It is not just the Ivies. NC State had 14 student deaths last year, at least 7 confirmed suicides. UGA had a student suicide yesterday (and a murder today) Unimaginable heartbreak for all involved.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Suicides are at all schools. but more common at "top" schools.. I am guessing the reason is obvious. So sad nonetheless

Pleas site sources where it’s more common at top schools

My one kid attends school ranked in the 80s. Only heard of 1 suicide there in the last 6-7 years. My alma mater is T10, had 9 suicides in ~5 years.
Sure that's antidotal, but both schools are similar size, within 100 miles/same weather/etc. Difference is one is a T10 pressure cooker, the other isn't the typical pressure cooker (but still has strivers and plenty of good smart kids).

Thanks for admitting that you cannot site sources. Of course, we only want to use the 2 schools we “heard of” as truth. And that is my issue. I personally deal with students with mental health issues, and they are not top schools, and they are not overachieving students. And I think that is the danger. Because if that’s all we’re focusing on, we are failing these students that need us most.

Suicide can happen at any college, regardless of its ranking. Mental health challenges affect people from all walks of life, and it's essential to address these issues with empathy and support, regardless of the institution

anecdotally, I can name 50 kids at your “ top” schools that are doing great and 10 that are struggling. And it’s not about the pressure of the school or the school or their parents. And somehow, I wish it was. Because then we’d have the answer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yet every time someone posts in DCUM about how grim and awful the environment is on these elite campuses these days, all their rabid fans scream about how wrong that assessment is and that everything is perfect.

Suicides happen on most college campuses, but yes, IMO, they happen more at the pressure cooker schools, and in reality most T25 schools are exactly that. Those kids have often grown up thru HS expecting to be the best at everything and eventually the pressure to do that can be too much unfortunately

I do appreciate you qualifying your comment as “in your opinion”. Because until you can site sources that say suicides happen more at the top 25 schools, then this statement is insensitive to the mental health challenges of affected students.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Suicides are at all schools. but more common at "top" schools.. I am guessing the reason is obvious. So sad nonetheless

Pleas site sources where it’s more common at top schools

My one kid attends school ranked in the 80s. Only heard of 1 suicide there in the last 6-7 years. My alma mater is T10, had 9 suicides in ~5 years.
Sure that's antidotal, but both schools are similar size, within 100 miles/same weather/etc. Difference is one is a T10 pressure cooker, the other isn't the typical pressure cooker (but still has strivers and plenty of good smart kids).

Anonymous wrote:Tiger parents

Not sure exactly what this means, but Suicides are prevalent at any college, regardless of its ranking and by students regardless of the way they were parented .

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grade deflation at Princeton makes it worse than other places

The grade deflation policy was lifted in 2014. The average GPA is 3.56 now.

I think the issue just has to do with the pressure that the types of kids admitted to top schools typically feel now to excel at everything. If the first real challenge in your life happens when you’re away from home surrounded by other high-achieving kids, you’re more prone to think of yourself as a failure or an imposter.

And if you have family/parents who except their kid to "be the best"/do well and get into a top Med school or law school, the kids don't want to disappoint

Anonymous wrote:Yet every time someone posts in DCUM about how grim and awful the environment is on these elite campuses these days, all their rabid fans scream about how wrong that assessment is and that everything is perfect.

Suicides happen on most college campuses, but yes, IMO, they happen more at the pressure cooker schools, and in reality most T25 schools are exactly that. Those kids have often grown up thru HS expecting to be the best at everything and eventually the pressure to do that can be too much unfortunately

Anonymous wrote:Story from Princeton of two sons dying by suicide by train . . . No words. How could you keep on living yourself, as their parents? Heartbreaking. And heartbreaking that so many college students are in such despair. We are at 50,000 suicides per year in the US, so the problem is not confined to college campuses. It is staggering the despair and depression.

This!!
We are doing a disservice to all of our kids if we are thinking that this only happens at top schools or to higher achieving students. Do not think that a “C” student or kid that chooses not to go to college at all, for example, is immune to mental health struggles.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know one of the victims.

It’s a bad environment right now. Toxic. Too much pressure. Grade deflation.

Can you speak more about the toxicity? Inflicted by faculty or self imposed by high achieving students?

Sometimes I wonder if you get the thing you want (admission to princeton) - and it doesn't turn out to be what you had hoped for / or solved all your problems .... I can see that sending someone spiraling

+1
You expect something close to heaven, and it turns out not to be that way.

Tiger parents

Last week, I read a story about a google/youtube executive's 19 year old son dying suddenly at Berkeley - not sure if it was a suicide or accidental overdose.

Anonymous wrote:Dartmouth has also had quite a few student deaths in recent years.

So sad. Unfortunately It’s not just the big name schools at the top of the list though.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:8th student death in 3 years, am not sure they are all suicides. I do know that the two deceased freshman this year were both struggling with mental illnesses before they started college. Very tragic and sad.

Unfortunately not surprising. The pressure and stress kids are under in HS to get admission to a T10-20 school leaves many with mental illness issues before they even enter college

And it’s far more teaching than just the T# schools.

Anonymous wrote:Suicides are at all schools. but more common at "top" schools.. I am guessing the reason is obvious. So sad nonetheless

Pleas site sources where it’s more common at top schools

Don’t be fooled. Princeton And other “top” schools are no different from anywhere else. People everywhere have mental health issues and stressors. There are more suicides at high schools and colleges than you know. They are just not reported on. Look at the news. Even knowing about the cases that you do, you will rarely be able to find a story on it.