Anonymous wrote:Tremendous leadership by Hiram Chodosh (CMC)- wherever he’s off to, they should be very excited. Michael Roth is another heavy hitter!

Hiram went to Wesleyan!

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Anonymous wrote:2 high profile Wall St alums and couple thousand foreign language teachers grads. Never will be confused with Williams.

Don't kid yourself. Williams is special in the same way that another 12-15 tops SLACs are special. It is no better than any of them and no worse than any of them. All of them are as good or better than any school (Ivy's included) for undergraduate education.

The differences in rankings are driven by endowment size and herd instinct for the peer assessment which is why the idea that any of these schools can be granularly ranked is just flat out dumb.

I'd say that those who do make dramatic distinctions from within this group — such as, as examples, "this college will never be that college" and "buy this school, sell that one" — appear to lack an interest in academics and intellectual pursuits. And, personally, I'd say that the LACs that might be regarded as special aren't necessarily those that place the highest in the rankings.

I agree with you on this. One of my kids attends one of the "special" LACs, they are an extremely strong student and are having an amazing experience. But, when were doing school tours for our kids over the years (and attending school events) their school isn't one where I felt the most "magic" in terms of what was going on. I spent a weekend at University of Scranton and was constantly amazed at how happy everyone seemed and how active the campus was. Clarkson kids were super engaged and the engineering graduates that I have seen are top notch. Puget Sound felt like a very warm community, and one of my kids has a friend at Beloit who is having an amazing time even though they are far from CA. There were others as well. People get caught up in the rankings game and forget what is actually important.

ok which of the "special" LACs does your kid go to?

Not necessary in this conversation. They chose the school but there were many "lesser" schools (in the minds of some, not me) that I would have been just as happy seeing them attend.

why won't you tell us? that's weird

Not really...why do you need to know? Does it really matter if it was Pomona, Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Bowdoin, Colby, etc? It was one of ones consistently at the top of lists and frequently mentioned on DCUM. Are you tryin got ask about grades to determine "merit"? Their grades, ECs, and rigor had them in the running for ANY school.

You said they were having an amazing experience. That's the kind of endorsement that people pay attention to when looking for their own kids. Why won't you say which school is so amazing? Or maybe you're making it all up.

Because when it comes to the very top schools they are all amazing. How many posts do you see on here about a kid hating Williams, CMC, Middlebury, Haverford, Colby, etc.? You might find the MAGA troll calling them all woke. Or maybe the over the top Colby booster trying to boost at the expense of Middlebury but we take that crap for what it is. People say less because of people like the one you see in the mirror.

But there are many other schools which are amazing. I thought that Ithaca was really nice and it’s a great college town. Skidmore would be a great place to spend four years, Saratoga Springs is a beautiful town. The kids at St. Lawrence seemed happy although it was really remote. Union felt like a really welcoming place with a wider variety of programs and Greek life if you want it. There were many other places in addition to the ones that I mentioned earlier. My kid was an athletic recruit so we visited many schools. Don’t act like a troll, do better.

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Anonymous wrote:2 high profile Wall St alums and couple thousand foreign language teachers grads. Never will be confused with Williams.

Don't kid yourself. Williams is special in the same way that another 12-15 tops SLACs are special. It is no better than any of them and no worse than any of them. All of them are as good or better than any school (Ivy's included) for undergraduate education.

The differences in rankings are driven by endowment size and herd instinct for the peer assessment which is why the idea that any of these schools can be granularly ranked is just flat out dumb.

I'd say that those who do make dramatic distinctions from within this group — such as, as examples, "this college will never be that college" and "buy this school, sell that one" — appear to lack an interest in academics and intellectual pursuits. And, personally, I'd say that the LACs that might be regarded as special aren't necessarily those that place the highest in the rankings.

I agree with you on this. One of my kids attends one of the "special" LACs, they are an extremely strong student and are having an amazing experience. But, when were doing school tours for our kids over the years (and attending school events) their school isn't one where I felt the most "magic" in terms of what was going on. I spent a weekend at University of Scranton and was constantly amazed at how happy everyone seemed and how active the campus was. Clarkson kids were super engaged and the engineering graduates that I have seen are top notch. Puget Sound felt like a very warm community, and one of my kids has a friend at Beloit who is having an amazing time even though they are far from CA. There were others as well. People get caught up in the rankings game and forget what is actually important.

ok which of the "special" LACs does your kid go to?

