Why are Northern Kids Flocking to Southern Universities?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:State school is state school. As long as it’s an R1 and has Greek life and a decent football team, go wherever you get the best deal. UMD and Tech are high school 2.0 for DMV kids. Tap out of state scholarships and broaden your horizons.

You must be old. Today, the only people who say that are those who don’t have the stats to apply or those who were rejected. UMD College park has 41,000 students; Virginia Tech has 36,000. An entire public high school class could get lost I. Those numbers. Fwiw my UVA kid never saw his high school colleagues once they matriculated

You must be old and think kids go find themselves in the nearest state school and everyone makes all new friends. Not these days. Kids stay connected to the same group of high school friends. Thank social media, smartphones, group chats, and online gaming (boys). If you’re local and tried to make all new friends you’d seem like a weirdo. You’re stuck with the high school group unless you go out of state.

DP. You often troll with this same bizarre narrative. It's pretty clear you don't know what you're talking about. My kid goes to a large state school and most of her friends are from OOS. Those who are in-state, like her, come from all over the state - and she never sees anyone from high school unless she goes out of her way to do so. Kind of obvious you've got some weird axe to grind against state schools, since nothing you ever say resembles reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:State school is state school. As long as it’s an R1 and has Greek life and a decent football team, go wherever you get the best deal. UMD and Tech are high school 2.0 for DMV kids. Tap out of state scholarships and broaden your horizons.

You must be old. Today, the only people who say that are those who don’t have the stats to apply or those who were rejected. UMD College park has 41,000 students; Virginia Tech has 36,000. An entire public high school class could get lost I. Those numbers. Fwiw my UVA kid never saw his high school colleagues once they matriculated

That's not standard experience. Commuter students have very different experiences than students who go out of their local bubble.

Who on earth in DMV could commute to Blacksburg??

+1
And why is the PP even mentioning commuter students, who weren't part of this discussion in the first place? Obv. a troll.

[Anonymous]

We moved to SC from NY in the summer and could not be happier with the change of life here. People are more chill and polite, weather is warmer, the sun is out, and life is just better all around. I’m thrilled that we’re now looking at Clemson and University of South Carolina rather than University of Buffalo and Brockport. Blech!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We moved to SC from NY in the summer and could not be happier with the change of life here. People are more chill and polite, weather is warmer, the sun is out, and life is just better all around. I’m thrilled that we’re now looking at Clemson and University of South Carolina rather than University of Buffalo and Brockport. Blech!

Clemson is such a great school and not impossible to get into. If your kid is engineering or nursing, have them visit school! Don't know anything about South Carolina. Of course University of Florida is great except huge but very difficult to get in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We moved to SC from NY in the summer and could not be happier with the change of life here. People are more chill and polite, weather is warmer, the sun is out, and life is just better all around. I’m thrilled that we’re now looking at Clemson and University of South Carolina rather than University of Buffalo and Brockport. Blech!

I'm glad you're happy in SC and I would much rather live there than in Buffalo. But the "warmer weather" definitely has a downside -- summers in the South can be unbearable! I lived in Texas for 10 years and MUCH prefer the climate in D.C. (and I'm saying this as someone who doesn't like really cold weather). Yes, it can get hot and sticky in D.C., but it's not as bad and doesn't last nearly as long as in Houston.

[Anonymous]

My best friend's kid -- an average MoCo student -- joined a couple of friends in heading to the University of South Carolina (Columbia) a few years ago. But once he settled in he didn't like the cultural environment, and really didn't like his first ever exposure to country-club style antisemitism. So he spent his freshman year getting his grades up and transferred to Syracuse, which he loves (now a senior).

Contrary to what the Southern boosters here go on about endlessly, a balmy climate isn't really the key determinant of a college's appeal or value.

College applications have surged everywhere in the country, and that's put a lot of formerly regional universities on the nationwide map (Northeastern? Pitt? Indiana? Connecticut? heck even UMD) in a way they weren't before. It's logical that effect would also trickle down to some southern schools that previously had a mostly regional profile. I guess it represents progress that those Southern schools are now also benefiting from nationwide trends rather than being excluded from them (although I'm still meeting a lot of HS students who will say "oh, I'll go to college anywhere -- except the South" -- and we all know that's not just social justice warriors).

But it's also true that only in the South does being part of a nationwide surge in college applications then become repurposed as representing some sort of victory in a culture war against the North, or part of owning the libs, or being where woke goes to die. No wonder so much of the rest of the country rolls our eyes at our Southern cousins' antics ...

[Anonymous]

PP, not clear why your social circle is somehow determinative here.

Odd to assume it trickled down. My guess is there are way more kids in CT that apply to UGA that their are GA kids applying to UConn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We moved to SC from NY in the summer and could not be happier with the change of life here. People are more chill and polite, weather is warmer, the sun is out, and life is just better all around. I’m thrilled that we’re now looking at Clemson and University of South Carolina rather than University of Buffalo and Brockport. Blech!

I'm glad you're happy in SC and I would much rather live there than in Buffalo. But the "warmer weather" definitely has a downside -- summers in the South can be unbearable! I lived in Texas for 10 years and MUCH prefer the climate in D.C. (and I'm saying this as someone who doesn't like really cold weather). Yes, it can get hot and sticky in D.C., but it's not as bad and doesn't last nearly as long as in Houston.

