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Anonymous wrote:I've never seen a wealthy full-pay teen with good stats get rejected from Wisconsin, Michigan, and USC. You're going to get into at least one, so absolute worst-case your kid is at a top 40-ish university.

The folks who complain on message boards have mediocre unmotivated kids who simply don't care as much as the parents do. And also, parents with a kid currently at a 20 to 50 ranked school who exaggerate how difficult it is to get in, in an effort to make their kid sound more accomplished than s/he is.

Outside of the super elite, all universities are hard-up for money. A rich kid who looks like s/he'll graduate on time, has parents who are paying cash and will very likely donate, is a highly sought after applicant.

I am here to tell you that my spiky full-pay kid with a 1500 SAT score, APs (4s and 5s) galore and a 3.95/4.64 (which means an A in every high school class except 1 btw) was rejected from Michigan and USC

How do you end up with a 3.95 out of 4.64 with only one grade that isn’t an A? Did s/he get a D or F in a class. A 3.95/4.00 would be like one B.

Why are you trying to calculate and correct when you can't read? Who grades on a 4.65 scale? PP said 3.95 weighted/4.65 unweighted, all As one B, that checks. Maybe don't waste time nitpicking self-reported, anonymous data.

Sorry, I misunderstood. I guess I didn’t think it was possible for someone with such a high score to get rejected for Mich or USC. I now see that she meant 3.95 unweighted or 4.64 weighted.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never seen a wealthy full-pay teen with good stats get rejected from Wisconsin, Michigan, and USC. You're going to get into at least one, so absolute worst-case your kid is at a top 40-ish university.

The folks who complain on message boards have mediocre unmotivated kids who simply don't care as much as the parents do. And also, parents with a kid currently at a 20 to 50 ranked school who exaggerate how difficult it is to get in, in an effort to make their kid sound more accomplished than s/he is.

Outside of the super elite, all universities are hard-up for money. A rich kid who looks like s/he'll graduate on time, has parents who are paying cash and will very likely donate, is a highly sought after applicant.

I am here to tell you that my spiky full-pay kid with a 1500 SAT score, APs (4s and 5s) galore and a 3.95/4.64 (which means an A in every high school class except 1 btw) was rejected from Michigan and USC

How do you end up with a 3.95 out of 4.64 with only one grade that isn’t an A? Did s/he get a D or F in a class. A 3.95/4.00 would be like one B.

Why are you trying to calculate and correct when you can't read? Who grades on a 4.65 scale? PP said 3.95 weighted/4.65 unweighted, all As one B, that checks. Maybe don't waste time nitpicking self-reported, anonymous data.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Common Op. don't be ridiculous. Thousands of colleges out there.

Most of which are not worth going to if you are from an UMC family with a long history of attending top colleges and certain expectations, like coming from a top private school. Those of you who keep posting this flip can let your kids to no name and mediocre schools but for some people that’s just not acceptable.

Better get used to it.

My current senior is going to a top school, just like her siblings, thanks.

I just think those of you spouting the “thousands of colleges” being acceptable for DC area students don’t have a clue about how things are in certain circles of our country. Or maybe you are being deliberately obtuse. Most of those 1,000 colleges will never be acceptable to certain people. And they don’t have to be as they aren’t intended for those people. Of course there are a handful or two of less competitive schools that are fine for kids of these folks who aren’t academically strong or have learning challenges but for the most part there is a subset of acceptable schools and that won’t change. That’s what you are seeing on the DCUM college thread that seems to drive some posters crazy - the ones who keep posting the tripe about there being “thousands of colleges” and “people need to stop focusing on the same 50 schools” etc... You are trying to defeat the very heart of these people’s views on college - people whose families have been UMC and UC for generations, whose grands and greatgrands had degrees from top colleges, whose families have always invested in education and expect the next generation to do that same. It just is what it is. No point in trying to convince those folks differently.

I'm so sorry for them. That's terrible. There aren't enough spots for these kids. Some of them will have to find another path. Ivy/Ivy+ or bust is a recipe for heartbreak for most kids.