Not necessary in this conversation. They chose the school but there were many "lesser" schools (in the minds of some, not me) that I would have been just as happy seeing them attend.

why won't you tell us? that's weird

Not really...why do you need to know? Does it really matter if it was Pomona, Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Bowdoin, Colby, etc? It was one of ones consistently at the top of lists and frequently mentioned on DCUM. Are you tryin got ask about grades to determine "merit"? Their grades, ECs, and rigor had them in the running for ANY school.

You said they were having an amazing experience. That's the kind of endorsement that people pay attention to when looking for their own kids. Why won't you say which school is so amazing? Or maybe you're making it all up.

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Anonymous wrote:When I think Colby, I think admissions shenanigans, confidential CDS, big spending on splashy projects to gain attention. I don't think solid school with deep, sustained intellectual energy. I feel bad for all the boosters, whose desperation just confirms what all the skeptics are thinking.

The booster is exhausting but Colby is a great school.

Yes, no need to punch down on others.

-Not a Colby parent

Anonymous wrote:When I think Colby, I think admissions shenanigans, confidential CDS, big spending on splashy projects to gain attention. I don't think solid school with deep, sustained intellectual energy. I feel bad for all the boosters, whose desperation just confirms what all the skeptics are thinking.

The booster is exhausting but Colby is a great school.

When I think Colby, I think admissions shenanigans, confidential CDS, big spending on splashy projects to gain attention. I don't think solid school with deep, sustained intellectual energy. I feel bad for all the boosters, whose desperation just confirms what all the skeptics are thinking.

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Anonymous wrote:Williams is held in much higher esteem than the likes of Middlebury and Hamilton. Midd boosters are embarrassing their school which is a fine 12-20 top LAC.

I may be missing something, but where in this thread did someone say that Middlebury and Hamilton are better than Williams?

Nobody did but above someone dared question the superiority of Williams and correctly pointed out that there are no substantive differences in the top dozen or so LACs. This has obviously upset the Williams booster.

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Anonymous wrote:2 high profile Wall St alums and couple thousand foreign language teachers grads. Never will be confused with Williams.

Don't kid yourself. Williams is special in the same way that another 12-15 tops SLACs are special. It is no better than any of them and no worse than any of them. All of them are as good or better than any school (Ivy's included) for undergraduate education.

The differences in rankings are driven by endowment size and herd instinct for the peer assessment which is why the idea that any of these schools can be granularly ranked is just flat out dumb.

I'd say that those who do make dramatic distinctions from within this group — such as, as examples, "this college will never be that college" and "buy this school, sell that one" — appear to lack an interest in academics and intellectual pursuits. And, personally, I'd say that the LACs that might be regarded as special aren't necessarily those that place the highest in the rankings.

I agree with you on this. One of my kids attends one of the "special" LACs, they are an extremely strong student and are having an amazing experience. But, when were doing school tours for our kids over the years (and attending school events) their school isn't one where I felt the most "magic" in terms of what was going on. I spent a weekend at University of Scranton and was constantly amazed at how happy everyone seemed and how active the campus was. Clarkson kids were super engaged and the engineering graduates that I have seen are top notch. Puget Sound felt like a very warm community, and one of my kids has a friend at Beloit who is having an amazing time even though they are far from CA. There were others as well. People get caught up in the rankings game and forget what is actually important.

ok which of the "special" LACs does your kid go to?

Not necessary in this conversation. They chose teh school but there were many "lesser" schools (in the minds of some, not me) that I would have been just as happy seeing them attend.

why won't you tell us? that's weird

I'm good with not knowing. — DP

You all are so negative. The question was which SLAC presidents are doing well. It was not an invitation to sling mud.

I have kids at Midd and Pitzer. I do not know Ian Baucom personally but have paid attention to the changes he has instituted and have been impressed with his wisdom and humility. Strom Thacker, a Pomona grad, is the Pitzer president. He truly walks the walk of the Pitzer mission statement.

Not every college is for every student. I feel fortunate that my kids have found places to fit that work for them!

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Anonymous wrote:2 high profile Wall St alums and couple thousand foreign language teachers grads. Never will be confused with Williams.

Don't kid yourself. Williams is special in the same way that another 12-15 tops SLACs are special. It is no better than any of them and no worse than any of them. All of them are as good or better than any school (Ivy's included) for undergraduate education.

The differences in rankings are driven by endowment size and herd instinct for the peer assessment which is why the idea that any of these schools can be granularly ranked is just flat out dumb.

