Why a Large Flagship/Public?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't see any appeal or advantage to attending a large public university as an undergrad. The competition is fierce in the intro courses, you don't get direct interaction with professors, you could easily disappear for a few days or a week and nobody would notice, you could flunk out and nobody would care, etc....

Other than fun football games in the fall semester, what's the appeal?

You have very narrow perspective. Not worth my time correcting you.

Then why comment all?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sure they’re cheaper but the idea of a school where 75% of students come from a single state seems entirely unappealing.

+1
College is about discovering new areas of interest, geographic cultures and people. Not living a 13th year of high school.

This^. There is more to higher education than a paper degree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sure they’re cheaper but the idea of a school where 75% of students come from a single state seems entirely unappealing.

+1
College is about discovering new areas of interest, geographic cultures and people. Not living a 13th year of high school.

In your view, that is. For most people it's primary purpose is getting an education.

It’s not about education, it’s about a degree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I loved the anonymity of it. My Ffx co high school had 359 in our grade. I knew everyone. Most for over a decade. I wanted new. I wanted not everyone to know my name or did crazy things without fear everyone would be talking about it.

I loved the crowds and tail gating and fun. The good friends I met were family amongst the larger setting/crowds.

Funny, my kid did not want our state flagship because she knew some kids from her high school were attending it wanted a fresh start.,

If she went to her state flagship, she could easily go 4 years without running into those kids or knowing anyone who knew them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is attending UVA and not doing well. The only appeal is the in-state tuition.

Not doing well because of the size?

The size, the culture of partying and drinking, the lack of support from the school for transitioning, the meanness of some students and professors. If your kids are socially adept and mature, a large public is fine I guess. But for a socially awkward, geeky kid, it might be a struggle.

SLACs have drinking and drugs and partying too. Your socially awkward kid could go through Colby miserable without friends just as easily as UVA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sure they’re cheaper but the idea of a school where 75% of students come from a single state seems entirely unappealing.

+1
College is about discovering new areas of interest, geographic cultures and people. Not living a 13th year of high school.

In your view, that is. For most people it's primary purpose is getting an education.

It’s not about education, it’s about a degree.

Are you a business person? I don't agree with your viewpoint at all PP. It is not about getting your ticket stamped, if we want thoughtful, well informed citizens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is attending UVA and not doing well. The only appeal is the in-state tuition.

Not doing well because of the size?

The size, the culture of partying and drinking, the lack of support from the school for transitioning, the meanness of some students and professors. If your kids are socially adept and mature, a large public is fine I guess. But for a socially awkward, geeky kid, it might be a struggle.

SLACs have drinking and drugs and partying too. Your socially awkward kid could go through Colby miserable without friends just as easily as UVA

Posters are sharing their family's experiences, and some idiot keeps arguing with them.

What a defensive jerk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't see any appeal or advantage to attending a large public university as an undergrad. The competition is fierce in the intro courses, you don't get direct interaction with professors, you could easily disappear for a few days or a week and nobody would notice, you could flunk out and nobody would care, etc....

Other than fun football games in the fall semester, what's the appeal?

You have very narrow perspective. Not worth my time correcting you.

Then why comment all?

To point out op has narrow perspective??

[Anonymous]

Choices, that's why Op.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is attending UVA and not doing well. The only appeal is the in-state tuition.

Not doing well because of the size?

The size, the culture of partying and drinking, the lack of support from the school for transitioning, the meanness of some students and professors. If your kids are socially adept and mature, a large public is fine I guess. But for a socially awkward, geeky kid, it might be a struggle.

SLACs have drinking and drugs and partying too. Your socially awkward kid could go through Colby miserable without friends just as easily as UVA

Posters are sharing their family's experiences, and some idiot keeps arguing with them.

What a defensive jerk.

Oh be quiet. The poster is generalizing. I had one kid go to UVA and another to an elite SLAC. The one at UVA sailed through without encountering any "meanness" among the student body or professors, while the one at the SLAC encountered both. And guess what? She dealt with it.

[Anonymous]

She was not generalizing. She was saying it might be good for some kids but was not right for hers.

This site exists to share just such experiences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sure they’re cheaper but the idea of a school where 75% of students come from a single state seems entirely unappealing.

+1
College is about discovering new areas of interest, geographic cultures and people. Not living a 13th year of high school.

Ironically a 1500-2000 student SLAC is much more representative of high school than a 30,000+ undergrad, 10,000+ grad flagship public.

Most privates tend to have students from the geographical area that they are based in. Top privates and SLACs obviously have wider national and international reach, particularly those based in cosmopolitan areas. Top flagship publics have the same international reach if the graduate (not pre-professional) student population is included - and they should be considering undergraduates have a good amount of interaction with graduate students

[Anonymous]

I.E. Hopkins gets a lot of applications from the mid-Atlantic states, Case Western from the Midwest, Pomona from the California, New England SLACs from New England.

The exception is applicants from New York and New Jersey, who tend to be well-represented in both privates and top publics across the country.

It's really the top/middle Ivies, Stanford, and perhaps a few other privates that have a truly national/international population.

[Anonymous]

Because some are ready to be big fish in the ocean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sure they’re cheaper but the idea of a school where 75% of students come from a single state seems entirely unappealing.

+1
College is about discovering new areas of interest, geographic cultures and people. Not living a 13th year of high school.

In your view, that is. For most people it's primary purpose is getting an education.

It’s not about education, it’s about a degree.

Are you a business person? I don't agree with your viewpoint at all PP. It is not about getting your ticket stamped, if we want thoughtful, well informed citizens.

Oh, boy - here we go…