the obsession with colleges
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Anonymous
Most folks in the US earn a living through business, and usually those with the most intelligence, grit, interpersonal skills, etc rise to the top. Some of our nations smartest folks are employed by a business, not government or non-profit! |
Anonymous
Are you equally impressed that the next 23% come from #51-100 and the next 23% come from 101-150, and the next 23% come from 151-200? In other words, are you equally impressed that 92% of business leaders come from the top 200 schools? |
Anonymous
Well, I guess if the remaining 431 came from school 51 alone that would be even crazier. If you're making stuff up, just go all the way. |
. 23% come from top 50 but if the others come #51-200, then the risk reward is neutral within it all the crazy! Smart kids at good and average schools will rise, not because you were lucky enough to get into a specific school
Anonymous
Is that true? I wouldn't expect that there's that even a distribution. I would expect that there's a path of non-college (trade to business owner), a lot of immigrants who don't come from a US college etc. |
Anonymous
is that the case? |
Anonymous
?? A majority of the GS-15s in my small agency went to state schools for undergrad. |
Anonymous
I think the posters point is that folks need to chill and not hyper focus on “top 50” to the detriment of other factors. It’s a starting point, it not the end-all-be-all. Some folks here would sell their souls for admittance. What are you telling your child when you tell them you are hiring an college essay consultant? Or SAT Tudor…or insert other crazy / privilege here. Take a chill pill as all will be ok…and for gosh sakes, don’t do all that to the detriment of the child’s mental health, esteem, relationships, etc. |
Anonymous
| Varsity Blues, anyone? The point of this post is the obsession with colleges, right?? |
Anonymous
The thing that kills me about it is that kids are moving out of their parent's homes. They will not be at home. Parents have bragging rights, but the kid isn't at home. So all this energy and effort and expense is going to a kid who is not going to be in the house, not for most of the year. Often kids get internships during the summer and are gone, essentially, except for a few weeks here and there for vacation or weekends, but they no longer live at home. Why the obsession with where your kid goes to college? You aren't going with him or her. And they'll never look back. Two of my kids have graduated from college, and I have two younger kids who are about to go to college. The older ones are on their own. They call every once in a while if they need something, but essentially day to day parenting is a thing of the past. We don't really know what they're up to because they dont tell us. They live their own lives. They dont' thank us for all the energy, attention love and money we've lavished on them. I'm not saying don't do it, but obsessing about college is this sort of last gasp of parenting before they leave the nest, and it's overblown and sad. My kids went to HYPSM and wow, I feel really good when I tell other parents about it, but so what? That happens maybe once a year now adays, and the rest of the time I feel sad that my kids' lives are far away from mine. I really have little contact with them relative to when they lived at home. That's normal and natural, and I should feel proud that they're so independent, but it makes me feel really sad. Anyway, I'm not obsessing with the younger kids. They're going to college somewhere, period, and good for them. I want them to be happy, but that's it. |
Anonymous
I don’t even know what an HYPSM is, and I have a second child ready to launch. Maybe it’s impressive, but the reality is folks you tell don’t really care as much as you do, and simply rationalize “the why” anyways. I am a firm believer that 80% of your kids success or failure is the result of them alone (outside of your control), and 20% from their environment. So, let’s face it - you may be patting yourself on the back or cursing for your role in shaping the ultimate success of tour kid, but it’s mostly from factors not related to you or your style directly. I have found their social circle dictates more than your 20% anyways. So sit back, provide the best environment you can (that doesn’t mean privilege / privates / travel teams, etc) - instead an environment that teaches and prepares them for real life. |
Anonymous
While supporting their mental state, interests, and dreams…this of course is beyond the basics of food, shelter, clothing, etc |
Anonymous
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I looked at the underlying report and it does not say that the various CEOs attended the schools as undergraduates. This is likely a combination of undergraduates plus all professional schools.
Just FYI. |
Anonymous
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As always you want to be cautious about the both sides of the extremists
Ones who are obsessed with college ranking and/name Ones who are saying you can just go to any no name mediocre school and it's all good and there's no difference. |
Anonymous
Thanks and not surprised. A common path to the top in business is good grades in a decent school (#50-150) with good internship / work experience to get into a great grad program / MBA. Then all the other stuff must kick in to get to top. And, let’s not forget about the Executive MBAs like Darden, Duke, Harvard and more, that focus more on the latter than the undergraduate school’s strength |
Anonymous
This is a very profound post and it makes me sad. Focus on maintaining an open relationship with your child so they want to visit you often or they allow you to visit them. This can be harmed in the pursuit of the T10 college, sometimes. |