I'd say that those who do make dramatic distinctions from within this group — such as, as examples, "this college will never be that college" and "buy this school, sell that one" — appear to lack an interest in academics and intellectual pursuits. And, personally, I'd say that the LACs that might be regarded as special aren't necessarily those that place the highest in the rankings.

I agree with you on this. One of my kids attends one of the "special" LACs, they are an extremely strong student and are having an amazing experience. But, when were doing school tours for our kids over the years (and attending school events) their school isn't one where I felt the most "magic" in terms of what was going on. I spent a weekend at University of Scranton and was constantly amazed at how happy everyone seemed and how active the campus was. Clarkson kids were super engaged and the engineering graduates that I have seen are top notch. Puget Sound felt like a very warm community, and one of my kids has a friend at Beloit who is having an amazing time even though they are far from CA. There were others as well. People get caught up in the rankings game and forget what is actually important.

ok which of the "special" LACs does your kid go to?

Not necessary in this conversation. They chose the school but there were many "lesser" schools (in the minds of some, not me) that I would have been just as happy seeing them attend.

why won't you tell us? that's weird

Not really...why do you need to know? Does it really matter if it was Pomona, Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Bowdoin, Colby, etc? It was one of ones consistently at the top of lists and frequently mentioned on DCUM. Are you tryin got ask about grades to determine "merit"? Their grades, ECs, and rigor had them in the running for ANY school.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2 high profile Wall St alums and couple thousand foreign language teachers grads. Never will be confused with Williams.

Don't kid yourself. Williams is special in the same way that another 12-15 tops SLACs are special. It is no better than any of them and no worse than any of them. All of them are as good or better than any school (Ivy's included) for undergraduate education.

The differences in rankings are driven by endowment size and herd instinct for the peer assessment which is why the idea that any of these schools can be granularly ranked is just flat out dumb.

I'd say that those who do make dramatic distinctions from within this group — such as, as examples, "this college will never be that college" and "buy this school, sell that one" — appear to lack an interest in academics and intellectual pursuits. And, personally, I'd say that the LACs that might be regarded as special aren't necessarily those that place the highest in the rankings.

I agree with you on this. One of my kids attends one of the "special" LACs, they are an extremely strong student and are having an amazing experience. But, when were doing school tours for our kids over the years (and attending school events) their school isn't one where I felt the most "magic" in terms of what was going on. I spent a weekend at University of Scranton and was constantly amazed at how happy everyone seemed and how active the campus was. Clarkson kids were super engaged and the engineering graduates that I have seen are top notch. Puget Sound felt like a very warm community, and one of my kids has a friend at Beloit who is having an amazing time even though they are far from CA. There were others as well. People get caught up in the rankings game and forget what is actually important.

ok which of the "special" LACs does your kid go to?

Not necessary in this conversation. They chose teh school but there were many "lesser" schools (in the minds of some, not me) that I would have been just as happy seeing them attend.

why won't you tell us? that's weird

I’m not the pp, but is it weird given the nosy parkers on this site not to mention the vitriol directed at so-called lesser schools?
Who needs it?

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Anonymous wrote:2 high profile Wall St alums and couple thousand foreign language teachers grads. Never will be confused with Williams.

Don't kid yourself. Williams is special in the same way that another 12-15 tops SLACs are special. It is no better than any of them and no worse than any of them. All of them are as good or better than any school (Ivy's included) for undergraduate education.

The differences in rankings are driven by endowment size and herd instinct for the peer assessment which is why the idea that any of these schools can be granularly ranked is just flat out dumb.

I'd say that those who do make dramatic distinctions from within this group — such as, as examples, "this college will never be that college" and "buy this school, sell that one" — appear to lack an interest in academics and intellectual pursuits. And, personally, I'd say that the LACs that might be regarded as special aren't necessarily those that place the highest in the rankings.

I agree with you on this. One of my kids attends one of the "special" LACs, they are an extremely strong student and are having an amazing experience. But, when were doing school tours for our kids over the years (and attending school events) their school isn't one where I felt the most "magic" in terms of what was going on. I spent a weekend at University of Scranton and was constantly amazed at how happy everyone seemed and how active the campus was. Clarkson kids were super engaged and the engineering graduates that I have seen are top notch. Puget Sound felt like a very warm community, and one of my kids has a friend at Beloit who is having an amazing time even though they are far from CA. There were others as well. People get caught up in the rankings game and forget what is actually important.

ok which of the "special" LACs does your kid go to?

