Anonymous wrote:I could not care less about my undergraduate and graduate school - University of Maryland.
However, I'm very engaged and connected with the parent group from DD's alma mater - Baylor University. They do a great job of keeping families and alumni connected. Fun activities, local get togethers, occasional little free surprises in the mail. Stuff like that. I'm not a big sports fan, but I do keep up with Baylor's sports teams.
DS went to Grinnell and while he got a good education, the school spirit and connection with families and alumni is zilch.
I went to a SLAC like Grinnell, and although I loved it and still have some close friends from there, I feel much more connected to my grad school, which has all the “rah rah” spirit people here like to denigrate. But that stuff really travels, and it grows with you in a way the precious bubble of my undergrad didn’t. Not in some profound way, but a lot of adult life is making small talk in various low- and high-stakes situations and college football and basketball can play a big role.