“Colleges That Change Lives”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious about people's experience with Ohio Wesleyan

My BIL graduated from there about 10 years ago and liked it. It’s religiously affiliated but not conservative Christian. It seems more geared toward Ohio students though and particularly students from around Columbus - it doesn’t seem to draw as many students from out of the area/OOS as Kenyon, Denison, etc. Delaware is a nice area and relatively close to Columbus so it’s a convenient location.

I have a good friend who went here (I went to grad school at OSU) and she absolutely adored it. Now that she's 33 it's almost annoying how much of her identity is still wrapped up in OWU -- she goes to reunions, her best friends are all from there, etc. She is now a writer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is my issue with the CTCL organization: Its board is made up of mostly of reps from the schools it promotes. Its income consists of membership (marketing) fees from the schools it promotes. As a non-profit organization, its “services” consist of paying one person to go around the country and promote these schools. There is nothing amazingly different about most of these schools from the hundreds of other schools out there. Some are quite good but many are struggling financially and there are many with horrible graduation rates. Schools should be considered on an individual basis, not because they are part of an irrelevant list.

+1. CTCL feeds into the insecurity of parents whose kids can't get into Tier 1.

DC was accepted by several "Tier 1" colleges but decided to attend Beloit, a CTCL school, instead. Just a much better fit overall, excellent merit aid, had a fabulous experience and now in grad school. DC's younger sibling has been attending a "Tier 1" for 2 years now and so far I'd say hands down Beloit is better academically. Better professors. Professors who actually know and care about the students in and outside of the classroom. And plenty of peers who were truly intellectually curious and ambitious without caring about status. Did Beloit change my DC's life? Who knows because DC probably would have been successful almost anywhere. But I do know that at Beloit DC found a subject s/he loves to study, found professors who were excited to share their love of that subject with DC, found professors who opened doors to amazing research opportunities off campus and who gave (and continue to give) 100% support when connecting DC to alums in the same field, applying to jobs and grad school. And none of that is a marketing gimmick.

I also got a close-to-full-ride merit scholarship at a top Claremont college and went to Beloit instead -- no knock against the school I turned down, I just felt like I fit in more at Beloit. I now have a PhD. I was able to do research in my field, and even in my minor field, from my first semester. I also studied abroad for a year. It was a terrific experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is my issue with the CTCL organization: Its board is made up of mostly of reps from the schools it promotes. Its income consists of membership (marketing) fees from the schools it promotes. As a non-profit organization, its “services” consist of paying one person to go around the country and promote these schools. There is nothing amazingly different about most of these schools from the hundreds of other schools out there. Some are quite good but many are struggling financially and there are many with horrible graduation rates. Schools should be considered on an individual basis, not because they are part of an irrelevant list.

+1. CTCL feeds into the insecurity of parents whose kids can't get into Tier 1.

DC was accepted by several "Tier 1" colleges but decided to attend Beloit, a CTCL school, instead. Just a much better fit overall, excellent merit aid, had a fabulous experience and now in grad school. DC's younger sibling has been attending a "Tier 1" for 2 years now and so far I'd say hands down Beloit is better academically. Better professors. Professors who actually know and care about the students in and outside of the classroom. And plenty of peers who were truly intellectually curious and ambitious without caring about status. Did Beloit change my DC's life? Who knows because DC probably would have been successful almost anywhere. But I do know that at Beloit DC found a subject s/he loves to study, found professors who were excited to share their love of that subject with DC, found professors who opened doors to amazing research opportunities off campus and who gave (and continue to give) 100% support when connecting DC to alums in the same field, applying to jobs and grad school. And none of that is a marketing gimmick.

I always love statements like this. How would you know? Do you go to school with the kids?

NP but PP, do you get off at being an ahole? People are trying to offer their advice and experiences and I’m assuming you’re the one person belittling them.

Thank you. I am the PP.

Do you think my kids don't talk??? To each other??? To their parents??? My kid at the "Tier 1" repeatedly says his adviser doesn't even know who he is and this kid is a very outgoing, talkative person. And actually, we have sat in on several classes at both of the colleges during parents' weekend over the years and met many of their classmates so when I hear my kids talk about their experiences I have a frame of reference.

So you’re generalizing about entire schools and tiers of schools based solely on listening into the occasional conversation of one kid in each. Ok. Got it.

(And Lol that you actually sit in on classes during parents’ weekend! Wow.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is my issue with the CTCL organization: Its board is made up of mostly of reps from the schools it promotes. Its income consists of membership (marketing) fees from the schools it promotes. As a non-profit organization, its “services” consist of paying one person to go around the country and promote these schools. There is nothing amazingly different about most of these schools from the hundreds of other schools out there. Some are quite good but many are struggling financially and there are many with horrible graduation rates. Schools should be considered on an individual basis, not because they are part of an irrelevant list.

