Any Parents Privately Disappointed with College Placement?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Ah - choo....

No real Wall Street or Big Consulting representation.... Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Kellogg, Duke, Columbia.... and many others ....

Ah - choo....

Robert Smith School is Maryland is far better

Tired of STA boosters trying ( in vain) to defend Indiana. Be honest: no parent sends a DS to STA with aspirations of matriculating to Indiana University."

I will be honest and while I am an STA parent, I am not an STA booster. For reasons that many DCUM posters cannot process, the recent STA grads picked Indiana among several other choices. Wanting a big school experience and looking for athletic opportunities, the Indiana option looked attractive to these young men, both of whom are two of the finest boys in their graduating class. While there may be many that send their boys to STA to get into an Ivy League school, there are others who don't. Use of the word "vain" may be appropriate though, but in a different context. There are plenty of parents (at STA and other places) who vainly attempt to embellish their own resume by the accomplishments of their children. It creates a pressurized environment for the seniors who are under the microscope. I guess that there are those who look at the kids as wearing a brand in the form of their college. In my experience, the brand fades and the true merit (or lack thereof) comes through.

Since you know so much and are putting it out there about these two, young men, what were their other choices?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I want my kid to go to the University of Wisconsin so she can sit on the porch of the student union on that beautiful lake. Oh, and take sailing class 101. Wish I had gone there!!!

more like Ice Fishing 101 - unless you attend the summer session - today's weather - high of 54 and cloudy -- brrrr ...

[Anonymous]

If we spent almost $500k on my child's private education and he went to Elon, I would be PISSED.

[Anonymous]

Several years ago, a graduating senior turned down one of the very best universities H/Y/P/S for the option of a well-known university without the prestige of those very top schools.

Why? The other university offered that student a scholarship to attend both college and medical school (full ride) at their institution.

If you saw the place that student chose, you would not be particularly impressed, but there was an excellent reason behind their decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Ah - choo....

No real Wall Street or Big Consulting representation.... Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Kellogg, Duke, Columbia.... and many others ....

Ah - choo....

Robert Smith School is Maryland is far better

Tired of STA boosters trying ( in vain) to defend Indiana. Be honest: no parent sends a DS to STA with aspirations of matriculating to Indiana University."

I will be honest and while I am an STA parent, I am not an STA booster. For reasons that many DCUM posters cannot process, the recent STA grads picked Indiana among several other choices. Wanting a big school experience and looking for athletic opportunities, the Indiana option looked attractive to these young men, both of whom are two of the finest boys in their graduating class. While there may be many that send their boys to STA to get into an Ivy League school, there are others who don't. Use of the word "vain" may be appropriate though, but in a different context. There are plenty of parents (at STA and other places) who vainly attempt to embellish their own resume by the accomplishments of their children. It creates a pressurized environment for the seniors who are under the microscope. I guess that there are those who look at the kids as wearing a brand in the form of their college. In my experience, the brand fades and the true merit (or lack thereof) comes through.

So did the STA experience help the athletic opportunities? I've heard that Landon or SSSA (for girls) can boost LAX players, nut I'm not sure that any other private schools can help a DC who wants to play a sport in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Several years ago, a graduating senior turned down one of the very best universities H/Y/P/S for the option of a well-known university without the prestige of those very top schools.

Why? The other university offered that student a scholarship to attend both college and medical school (full ride) at their institution.

If you saw the place that student chose, you would not be particularly impressed, but there was an excellent reason behind their decision.

But if the DC is a 10 year private school student, you've likely spent $300K + already, why the sudden price concern at the finish line?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Several years ago, a graduating senior turned down one of the very best universities H/Y/P/S for the option of a well-known university without the prestige of those very top schools.

Why? The other university offered that student a scholarship to attend both college and medical school (full ride) at their institution.

If you saw the place that student chose, you would not be particularly impressed, but there was an excellent reason behind their decision.

But if the DC is a 10 year private school student, you've likely spent $300K + already, why the sudden price concern at the finish line?

