Most social, fun and extroverted selective schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a recent graduate of the top school that conventional wisdom has declared FUN (Vanderbilt). This kid has a close friend attending the School Where Fun Goes to Die (Chicago) during the same years.

My kid, during many trips to stay with his friend on campus, found Chicago much more social, genuinely engaging and collaborative than Vanderbilt. People actually looked up from their phones and engaged and talked to each other and formed new clubs.

If however an elaborate tailgate scene is what you're actually asking, then yes, Vandy does well in that regard

Agree

Have heard the UChicago fun description a lot over last 2-3 years.

Is it still true today?

How do kids socialize? Downtown Chicago?

I had heard that Chicago kids were more mainstream, laid back but then we visited during their summer open house and 95% of our fellow prospective students appeared to be smart, quirky kids (nothing wrong with that but it was clearly a marked demographic).

honestly, I don't think you can avoid this at any top20 schools in 2025 except the state schools that are required to take smart but not super-gunner in-state students. The rest of their student bodies are primarily a grinder, geeky bunch. We toured a dozen top20 schools this summer and all the prospective student tours were filled with kids who looked like they don't leave their bedrooms except for school. Even Vanderbilt and Duke--it was no different there.

I know my post sounds highly critical of geeks but I actually was one (and married a guy who was even more of a science odd-ball (we met in an engineering program.) Unfortunately my kids (junior and senior) are pretty main-stream, very social but smart. They tour the top20 private schools in 2025 and feel like they don't see their people. They likely (fingers crossed) will end up at large state schools.

And my extremely bright yet social kid loved over half the t20s we toured and loves their ivy, and little sibling is aiming for a different ivy…to each their own i say! It is great yours realized that type of academic environment is not for them

No. Your kid is just nerdier than the previous poster’s kid and my own kid. And it’s OK.

Revel in their nerdiness, but let other people try to find their people too.
What’s the harm in them posting their opinion? Fii ok r a post about their kind of kid?

Glad your kid found their ppl - guess what. You’re not the target audience for this post. Read the title!

I read the title. My kid's "people" are soclal and extroverted just as they are. But at an ivy. Shocker there are socially extroverted brilliant kids too. The stereotype that they are all introverted , super nerdy, and do not leave the library is tiresome. The ivies and similar t15 provide the best of both worlds: unparalleled academics plus hundreds of clubs, performance arts, and more where brilliant kids have FUN and it is ok to care about intellectual things. We have been on campus many weekends and have seen the parties, and also heard about parties departments and professors have, for undergrads and grad students.
The whole "ivies are so nerdy" is mostly copium.

So you think parties hosted by academic departments and professors are fun and are examples of the vibrant social life?

Same NP as the previous but I happen to have just gotten pictures from a (large) department party for undergrad majors and grad students. It was an earth-wind-fire party and they played beer pong and ate pizza with grad and some professors came, dressed up, & played too. Most of them have ongoing research with some of these grad and profs too so spent the summer around them. I did not ask if 21 and up but in the past this has been the case if professors are invited. They had it at a house right near campus and had a DJ. It was definitely a fun party--students can have fun and socialize with people who are in different phases of life. It is odd to me you do not think that is possible? Last year this department hosted wine and cheese at a museum where they all dressed up and yes it was fun!

This is beyond nerd patrol.
My kid is at a T10 and this does not sound like fun.

The type of people who think this is fun are not the type of social this post is directed to.

Right? I think these parents are so funny. Their nerdy kids are at a party where there is beer pong (with professors) or eating wine and cheese at museums (in costume) and suddenly they are crazy social extroverts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Claremont Mckenna is THE social, fun & extroverted school.

Oooh
That’s interesting. And new to the discussion.

What makes it so?

Drinking and coke. It’s been that way for decades.

Wow

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What’s more fun:
Vandy or Duke??