+1. CTCL feeds into the insecurity of parents whose kids can't get into Tier 1.

DC was accepted by several "Tier 1" colleges but decided to attend Beloit, a CTCL school, instead. Just a much better fit overall, excellent merit aid, had a fabulous experience and now in grad school. DC's younger sibling has been attending a "Tier 1" for 2 years now and so far I'd say hands down Beloit is better academically. Better professors. Professors who actually know and care about the students in and outside of the classroom. And plenty of peers who were truly intellectually curious and ambitious without caring about status. Did Beloit change my DC's life? Who knows because DC probably would have been successful almost anywhere. But I do know that at Beloit DC found a subject s/he loves to study, found professors who were excited to share their love of that subject with DC, found professors who opened doors to amazing research opportunities off campus and who gave (and continue to give) 100% support when connecting DC to alums in the same field, applying to jobs and grad school. And none of that is a marketing gimmick.

I also got a close-to-full-ride merit scholarship at a top Claremont college and went to Beloit instead -- no knock against the school I turned down, I just felt like I fit in more at Beloit. I now have a PhD. I was able to do research in my field, and even in my minor field, from my first semester. I also studied abroad for a year. It was a terrific experience.

You can study abroad while attending virtually any college in United States. I did it, my spouse did it and all of my kids did it. None of us attended a CTCL. Actually, all of us did, they’re just not in the silly book.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Went to Reed. Intense and wonderful academics. Subsequent T14 law school was a breeze in comparison. Have nothing to compare it to, as I never went elsewhere, but definitely saw some kids from some very fancy undergrads who seemed like they were struggling to adjust to the intensity of law school.

People are a little weird, but that suited me fine.

Reed is first tier. It doesn't even belong in the book.

Agreed

You misunderstand the point of the book -- it's not "lower-tier quirky schools," it's "quirky schools that attract students who might be more independent or would thrive out of the traditional academic environment" and many of those fall out of the so-called top tier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is my issue with the CTCL organization: Its board is made up of mostly of reps from the schools it promotes. Its income consists of membership (marketing) fees from the schools it promotes. As a non-profit organization, its “services” consist of paying one person to go around the country and promote these schools. There is nothing amazingly different about most of these schools from the hundreds of other schools out there. Some are quite good but many are struggling financially and there are many with horrible graduation rates. Schools should be considered on an individual basis, not because they are part of an irrelevant list.

+1. CTCL feeds into the insecurity of parents whose kids can't get into Tier 1.

DC was accepted by several "Tier 1" colleges but decided to attend Beloit, a CTCL school, instead. Just a much better fit overall, excellent merit aid, had a fabulous experience and now in grad school. DC's younger sibling has been attending a "Tier 1" for 2 years now and so far I'd say hands down Beloit is better academically. Better professors. Professors who actually know and care about the students in and outside of the classroom. And plenty of peers who were truly intellectually curious and ambitious without caring about status. Did Beloit change my DC's life? Who knows because DC probably would have been successful almost anywhere. But I do know that at Beloit DC found a subject s/he loves to study, found professors who were excited to share their love of that subject with DC, found professors who opened doors to amazing research opportunities off campus and who gave (and continue to give) 100% support when connecting DC to alums in the same field, applying to jobs and grad school. And none of that is a marketing gimmick.

I also got a close-to-full-ride merit scholarship at a top Claremont college and went to Beloit instead -- no knock against the school I turned down, I just felt like I fit in more at Beloit. I now have a PhD. I was able to do research in my field, and even in my minor field, from my first semester. I also studied abroad for a year. It was a terrific experience.

You can study abroad while attending virtually any college in United States. I did it, my spouse did it and all of my kids did it. None of us attended a CTCL. Actually, all of us did, they’re just not in the silly book.

Ok? Not my point? I was giving an example of my experience, not saying that only people who attend CTCL-colleges can study abroad.
But, a lot of the CTCL are on this list, in case it matters: https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/most-study-abroad

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Please stop. There are dozens of threads on this. The label is basically a well-thought-out marketing slogan for smaller schools.

Can you cite a source showing this is a marketing ploy? I keep hearing this - the marketing ploy - but where did the idea come from?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is my issue with the CTCL organization: Its board is made up of mostly of reps from the schools it promotes. Its income consists of membership (marketing) fees from the schools it promotes. As a non-profit organization, its “services” consist of paying one person to go around the country and promote these schools. There is nothing amazingly different about most of these schools from the hundreds of other schools out there. Some are quite good but many are struggling financially and there are many with horrible graduation rates. Schools should be considered on an individual basis, not because they are part of an irrelevant list.

