Fighting for Fractions .. roughly 2% of college students go to a "top 30" school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone fighting so hard to get their kids into a "top 30-ish" school?

Less than 5% of college students attend a top 50 college. About 2.4% of college students in the US attend a top 30 college. Roughly 1% attend a "top 20" college. What is the point in fighting to be such a tiny fraction of college students.

For internships and jobs after. For grad school, medical and law school placement. For the contacts one makes at such places.

+1 and legacy status after. In my case, I was fortunate to get into Harvard for undergrad and worked hard and got into its law school. I met future presidents, congressman, roommates are household names, that sort of thing. That got me clerkships, which got me offers from top firms, which got me to the top of my field in interesting private and public positions. And now my DD is there. Yesterday I exchanged gifts and calls from H and HLS friends going way back. That’s why it matters. The experience made me a better person and better lawyer - one that could provide for a family and open doors for the next generation.

Note that this (absolutely correct) answer does not mention a single academic aspect of the school. Major, classes, professors — these matter only insofar as they allow you to network. Students more oriented toward academics than networking will not reap these benefits simply by attending a T10 and earning a degree. It’s who you meet while there that counts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone fighting so hard to get their kids into a "top 30-ish" school?

Less than 5% of college students attend a top 50 college. About 2.4% of college students in the US attend a top 30 college. Roughly 1% attend a "top 20" college. What is the point in fighting to be such a tiny fraction of college students.

For internships and jobs after. For grad school, medical and law school placement. For the contacts one makes at such places.

+1 and legacy status after. In my case, I was fortunate to get into Harvard for undergrad and worked hard and got into its law school. I met future presidents, congressman, roommates are household names, that sort of thing. That got me clerkships, which got me offers from top firms, which got me to the top of my field in interesting private and public positions. And now my DD is there. Yesterday I exchanged gifts and calls from H and HLS friends going way back. That’s why it matters. The experience made me a better person and better lawyer - one that could provide for a family and open doors for the next generation.

If the bolded is true I’d hate to have met you BEFORE you went to Harvard…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone fighting so hard to get their kids into a "top 30-ish" school?

Less than 5% of college students attend a top 50 college. About 2.4% of college students in the US attend a top 30 college. Roughly 1% attend a "top 20" college. What is the point in fighting to be such a tiny fraction of college students.

For internships and jobs after. For grad school, medical and law school placement. For the contacts one makes at such places.

+1 and legacy status after. In my case, I was fortunate to get into Harvard for undergrad and worked hard and got into its law school. I met future presidents, congressman, roommates are household names, that sort of thing. That got me clerkships, which got me offers from top firms, which got me to the top of my field in interesting private and public positions. And now my DD is there. Yesterday I exchanged gifts and calls from H and HLS friends going way back. That’s why it matters. The experience made me a better person and better lawyer - one that could provide for a family and open doors for the next generation.

But are the Ivies still filled with these sorts of kids and families? The kids that come from ultra-connected, household name families? It seems that the Ivies are now filled with FGLI kids, pointy smart kids, Hollywood celebrity kids, and athletes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone fighting so hard to get their kids into a "top 30-ish" school?

Less than 5% of college students attend a top 50 college. About 2.4% of college students in the US attend a top 30 college. Roughly 1% attend a "top 20" college. What is the point in fighting to be such a tiny fraction of college students.

For internships and jobs after. For grad school, medical and law school placement. For the contacts one makes at such places.

+1 and legacy status after. In my case, I was fortunate to get into Harvard for undergrad and worked hard and got into its law school. I met future presidents, congressman, roommates are household names, that sort of thing. That got me clerkships, which got me offers from top firms, which got me to the top of my field in interesting private and public positions. And now my DD is there. Yesterday I exchanged gifts and calls from H and HLS friends going way back. That’s why it matters. The experience made me a better person and better lawyer - one that could provide for a family and open doors for the next generation.

But are the Ivies still filled with these sorts of kids and families? The kids that come from ultra-connected, household name families? It seems that the Ivies are now filled with FGLI kids, pointy smart kids, Hollywood celebrity kids, and athletes.

The answer is yes…they are still filled with these sorts of kids and families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone fighting so hard to get their kids into a "top 30-ish" school?

Less than 5% of college students attend a top 50 college. About 2.4% of college students in the US attend a top 30 college. Roughly 1% attend a "top 20" college. What is the point in fighting to be such a tiny fraction of college students.

For internships and jobs after. For grad school, medical and law school placement. For the contacts one makes at such places.