Not necessary in this conversation. They chose teh school but there were many "lesser" schools (in the minds of some, not me) that I would have been just as happy seeing them attend.

why won't you tell us? that's weird

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2 high profile Wall St alums and couple thousand foreign language teachers grads. Never will be confused with Williams.

Don't kid yourself. Williams is special in the same way that another 12-15 tops SLACs are special. It is no better than any of them and no worse than any of them. All of them are as good or better than any school (Ivy's included) for undergraduate education.

The differences in rankings are driven by endowment size and herd instinct for the peer assessment which is why the idea that any of these schools can be granularly ranked is just flat out dumb.

I'd say that those who do make dramatic distinctions from within this group — such as, as examples, "this college will never be that college" and "buy this school, sell that one" — appear to lack an interest in academics and intellectual pursuits. And, personally, I'd say that the LACs that might be regarded as special aren't necessarily those that place the highest in the rankings.

I agree with you on this. One of my kids attends one of the "special" LACs, they are an extremely strong student and are having an amazing experience. But, when were doing school tours for our kids over the years (and attending school events) their school isn't one where I felt the most "magic" in terms of what was going on. I spent a weekend at University of Scranton and was constantly amazed at how happy everyone seemed and how active the campus was. Clarkson kids were super engaged and the engineering graduates that I have seen are top notch. Puget Sound felt like a very warm community, and one of my kids has a friend at Beloit who is having an amazing time even though they are far from CA. There were others as well. People get caught up in the rankings game and forget what is actually important.

ok which of the "special" LACs does your kid go to?

Not necessary in this conversation. They chose teh school but there were many "lesser" schools (in the minds of some, not me) that I would have been just as happy seeing them attend.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2 high profile Wall St alums and couple thousand foreign language teachers grads. Never will be confused with Williams.

Don't kid yourself. Williams is special in the same way that another 12-15 tops SLACs are special. It is no better than any of them and no worse than any of them. All of them are as good or better than any school (Ivy's included) for undergraduate education.

The differences in rankings are driven by endowment size and herd instinct for the peer assessment which is why the idea that any of these schools can be granularly ranked is just flat out dumb.

I'd say that those who do make dramatic distinctions from within this group — such as, as examples, "this college will never be that college" and "buy this school, sell that one" — appear to lack an interest in academics and intellectual pursuits. And, personally, I'd say that the LACs that might be regarded as special aren't necessarily those that place the highest in the rankings.

I agree with you on this. One of my kids attends one of the "special" LACs, they are an extremely strong student and are having an amazing experience. But, when were doing school tours for our kids over the years (and attending school events) their school isn't one where I felt the most "magic" in terms of what was going on. I spent a weekend at University of Scranton and was constantly amazed at how happy everyone seemed and how active the campus was. Clarkson kids were super engaged and the engineering graduates that I have seen are top notch. Puget Sound felt like a very warm community, and one of my kids has a friend at Beloit who is having an amazing time even though they are far from CA. There were others as well. People get caught up in the rankings game and forget what is actually important.

ok which of the "special" LACs does your kid go to?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2 high profile Wall St alums and couple thousand foreign language teachers grads. Never will be confused with Williams.

Don't kid yourself. Williams is special in the same way that another 12-15 tops SLACs are special. It is no better than any of them and no worse than any of them. All of them are as good or better than any school (Ivy's included) for undergraduate education.

The differences in rankings are driven by endowment size and herd instinct for the peer assessment which is why the idea that any of these schools can be granularly ranked is just flat out dumb.

I'd say that those who do make dramatic distinctions from within this group — such as, as examples, "this college will never be that college" and "buy this school, sell that one" — appear to lack an interest in academics and intellectual pursuits. And, personally, I'd say that the LACs that might be regarded as special aren't necessarily those that place the highest in the rankings.

I agree with you on this. One of my kids attends one of the "special" LACs, they are an extremely strong student and are having an amazing experience. But, when were doing school tours for our kids over the years (and attending school events) their school isn't one where I felt the most "magic" in terms of what was going on. I spent a weekend at University of Scranton and was constantly amazed at how happy everyone seemed and how active the campus was. Clarkson kids were super engaged and the engineering graduates that I have seen are top notch. Puget Sound felt like a very warm community, and one of my kids has a friend at Beloit who is having an amazing time even though they are far from CA. There were others as well. People get caught up in the rankings game and forget what is actually important.