What’s the educational difference between a highly-rated college and a good one?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've had kids at JMU, W&M and a top 5 private college. The level of academics and quality of professors is light-years ahead at W&M vs. JMU. The difference is smaller between W&M and the private college, but is magnified by the fact that the classes at the private are smaller and the average student at the private college is brighter than the average student at W&M, so the classes can be taught at a little higher level, with more attention from the professor. Also, the writing instruction at the private is much, much better, again because classes are smaller.

Was the "top 5" a national university or a SLAC?

Must be the latter. None of top 5 is called a college.

[Anonymous]

So much depends on the DC! If you have an academically-inclined/ambitious kid who is extremely smart and basically fearless, HYP can make a helluva difference. If you have a smart kid who needs encouragement to bring out his/her best, than consider at SLACs. And always look at potential majors (plan B as well as other possibilities) wrt course offerings, requirements, number of faculty, and other resources (labs, libraries, museums, internships).

But this is from an educational perspective and, honestly, the vast majority (85%?) of undergrads, even at elite schools, aren’t there to learn as much (and as well) as possible. They are there for credentialing, networking, figuring out who and what they want to be when they grow up, partying and/or because that’s where they are expected to be.

So if your DC isn’t really into learning for its own sake or if what your DC wants to learn isn’t “intellectual” (e.g. speech therapy, journalism, graphic design, public policy), then this kind of (ranking/comparison across broad categories) discussion isn’t much help. Focus on what your kid wants/needs from college and the conditions under which your kid is motivated to persist when things get tough or to welcome challenge (and/or what things knocK your kid off balance) and encourage your DC to choose among colleges with those considerations in mind,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've had kids at JMU, W&M and a top 5 private college. The level of academics and quality of professors is light-years ahead at W&M vs. JMU. The difference is smaller between W&M and the private college, but is magnified by the fact that the classes at the private are smaller and the average student at the private college is brighter than the average student at W&M, so the classes can be taught at a little higher level, with more attention from the professor. Also, the writing instruction at the private is much, much better, again because classes are smaller.

Was the "top 5" a national university or a SLAC?

Must be the latter. None of top 5 is called a college.

Ever heard of Harvard College?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've had kids at JMU, W&M and a top 5 private college. The level of academics and quality of professors is light-years ahead at W&M vs. JMU. The difference is smaller between W&M and the private college, but is magnified by the fact that the classes at the private are smaller and the average student at the private college is brighter than the average student at W&M, so the classes can be taught at a little higher level, with more attention from the professor. Also, the writing instruction at the private is much, much better, again because classes are smaller.

Was the "top 5" a national university or a SLAC?

Must be the latter. None of top 5 is called a college.

Ever heard of Harvard College?

And in the U.S. we tend to say my kid has gone off to college even if the college is a university. In the U.K. they say their kid has gone to university.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've had kids at JMU, W&M and a top 5 private college. The level of academics and quality of professors is light-years ahead at W&M vs. JMU. The difference is smaller between W&M and the private college, but is magnified by the fact that the classes at the private are smaller and the average student at the private college is brighter than the average student at W&M, so the classes can be taught at a little higher level, with more attention from the professor. Also, the writing instruction at the private is much, much better, again because classes are smaller.

Sorry, that does not make you an expert or even informed about much of anything. You're just a helicopter talking out of your ***.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've had kids at JMU, W&M and a top 5 private college. The level of academics and quality of professors is light-years ahead at W&M vs. JMU. The difference is smaller between W&M and the private college, but is magnified by the fact that the classes at the private are smaller and the average student at the private college is brighter than the average student at W&M, so the classes can be taught at a little higher level, with more attention from the professor. Also, the writing instruction at the private is much, much better, again because classes are smaller.

Was the "top 5" a national university or a SLAC?

Must be the latter. None of top 5 is called a college.

🙄🙄

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've had kids at JMU, W&M and a top 5 private college. The level of academics and quality of professors is light-years ahead at W&M vs. JMU. The difference is smaller between W&M and the private college, but is magnified by the fact that the classes at the private are smaller and the average student at the private college is brighter than the average student at W&M, so the classes can be taught at a little higher level, with more attention from the professor. Also, the writing instruction at the private is much, much better, again because classes are smaller.

Was the "top 5" a national university or a SLAC?

Must be the latter. None of top 5 is called a college.

I hate the pedantic people on this forum.

Their "corrections" are always obnoxious, and have nothing to do with the poster's main point, which is clear without the benefit of the all knowing poster's 2 cents.

[Anonymous]

Unless your teen is a battle tested hyper-aggressive go-getter, huge public universities are awful places for an undergrad "education." Sure, everyone can cite doctors, lawyers and rich execs who went to public U -- but what's the average alum up to? The average grad probably took 5 years to finish a BA and goes onto live a mediocre provincial life. A shocking number of public U students never actually graduate.

