Any examples of your child actually using the resources at a ritzy college?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This whole thread is bizarre. The value of a high end item - any item - a car, watch, house - is intangible in many ways and unique to each person. What they get out of it may be different than someone else. You’re asking us to quantify these things but really it’s a bunch of small things that make the difference between a BMW and a Kia. As we list them, any one of you could be like, “I don’t care about dual zone AC!” or whatever…. If you don’t get it or don’t want to get it there is nothing we can say to convince you otherwise. And I guess if literally, all you want is coursework, a dorm room and a degree, yes you can get that anywhere, don’t bother paying up for the ‘ritzy college’.

I'm a status obsessed badge whore striver.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole thread is bizarre. The value of a high end item - any item - a car, watch, house - is intangible in many ways and unique to each person. What they get out of it may be different than someone else. You’re asking us to quantify these things but really it’s a bunch of small things that make the difference between a BMW and a Kia. As we list them, any one of you could be like, “I don’t care about dual zone AC!” or whatever…. If you don’t get it or don’t want to get it there is nothing we can say to convince you otherwise. And I guess if literally, all you want is coursework, a dorm room and a degree, yes you can get that anywhere, don’t bother paying up for the ‘ritzy college’.

I'm a status obsessed badge whore striver.

And you’re an underpaid moron who didn’t live up to your potential

[Anonymous]

I think some of the best access to “ritzy” resources can be found at a public school via the honors college:
-nicer/newer dorms, access to huge gyms and pools
-research opportunities
-speakers, events
-bespoke advising with one-on-one meetings with the same faculty member each semester
-a dedicated fellowships specialist for assistance with applications to national-level awards

Of course, it takes initiative to make the most of opportunities in any setting.

[Anonymous]

I thought one resource was free access to (one on one?) tutoring but when our daughter tried to use the free tutoring it was just walk-ins in a large library-type room where disinterested undergraduate peers were supposed to randomly help kids on a first come, first served basis with somewhat complex random problems. Or group tutoring for specific subjects and the group would all be working on different stuff. It was just awkward and pointless. So in the end we had to cough up $100 a session for a private tutor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought one resource was free access to (one on one?) tutoring but when our daughter tried to use the free tutoring it was just walk-ins in a large library-type room where disinterested undergraduate peers were supposed to randomly help kids on a first come, first served basis with somewhat complex random problems. Or group tutoring for specific subjects and the group would all be working on different stuff. It was just awkward and pointless. So in the end we had to cough up $100 a session for a private tutor.

One sign of resource-poor, less ritzy college is whether students need to pay for tutoring. When touring universities, check out student boards. If there are many tutoring-for-fee services, I'd stay away from that school. This means profs are disinterested, not focused on teaching. There's no way that $100 a session tutoring can compete with profs' office hours and their teaching commitments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think some of the best access to “ritzy” resources can be found at a public school via the honors college:
-nicer/newer dorms, access to huge gyms and pools
-research opportunities
-speakers, events
-bespoke advising with one-on-one meetings with the same faculty member each semester
-a dedicated fellowships specialist for assistance with applications to national-level awards

Of course, it takes initiative to make the most of opportunities in any setting.

Like most folks on this thread, you have zero sense of the opportunities that arise at Ivy League schools. Your framework is broken.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid enjoyed the Olympic-sized swimming pool (not on the swim team, just loved to swim) and capacious hot tub. She liked the fancy buildings. Chose to study and hang out in unused classrooms at one of them rather than go to the library. The building had a coffee shop and was unusual -- a modern structure built over and around an older building. Interesting architecture. Exciting field trips covered. Lots of research opportunities and mentored projects. Small classes (five kids, in some cases), so lots of interaction with professors. Free weekly music lessons. Nice science facilities. Sent to conferences (including one in Europe to present a paper) for free. Close mentoring and advising.

Where? I think I might know (the building) but maybe there are lots of colleges with buildings like that.

Grinnell and the building is the HSSC. Is that the school you were thinking of? DC spent a lot of time there.