With a 6th grader, your only focus should be saving money, college isn't going to get cheaper. If you have extra time, see if you can get him to throw a football with great skill.

I'm hoping schools will get rid of the early decision nonsense. If they do, it will go a long way to improving equity and taking pressure off seniors.

One thing you can do be aware of all tracks in middle school and high school. Unless you help your kid select advanced classes early would be hard to compete in high school to get those high GPA even if the kid want to. I put a lot of effort for the kids grade 4-6 and they started in advanced math and language in middle school that allowed them to take APs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tuition is rapidly approaching $100k for private schools.

I think more and more kids from UMC backgrounds will do the Early College/DE in high school. Or go to community college then 2 years at their state flagship.

I can see some of the New England SLACs will eventually have to offer merit aid because their student population is too much of a barbell now and will only get worse (more barbell-y).

More people will shun the elite schools for a variety of reasons. What new schools will replace them?

I think these are good thoughts. But it will require a lot of families to get over the need for prestige. Community college + 2 years somewhere else is a wonderful idea, but I know a lot of smart kids who "would never."

I'm the poster you are quoting. Absolutely. A lot of smart, UMC families currently "would never" but I look at my niece who is 4 years old. How much will college be when it's her turn? I can see in the next few years as tuition reaches $100k and crosses that threshold that a lot of the UMC, smart kids who previously said they "would never" do the community college + 2 years at flagship option or early college in high school, start changing their minds.

Anonymous wrote:6th grade? Chill bruh.

Oh I agree, I'm not thinking about colleges at this point, other than putting money in the 529s each month. Oldest dc has ADHD and I will be taking it one year at a time with her. I am more just curious about the future of higher ed generally vs where my kids may go to college. We live in the midwest and the school culture here is already pretty chill, which is refreshing after moving from the east coast.

I am sorry for your pain and confusion.

Anonymous wrote:Tuition is rapidly approaching $100k for private schools.

I think more and more kids from UMC backgrounds will do the Early College/DE in high school. Or go to community college then 2 years at their state flagship.

I can see some of the New England SLACs will eventually have to offer merit aid because their student population is too much of a barbell now and will only get worse (more barbell-y).

More people will shun the elite schools for a variety of reasons. What new schools will replace them?

I think these are good thoughts. But it will require a lot of families to get over the need for prestige. Community college + 2 years somewhere else is a wonderful idea, but I know a lot of smart kids who "would never."

Enjoy your kids while they're home. The time goes by quicker than you think.

It will be MUCH easier for your kid to get in. There is a population drop off after class of 2027. There will be much fewer kids applying to college.

Anonymous wrote:I have recently and regretfully gone down the rabbit hole of his board, even though my oldest child is in 6th grade. I see that admissions have changed a lot since the early 2000s, when I got into Johns Hopkins as a suburban white kid with a 1380 SAT and 3.8 GPA. An even bigger shock has been to see how much tuition has outpaced inflation What are your predictions for the landscape in the next 10 years? We would be one of those "donut hole" families, and it seems like tuition couldn't keep rising like this - but maybe it can? What other changes do you think likely - from the end of affirmative action, to the "enrollment cliff," future of SAT/ACT, etc. I know it is all speculation, but I'm curious!

Well, first, Hopkins doesn't want you anymore. You 'privileged, privileged white man" And, your kids: forget it! They loathe legacy.

Unless your kid finds the cure for cancer, don't plan on attending college

Sock away as much as you can, even if you don’t think it’s much. It adds up.

On the landscape…
Affects of AI on applications
Increasing costs
closures of small schools
Competition to Common App
Flipped Applications
Competition to Naviance & Scoir
Decreasing importance of Ivy’s
Rise of Flagships

Tuition is rapidly approaching $100k for private schools.

I think more and more kids from UMC backgrounds will do the Early College/DE in high school. Or go to community college then 2 years at their state flagship.

I can see some of the New England SLACs will eventually have to offer merit aid because their student population is too much of a barbell now and will only get worse (more barbell-y).

More people will shun the elite schools for a variety of reasons. What new schools will replace them?

6th grade? Chill bruh.

I have recently and regretfully gone down the rabbit hole of his board, even though my oldest child is in 6th grade. I see that admissions have changed a lot since the early 2000s, when I got into Johns Hopkins as a suburban white kid with a 1380 SAT and 3.8 GPA. An even bigger shock has been to see how much tuition has outpaced inflation What are your predictions for the landscape in the next 10 years? We would be one of those "donut hole" families, and it seems like tuition couldn't keep rising like this - but maybe it can? What other changes do you think likely - from the end of affirmative action, to the "enrollment cliff," future of SAT/ACT, etc. I know it is all speculation, but I'm curious!