If your DC is attending a #100 to #∞ ranked college, why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are over 1,000 four year colleges in the US. The question isn’t why a kid goes to 101-1,499. The question is why do you think the normal thing to do needs explaining, or apologies, or reasons? Why are you so afraid of falling out of the elite that you pathologize the normal, typical thing for a young person to do?

This! What the actual F?! Having spent almost my entire life in northern Virginia, I know tons and tons of people who currently attend or did attend JMU and every last one of them love/d it. It is ranked #148 per USNWR right now. And actually, I know several very successful people in their 40's/50's who attended JMU. OP, you live in some weird bubble.

I don't know where you live or in what circles you run but in NOVA there is a stigma if you didn't go to a t75 or t50 five years ago ranked college.

wow, thank goodness I don't live in NoVa.

-signed a <T100 graduate who works for a FAANG.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are over 1,000 four year colleges in the US. The question isn’t why a kid goes to 101-1,499. The question is why do you think the normal thing to do needs explaining, or apologies, or reasons? Why are you so afraid of falling out of the elite that you pathologize the normal, typical thing for a young person to do?

This! What the actual F?! Having spent almost my entire life in northern Virginia, I know tons and tons of people who currently attend or did attend JMU and every last one of them love/d it. It is ranked #148 per USNWR right now. And actually, I know several very successful people in their 40's/50's who attended JMU. OP, you live in some weird bubble.

I don't know where you live or in what circles you run but in NOVA there is a stigma if you didn't go to a t75 or t50 five years ago ranked college.

There are equity partners at my BigLaw law firm who did not go to a t100 undergrad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's our state flagship and she is in the honors college and won't graduate with a ton of debt. Most of her graduating class went there so it's normalized, no stigma.

Wish there was no stigma in VA associated with going to 100+ ranked colleges.

The only stigma is the one you bring upon yourself. Do you think every one of the 1000+ kids in your child’s high school class is going to highly ranked school? Open your eyes, super snob.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are over 1,000 four year colleges in the US. The question isn’t why a kid goes to 101-1,499. The question is why do you think the normal thing to do needs explaining, or apologies, or reasons? Why are you so afraid of falling out of the elite that you pathologize the normal, typical thing for a young person to do?

This! What the actual F?! Having spent almost my entire life in northern Virginia, I know tons and tons of people who currently attend or did attend JMU and every last one of them love/d it. It is ranked #148 per USNWR right now. And actually, I know several very successful people in their 40's/50's who attended JMU. OP, you live in some weird bubble.

I don't know where you live or in what circles you run but in NOVA there is a stigma if you didn't go to a t75 or t50 five years ago ranked college.

Op I think your social group is the outlier here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are over 1,000 four year colleges in the US. The question isn’t why a kid goes to 101-1,499. The question is why do you think the normal thing to do needs explaining, or apologies, or reasons? Why are you so afraid of falling out of the elite that you pathologize the normal, typical thing for a young person to do?

This! What the actual F?! Having spent almost my entire life in northern Virginia, I know tons and tons of people who currently attend or did attend JMU and every last one of them love/d it. It is ranked #148 per USNWR right now. And actually, I know several very successful people in their 40's/50's who attended JMU. OP, you live in some weird bubble.

I don't know where you live or in what circles you run but in NOVA there is a stigma if you didn't go to a t75 or t50 five years ago ranked college.

Op I think your social group is the outlier here.

I don't know but I will say that I don't know a single adult who went to JMU, GMU, etc. so my neighborhood may be influencing my view.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey OP, in all seriousness, it seems like maybe you could stand to hear this: The best parts of you are not your accomplishments. You are not your job title, or the name of the school on the sticker of your car. There’s something about you that’s far bigger, more meaningful and beautiful, than any of those things. I suspect you’ll roll your eyes at this post, but I hope someday you let the truth of it in. Not only will you be more at peace when you do, the world will also come more alive for you.

Not OP but I love this and so feel it. Thank you!

This is nice but can we ever discuss in a real, honest way of whether or not we should be sending a certain number of kids to a certain level of university that costs a certain amount of $? Or will it just continue to be "you're mean" to suggest that college isn't for everyone....and that those people are probably not the most academically gifted people?

Sure, but it’s always “those people,” right? Those other people should consider whether college is good for them. Those other people whose kids got a 2.8 GPA, or didn’t take APs, or scored 1200 on the SAT. Not YOUR kid. YOUR kid will make the most of their education, and will just HAPPEN to also benefit from four years of extra maturity, social connections, safe independence building, and a safe ring on the income ladder.

I have one of those kids. I am also myself over educated at a string of elite institutions. I expect you don’t actually think of my kid as one if “those people” because he goes to school with your kids, is on student government and band and track with them. But he is. He is just who you are “just wondering” whether should go to college like your kids.

Maybe delve into the research, OP? Get curious. Read a little. You’ll find that college outcomes have little to do with the institution itself and everything to do with the socioeconomic stats of the family. So. Your question isn’t why kids go to non-selective colleges. It’s why poor and working class kids go to college.

Sounds like you'll be able to pay for college.

My real existential question is should our country be forgiving student loans taken by kids who never should have or needed to go to college.

And actually, if my child showed promise in another area that didn't include college. Totally fine, amazing. I would also counsel them to make good, sound financial decisions because one day they're going to have to.

But you can keep enabling. That's your choice. Sounds like you didn't make great education choices if you're over educated for what you're doing. And the use of the phrase "over educated " tells me you don't find value in at least some of your education.