Anonymous
Post 09/23/2025 04:36     Subject: Re:Merit at less SLAC vs WASP or similar..
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Definitely not worth it now. WASP isn’t even stable. Pomona has already fallen as a low tier college now.


Low tier? You are ridiculous.


Other adjectives to describe this PP:
Striver
Insecure
Hostile
Jealous
Unbalanced
Petty
Uninformed
Sad
Loser

And I don’t have a kid who attends, attended or will be applying to Pomona. Good luck to all who have it on their list. It is clearly an excellent school.
Anonymous
Post 09/23/2025 03:47     Subject: Re:Merit at less SLAC vs WASP or similar..
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Definitely not worth it now. WASP isn’t even stable. Pomona has already fallen as a low tier college now.


Low tier? You are ridiculous.

It’s not ranked this year, because it dropped so far down. Word is that they’re having endowment issues
Anonymous
Post 09/23/2025 03:36     Subject: Re:Merit at less SLAC vs WASP or similar..
Anonymous wrote:Definitely not worth it now. WASP isn’t even stable. Pomona has already fallen as a low tier college now.


Low tier? You are ridiculous.
Anonymous
Post 09/23/2025 03:15     Subject: Re:Merit at less SLAC vs WASP or similar..
Definitely not worth it now. WASP isn’t even stable. Pomona has already fallen as a low tier college now.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2025 21:46     Subject: Merit at less SLAC vs WASP or similar..
Anonymous wrote:OP here sorry should have added what we can afford. Solidly upper middle class and will pay college from cash flow. Will not impact life, but would like to give kid some of the savings as nest egg to buy house etx. So money does matter, but we would not struggle with full pay - would be nice to save it though lol
Lol, if you can afford full pay from cash flow you are not upper middle class. You are well into the rich category.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2025 20:11     Subject: Merit at less SLAC vs WASP or similar..
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:there was a very insightful comment on one of these threads - schools like swarthmore williams and amherst will provide a ton of opportunities for kids to have their choice of - while one of these schools ranked btw 20-30 for SLACs will provide less options, but similar quality of the opportunities. Meaning Williams may get you any of 10 PE or IB opportunities, while a Colgate or Bucknell may get you 1 or 2 - as long as you aren’t picky, you will have the same quality of choices

What can Amherst get you that Hamilton or Claremont McKenna can’t?


the elite are obsessed with rankings - Amherst ranking and the related trappings are what it gets u vs those other two
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2025 19:32     Subject: Merit at less SLAC vs WASP or similar..
Anonymous wrote:there was a very insightful comment on one of these threads - schools like swarthmore williams and amherst will provide a ton of opportunities for kids to have their choice of - while one of these schools ranked btw 20-30 for SLACs will provide less options, but similar quality of the opportunities. Meaning Williams may get you any of 10 PE or IB opportunities, while a Colgate or Bucknell may get you 1 or 2 - as long as you aren’t picky, you will have the same quality of choices

What can Amherst get you that Hamilton or Claremont McKenna can’t?
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2025 19:30     Subject: Merit at less SLAC vs WASP or similar..
there was a very insightful comment on one of these threads - schools like swarthmore williams and amherst will provide a ton of opportunities for kids to have their choice of - while one of these schools ranked btw 20-30 for SLACs will provide less options, but similar quality of the opportunities. Meaning Williams may get you any of 10 PE or IB opportunities, while a Colgate or Bucknell may get you 1 or 2 - as long as you aren’t picky, you will have the same quality of choices
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2025 18:34     Subject: Merit at less SLAC vs WASP or similar..
full pay for Williams and Amherst, similar to what I would say for all ivies. Then take the merit
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2025 18:30     Subject: Merit at less SLAC vs WASP or similar..
Anonymous wrote:This older Forbes article placed Amherst first and Williams third among colleges worth their price tags:

10 Expensive Colleges Worth Every Penny 2017 https://www.forbes.com/sites/nataliesportelli/2017/04/26/10-expensive-colleges-worth-every-penny-2017/

Do you just clog threads with links
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2025 18:25     Subject: Merit at less SLAC vs WASP or similar..
This older Forbes article placed Amherst first and Williams third among colleges worth their price tags:

10 Expensive Colleges Worth Every Penny 2017 https://www.forbes.com/sites/nataliesportelli/2017/04/26/10-expensive-colleges-worth-every-penny-2017/
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2025 18:23     Subject: Merit at less SLAC vs WASP or similar..
Anonymous wrote:You need to get beyond the top ten LACs or so to get serious merit.

I'd target the LACs ranked (among LACs) 20-40 to get great merit.

Forget the Williams/Swarthmore/Amherst/ Bowdoin/Wellesley/Carleton/Pomona/CMC/Wesleyan/Vassar etc.


+1
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2025 18:22     Subject: Merit at less SLAC vs WASP or similar..
Nice problem to have OP, love your confidence that your student will get into a WASP school. I would have this debate after acceptances and if you can afford it (which it sounds like like you can) ED where your DC really wants to go.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2025 18:03     Subject: Merit at less SLAC vs WASP or similar..
Check out Holy Cross they offer some merit aid.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2025 17:54     Subject: Merit at less SLAC vs WASP or similar..
You need to get beyond the top ten LACs or so to get serious merit.

I'd target the LACs ranked (among LACs) 20-40 to get great merit.

Forget the Williams/Swarthmore/Amherst/ Bowdoin/Wellesley/Carleton/Pomona/CMC/Wesleyan/Vassar etc.