Anonymous wrote:Honestly, it's really their life. We should try to keep our involvement as minimal as possible. I would be fine with it as long they did one of the following: supplement technical skills, professional graduate degree, target in-demand field, Ivy League University. There is a myriad of things you can do with a liberal arts degree. I'd recommend that you and your son have an honest discussion on what his goals are.

+1

No matter what your degree is in, you need to have a plan for what to do with it once you graduate. Fact is an engineer or data analyst degree or finance degree or accounting make it much easier to have that plan. But if you love anthropology or art history or greek mythology, major in that and develop those key critical thinking and writing skills---the world needs more people like that (just like engineers should develop the writing skills as well to succeed) But also get a minor in something that will aide with getting a job---business, data analytics, CS, etc. A business minor is typically only 6 or 7 basic business courses (Econ, statistics and 3-4 other general/intro to the area courses) A good skill set for almost anyone to have, and would certainly help an anthropology (or any other humanities major) get a leg up with finding a job.

Anonymous wrote:I am unsure if I want to finance a college education if he will come out with only a B.A. in some liberal arts discipline. I'd hate the thought of him suffering with unemployment and a low paid career.

What do you think?

Would you rather they didn't go to college? Or study only what you want? If you could have college but, their major but, no college which would you rather?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Let"?? I wouldn't force them into a major they had little interest in.

I have a graduate degree in STEM (female). My husband was an Econ/German double major. My sons excel in all areas: science, art (both excellent artists), math, history and English. They don't really have a 'best'. When I ask them what subject they like best in school, without hesitation, they both say 'history'. They are 14 and 16 and I have no idea if that will still be the case, but my oldest was the only Sophomore at his private to get a 5 on the AP Euro history exam.

The thing with liberal arts is that if that is what they want to pursue then they have to go to a top 10, minimum top 20, university. It's not that way with STEM. Science degrees, CS degrees are very marketable and there is less need to have to be at the most highly rated universities, but if you are coming out with an English or History or International Relations degree, etc., you need to obtain it from the top universities/programs.

That simply isn't true and never has been.

Depends what you want to do with it.

If you want to do graduate work in English or History or International Relations, you absolutely need to obtain your undergrad degree from a top program.

If you want to do graduate work in "something else" then getting your undergrad degree from a top program will help you a lot. (BA from Podunk State and MBA from Harvard is theoretically possible but unlikely.)

If you just want to have a BA in English or History or International Relations and then move on with your life, then obtaining it from a top program may not matter much.

Anonymous wrote:"Let"?? I wouldn't force them into a major they had little interest in.

I have a graduate degree in STEM (female). My husband was an Econ/German double major. My sons excel in all areas: science, art (both excellent artists), math, history and English. They don't really have a 'best'. When I ask them what subject they like best in school, without hesitation, they both say 'history'. They are 14 and 16 and I have no idea if that will still be the case, but my oldest was the only Sophomore at his private to get a 5 on the AP Euro history exam.

The thing with liberal arts is that if that is what they want to pursue then they have to go to a top 10, minimum top 20, university. It's not that way with STEM. Science degrees, CS degrees are very marketable and there is less need to have to be at the most highly rated universities, but if you are coming out with an English or History or International Relations degree, etc., you need to obtain it from the top universities/programs.

That simply isn't true and never has been.

"Let"?? I wouldn't force them into a major they had little interest in.

I have a graduate degree in STEM (female). My husband was an Econ/German double major. My sons excel in all areas: science, art (both excellent artists), math, history and English. They don't really have a 'best'. When I ask them what subject they like best in school, without hesitation, they both say 'history'. They are 14 and 16 and I have no idea if that will still be the case, but my oldest was the only Sophomore at his private to get a 5 on the AP Euro history exam.

The thing with liberal arts is that if that is what they want to pursue then they have to go to a top 10, minimum top 20, university. It's not that way with STEM. Science degrees, CS degrees are very marketable and there is less need to have to be at the most highly rated universities, but if you are coming out with an English or History or International Relations degree, etc., you need to obtain it from the top universities/programs.

Anonymous wrote:A liberal arts degree teaches you how to learn. And it teaches you that everything is interesting if you pay enough attention. It’s a fantastic foundation for a good career and a chance at a happy life.

Great, but is that worth spending $300,000?

Anonymous wrote:Just supplement with a technical minor. Also, excellent writing skills are always in demand.

This is backwards. Do a technical major with a LA minor.

any good university/college will give you plenty of liberal arts education for general requirements
just do not major it lol

Anonymous wrote:I am unsure if I want to finance a college education if he will come out with only a B.A. in some liberal arts discipline. I'd hate the thought of him suffering with unemployment and a low paid career.

What do you think?

I think you don’t actually know what liberal arts means. It’s not synonymous with the humanities. Math,e.g., is a traditional liberal art.

Anonymous wrote:We insist on it. All our kids have to get a BA in Liberal Arts first. DH and I both graduated from MIT and the first two years are basically core liberal arts classes. We thought it was a great foundation. Our oldest son got into Harvard Med School with a BA in Latin/Classic Languages. DD is majoring in sociology with an eye on MBA programs after graduation. Youngest DS, starting college in the fall, will probably choose History as his major.

Critical thinkers are in short supply right now. The idea of higher education at the undergraduate level as trade school is right wing crap.

Congratulations to your kids' successful career paths. While I see the critical thinking skills are of great importance, I also couldn't resist thinking if pre-med subjects would make more sense for an aspiring doctor. Forgive my ignorance. Maybe the kid is passionate in the chosen subject.

My DC (senior) is strongly considering Math and CS majors in non-liberal arts colleges currently. I didn't know much about SLACs until now and asked my kid to explore those schools too to expand their research.

Honestly, it's really their life. We should try to keep our involvement as minimal as possible. I would be fine with it as long they did one of the following: supplement technical skills, professional graduate degree, target in-demand field, Ivy League University. There is a myriad of things you can do with a liberal arts degree. I'd recommend that you and your son have an honest discussion on what his goals are.

LOL — OP, you don’t know what liberal arts is. Did you know it includes hard sciences?

We insist on it. All our kids have to get a BA in Liberal Arts first. DH and I both graduated from MIT and the first two years are basically core liberal arts classes. We thought it was a great foundation. Our oldest son got into Harvard Med School with a BA in Latin/Classic Languages. DD is majoring in sociology with an eye on MBA programs after graduation. Youngest DS, starting college in the fall, will probably choose History as his major.

Critical thinkers are in short supply right now. The idea of higher education at the undergraduate level as trade school is right wing crap.

A liberal arts degree teaches you how to learn. And it teaches you that everything is interesting if you pay enough attention. It’s a fantastic foundation for a good career and a chance at a happy life.

Anonymous wrote:I am unsure if I want to finance a college education if he will come out with only a B.A. in some liberal arts discipline. I'd hate the thought of him suffering with unemployment and a low paid career.

What do you think?

Absolutely! I would however, also strongly recommend he takes his $25K (or whatever) and spend it towards a business and just gets a job at the most fun uni, while doing free remote learning. https://web.archive.org/web/20040208100939/http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Writing-and-Humanistic-Studies/index.htm. Unis are filled with women, and he may marry a rich woman or a woman who makes him happy. But if I gave his sibling $25K in tuition, I absolutely would give him $25K for college. Tall, white, good-looking men sometimes don't end up unemployed and "suffering". Black female PHDs in STEM sometimes do. You never know, so let provide your son information so he can make his own decisions.