And if you had to rank these 4 - for a traditionally extroverted and social kid - whose idea of fun includes non-academic parties, bars, on and off-campus socializing, potentially also Greek life if available:

Stanford
Duke
Vanderbilt
Northwestern

Duke has very little greek life now, lots of nerds that this thread does not like, and socializing is around Duke basketball games. . Norhtwestern is even more of a serious vibe. Vanderbilt based on friends' social media posts is party central. Stanford is grindy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a recent graduate of the top school that conventional wisdom has declared FUN (Vanderbilt). This kid has a close friend attending the School Where Fun Goes to Die (Chicago) during the same years.

My kid, during many trips to stay with his friend on campus, found Chicago much more social, genuinely engaging and collaborative than Vanderbilt. People actually looked up from their phones and engaged and talked to each other and formed new clubs.

If however an elaborate tailgate scene is what you're actually asking, then yes, Vandy does well in that regard

Agree

Have heard the UChicago fun description a lot over last 2-3 years.

Is it still true today?

How do kids socialize? Downtown Chicago?

I had heard that Chicago kids were more mainstream, laid back but then we visited during their summer open house and 95% of our fellow prospective students appeared to be smart, quirky kids (nothing wrong with that but it was clearly a marked demographic).

honestly, I don't think you can avoid this at any top20 schools in 2025 except the state schools that are required to take smart but not super-gunner in-state students. The rest of their student bodies are primarily a grinder, geeky bunch. We toured a dozen top20 schools this summer and all the prospective student tours were filled with kids who looked like they don't leave their bedrooms except for school. Even Vanderbilt and Duke--it was no different there.

I know my post sounds highly critical of geeks but I actually was one (and married a guy who was even more of a science odd-ball (we met in an engineering program.) Unfortunately my kids (junior and senior) are pretty main-stream, very social but smart. They tour the top20 private schools in 2025 and feel like they don't see their people. They likely (fingers crossed) will end up at large state schools.

And my extremely bright yet social kid loved over half the t20s we toured and loves their ivy, and little sibling is aiming for a different ivy…to each their own i say! It is great yours realized that type of academic environment is not for them

No. Your kid is just nerdier than the previous poster’s kid and my own kid. And it’s OK.

Revel in their nerdiness, but let other people try to find their people too.
What’s the harm in them posting their opinion? Fii ok r a post about their kind of kid?

Glad your kid found their ppl - guess what. You’re not the target audience for this post. Read the title!

I read the title. My kid's "people" are soclal and extroverted just as they are. But at an ivy. Shocker there are socially extroverted brilliant kids too. The stereotype that they are all introverted , super nerdy, and do not leave the library is tiresome. The ivies and similar t15 provide the best of both worlds: unparalleled academics plus hundreds of clubs, performance arts, and more where brilliant kids have FUN and it is ok to care about intellectual things. We have been on campus many weekends and have seen the parties, and also heard about parties departments and professors have, for undergrads and grad students.
The whole "ivies are so nerdy" is mostly copium.

So you think parties hosted by academic departments and professors are fun and are examples of the vibrant social life?

Same NP as the previous but I happen to have just gotten pictures from a (large) department party for undergrad majors and grad students. It was an earth-wind-fire party and they played beer pong and ate pizza with grad and some professors came, dressed up, & played too. Most of them have ongoing research with some of these grad and profs too so spent the summer around them. I did not ask if 21 and up but in the past this has been the case if professors are invited. They had it at a house right near campus and had a DJ. It was definitely a fun party--students can have fun and socialize with people who are in different phases of life. It is odd to me you do not think that is possible? Last year this department hosted wine and cheese at a museum where they all dressed up and yes it was fun!

This is beyond nerd patrol.
My kid is at a T10 and this does not sound like fun.

The type of people who think this is fun are not the type of social this post is directed to.

Right? I think these parents are so funny. Their nerdy kids are at a party where there is beer pong (with professors) or eating wine and cheese at museums (in costume) and suddenly they are crazy social extroverts.

THIS.

We asked a top10 tour guide about the party/social/fun scene at the school and he replied, "well once a month a group of 30 of us will get together and go out for Dim Sum together!!" (he was white-mentioning this is not a racial thing).

My extrovert teenagers were like, "huh."