There's a reason smart well-adjusted UMC parents spend obscene sums of time and money cultivating their child for highly ranked private colleges. If Alcoholic State universities were on par with top 30 private colleges, nobody in their right mind would be this obsessed over K-12 prep, extra curriculars, travel sports, and college admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unless your teen is a battle tested hyper-aggressive go-getter, huge public universities are awful places for an undergrad "education." Sure, everyone can cite doctors, lawyers and rich execs who went to public U -- but what's the average alum up to? The average grad probably took 5 years to finish a BA and goes onto live a mediocre provincial life. A shocking number of public U students never actually graduate.

There's a reason smart well-adjusted UMC parents spend obscene sums of time and money cultivating their child for highly ranked private colleges. If Alcoholic State universities were on par with top 30 private colleges, nobody in their right mind would be this obsessed over K-12 prep, extra curriculars, travel sports, and college admissions.

Poet: The Sequel!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the UMD professor: Do you give attendance points that will increase grades? (My friend’s son went to UMD and this was the case for him). Sounds like high school, to me.

My son’s SLAC:
-no extra credit
-most exams were essay form vs scan-tron
-no opting out of finals
-minimal grading on the curve
-no homework points

No, I don't give attendance points to increase grades. I actually deduct points for poor attendance.

At Hopkins, there was more pressure to give A's. I fail or give more D's now at UMD. I also teach a gateway class so no need for extra credit or allowing students to opt out of finals.

My kids go to UMD and they don’t get points for attending class. Neither of my kids can opt out of finals. My kids work their asses off to get the grades they get. And there are curves, especially in the large “weed out” classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unless your teen is a battle tested hyper-aggressive go-getter, huge public universities are awful places for an undergrad "education." Sure, everyone can cite doctors, lawyers and rich execs who went to public U -- but what's the average alum up to? The average grad probably took 5 years to finish a BA and goes onto live a mediocre provincial life. A shocking number of public U students never actually graduate.

There's a reason smart well-adjusted UMC parents spend obscene sums of time and money cultivating their child for highly ranked private colleges. If Alcoholic State universities were on par with top 30 private colleges, nobody in their right mind would be this obsessed over K-12 prep, extra curriculars, travel sports, and college admissions.

Okay. If you say so. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/where-the-top-fortune-500-ceos-attended-college

[Anonymous]

I don't think those schools are bad. I just think they are very big, and therefore there is less individual attention.

That might be a good preparation for the real world. I had a "young" freshman though, and was glad that her professors were so available and involved. Their encouragement and engagement really helped her bloom.

She would have survived a large State U, but (I suspect) have blended in and made less of an impression. Felt less a part of the place.

[Anonymous]

At a small school, there also seems to be people who will hear you out, consider making an exception. Not sure that would happen in a very large school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless your teen is a battle tested hyper-aggressive go-getter, huge public universities are awful places for an undergrad "education." Sure, everyone can cite doctors, lawyers and rich execs who went to public U -- but what's the average alum up to? The average grad probably took 5 years to finish a BA and goes onto live a mediocre provincial life. A shocking number of public U students never actually graduate.

There's a reason smart well-adjusted UMC parents spend obscene sums of time and money cultivating their child for highly ranked private colleges. If Alcoholic State universities were on par with top 30 private colleges, nobody in their right mind would be this obsessed over K-12 prep, extra curriculars, travel sports, and college admissions.

Okay. If you say so. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/where-the-top-fortune-500-ceos-attended-college

Wow, Penn had both 3 and 2, that adds to five.
Seriously, i don't know why anybody puts stock in such a worthless publication. This was a simple matter of counting and they could manage to get that right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless your teen is a battle tested hyper-aggressive go-getter, huge public universities are awful places for an undergrad "education." Sure, everyone can cite doctors, lawyers and rich execs who went to public U -- but what's the average alum up to? The average grad probably took 5 years to finish a BA and goes onto live a mediocre provincial life. A shocking number of public U students never actually graduate.

There's a reason smart well-adjusted UMC parents spend obscene sums of time and money cultivating their child for highly ranked private colleges. If Alcoholic State universities were on par with top 30 private colleges, nobody in their right mind would be this obsessed over K-12 prep, extra curriculars, travel sports, and college admissions.

Okay. If you say so. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/where-the-top-fortune-500-ceos-attended-college

That a couple of CEOs came from a large public doesn't tell you much at all interesting about a school, except maybe those 1-3 people were the hyper-aggressive go getter PP mentioned above. They graduate a lot more people so it's more likely a CEO is going to come from a school that has 40K+ than 2K. I'm not against large public u's, but you don't get the same quality of individualized attention as SLACs.