And a really stupid recipe at that. Once you get your first job (other than in a few fields---high level investing/PE is one area) it really does not matter where you went. It's what you did in college that matters, and what you do at the job. My first kid went to at T100 school, and the program was rigorous, with the honor program being even more rigorous for those who are up to that challenge (not my kid). all of my DC's friends are gainfully employed or onto graduate school (that's over 25 students). Some in at top graduate schools and medical schools. You do not have to attend top 20 schools to be successful.

This once you get your first job nonsense has to go. Going to Harvard or Yale or Princeton stays with you and matters even if you work in the DPW picking up trash --- will matter when you go for supervisor and later head of department. Does it determine how you will do in life -- of course not. Tones of colleges will work. But just as it is not Harvard or bustr please do not believe that it no longer matters after first job.

How are you so sure it matters? How can anyone really know how much it matters? I went to HYP undergrad and I have no idea how much it's mattered throughout my career. My first job out of college, yes. After that, it's really hard to say but I don't think all that much really. I think my professional degree probably matters more. But again, how would I know and how do you know? I haven't quizzed my employers after they hired me to ask -- hey was it my degree from HYP that made you hire me?

And when people say it matters for the networking, well that just makes me laugh.

Anonymous wrote:I also think it was the test optional component that allowed students to apply to schools they previously would not have qualified for. I have heard/read that many colleges have multiple times the amount of applicants they had in years past so their acceptance rates are way down.

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Anonymous wrote:Common Op. don't be ridiculous. Thousands of colleges out there.

Most of which are not worth going to if you are from an UMC family with a long history of attending top colleges and certain expectations, like coming from a top private school. Those of you who keep posting this flip can let your kids to no name and mediocre schools but for some people that’s just not acceptable.

Better get used to it.

My current senior is going to a top school, just like her siblings, thanks.

I just think those of you spouting the “thousands of colleges” being acceptable for DC area students don’t have a clue about how things are in certain circles of our country. Or maybe you are being deliberately obtuse. Most of those 1,000 colleges will never be acceptable to certain people. And they don’t have to be as they aren’t intended for those people. Of course there are a handful or two of less competitive schools that are fine for kids of these folks who aren’t academically strong or have learning challenges but for the most part there is a subset of acceptable schools and that won’t change. That’s what you are seeing on the DCUM college thread that seems to drive some posters crazy - the ones who keep posting the tripe about there being “thousands of colleges” and “people need to stop focusing on the same 50 schools” etc... You are trying to defeat the very heart of these people’s views on college - people whose families have been UMC and UC for generations, whose grands and greatgrands had degrees from top colleges, whose families have always invested in education and expect the next generation to do that same. It just is what it is. No point in trying to convince those folks differently.

I'm so sorry for them. That's terrible. There aren't enough spots for these kids. Some of them will have to find another path. Ivy/Ivy+ or bust is a recipe for heartbreak for most kids.

And a really stupid recipe at that. Once you get your first job (other than in a few fields---high level investing/PE is one area) it really does not matter where you went. It's what you did in college that matters, and what you do at the job. My first kid went to at T100 school, and the program was rigorous, with the honor program being even more rigorous for those who are up to that challenge (not my kid). all of my DC's friends are gainfully employed or onto graduate school (that's over 25 students). Some in at top graduate schools and medical schools. You do not have to attend top 20 schools to be successful.

This once you get your first job nonsense has to go. Going to Harvard or Yale or Princeton stays with you and matters even if you work in the DPW picking up trash --- will matter when you go for supervisor and later head of department. Does it determine how you will do in life -- of course not. Tones of colleges will work. But just as it is not Harvard or bustr please do not believe that it no longer matters after first job.

How are you so sure it matters? How can anyone really know how much it matters? I went to HYP undergrad and I have no idea how much it's mattered throughout my career. My first job out of college, yes. After that, it's really hard to say but I don't think all that much really. I think my professional degree probably matters more. But again, how would I know and how do you know? I haven't quizzed my employers after they hired me to ask -- hey was it my degree from HYP that made you hire me?