[Anonymous]

I have actually heard UChicago has decent party scene these days. A fairly significant crowd that is extroverted, normal, private school “popular” type kids that party a lot. Anyone else hearing this? Obviously, this is a marked difference from UChicago’s long standing reputation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a recent graduate of the top school that conventional wisdom has declared FUN (Vanderbilt). This kid has a close friend attending the School Where Fun Goes to Die (Chicago) during the same years.

My kid, during many trips to stay with his friend on campus, found Chicago much more social, genuinely engaging and collaborative than Vanderbilt. People actually looked up from their phones and engaged and talked to each other and formed new clubs.

If however an elaborate tailgate scene is what you're actually asking, then yes, Vandy does well in that regard

Agree

Have heard the UChicago fun description a lot over last 2-3 years.

Is it still true today?

How do kids socialize? Downtown Chicago?

I had heard that Chicago kids were more mainstream, laid back but then we visited during their summer open house and 95% of our fellow prospective students appeared to be smart, quirky kids (nothing wrong with that but it was clearly a marked demographic).

honestly, I don't think you can avoid this at any top20 schools in 2025 except the state schools that are required to take smart but not super-gunner in-state students. The rest of their student bodies are primarily a grinder, geeky bunch. We toured a dozen top20 schools this summer and all the prospective student tours were filled with kids who looked like they don't leave their bedrooms except for school. Even Vanderbilt and Duke--it was no different there.

I know my post sounds highly critical of geeks but I actually was one (and married a guy who was even more of a science odd-ball (we met in an engineering program.) Unfortunately my kids (junior and senior) are pretty main-stream, very social but smart. They tour the top20 private schools in 2025 and feel like they don't see their people. They likely (fingers crossed) will end up at large state schools.

And my extremely bright yet social kid loved over half the t20s we toured and loves their ivy, and little sibling is aiming for a different ivy…to each their own i say! It is great yours realized that type of academic environment is not for them

No. Your kid is just nerdier than the previous poster’s kid and my own kid. And it’s OK.

Revel in their nerdiness, but let other people try to find their people too.
What’s the harm in them posting their opinion? Fii ok r a post about their kind of kid?

Glad your kid found their ppl - guess what. You’re not the target audience for this post. Read the title!

I read the title. My kid's "people" are soclal and extroverted just as they are. But at an ivy. Shocker there are socially extroverted brilliant kids too. The stereotype that they are all introverted , super nerdy, and do not leave the library is tiresome. The ivies and similar t15 provide the best of both worlds: unparalleled academics plus hundreds of clubs, performance arts, and more where brilliant kids have FUN and it is ok to care about intellectual things. We have been on campus many weekends and have seen the parties, and also heard about parties departments and professors have, for undergrads and grad students.
The whole "ivies are so nerdy" is mostly copium.

So you think parties hosted by academic departments and professors are fun and are examples of the vibrant social life?

Same NP as the previous but I happen to have just gotten pictures from a (large) department party for undergrad majors and grad students. It was an earth-wind-fire party and they played beer pong and ate pizza with grad and some professors came, dressed up, & played too. Most of them have ongoing research with some of these grad and profs too so spent the summer around them. I did not ask if 21 and up but in the past this has been the case if professors are invited. They had it at a house right near campus and had a DJ. It was definitely a fun party--students can have fun and socialize with people who are in different phases of life. It is odd to me you do not think that is possible? Last year this department hosted wine and cheese at a museum where they all dressed up and yes it was fun!

This is beyond nerd patrol.
My kid is at a T10 and this does not sound like fun.

The type of people who think this is fun are not the type of social this post is directed to.

Right? I think these parents are so funny. Their nerdy kids are at a party where there is beer pong (with professors) or eating wine and cheese at museums (in costume) and suddenly they are crazy social extroverts.