+1. CTCL feeds into the insecurity of parents whose kids can't get into Tier 1.

DC was accepted by several "Tier 1" colleges but decided to attend Beloit, a CTCL school, instead. Just a much better fit overall, excellent merit aid, had a fabulous experience and now in grad school. DC's younger sibling has been attending a "Tier 1" for 2 years now and so far I'd say hands down Beloit is better academically. Better professors. Professors who actually know and care about the students in and outside of the classroom. And plenty of peers who were truly intellectually curious and ambitious without caring about status. Did Beloit change my DC's life? Who knows because DC probably would have been successful almost anywhere. But I do know that at Beloit DC found a subject s/he loves to study, found professors who were excited to share their love of that subject with DC, found professors who opened doors to amazing research opportunities off campus and who gave (and continue to give) 100% support when connecting DC to alums in the same field, applying to jobs and grad school. And none of that is a marketing gimmick.

I also got a close-to-full-ride merit scholarship at a top Claremont college and went to Beloit instead -- no knock against the school I turned down, I just felt like I fit in more at Beloit. I now have a PhD. I was able to do research in my field, and even in my minor field, from my first semester. I also studied abroad for a year. It was a terrific experience.

You can study abroad while attending virtually any college in United States. I did it, my spouse did it and all of my kids did it. None of us attended a CTCL. Actually, all of us did, they’re just not in the silly book.

Ok? Not my point? I was giving an example of my experience, not saying that only people who attend CTCL-colleges can study abroad.
But, a lot of the CTCL are on this list, in case it matters: https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/most-study-abroad

You do realize that Beloit is in a financial crisis right now, right? Not to mention that more than one student in five does not even return for sophomore year.

https://www.beloitdailynews.com/news/20190430/beloit_college_will_get_clearer_viewof_finances_with_enrollment_decisions

[Anonymous]

Many of the people posting here remind me of the parents who were causing such an embarrassing ruckus at Sidwell recently. It is remarkable how self-unaware you are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Please stop. There are dozens of threads on this. The label is basically a well-thought-out marketing slogan for smaller schools.

Can you cite a source showing this is a marketing ploy? I keep hearing this - the marketing ploy - but where did the idea come from?

What else do you think it is or could be? They have a shared webpage that markets their schools and that’s it. It’s not like they’re an athletic conference or academic consortium or anything like that. It’s all marketing to drum up applications.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Please stop. There are dozens of threads on this. The label is basically a well-thought-out marketing slogan for smaller schools.

Can you cite a source showing this is a marketing ploy? I keep hearing this - the marketing ploy - but where did the idea come from?

What else do you think it is or could be? They have a shared webpage that markets their schools and that’s it. It’s not like they’re an athletic conference or academic consortium or anything like that. It’s all marketing to drum up applications.

As has been mentioned, the concept came out of book written by Loren Pope years ago -- which OP should read, as it explains the criteria. The colleges, understandably pleased with the book, created the network afterwords. So, yes, it has to do with marketing but it originated before that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is my issue with the CTCL organization: Its board is made up of mostly of reps from the schools it promotes. Its income consists of membership (marketing) fees from the schools it promotes. As a non-profit organization, its “services” consist of paying one person to go around the country and promote these schools. There is nothing amazingly different about most of these schools from the hundreds of other schools out there. Some are quite good but many are struggling financially and there are many with horrible graduation rates. Schools should be considered on an individual basis, not because they are part of an irrelevant list.

+1. CTCL feeds into the insecurity of parents whose kids can't get into Tier 1.

DC was accepted by several "Tier 1" colleges but decided to attend Beloit, a CTCL school, instead. Just a much better fit overall, excellent merit aid, had a fabulous experience and now in grad school. DC's younger sibling has been attending a "Tier 1" for 2 years now and so far I'd say hands down Beloit is better academically. Better professors. Professors who actually know and care about the students in and outside of the classroom. And plenty of peers who were truly intellectually curious and ambitious without caring about status. Did Beloit change my DC's life? Who knows because DC probably would have been successful almost anywhere. But I do know that at Beloit DC found a subject s/he loves to study, found professors who were excited to share their love of that subject with DC, found professors who opened doors to amazing research opportunities off campus and who gave (and continue to give) 100% support when connecting DC to alums in the same field, applying to jobs and grad school. And none of that is a marketing gimmick.

