Anonymous wrote:These posts about misery and depression at CMU, Chicago, Cornell (all on my kids list btw) have me thinking...where are kids HAPPY? Besides Brown? (Ideally, a little easier to get into than Brown!)

Yale!

Anonymous wrote:Duke and Davidson

Interesting on Davidson.

What about Wake?

Duke and Davidson

Pitt

Auburn

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:William & Mary

Uh, no.

Do you currently have a kid there, or a graduate?

I have a recent graduate and a friend’s kid a year later. Both super happy at W&M, as were their friends.

It is very sad to hear about the recent suicide, but my other kids go to colleges with lots of suicides as well.

It is not the grind many believe, at least in my experience

It was also potentially an OD which isn't exactly the same thing as a normal suicide

Duke, Yale, Brown, Rice, ND, UVA.

Kids are very happy at state schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:William & Mary

Uh, no.

Do you currently have a kid there, or a graduate?

I have a recent graduate and a friend’s kid a year later. Both super happy at W&M, as were their friends.

It is very sad to hear about the recent suicide, but my other kids go to colleges with lots of suicides as well.

It is not the grind many believe, at least in my experience

wesleyan is miserable - cliques galore, and non-stop sobbing since the election - athletes all targeted as republicans regardless of affiliation - lax bros beware

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have several kids in college. Out of their extended friend groups of probably 20 kids, the schools where kids are really happy: UVA, UCLA, Wisconsin, Indiana, UMiami, Vanderbilt and Tulane.

Agree with some of this. In our private HS friend group, its:

Duke
Brown
Dartmouth
Vanderbilt
Rice (!!)
Michigan
USC
UCLA
BC
U-Miami
Wisconsin
Wake
Tulane
Santa Clara

CMC
Middlebury
Wesleyan
Davidson

I wrote the original list you quoted. Not sure why you think it is relevant that the kids went to private high school, but my list was also private school kids. Why is it relevant to college happiness? Just curious if I am missing something?

CU Boulder

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tulane is a happy place.

I know kids miserable there. Too much partying. No one goes to class.

I have a kid there that goes to class and is a serious student. All their friends go to class. Stop perpetuating bullshit.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:William & Mary

Uh, no.

Np - yes.

They just had another suicide three weeks ago. No.
They need to raise salaries and increase numbers of counseling staff! Most expensive public undergrad in the entire country and they can’t even get a handle on student mental health.

Is there evidence showing that W&M has a higher suicide rate than other universities?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most. Even the ones you wrote about being depressing.

This exactly. I think it really depends on the kid and finding the right fit. There are kids who will be happy at CMU and kids who will be miserable. Similarly, there are kids who will be happy at Tulane or Bama and others who will hate it. That’s why it’s so important to look for the right fit for your kid and not just the ranking.

This is the only correct answer. Every kid is different and you need to find the right fit for your kid. I have two kids at a school that is continually bashed on this site for being competitive, soul crushing, and a complete grind. My kids are thriving and loving every second of their college experience. Have made life long friends, went to plenty of parties and enjoyed a collaborative student body