I propose Claremont with the drinking and cocaine for yours? Heck is wrong with this thread? Dcum is strange. Ivy and T20 obsessed on almost every thread, to the point of being ridiculous handwringing over getting in and over rankings of 25 vs 30, yet a significant portion seems to be on a quest for Animal House 2025. Those two pursuits do not overlap. Do you need to relive your college days through your kids? Did you not have enough fun, or do you just know they have zero chance at getting into a T20 so you bash them all as geeky and nerdy so you can cope? I have a friend like that. Her kid was shut out of all T25s despite valedictorian blah blah and all she does is bash T25s as not fun and not social and filled with nerds "now", despite the fact that she went to a T10. She is certain the school was "so social" and "more fun" back then yet...her descriptions of it in the 90s are oddly similar to my kid's experience now. She does hold a particular grudge against the ND rejection in addition to her alma mater's rejection. Lo, maybe she is on here!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have actually heard UChicago has decent party scene these days. A fairly significant crowd that is extroverted, normal, private school “popular” type kids that party a lot. Anyone else hearing this? Obviously, this is a marked difference from UChicago’s long standing reputation.

The residential houses can host parties or there are greek parties and you can go out Thursday to Saturday if you want but most don’t. It is easier to get in than ivies, at least from our area, so maybe the students are slightly more chill than the top kids who go ivy/stanford but I doubt it. There are various apartment parties and scavenger hunts. Greek is bigger than peer schools. The typical student goes out 1-2x a week. It is not anything like a state school with tailgates and huge drunkfests though. The intellectual vibe is strong but it is fun! Just not sure it fits the “fun” description this thread seems to be seeking.

[Anonymous]

^nephew is there, sophomore

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Brown—the fun Ivy.

Yes and no. Yes -- creative and out of the box, in that sense fun.
But not slack fun. Intense kids with rigorous classes, but just more of a creative/communal vibe than similar schools.

+1 that is how mine describes Brown

[Anonymous]

I love all these 50yo moms "fun shaming" 19 year olds.

Let the kids do what they want FFS. There are always opportunities on every college campus for your kids to get black out drunk, trust.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love all these 50yo moms "fun shaming" 19 year olds.

Let the kids do what they want FFS. There are always opportunities on every college campus for your kids to get black out drunk, trust.

Facts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have actually heard UChicago has decent party scene these days. A fairly significant crowd that is extroverted, normal, private school “popular” type kids that party a lot. Anyone else hearing this? Obviously, this is a marked difference from UChicago’s long standing reputation.

The residential houses can host parties or there are greek parties and you can go out Thursday to Saturday if you want but most don’t. It is easier to get in than ivies, at least from our area, so maybe the students are slightly more chill than the top kids who go ivy/stanford but I doubt it. There are various apartment parties and scavenger hunts. Greek is bigger than peer schools. The typical student goes out 1-2x a week. It is not anything like a state school with tailgates and huge drunkfests though. The intellectual vibe is strong but it is fun! Just not sure it fits the “fun” description this thread seems to be seeking.

This is definitely the demographic from the top privates. The top 10 or so kids in a class generally go to Ivies, unhooked. They are grinders that just never.messed.up in high school. Never turned in anything that wasn't perfect the first time (remember, there are no retakes in private) so these top kids are kids who just never let their guard down for 4 years. Ever.

Then the next 10-20 kids are all super smart (1550+ SAT, strong grades etc) but a bit more laid back. These are the ones that end up at Chicago. The top kids do not go to Chicago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have actually heard UChicago has decent party scene these days. A fairly significant crowd that is extroverted, normal, private school “popular” type kids that party a lot. Anyone else hearing this? Obviously, this is a marked difference from UChicago’s long standing reputation.

+100
Really social kids from our private thrive there

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a recent graduate of the top school that conventional wisdom has declared FUN (Vanderbilt). This kid has a close friend attending the School Where Fun Goes to Die (Chicago) during the same years.

My kid, during many trips to stay with his friend on campus, found Chicago much more social, genuinely engaging and collaborative than Vanderbilt. People actually looked up from their phones and engaged and talked to each other and formed new clubs.

If however an elaborate tailgate scene is what you're actually asking, then yes, Vandy does well in that regard

Agree

Have heard the UChicago fun description a lot over last 2-3 years.

Is it still true today?

How do kids socialize? Downtown Chicago?

