

That going to community college the first two years is for the poors and lesser than students.

This is a very east coast sentiment.

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Actually no. And I’ve lived everywhere. It’s very common in California to go to community college and transfer but that’s because that system is relatively new and built to accommodate that track. Few of my ca public high school friends had the money to go four years public or private. Most went to “junior” college, now called community college and then transferred to the great UC system. Or tge it went straight into the Cal State system, which no other state has. My own relatives did community college and transferred to USC before it became so expensive. The same is not true in the east coast and certainly not in VA. I wish it were but it’s not

Right, which is why the sentiment that the CC route is somehow lesser is a very east coast sentiment.

[Anonymous]

If you have to take out loans to pay for an 85k year school, you are better off going to an in state flagship. The benefits of going to those “elite” schools are practically non existent for students not of a wealthy background, and in fact the crushing debt will set students of a middle class background back even further on the socioeconomic ladder of life.

[Anonymous]

That UMC parents, including most DCUMs, are all desperately doing whatever they can from preschool (or even prenatal) onward to get their kids into T25 schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That anybody gives a darn about your Eagle Scout award.

+1

No one is impressed by dual enrollment classes.

Getting an MBA immediately after college is a waste of money and time. Get it after you have some work experience and go to a Top 10 program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you have to take out loans to pay for an 85k year school, you are better off going to an in state flagship. The benefits of going to those “elite” schools are practically non existent for students not of a wealthy background, and in fact the crushing debt will set students of a middle class background back even further on the socioeconomic ladder of life.

Idk with the exception of the super elite schools if you are motivated to take advantage of it. Like if you get into HYP and want to major in Econ and go to Wall Street, go for it! It will pay off.

[Anonymous]

College tours are a waste of time and money. The kid should go to the most recognizable college that offers the best financial aid.
That said of course I will send my kid on free local tours organized by our city teen center

[Anonymous]

That it’s a meritocracy

[Anonymous]

That top colleges just serve wealthy, connected families and UMC of color.

That many kids who get into top schools lie on their applications.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you have to take out loans to pay for an 85k year school, you are better off going to an in state flagship. The benefits of going to those “elite” schools are practically non existent for students not of a wealthy background, and in fact the crushing debt will set students of a middle class background back even further on the socioeconomic ladder of life.

Idk with the exception of the super elite schools if you are motivated to take advantage of it. Like if you get into HYP and want to major in Econ and go to Wall Street, go for it! It will pay off.

I hate to be the one to break it to you but those wall street jobs right out of college are going to the children of the wealthy and well connected. They don’t get the job because they went to yale, they go to yale because they come from the kind of people who get those jobs.

Quant geniuses can come from any background, of course, (and frankly more likely to come from the hoi polli who have experience with grinding their way through public education) but it is far cheaper and easier to do that via the ole drop out of a physics phd program loophole versus the modern day indentured servitide system of student loans

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That college is about so much more than ROI and I want as many kids as possible to experience making lifelong friends, building connections, learning who they are as people and savoring the “golden hour” time between childhood and adulthood.

Yes!!! Me too! Love this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That top colleges just serve wealthy, connected families and UMC of color.

That many kids who get into top schools lie on their applications.

Lie about what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you have to take out loans to pay for an 85k year school, you are better off going to an in state flagship. The benefits of going to those “elite” schools are practically non existent for students not of a wealthy background, and in fact the crushing debt will set students of a middle class background back even further on the socioeconomic ladder of life.

Idk with the exception of the super elite schools if you are motivated to take advantage of it. Like if you get into HYP and want to major in Econ and go to Wall Street, go for it! It will pay off.

I hate to be the one to break it to you but those wall street jobs right out of college are going to the children of the wealthy and well connected. They don’t get the job because they went to yale, they go to yale because they come from the kind of people who get those jobs.

Quant geniuses can come from any background, of course, (and frankly more likely to come from the hoi polli who have experience with grinding their way through public education) but it is far cheaper and easier to do that via the ole drop out of a physics phd program loophole versus the modern day indentured servitide system of student loans

+1

[Anonymous]

that college application readers are largely naive and are often impressed by passion projects that the average mom of a high schooler would spot as bullshit a million miles away.