+1 and legacy status after. In my case, I was fortunate to get into Harvard for undergrad and worked hard and got into its law school. I met future presidents, congressman, roommates are household names, that sort of thing. That got me clerkships, which got me offers from top firms, which got me to the top of my field in interesting private and public positions. And now my DD is there. Yesterday I exchanged gifts and calls from H and HLS friends going way back. That’s why it matters. The experience made me a better person and better lawyer - one that could provide for a family and open doors for the next generation.

The legacies at Harvard are kids who have been prepped since childhood to go there - prep school, tutors and obscure sports. They will not be innovators but will live to maintain the same life their parents have carved out for them. I really don't envy that life. My kids go to a prep school and I have seen these kids grow up and their whole existence has been about getting into Harvard and then some finance job. Then they will probably marry someone from there and continue the cycle. They hardly are better people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone fighting so hard to get their kids into a "top 30-ish" school?

Less than 5% of college students attend a top 50 college. About 2.4% of college students in the US attend a top 30 college. Roughly 1% attend a "top 20" college. What is the point in fighting to be such a tiny fraction of college students.

For internships and jobs after. For grad school, medical and law school placement. For the contacts one makes at such places.

+1 and legacy status after. In my case, I was fortunate to get into Harvard for undergrad and worked hard and got into its law school. I met future presidents, congressman, roommates are household names, that sort of thing. That got me clerkships, which got me offers from top firms, which got me to the top of my field in interesting private and public positions. And now my DD is there. Yesterday I exchanged gifts and calls from H and HLS friends going way back. That’s why it matters. The experience made me a better person and better lawyer - one that could provide for a family and open doors for the next generation.

This is great for a certain type of person. But, a lot of smart kids and their families just want a good job, accrual of wealth over time, and a leisurely retirement. Most are not looking to make history, rub shoulders with celebrities or hang with billionaires. The people who want to do those things go to Harvard, but smart people who just want a decent life mostly don’t. Harvard is a toxic brew for ordinary people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone fighting so hard to get their kids into a "top 30-ish" school?

Less than 5% of college students attend a top 50 college. About 2.4% of college students in the US attend a top 30 college. Roughly 1% attend a "top 20" college. What is the point in fighting to be such a tiny fraction of college students.

For internships and jobs after. For grad school, medical and law school placement. For the contacts one makes at such places.

+1 and legacy status after. In my case, I was fortunate to get into Harvard for undergrad and worked hard and got into its law school. I met future presidents, congressman, roommates are household names, that sort of thing. That got me clerkships, which got me offers from top firms, which got me to the top of my field in interesting private and public positions. And now my DD is there. Yesterday I exchanged gifts and calls from H and HLS friends going way back. That’s why it matters. The experience made me a better person and better lawyer - one that could provide for a family and open doors for the next generation.

The legacies at Harvard are kids who have been prepped since childhood to go there - prep school, tutors and obscure sports. They will not be innovators but will live to maintain the same life their parents have carved out for them. I really don't envy that life. My kids go to a prep school and I have seen these kids grow up and their whole existence has been about getting into Harvard and then some finance job. Then they will probably marry someone from there and continue the cycle. They hardly are better people.

Agreed. We watched a Harvard alum groom their son through his entire upbringing to be admitted to Harvard.

The kid’s total childhood was a charade of parent-managed volunteer efforts that got documented in local newspapers and culminated in a volunteer effort in a poor country where the parents previously lived, again gratuitously documented online and through local media. None of it was revolutionary, life-changing or meaningful, but it artificially demonstrated leadership and compassion over many years.

The kid also went to an expensive private school, played a sport, and got recruited to Harvard to play that sport.

Yes, it all worked, but we saw the entire process play out; it was gross.

Our same-age kid went to a public school, took rigorous courses, got great grades, got a near-perfect SAT and was accepted ED to an elite LAC.

[Anonymous]

True.

But DCUM is a message board that caters to DC-area educated folks, so the percentage of kids from DCUM parents attending T30 schools is way way higher than 2%.

If you live in a pocket where your high school has an instagram with 30+ impressive college acceptances each year, and you have a high achieving kid, and the parents are highly educated, yeah, you're gonna play the game.

If you are first-gen or focused on a 2+2 model, you're unlikely to play the game.

DCUM isn't representative of the US and a whole lot of DC area high schools and neighborhoods aren't either. They *are* the 5%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:True.

But DCUM is a message board that caters to DC-area educated folks, so the percentage of kids from DCUM parents attending T30 schools is way way higher than 2%.

If you live in a pocket where your high school has an instagram with 30+ impressive college acceptances each year, and you have a high achieving kid, and the parents are highly educated, yeah, you're gonna play the game.

