Anonymous wrote:Downward mobility

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Prestigious colleges generally graduate more successful people, and some industries are only accessible to people who attend a select few elite universities. Resources, opportunities, and faculty relationships can be cultivated more easily at some schools as well.

Which industries are ONLY accessible to a small number of colleges?

Investment banking, MBB consulting. Good luck breaking in if you're not at at LEAST a semi-target.

Ok.

Beyond that, which most people are miserable actually doing, which industries?

And by elite, I mean T20 university or T10 SLAC. The DCUM preferred schools.

So UVA, Georgetown, etc. are not elite?

OP here. Of course they are. But my sense is DCUM approves of T20 universities and T10 SLAC, generally.

So my post is really about why parents are freaking out about their kids getting into those schools, as though their lives will be materially worse if they don’t go to one of those schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Prestigious colleges generally graduate more successful people, and some industries are only accessible to people who attend a select few elite universities. Resources, opportunities, and faculty relationships can be cultivated more easily at some schools as well.

Which industries are ONLY accessible to a small number of colleges?

Investment banking, MBB consulting. Good luck breaking in if you're not at at LEAST a semi-target.

I am not kidding when I say I would be so disappointed if my kids went into either of these fields.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Prestigious colleges generally graduate more successful people, and some industries are only accessible to people who attend a select few elite universities. Resources, opportunities, and faculty relationships can be cultivated more easily at some schools as well.

Which industries are ONLY accessible to a small number of colleges?

Investment banking, MBB consulting. Good luck breaking in if you're not at at LEAST a semi-target.

Ok.

Beyond that, which most people are miserable actually doing, which industries?

And by elite, I mean T20 university or T10 SLAC. The DCUM preferred schools.

So UVA, Georgetown, etc. are not elite?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see a massive amount of hand wringing on this forum.

So I have to ask: what are you truly afraid of?

What do you suppose might happen if your kid doesn’t get into a “good enough” college?

Surely you all must know successful people who went to a huge range of colleges. So you know it’s far from the end of the world if you don’t get into the college you like at 17 years old.

So what’s the fear?

I won’t be able to feel a smug sense of superiority when I put my kid’s school bumper sticker on the car.

Muffy will laugh at me behind my back to the other ladies when I miss book club. Maybe. Probably.

My kid’s poor mental health stemming from my failure to provide him with any sense of perspective won’t be able to be waved away as the price of being a high achiever.

He might decide to use the weed like a poor person instead of developing a cocaine addiction like all good investment bankers do.

He might have to actually have a conversation with aforementioned poor person. Or, worse, a kid that went to public high school.

He might meet his future wife whose only ambition is to become a nurse or a teacher or something gross that helps people like that.

The list goes on…

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Prestigious colleges generally graduate more successful people, and some industries are only accessible to people who attend a select few elite universities. Resources, opportunities, and faculty relationships can be cultivated more easily at some schools as well.

Which industries are ONLY accessible to a small number of colleges?

Investment banking, MBB consulting. Good luck breaking in if you're not at at LEAST a semi-target.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm afraid of my child slipping into a different social class than the one I grew up in and am most comfortable with. I don't mean in terms of money--I am not wealthy--but in terms of habits of the mind. At home and in school, I grew up around people who read books, discussed history, understood scientific principles, were curious about the world, appreciated fine art and music, and were generally very smart. I get nervous that if my child attends a lower-ranked school, his peer group will be comprised of less intellectual people and that this will dull his mind a bit.

I can resonate.

People here may judge you. But I think this system (elite college) works far better than Caste system, where your class is determined by blood. No matter how much effort you make, one cannot change their class.

If we don't have the elite college system in the US, social mobility would have declined drastically. Rich remains rich, poor stays poor, forever.

AI is likely to disrupt—and potentially dismantle—that mobility ladder you described. We’re already seeing the effects ripple out, little by little, as unemployment rises.

I think AI will have profound impact on social classes and social mobility. I think we will soon see again, that reading a book becomes a privilege as the majority of people will not engage in that activity anymore.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IMO, college can set off a chain reaction:

It helps you find the right peer group (similar to what elite private high schools offer).

It increases the chances of meeting the right partner—shared background and values can reduce friction and strengthen a marriage.

The right peer group can lead to better friendship, networking, career opportunities, or business prospects.

The right spouse can result in a more stable, long-lasting marriage and positive potential for children.

The right job, career, and marriage together often lead to better mental and physical health.

I’ll probably get a lot of judgment for saying this, but this is basically how societies have sustained for thousands of years if you look at both Western or East Asian civilizations.

My kids both met their partners at their non-elite public universities. They both have unconventional career goals (no engineers, investment bankers, doctor or lawyers). I guess they are contributing to the downfall of civilization. Sorry about that! I should have put them in Kumon in first grade or whatever.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see a massive amount of hand wringing on this forum.

So I have to ask: what are you truly afraid of?

What do you suppose might happen if your kid doesn’t get into a “good enough” college?

Surely you all must know successful people who went to a huge range of colleges. So you know it’s far from the end of the world if you don’t get into the college you like at 17 years old.

So what’s the fear?

I won’t be able to feel a smug sense of superiority when I put my kid’s school bumper sticker on the car.

Muffy will laugh at me behind my back to the other ladies when I miss book club. Maybe. Probably.

My kid’s poor mental health stemming from my failure to provide him with any sense of perspective won’t be able to be waved away as the price of being a high achiever.

He might decide to use the weed like a poor person instead of developing a cocaine addiction like all good investment bankers do.

He might have to actually have a conversation with aforementioned poor person. Or, worse, a kid that went to public high school.

He might meet his future wife whose only ambition is to become a nurse or a teacher or something gross that helps people like that.

The list goes on…

Feel better?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm afraid of my child slipping into a different social class than the one I grew up in and am most comfortable with. I don't mean in terms of money--I am not wealthy--but in terms of habits of the mind. At home and in school, I grew up around people who read books, discussed history, understood scientific principles, were curious about the world, appreciated fine art and music, and were generally very smart. I get nervous that if my child attends a lower-ranked school, his peer group will be comprised of less intellectual people and that this will dull his mind a bit.

I can resonate.

People here may judge you. But I think this system (elite college) works far better than Caste system, where your class is determined by blood. No matter how much effort you make, one cannot change their class.

If we don't have the elite college system in the US, social mobility would have declined drastically. Rich remains rich, poor stays poor, forever.

AI is likely to disrupt—and potentially dismantle—that mobility ladder you described. We’re already seeing the effects ripple out, little by little, as unemployment rises.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see a massive amount of hand wringing on this forum.

So I have to ask: what are you truly afraid of?

What do you suppose might happen if your kid doesn’t get into a “good enough” college?

Surely you all must know successful people who went to a huge range of colleges. So you know it’s far from the end of the world if you don’t get into the college you like at 17 years old.

So what’s the fear?

I won’t be able to feel a smug sense of superiority when I put my kid’s school bumper sticker on the car.

Muffy will laugh at me behind my back to the other ladies when I miss book club. Maybe. Probably.

My kid’s poor mental health stemming from my failure to provide him with any sense of perspective won’t be able to be waved away as the price of being a high achiever.

He might decide to use the weed like a poor person instead of developing a cocaine addiction like all good investment bankers do.

He might have to actually have a conversation with aforementioned poor person. Or, worse, a kid that went to public high school.

He might meet his future wife whose only ambition is to become a nurse or a teacher or something gross that helps people like that.

The list goes on…