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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I have a rising senior and have been doing the rounds of many top 25 schools (universities and colleges).  We started with safety schools last year and then junior year grades came back so this summer we've been touring some top schools.  My kid is trying to figure out an ED. 
We have a rising junior as well so we have a couple of kids with us.

The more of these schools we tour, the less impressed I am. [b] They're sort of all a bit falling apart, poorly maintained, with pretty odd students (tour guides, summer students and especially touring students alike--don't jump all over for for saying this--being brutally honest), little sense of community, same-old, same-old stuff about study-abroad, etc.  Many have very large class sizes, etc[/b].

I feel like we're (kid and parent alike) are supposed to love these schools and want to pay $90K for them and my kids can't find one they really like. I very, very, very much feel like we're being sold a product that we're supposed to want to buy because of prestige and name but when we see the product up close it doesn't look great and I feel like a sheep lining up to say "yes sir. let me put my kid through [b]mental/emotional twister for a 5% chance of being admitted to your school and then I will gladly pay you $90K for the honor. Yes sir."  It just feels... gross.  Maybe not gross but yucky.  My kids are like, "well I didn't really like this or that here but I could probably make it work."  They too feel the pressure to LIKE these places. [/b] The Almighty XYZ or ABC school!  It's supposed to be their dream!

e. [/quote]

I am looking at the T25 list and wondering how many you have seen and which ones you mean? Ours were focused on privates in this group, we toured many of them, and found none to be worn down, unkempt , or anything else. The biggest we toured was Uva and they do have large classes, but none of the T15/ivies have large classes: they pride themselves on seminars and smaller classes , even more than when I went. 200 + lectures were common back then and neither of my kids have had more than one, and they are halfway through, and yes stem. And mine have had mostly single-room /suite style , AC in ALL dorms on campus, and yes for all freshman. The dorms have some mold—-but so does Virginia Tech, UF, UNc, SMU CNU UGA, and roaches in the southern ones. Mice in the northeast ones. Not sure where the colleges are that have no mold in any dorm, guaranteed singles for all, no roaches or mice ever, and no class over 50 ever? That is not realistic based on multiple coworkers and friends sending their kids to various schools elite and not and mentioning mold and roaches on and off.

As to the mental toll of applying : do not do it if the kids hated the schools on tour. Many kids and parents love the schools and tours and are happy to pay. Find ones your kid likes. [/quote]

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