And when people say it matters for the networking, well that just makes me laugh.

Anonymous wrote:I've never seen a wealthy full-pay teen with good stats get rejected from Wisconsin, Michigan, and USC. You're going to get into at least one, so absolute worst-case your kid is at a top 40-ish university.

The folks who complain on message boards have mediocre unmotivated kids who simply don't care as much as the parents do. And also, parents with a kid currently at a 20 to 50 ranked school who exaggerate how difficult it is to get in, in an effort to make their kid sound more accomplished than s/he is.

Outside of the super elite, all universities are hard-up for money. A rich kid who looks like s/he'll graduate on time, has parents who are paying cash and will very likely donate, is a highly sought after applicant.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never seen a wealthy full-pay teen with good stats get rejected from Wisconsin, Michigan, and USC. You're going to get into at least one, so absolute worst-case your kid is at a top 40-ish university.

The folks who complain on message boards have mediocre unmotivated kids who simply don't care as much as the parents do. And also, parents with a kid currently at a 20 to 50 ranked school who exaggerate how difficult it is to get in, in an effort to make their kid sound more accomplished than s/he is.

Outside of the super elite, all universities are hard-up for money. A rich kid who looks like s/he'll graduate on time, has parents who are paying cash and will very likely donate, is a highly sought after applicant.

I am here to tell you that my spiky full-pay kid with a 1500 SAT score, APs (4s and 5s) galore and a 3.95/4.64 (which means an A in every high school class except 1 btw) was rejected from Michigan and USC

How do you end up with a 3.95 out of 4.64 with only one grade that isn’t an A? Did s/he get a D or F in a class. A 3.95/4.00 would be like one B.

Why are you trying to calculate and correct when you can't read? Who grades on a 4.65 scale? PP said 3.95 weighted/4.65 unweighted, all As one B, that checks. Maybe don't waste time nitpicking self-reported, anonymous data.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never seen a wealthy full-pay teen with good stats get rejected from Wisconsin, Michigan, and USC. You're going to get into at least one, so absolute worst-case your kid is at a top 40-ish university.

The folks who complain on message boards have mediocre unmotivated kids who simply don't care as much as the parents do. And also, parents with a kid currently at a 20 to 50 ranked school who exaggerate how difficult it is to get in, in an effort to make their kid sound more accomplished than s/he is.

Outside of the super elite, all universities are hard-up for money. A rich kid who looks like s/he'll graduate on time, has parents who are paying cash and will very likely donate, is a highly sought after applicant.

I am here to tell you that my spiky full-pay kid with a 1500 SAT score, APs (4s and 5s) galore and a 3.95/4.64 (which means an A in every high school class except 1 btw) was rejected from Michigan and USC

How do you end up with a 3.95 out of 4.64 with only one grade that isn’t an A? Did s/he get a D or F in a class. A 3.95/4.00 would be like one B.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Common Op. don't be ridiculous. Thousands of colleges out there.

Most of which are not worth going to if you are from an UMC family with a long history of attending top colleges and certain expectations, like coming from a top private school. Those of you who keep posting this flip can let your kids to no name and mediocre schools but for some people that’s just not acceptable.

Better get used to it.

My current senior is going to a top school, just like her siblings, thanks.

I just think those of you spouting the “thousands of colleges” being acceptable for DC area students don’t have a clue about how things are in certain circles of our country. Or maybe you are being deliberately obtuse. Most of those 1,000 colleges will never be acceptable to certain people. And they don’t have to be as they aren’t intended for those people. Of course there are a handful or two of less competitive schools that are fine for kids of these folks who aren’t academically strong or have learning challenges but for the most part there is a subset of acceptable schools and that won’t change. That’s what you are seeing on the DCUM college thread that seems to drive some posters crazy - the ones who keep posting the tripe about there being “thousands of colleges” and “people need to stop focusing on the same 50 schools” etc... You are trying to defeat the very heart of these people’s views on college - people whose families have been UMC and UC for generations, whose grands and greatgrands had degrees from top colleges, whose families have always invested in education and expect the next generation to do that same. It just is what it is. No point in trying to convince those folks differently.