I also got a close-to-full-ride merit scholarship at a top Claremont college and went to Beloit instead -- no knock against the school I turned down, I just felt like I fit in more at Beloit. I now have a PhD. I was able to do research in my field, and even in my minor field, from my first semester. I also studied abroad for a year. It was a terrific experience.

You can study abroad while attending virtually any college in United States. I did it, my spouse did it and all of my kids did it. None of us attended a CTCL. Actually, all of us did, they’re just not in the silly book.

Ok? Not my point? I was giving an example of my experience, not saying that only people who attend CTCL-colleges can study abroad.
But, a lot of the CTCL are on this list, in case it matters: https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/most-study-abroad

You do realize that Beloit is in a financial crisis right now, right? Not to mention that more than one student in five does not even return for sophomore year.

https://www.beloitdailynews.com/news/20190430/beloit_college_will_get_clearer_viewof_finances_with_enrollment_decisions

You are SUCH an expert in all things, especially the financial health of schools you know nothing about other than what a quick google search will get you.
For comparative data about the financial health of US colleges, see here:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/schifrin/2017/08/01/2017-forbes-college-financial-grades-a-through-d/#6f53e33172f3

Beloit gets a B. Not great, but hardly "crisis" level, especially compared to the vast majority of schools on this list. small LACs tend to be struggling right now, this is not a Beloit-specific phenomenon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is my issue with the CTCL organization: Its board is made up of mostly of reps from the schools it promotes. Its income consists of membership (marketing) fees from the schools it promotes. As a non-profit organization, its “services” consist of paying one person to go around the country and promote these schools. There is nothing amazingly different about most of these schools from the hundreds of other schools out there. Some are quite good but many are struggling financially and there are many with horrible graduation rates. Schools should be considered on an individual basis, not because they are part of an irrelevant list.

+1. CTCL feeds into the insecurity of parents whose kids can't get into Tier 1.

DC was accepted by several "Tier 1" colleges but decided to attend Beloit, a CTCL school, instead. Just a much better fit overall, excellent merit aid, had a fabulous experience and now in grad school. DC's younger sibling has been attending a "Tier 1" for 2 years now and so far I'd say hands down Beloit is better academically. Better professors. Professors who actually know and care about the students in and outside of the classroom. And plenty of peers who were truly intellectually curious and ambitious without caring about status. Did Beloit change my DC's life? Who knows because DC probably would have been successful almost anywhere. But I do know that at Beloit DC found a subject s/he loves to study, found professors who were excited to share their love of that subject with DC, found professors who opened doors to amazing research opportunities off campus and who gave (and continue to give) 100% support when connecting DC to alums in the same field, applying to jobs and grad school. And none of that is a marketing gimmick.

I also got a close-to-full-ride merit scholarship at a top Claremont college and went to Beloit instead -- no knock against the school I turned down, I just felt like I fit in more at Beloit. I now have a PhD. I was able to do research in my field, and even in my minor field, from my first semester. I also studied abroad for a year. It was a terrific experience.

You can study abroad while attending virtually any college in United States. I did it, my spouse did it and all of my kids did it. None of us attended a CTCL. Actually, all of us did, they’re just not in the silly book.

Ok? Not my point? I was giving an example of my experience, not saying that only people who attend CTCL-colleges can study abroad.
But, a lot of the CTCL are on this list, in case it matters: https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/most-study-abroad

You do realize that Beloit is in a financial crisis right now, right? Not to mention that more than one student in five does not even return for sophomore year.

https://www.beloitdailynews.com/news/20190430/beloit_college_will_get_clearer_viewof_finances_with_enrollment_decisions

Also, I can google too. https://www.beloitdailynews.com/news/20190606/college_hits_itstarget_forenrollment

[Anonymous]

It’s interesting that you consider that article you just posted a link to to be positive. If Beloit is so great, why do so many kids not return for sophomore year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Please stop. There are dozens of threads on this. The label is basically a well-thought-out marketing slogan for smaller schools.

if a school receives positive reviews of course they are going to use it for marketing. when did marketing become a pejorative ?

all school market themselves H/P,Y,, first-tier, second etc. who cares.

the OP want to know personal experiences with the listed school, not biased nasty retorts from people with no engagement with said institutions.

For the people or parents of children who went to "first-tier" schools that didn't need a broader view on available options, Great for you. And I mean that.
But for the others, who want viewpoints from people that actually attended those schools and genuinely wanting to know what their experience was like during and post, save sh*tty responses.

Clearly those responses are designed to make the poster feel better about themselves and to make the person asking the question feel bad. Why troll? Don't you have anything better to do?