If you are first-gen or focused on a 2+2 model, you're unlikely to play the game.

DCUM isn't representative of the US and a whole lot of DC area high schools and neighborhoods aren't either. They *are* the 5%.

The irony is that most of the 5% in the DC area live a worse life than the country’s 10% elsewhere. To most of the country, there’s no flex living in a $1.5-2 million, 2500 sq ft, split-level in Bethesda or working BigLaw or double GS-15 on policy issues. Sure, it’s a particular lifestyle and game to be played, but it’s hardly the best game life offers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:True.

But DCUM is a message board that caters to DC-area educated folks, so the percentage of kids from DCUM parents attending T30 schools is way way higher than 2%.

If you live in a pocket where your high school has an instagram with 30+ impressive college acceptances each year, and you have a high achieving kid, and the parents are highly educated, yeah, you're gonna play the game.

If you are first-gen or focused on a 2+2 model, you're unlikely to play the game.

DCUM isn't representative of the US and a whole lot of DC area high schools and neighborhoods aren't either. They *are* the 5%.

The irony is that most of the 5% in the DC area live a worse life than the country’s 10% elsewhere. To most of the country, there’s no flex living in a $1.5-2 million, 2500 sq ft, split-level in Bethesda or working BigLaw or double GS-15 on policy issues. Sure, it’s a particular lifestyle and game to be played, but it’s hardly the best game life offers.

There’s a subset of DCUM users who are transitioning from one game to the other. They show up every spring with their T30 pedigree, 529 account, and junior with stats that would have been impressive in 1992; learn about how college admissions has changed since then; and recalibrate. Some are angry about it, some are in denial, but lots move through various stages of grief and then get on with their lives. I’ve come to see this as one of the more valuable functions of this board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone fighting so hard to get their kids into a "top 30-ish" school?

Less than 5% of college students attend a top 50 college. About 2.4% of college students in the US attend a top 30 college. Roughly 1% attend a "top 20" college. What is the point in fighting to be such a tiny fraction of college students.

For internships and jobs after. For grad school, medical and law school placement. For the contacts one makes at such places.

+1 and legacy status after. In my case, I was fortunate to get into Harvard for undergrad and worked hard and got into its law school. I met future presidents, congressman, roommates are household names, that sort of thing. That got me clerkships, which got me offers from top firms, which got me to the top of my field in interesting private and public positions. And now my DD is there. Yesterday I exchanged gifts and calls from H and HLS friends going way back. That’s why it matters. The experience made me a better person and better lawyer - one that could provide for a family and open doors for the next generation.

Not trying to pick on the case you just made, but I’d genuinely like to know more about your experience. Were you just great at socializing and somewhat lucky to have made those connections? Do you think almost everyone in your class at H got the same value out of the four years they spent there? I always wonder if my DC would mingle with kids from different backgrounds or would seek out kids like them and stay in a bubble. If it’s the later, it would be hard to swallow the cost. I do think kids in the DMV area stay in their bubbles. I hate that every single friend is just like them. Intelligent, nice and clueless about real world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone fighting so hard to get their kids into a "top 30-ish" school?

Less than 5% of college students attend a top 50 college. About 2.4% of college students in the US attend a top 30 college. Roughly 1% attend a "top 20" college. What is the point in fighting to be such a tiny fraction of college students.

For internships and jobs after. For grad school, medical and law school placement. For the contacts one makes at such places.

+1 and legacy status after. In my case, I was fortunate to get into Harvard for undergrad and worked hard and got into its law school. I met future presidents, congressman, roommates are household names, that sort of thing. That got me clerkships, which got me offers from top firms, which got me to the top of my field in interesting private and public positions. And now my DD is there. Yesterday I exchanged gifts and calls from H and HLS friends going way back. That’s why it matters. The experience made me a better person and better lawyer - one that could provide for a family and open doors for the next generation.

This is great for a certain type of person. But, a lot of smart kids and their families just want a good job, accrual of wealth over time, and a leisurely retirement. Most are not looking to make history, rub shoulders with celebrities or hang with billionaires. The people who want to do those things go to Harvard, but smart people who just want a decent life mostly don’t. Harvard is a toxic brew for ordinary people.

I don’t think you appreciate that all the headlines about AI are absolutely scaring the current generation.

They want a good job and to accrue wealth over time like their parents, but don’t believe that will happen. Thats why so many young kids are investing in very risky assets…because they can’t count on maintaining a good job to accrue wealth over time.

Interesting recent WSJ article about financial nihilism in the current generation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone fighting so hard to get their kids into a "top 30-ish" school?