I'm so sorry for them. That's terrible. There aren't enough spots for these kids. Some of them will have to find another path. Ivy/Ivy+ or bust is a recipe for heartbreak for most kids.

And a really stupid recipe at that. Once you get your first job (other than in a few fields---high level investing/PE is one area) it really does not matter where you went. It's what you did in college that matters, and what you do at the job. My first kid went to at T100 school, and the program was rigorous, with the honor program being even more rigorous for those who are up to that challenge (not my kid). all of my DC's friends are gainfully employed or onto graduate school (that's over 25 students). Some in at top graduate schools and medical schools. You do not have to attend top 20 schools to be successful.

This once you get your first job nonsense has to go. Going to Harvard or Yale or Princeton stays with you and matters even if you work in the DPW picking up trash --- will matter when you go for supervisor and later head of department. Does it determine how you will do in life -- of course not. Tones of colleges will work. But just as it is not Harvard or bustr please do not believe that it no longer matters after first job.

Anonymous wrote:I've never seen a wealthy full-pay teen with good stats get rejected from Wisconsin, Michigan, and USC. You're going to get into at least one, so absolute worst-case your kid is at a top 40-ish university.

The folks who complain on message boards have mediocre unmotivated kids who simply don't care as much as the parents do. And also, parents with a kid currently at a 20 to 50 ranked school who exaggerate how difficult it is to get in, in an effort to make their kid sound more accomplished than s/he is.

Outside of the super elite, all universities are hard-up for money. A rich kid who looks like s/he'll graduate on time, has parents who are paying cash and will very likely donate, is a highly sought after applicant.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never seen a wealthy full-pay teen with good stats get rejected from Wisconsin, Michigan, and USC. You're going to get into at least one, so absolute worst-case your kid is at a top 40-ish university.

The folks who complain on message boards have mediocre unmotivated kids who simply don't care as much as the parents do. And also, parents with a kid currently at a 20 to 50 ranked school who exaggerate how difficult it is to get in, in an effort to make their kid sound more accomplished than s/he is.

Outside of the super elite, all universities are hard-up for money. A rich kid who looks like s/he'll graduate on time, has parents who are paying cash and will very likely donate, is a highly sought after applicant.

I am here to tell you that my spiky full-pay kid with a 1500 SAT score, APs (4s and 5s) galore and a 3.95/4.64 (which means an A in every high school class except 1 btw) was rejected from Michigan and USC

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Common Op. don't be ridiculous. Thousands of colleges out there.

Most of which are not worth going to if you are from an UMC family with a long history of attending top colleges and certain expectations, like coming from a top private school. Those of you who keep posting this flip can let your kids to no name and mediocre schools but for some people that’s just not acceptable.

Better get used to it.

My current senior is going to a top school, just like her siblings, thanks.

I just think those of you spouting the “thousands of colleges” being acceptable for DC area students don’t have a clue about how things are in certain circles of our country. Or maybe you are being deliberately obtuse. Most of those 1,000 colleges will never be acceptable to certain people. And they don’t have to be as they aren’t intended for those people. Of course there are a handful or two of less competitive schools that are fine for kids of these folks who aren’t academically strong or have learning challenges but for the most part there is a subset of acceptable schools and that won’t change. That’s what you are seeing on the DCUM college thread that seems to drive some posters crazy - the ones who keep posting the tripe about there being “thousands of colleges” and “people need to stop focusing on the same 50 schools” etc... You are trying to defeat the very heart of these people’s views on college - people whose families have been UMC and UC for generations, whose grands and greatgrands had degrees from top colleges, whose families have always invested in education and expect the next generation to do that same. It just is what it is. No point in trying to convince those folks differently.