I had heard that Chicago kids were more mainstream, laid back but then we visited during their summer open house and 95% of our fellow prospective students appeared to be smart, quirky kids (nothing wrong with that but it was clearly a marked demographic).

honestly, I don't think you can avoid this at any top20 schools in 2025 except the state schools that are required to take smart but not super-gunner in-state students. The rest of their student bodies are primarily a grinder, geeky bunch. We toured a dozen top20 schools this summer and all the prospective student tours were filled with kids who looked like they don't leave their bedrooms except for school. Even Vanderbilt and Duke--it was no different there.

I know my post sounds highly critical of geeks but I actually was one (and married a guy who was even more of a science odd-ball (we met in an engineering program.) Unfortunately my kids (junior and senior) are pretty main-stream, very social but smart. They tour the top20 private schools in 2025 and feel like they don't see their people. They likely (fingers crossed) will end up at large state schools.

And my extremely bright yet social kid loved over half the t20s we toured and loves their ivy, and little sibling is aiming for a different ivy…to each their own i say! It is great yours realized that type of academic environment is not for them

No. Your kid is just nerdier than the previous poster’s kid and my own kid. And it’s OK.

Revel in their nerdiness, but let other people try to find their people too.
What’s the harm in them posting their opinion? Fii ok r a post about their kind of kid?

Glad your kid found their ppl - guess what. You’re not the target audience for this post. Read the title!

I read the title. My kid's "people" are soclal and extroverted just as they are. But at an ivy. Shocker there are socially extroverted brilliant kids too. The stereotype that they are all introverted , super nerdy, and do not leave the library is tiresome. The ivies and similar t15 provide the best of both worlds: unparalleled academics plus hundreds of clubs, performance arts, and more where brilliant kids have FUN and it is ok to care about intellectual things. We have been on campus many weekends and have seen the parties, and also heard about parties departments and professors have, for undergrads and grad students.
The whole "ivies are so nerdy" is mostly copium.

So you think parties hosted by academic departments and professors are fun and are examples of the vibrant social life?

Same NP as the previous but I happen to have just gotten pictures from a (large) department party for undergrad majors and grad students. It was an earth-wind-fire party and they played beer pong and ate pizza with grad and some professors came, dressed up, & played too. Most of them have ongoing research with some of these grad and profs too so spent the summer around them. I did not ask if 21 and up but in the past this has been the case if professors are invited. They had it at a house right near campus and had a DJ. It was definitely a fun party--students can have fun and socialize with people who are in different phases of life. It is odd to me you do not think that is possible? Last year this department hosted wine and cheese at a museum where they all dressed up and yes it was fun!

This is beyond nerd patrol.
My kid is at a T10 and this does not sound like fun.

The type of people who think this is fun are not the type of social this post is directed to.

Right? I think these parents are so funny. Their nerdy kids are at a party where there is beer pong (with professors) or eating wine and cheese at museums (in costume) and suddenly they are crazy social extroverts.

I propose Claremont with the drinking and cocaine for yours? Heck is wrong with this thread? Dcum is strange. Ivy and T20 obsessed on almost every thread, to the point of being ridiculous handwringing over getting in and over rankings of 25 vs 30, yet a significant portion seems to be on a quest for Animal House 2025. Those two pursuits do not overlap. Do you need to relive your college days through your kids? Did you not have enough fun, or do you just know they have zero chance at getting into a T20 so you bash them all as geeky and nerdy so you can cope? I have a friend like that. Her kid was shut out of all T25s despite valedictorian blah blah and all she does is bash T25s as not fun and not social and filled with nerds "now", despite the fact that she went to a T10. She is certain the school was "so social" and "more fun" back then yet...her descriptions of it in the 90s are oddly similar to my kid's experience now. She does hold a particular grudge against the ND rejection in addition to her alma mater's rejection. Lo, maybe she is on here!

Please leave.
You post constantly.
We really don’t give a crap about you or your friends daughters experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love all these 50yo moms "fun shaming" 19 year olds.

Let the kids do what they want FFS. There are always opportunities on every college campus for your kids to get black out drunk, trust.

No one wants to get blackout drunk. They just don’t want to eat wine and cheese with a professor and call it a fun Saturday night. But I’m sure your kid loovves that.