Less than 5% of college students attend a top 50 college. About 2.4% of college students in the US attend a top 30 college. Roughly 1% attend a "top 20" college. What is the point in fighting to be such a tiny fraction of college students.

For internships and jobs after. For grad school, medical and law school placement. For the contacts one makes at such places.

+1 and legacy status after. In my case, I was fortunate to get into Harvard for undergrad and worked hard and got into its law school. I met future presidents, congressman, roommates are household names, that sort of thing. That got me clerkships, which got me offers from top firms, which got me to the top of my field in interesting private and public positions. And now my DD is there. Yesterday I exchanged gifts and calls from H and HLS friends going way back. That’s why it matters. The experience made me a better person and better lawyer - one that could provide for a family and open doors for the next generation.

This is great for a certain type of person. But, a lot of smart kids and their families just want a good job, accrual of wealth over time, and a leisurely retirement. Most are not looking to make history, rub shoulders with celebrities or hang with billionaires. The people who want to do those things go to Harvard, but smart people who just want a decent life mostly don’t. Harvard is a toxic brew for ordinary people.

I don’t think you appreciate that all the headlines about AI are absolutely scaring the current generation.

They want a good job and to accrue wealth over time like their parents, but don’t believe that will happen. Thats why so many young kids are investing in very risky assets…because they can’t count on maintaining a good job to accrue wealth over time.

Interesting recent WSJ article about financial nihilism in the current generation.

This has been true with every technological inflection point in history.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone fighting so hard to get their kids into a "top 30-ish" school?

Less than 5% of college students attend a top 50 college. About 2.4% of college students in the US attend a top 30 college. Roughly 1% attend a "top 20" college. What is the point in fighting to be such a tiny fraction of college students.

For internships and jobs after. For grad school, medical and law school placement. For the contacts one makes at such places.

+1 and legacy status after. In my case, I was fortunate to get into Harvard for undergrad and worked hard and got into its law school. I met future presidents, congressman, roommates are household names, that sort of thing. That got me clerkships, which got me offers from top firms, which got me to the top of my field in interesting private and public positions. And now my DD is there. Yesterday I exchanged gifts and calls from H and HLS friends going way back. That’s why it matters. The experience made me a better person and better lawyer - one that could provide for a family and open doors for the next generation.

This is great for a certain type of person. But, a lot of smart kids and their families just want a good job, accrual of wealth over time, and a leisurely retirement. Most are not looking to make history, rub shoulders with celebrities or hang with billionaires. The people who want to do those things go to Harvard, but smart people who just want a decent life mostly don’t. Harvard is a toxic brew for ordinary people.

I don’t think you appreciate that all the headlines about AI are absolutely scaring the current generation.

They want a good job and to accrue wealth over time like their parents, but don’t believe that will happen. Thats why so many young kids are investing in very risky assets…because they can’t count on maintaining a good job to accrue wealth over time.

Interesting recent WSJ article about financial nihilism in the current generation.

This has been true with every technological inflection point in history.

No it hasn’t. I was a college grad when the Internet was created and it wasn’t a source of white collar anxiety whatsoever…it was a source of incredible white collar optimism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:True.

But DCUM is a message board that caters to DC-area educated folks, so the percentage of kids from DCUM parents attending T30 schools is way way higher than 2%.

If you live in a pocket where your high school has an instagram with 30+ impressive college acceptances each year, and you have a high achieving kid, and the parents are highly educated, yeah, you're gonna play the game.

If you are first-gen or focused on a 2+2 model, you're unlikely to play the game.

DCUM isn't representative of the US and a whole lot of DC area high schools and neighborhoods aren't either. They *are* the 5%.

The irony is that most of the 5% in the DC area live a worse life than the country’s 10% elsewhere. To most of the country, there’s no flex living in a $1.5-2 million, 2500 sq ft, split-level in Bethesda or working BigLaw or double GS-15 on policy issues. Sure, it’s a particular lifestyle and game to be played, but it’s hardly the best game life offers.

There’s a subset of DCUM users who are transitioning from one game to the other. They show up every spring with their T30 pedigree, 529 account, and junior with stats that would have been impressive in 1992; learn about how college admissions has changed since then; and recalibrate. Some are angry about it, some are in denial, but lots move through various stages of grief and then get on with their lives. I’ve come to see this as one of the more valuable functions of this board.

Not sure if you’re saying my earlier post was a cope, but it wasn’t. I’m just saying that in the DMV, a certain residential location, type of job, and school pedigree is highly valued that has limited appeal elsewhere in the county. Sure, everywhere else has their aspirations, but it’s oftentimes less focused on academic pedigree and exercising power/dominating others - save football!