First, I have no reason to know whether or not this student was on financial aid, partial financial aid, or full pay to the private school. Second, I do not know how many years that student spent at the private school, lifelong, since middle school, or only upper school? I know only that they were at the school for upper school, and that they graduated at the very top of their class with admission to one of the top H/Y/P/S, but chose instead to attend a non-Ivy league university because they would pay for all of both college and medical school.

Also, even if they had already paid $300K, perhaps they had special appreciation for the upwards of $300K they would save with free tuition/room/board for college and medical school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Several years ago, a graduating senior turned down one of the very best universities H/Y/P/S for the option of a well-known university without the prestige of those very top schools.

Why? The other university offered that student a scholarship to attend both college and medical school (full ride) at their institution.

If you saw the place that student chose, you would not be particularly impressed, but there was an excellent reason behind their decision.

But if the DC is a 10 year private school student, you've likely spent $300K + already, why the sudden price concern at the finish line?

First, I have no reason to know whether or not this student was on financial aid, partial financial aid, or full pay to the private school. Second, I do not know how many years that student spent at the private school, lifelong, since middle school, or only upper school? I know only that they were at the school for upper school, and that they graduated at the very top of their class with admission to one of the top H/Y/P/S, but chose instead to attend a non-Ivy league university because they would pay for all of both college and medical school.

Also, even if they had already paid $300K, perhaps they had special appreciation for the upwards of $300K they would save with free tuition/room/board for college and medical school.

Also, because medical school is medical school. You don't have to go to a top-tier medical school to have a very successful medical career.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Ah - choo....

Since you know so much and are putting it out there about these two, young men, what were their other choices?

I would love to know whether that interrogation technique -- I call it snarky mean-spiritedness -- ever really got you more information -- or just fewer friends???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Ah - choo....

Since you know so much and are putting it out there about these two, young men, what were their other choices?

I would love to know whether that interrogation technique -- I call it snarky mean-spiritedness -- ever really got you more information -- or just fewer friends???

What were their other choices?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Several years ago, a graduating senior turned down one of the very best universities H/Y/P/S for the option of a well-known university without the prestige of those very top schools.

Why? The other university offered that student a scholarship to attend both college and medical school (full ride) at their institution.

If you saw the place that student chose, you would not be particularly impressed, but there was an excellent reason behind their decision.

This happens a lot. The best kids don't always go the "best" schools. They have more options. Schools compete over the top kids. Harvard's yields for the past ten years have been in the 75% range. So some kids are turning down even Harvard. Princeton and Yale's yields have been in the 60s.

This also happens at lower level schools. A kid may be accepted at BC and Fordham, but get a better financial deal from Fordham so that's where they go, even though BC is considered by many to be more prestigious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Several years ago, a graduating senior turned down one of the very best universities H/Y/P/S for the option of a well-known university without the prestige of those very top schools.

Why? The other university offered that student a scholarship to attend both college and medical school (full ride) at their institution.

If you saw the place that student chose, you would not be particularly impressed, but there was an excellent reason behind their decision.

This happens a lot. The best kids don't always go the "best" schools. They have more options. Schools compete over the top kids. Harvard's yields for the past ten years have been in the 75% range. So some kids are turning down even Harvard. Princeton and Yale's yields have been in the 60s.

This also happens at lower level schools. A kid may be accepted at BC and Fordham, but get a better financial deal from Fordham so that's where they go, even though BC is considered by many to be more prestigious.

People make poor decisions all the time. I know mid-aged people who still bemoan passing on the opportunity to attend an elite school.

[Anonymous]

It's a pity that some parents are embarrassed by their DC's choice of school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a pity that some parents are embarrassed by their DC's choice of school.

There's a difference between disappointment and embarrassment. If the only school your DC was accepted to was their safety school/school of last resort that really isn't much of a choice.

[Anonymous]

This discussion about college choices reminds me of Say Anything.

Lloyd Dobler: I got a question. If you guys know so much about women, how come you're here at like the Gas 'n' Sip on a Saturday night completely alone drinking beers with no women anywhere?
Joe: By choice, man.