I'm so sorry for them. That's terrible. There aren't enough spots for these kids. Some of them will have to find another path. Ivy/Ivy+ or bust is a recipe for heartbreak for most kids.

And a really stupid recipe at that. Once you get your first job (other than in a few fields---high level investing/PE is one area) it really does not matter where you went. It's what you did in college that matters, and what you do at the job. My first kid went to at T100 school, and the program was rigorous, with the honor program being even more rigorous for those who are up to that challenge (not my kid). all of my DC's friends are gainfully employed or onto graduate school (that's over 25 students). Some in at top graduate schools and medical schools. You do not have to attend top 20 schools to be successful.

This once you get your first job nonsense has to go. Going to Harvard or Yale or Princeton stays with you and matters even if you work in the DPW picking up trash --- will matter when you go for supervisor and later head of department. Does it determine how you will do in life -- of course not. Tones of colleges will work. But just as it is not Harvard or bustr please do not believe that it no longer matters after first job.

Really, if I'm working as a trash collector, I will get further ahead if I went to Harvard? What are you smoking? In your scenario I've graduated from Harvard and working as a trash collector actually picking up trash and use my Harvard degree to move up the supervisor ladder and to dept head of trash collection? So extremely glad I graduated from Harvard to do that. Somehow I think there are more important issues---such as why the hell did I graduate from an Ivy League school yet I'm working as a trash collector(something that barely requires a HS degree).


I've lived life and nobody has ever asked where I attended college after my first job. Hell, for my first real job nobody asked either, but that was because it was the direct result of 2 summer internships with the same dept, so they knew my work (and I guess where I had attended college) and happily were waiting to hire me full time. Switched jobs 2 years later and what mattered was my references from my first job, not where I attended college. Never once was I asked about college or where I went in my 3 interviews for the 2nd job. So while it might have still been on my resume at only 2 years out of grad School, nobody asked/discussed it. Instead they discussed my qualifications and work experience as a normal person would expect to happen. So yes had I attended Harvard and someone interviewing me had gone to Harvard, perhaps it might have swayed them a bit to liking me over someone else. But ultimately, I'd hope a Harvard educated person would not just hire me cause I also have a Harvard degree---I'd hope they could look at my real qualifications and make a decision based on that.

Only way attending Harvard/Y/P matters is if I need one of my buddies to call a future boss and put in a good word. Same for all jobs after the 2nd job. Nobody cared where I attended college. What matters is how I performed at my previous jobs and my references.

Yes, your connections at HYP/etc will give you a network of people willing to help you, so will many other colleges. Penn State has a large network, so does Purdue, UMich, VATech, UVA, etc. Plenty of highly successful people graduate from non-ivy/T20 schools and go on to do great things.

So you go on thinking your Harvard degree matters to most people once you are over 25 yo.

My Harvard Law Degree “”matters” every single day as I
make good money for my family

Eh, for years I worked at the same place with Harvard and Yale grads with my non-top 30 JD. I would be willing to bet that I make more than you do at this point. Sure brand matters in law, but if you are smart and good at what you do, people forget about your law school.

Well, if I recall correctly, the "Eh" poster is a fed lawyer, so, yes, I make a LOT more than you

Don’t know where you got that impression. Maybe there are 2, but I am not a fed lawyer. I used to be with DOJ but left many years ago. There are a lot of us from non-Ivy law schools who have been able to punch way above our weight. Even in law, there are ways!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Common Op. don't be ridiculous. Thousands of colleges out there.

Most of which are not worth going to if you are from an UMC family with a long history of attending top colleges and certain expectations, like coming from a top private school. Those of you who keep posting this flip can let your kids to no name and mediocre schools but for some people that’s just not acceptable.

Better get used to it.

My current senior is going to a top school, just like her siblings, thanks.

