So much of this depends on how a kid approaches is life, how they adapt to challenges and what they've faced before. Some kids find even the most laid back colleges to be highly stressful, others roll with almost any environment and are unphased.

As one example, lots of kids who come out of intense high schools find college to be easy and don't blink at even the likes of Cornell, Carnegie Melon or Chicago. Because they've seen hard and are well prepared, even intense colleges aren't overwhelming.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I always hear Cornell described this way. But I don’t get it. Cornell is huge. How can it have a single vibe?

Curious to hear about people’s kids’ first-hand experiences there. DC is a work hard/play hard type. Is efficient and focused to learn and get the work done but doesn’t dwell on it and is remarkably unstressed. Instead, has a big life outside of school - sports, social, ECs, and downtime. Just a normal, very smart kid with a lot of energy and a huge capacity for both academics and people.

Cornell must have tons of similar kids, right? Would love to hear about that.

Cornell is huge you were right. For the kids that are engineering or computer science majors or even hard sciences their life is a grind.

However, unlike other schools, there is a thriving social scene if you are Greek. Tons of Greek Parties, date Parties once you were in a house, social events abound. And then the bars in College town. They have more than 30 or 40 fraternities and more than 20+ sororities.

They just don’t have D1 sports. It’s a pretty tight group though.

For any school, don’t go by what the tour guides show you. They’re typically horrible. The only Tour guide we loved was Wake Forest.

You need to meet with people who attend the college from your high school or that you otherwise know. If possible, spend an overnight and go out with them. See what a day in the life is really like.

Formal tours basically take you to the library, the dining halls and the dorms. There is more to college life than those three spots.

Yes they do.

Sorry, meant power conference sports. You know - ACC, B10, B12, SEC).....I do think it's part of the reason Stanford, Duke, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Michigan, and now Vanderbilt continue to have a different kind of cache.

There's a diversity of personalities on every campus. If it's a top university with rigorous classes, then some people are just going to sail through it, and others are going to struggle. I mean, it's obvious and stands to reason.

My oldest is twice exceptional with ADHD/autism and a high IQ. He's in a T50, in a rigorous-for-him program. Can he also handle multiple activities and lots of socialization? Of course not. He goes to university to study, and hopefully make a few friends in low-key way.

My other kid is still in high school, doing all AP courses in every area, with enough time for a demanding EC and fun hobbies. She can work hard, play hard. I don't know where she'll end up, but I am confident she will sustain the pace.

Anonymous wrote:Is this a bot generated prompt?

That’s what I thought! AI is hungry for more words!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I always hear Cornell described this way. But I don’t get it. Cornell is huge. How can it have a single vibe?

Curious to hear about people’s kids’ first-hand experiences there. DC is a work hard/play hard type. Is efficient and focused to learn and get the work done but doesn’t dwell on it and is remarkably unstressed. Instead, has a big life outside of school - sports, social, ECs, and downtime. Just a normal, very smart kid with a lot of energy and a huge capacity for both academics and people.

Cornell must have tons of similar kids, right? Would love to hear about that.

Cornell is huge you were right. For the kids that are engineering or computer science majors or even hard sciences their life is a grind.

However, unlike other schools, there is a thriving social scene if you are Greek. Tons of Greek Parties, date Parties once you were in a house, social events abound. And then the bars in College town. They have more than 30 or 40 fraternities and more than 20+ sororities.

They just don’t have D1 sports. It’s a pretty tight group though.

For any school, don’t go by what the tour guides show you. They’re typically horrible. The only Tour guide we loved was Wake Forest.

You need to meet with people who attend the college from your high school or that you otherwise know. If possible, spend an overnight and go out with them. See what a day in the life is really like.

Formal tours basically take you to the library, the dining halls and the dorms. There is more to college life than those three spots.

Yes they do.

Anonymous wrote:Is this a bot generated prompt?

What’s that

Is this a bot generated prompt?

Anonymous wrote:I always hear Cornell described this way. But I don’t get it. Cornell is huge. How can it have a single vibe?

Curious to hear about people’s kids’ first-hand experiences there. DC is a work hard/play hard type. Is efficient and focused to learn and get the work done but doesn’t dwell on it and is remarkably unstressed. Instead, has a big life outside of school - sports, social, ECs, and downtime. Just a normal, very smart kid with a lot of energy and a huge capacity for both academics and people.

Cornell must have tons of similar kids, right? Would love to hear about that.

Cornell is huge you were right. For the kids that are engineering or computer science majors or even hard sciences their life is a grind.

However, unlike other schools, there is a thriving social scene if you are Greek. Tons of Greek Parties, date Parties once you were in a house, social events abound. And then the bars in College town. They have more than 30 or 40 fraternities and more than 20+ sororities.

They just don’t have D1 sports. It’s a pretty tight group though.

For any school, don’t go by what the tour guides show you. They’re typically horrible. The only Tour guide we loved was Wake Forest.

You need to meet with people who attend the college from your high school or that you otherwise know. If possible, spend an overnight and go out with them. See what a day in the life is really like.

Formal tours basically take you to the library, the dining halls and the dorms. There is more to college life than those three spots.

Ithaca is Gorges.

My DS graduated from Swarthmore. Sure, he worked hard, but I never heard/felt major stress from him. To those parents who think they see this INTENSITY when they tour, what are you seeing?

give us a list of school you'd consider intense.

I have a freshman studying math there - yes, work hard / play hard is true! Intense but fun.

I always hear Cornell described this way. But I don’t get it. Cornell is huge. How can it have a single vibe?

Curious to hear about people’s kids’ first-hand experiences there. DC is a work hard/play hard type. Is efficient and focused to learn and get the work done but doesn’t dwell on it and is remarkably unstressed. Instead, has a big life outside of school - sports, social, ECs, and downtime. Just a normal, very smart kid with a lot of energy and a huge capacity for both academics and people.

Cornell must have tons of similar kids, right? Would love to hear about that.

This reads like a college essay prompt.

Reading threads about certain schools that give intense vibe.

Is this mostly due to preconception?

No one or their kid has attended all top colleges, no one has sufficient knowledge to make an informed judgment on every school.

For the parents having kids in these schools, sometimes they tend to lean into the idea of “surviving intensity” as a badge of honor. Then what happened in echo chamber is that these labels get amplified online.

Programs/majors also differ. Student sub-culture also makes a difference.

Tell me about your DC's pleasant experience in an intense school.