Why even waste the effort to apply to the top colleges at this point?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This focus on elite colleges is so out of control. There a thousands of universities where your kid can get a terrific education -- find one that fits.

You don't have to go to Harvard to excel in this life.

No, but it definitely helps. A lot.

I'm not convinced it does unless you want to be a Supreme Court Justice.

Thats funny because my DC wants to be a Supreme Court Justice and decided to go Ivy becuase he thinks it will be easier to get into a top 10 law school and study constitutional law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You will hear of a few applying to St. Andrew's or Oxbridge, but what you don't know is the failure rate. Oxbridge and Cambridge are not set up like our universities and colleges. Foreign universities assume that you have finished your language and liberal arts studies (having completed more high school than is required here at higher levels than is required here) and that you are ready for what we would consider graduate work or doctorate work. You "read" politics, philosophy, and economics, meet once a week with your tutor and then are expected to turn out original, well thought-out and brilliantly produced original essays at the end of the semester. It's not as spoon-fed as it is here. There are very few 18 years olds that are that mature both in knowing themself and in education. Those that I've known you have gone as Rhodes or Marshalls had a miserable time. Americans are generally not accepted, especially women. Before you think about a foreign university, please visit for at least a week and get a real feel of expectations because it is nothing like american college. Read up on it. If you can do a "real" term there (most summer program at Oxbridge are not run by Oxford or Cambridge - they rent the facilities to outfits that claim "Go to Oxford for the summer!" (Brit schools close during the summer). But really think it through. Yes, they will take American students because they want the dollar and the diversity chit but make sure your kid can perform in that environment before shipping them across the pond.

Odd post. Why would American women generally not be accepted?

I know Americans who studied abroad, both undergraduate and master's programs. Not one of them had a miserable time or regretted their experience.

UK universities like American universities have more female students than male students. I can't see gender being an issue.

Other than that I do agree with what you said. European universities expect students to take much more control of their education than American colleges do and students aren't spoon-fed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you are forgetting the millions of foreign students, especially from China and India who are coming to the U.S. to study. They apply with perfect scores and get in because the colleges want diversity.

More likely the full pay tuition.

Bingo.

[Anonymous]

Cambridge is in Cambridgeshire