I just think those of you spouting the “thousands of colleges” being acceptable for DC area students don’t have a clue about how things are in certain circles of our country. Or maybe you are being deliberately obtuse. Most of those 1,000 colleges will never be acceptable to certain people. And they don’t have to be as they aren’t intended for those people. Of course there are a handful or two of less competitive schools that are fine for kids of these folks who aren’t academically strong or have learning challenges but for the most part there is a subset of acceptable schools and that won’t change. That’s what you are seeing on the DCUM college thread that seems to drive some posters crazy - the ones who keep posting the tripe about there being “thousands of colleges” and “people need to stop focusing on the same 50 schools” etc... You are trying to defeat the very heart of these people’s views on college - people whose families have been UMC and UC for generations, whose grands and greatgrands had degrees from top colleges, whose families have always invested in education and expect the next generation to do that same. It just is what it is. No point in trying to convince those folks differently.

I'm so sorry for them. That's terrible. There aren't enough spots for these kids. Some of them will have to find another path. Ivy/Ivy+ or bust is a recipe for heartbreak for most kids.

And a really stupid recipe at that. Once you get your first job (other than in a few fields---high level investing/PE is one area) it really does not matter where you went. It's what you did in college that matters, and what you do at the job. My first kid went to at T100 school, and the program was rigorous, with the honor program being even more rigorous for those who are up to that challenge (not my kid). all of my DC's friends are gainfully employed or onto graduate school (that's over 25 students). Some in at top graduate schools and medical schools. You do not have to attend top 20 schools to be successful.

This once you get your first job nonsense has to go. Going to Harvard or Yale or Princeton stays with you and matters even if you work in the DPW picking up trash --- will matter when you go for supervisor and later head of department. Does it determine how you will do in life -- of course not. Tones of colleges will work. But just as it is not Harvard or bustr please do not believe that it no longer matters after first job.

Really, if I'm working as a trash collector, I will get further ahead if I went to Harvard? What are you smoking? In your scenario I've graduated from Harvard and working as a trash collector actually picking up trash and use my Harvard degree to move up the supervisor ladder and to dept head of trash collection? So extremely glad I graduated from Harvard to do that. Somehow I think there are more important issues---such as why the hell did I graduate from an Ivy League school yet I'm working as a trash collector(something that barely requires a HS degree).


I've lived life and nobody has ever asked where I attended college after my first job. Hell, for my first real job nobody asked either, but that was because it was the direct result of 2 summer internships with the same dept, so they knew my work (and I guess where I had attended college) and happily were waiting to hire me full time. Switched jobs 2 years later and what mattered was my references from my first job, not where I attended college. Never once was I asked about college or where I went in my 3 interviews for the 2nd job. So while it might have still been on my resume at only 2 years out of grad School, nobody asked/discussed it. Instead they discussed my qualifications and work experience as a normal person would expect to happen. So yes had I attended Harvard and someone interviewing me had gone to Harvard, perhaps it might have swayed them a bit to liking me over someone else. But ultimately, I'd hope a Harvard educated person would not just hire me cause I also have a Harvard degree---I'd hope they could look at my real qualifications and make a decision based on that.

Only way attending Harvard/Y/P matters is if I need one of my buddies to call a future boss and put in a good word. Same for all jobs after the 2nd job. Nobody cared where I attended college. What matters is how I performed at my previous jobs and my references.

Yes, your connections at HYP/etc will give you a network of people willing to help you, so will many other colleges. Penn State has a large network, so does Purdue, UMich, VATech, UVA, etc. Plenty of highly successful people graduate from non-ivy/T20 schools and go on to do great things.

So you go on thinking your Harvard degree matters to most people once you are over 25 yo.

My Harvard Law Degree “”matters” every single day as I
make good money for my family

Eh, for years I worked at the same place with Harvard and Yale grads with my non-top 30 JD. I would be willing to bet that I make more than you do at this point. Sure brand matters in law, but if you are smart and good at what you do, people forget about your law school.

Well, if I recall correctly, the "Eh" poster is a fed lawyer, so, yes, I make a LOT more than you