Summer in the low country with out a breeze is the pinnacle of miserable weather (I've lived in SC, GA, and upstate NY). The winters are great though

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My best friend's kid -- an average MoCo student -- joined a couple of friends in heading to the University of South Carolina (Columbia) a few years ago. But once he settled in he didn't like the cultural environment, and really didn't like his first ever exposure to country-club style antisemitism. So he spent his freshman year getting his grades up and transferred to Syracuse, which he loves (now a senior).

Contrary to what the Southern boosters here go on about endlessly, a balmy climate isn't really the key determinant of a college's appeal or value.

College applications have surged everywhere in the country, and that's put a lot of formerly regional universities on the nationwide map (Northeastern? Pitt? Indiana? Connecticut? heck even UMD) in a way they weren't before. It's logical that effect would also trickle down to some southern schools that previously had a mostly regional profile. I guess it represents progress that those Southern schools are now also benefiting from nationwide trends rather than being excluded from them (although I'm still meeting a lot of HS students who will say "oh, I'll go to college anywhere -- except the South" -- and we all know that's not just social justice warriors).

But it's also true that only in the South does being part of a nationwide surge in college applications then become repurposed as representing some sort of victory in a culture war against the North, or part of owning the libs, or being where woke goes to die. No wonder so much of the rest of the country rolls our eyes at our Southern cousins' antics ...

Thanks to the SEC, southern Flagships are more affordable than instate options. There are other schools with great merit, but as a region, the South sticks out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:State school is state school. As long as it’s an R1 and has Greek life and a decent football team, go wherever you get the best deal. UMD and Tech are high school 2.0 for DMV kids. Tap out of state scholarships and broaden your horizons.

You must be old. Today, the only people who say that are those who don’t have the stats to apply or those who were rejected. UMD College park has 41,000 students; Virginia Tech has 36,000. An entire public high school class could get lost I. Those numbers. Fwiw my UVA kid never saw his high school colleagues once they matriculated

You must be old and think kids go find themselves in the nearest state school and everyone makes all new friends. Not these days. Kids stay connected to the same group of high school friends. Thank social media, smartphones, group chats, and online gaming (boys). If you’re local and tried to make all new friends you’d seem like a weirdo. You’re stuck with the high school group unless you go out of state.

DP. You often troll with this same bizarre narrative. It's pretty clear you don't know what you're talking about. My kid goes to a large state school and most of her friends are from OOS. Those who are in-state, like her, come from all over the state - and she never sees anyone from high school unless she goes out of her way to do so. Kind of obvious you've got some weird axe to grind against state schools, since nothing you ever say resembles reality.

So you’re miffed because your kid lacked high school friends? For any other McLain or Arlington kid, they’re going to know hundreds of peers at UVA and Tech and it would be super odd if they randomly ghosted all of them and also sketchy to out of state peers if they shared they had no friends from high school on a campus full of kids from their hometown. But good to hear it worked out for your kid (or is this really about you?) after struggling in high school. That scenario is not ideal or easy in 2022 for a local kid at the go-to public U.

[Anonymous]

Kids go South because they don't know any better. Many don't have vast geographical experience. They or their NoVa friends are considering schools in southern Virginia, so they think it's not any different to go to further away southern states. Often even VT, JMU, CNU and other schools are strikingly different, for NoVa kids. Of course some will prefer it. Others will not but had to go in-state.

[Anonymous]

Go south, rush Greek life, and enjoy the sun. Don’t overthink it. North U.S. weather is boring and depressing — only worth putting up with at an Ivy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go south, rush Greek life, and enjoy the sun. Don’t overthink it. North U.S. weather is boring and depressing — only worth putting up with at an Ivy.

Different strokes for different folks. Cycling through the different seasons is fantastic, not boring. It's interesting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:State school is state school. As long as it’s an R1 and has Greek life and a decent football team, go wherever you get the best deal. UMD and Tech are high school 2.0 for DMV kids. Tap out of state scholarships and broaden your horizons.

You must be old. Today, the only people who say that are those who don’t have the stats to apply or those who were rejected. UMD College park has 41,000 students; Virginia Tech has 36,000. An entire public high school class could get lost I. Those numbers. Fwiw my UVA kid never saw his high school colleagues once they matriculated

You must be old and think kids go find themselves in the nearest state school and everyone makes all new friends. Not these days. Kids stay connected to the same group of high school friends. Thank social media, smartphones, group chats, and online gaming (boys). If you’re local and tried to make all new friends you’d seem like a weirdo. You’re stuck with the high school group unless you go out of state.

DP. You often troll with this same bizarre narrative. It's pretty clear you don't know what you're talking about. My kid goes to a large state school and most of her friends are from OOS. Those who are in-state, like her, come from all over the state - and she never sees anyone from high school unless she goes out of her way to do so. Kind of obvious you've got some weird axe to grind against state schools, since nothing you ever say resembles reality.

So you’re miffed because your kid lacked high school friends? For any other McLain or Arlington kid, they’re going to know hundreds of peers at UVA and Tech and it would be super odd if they randomly ghosted all of them and also sketchy to out of state peers if they shared they had no friends from high school on a campus full of kids from their hometown. But good to hear it worked out for your kid (or is this really about you?) after struggling in high school. That scenario is not ideal or easy in 2022 for a local kid at the go-to public U.

I don't think PP went to college.

[Anonymous]

my daughter is really interested in the schools we have found in New England, MI and even Canada. So different strokes, I guess? I have been up front with her that it will be colder and snows quite a bit. She likes that idea, though.