Reply to “Colleges That Change Lives”

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]P.S. I’m sure a response will be, “you just didn’t get into an Ivy, so you rationalized your decision to attend a CTCL school.”

I applied to four colleges and got into them all, including an Ivy. I just could not see myself there and happy. [/quote]

Then why did you apply?  I don't believe you . . .[/quote]

Haha. You weren’t the only one. My HS counselor was aghast. I applied following his advice. This was a million years ago, keep in mind. I was a 1st gen college student and my parents didn’t really have any input except, “do what you think is right.” [b]The HS counselor took a cookie cutter approach to giving advice. This was a big public HS. I found my small college on my own and he suggested I apply to the state school, a mid-sized private, and the Ivy he thought I might have a chance of getting in.[/b] I did have the opportunity to visit all four campuses. The state school was too huge and overwhelming for me at the time. Also, very strong frat culture. Didn’t like that. The mid-sized school was okay, but the students seemed too conventional and, I don’t know, there was just no excitement for me. Remember, this is 16-17 year old me going on these tours. The Ivy seemed depressing to me. I didn’t like the other parents on the tour bragging about their kids. It left a negative impression. And the campus seemed
Comes and unwelcoming. I felt like Goldilocks when I visited the CTCL campus and talked to the faculty and students. I felt “just right.”

The HS counselor wanted to blow out his brains. Luckily my parents were supportive. And as I mentioned before, I ultimately ended up at the same place my Ivy-educated spouse did. It just...worked for me.[/quote]

This doesn't sound like "cookie-cutter" "big public HS" counselor advice at all.  You're making this up.[/quote]

Okay.[/quote]

NP: This sounds entirely plausible to me. I went to an enormous hs in the midwest about 25 years ago and this was exactly the kind of advice I got as an AP track student--4 colleges they recommended.  Flagship state school and then said I should choose an Ivy because of my SAT scores and then he showed me a chart of SAT scores/GPA ranges of nearby private schools that matched my profile and might give me scholarships.  I also applied to Carnegie Mellon because I liked its name, the brochure, and once went on a family trip to Pittsburgh as a kid. There was no internet so counselors actually had to walk you through this if your family didn't know anything.  And there was tracking so they had a smaller group of college prep kids to focus on.  My counselor was pissed that I got into Carnegie Mellon and didn't go too (it was too expensive and far away for my parents taste). I was at a school where maybe 30-40% of kids went to college at all (including community college) and if you were in the top group--or an NMSF the counselor wanted you to go somewhere famous.  
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