Anonymous wrote:Bay Area is the most competitive, then tri-state, then DMV. No question.

Why Bay Area? Isn’t it filled with a bunch of people raised by hippies?

Anonymous wrote:DMV comes in below NY, CT, NJ, CA, and MA.

It’s only a small % of parents here.

Why CA? I thought they prided themselves to be too “laid back” to care about college prestige.

Anonymous wrote:IME it is the tri-state, DMV, and Bay Area.

I’m, DMV IS the tri-state.

Having moved to suburban Maryland from Palo Alto, it is tough to compare the two. The biggest difference to me is that people here are more focused on the college name/prestige and people there are more concerned with college as a means to what happens after college. There, it is much more about getting a top tech, consulting, or banking job or getting into a top grad school rather than just going to Stanford or Harvard or Yale. Getting into a great school is the start everyone there wants but that alone doesn't then lower the pressure on the kids (it is like winning an initial playoff game in professional sports; on to the next one, which is even more important). Here, it feels like being admitted and starting at a prestigious college is an end in itself and then the external pressure drops, even for Big 3 or TJ kids. It isn't surprising that you see far more Google, Meta, and Amazon swag in Palo Alto than college shirts (non-Stanford anyway). In DC, I've never seen so many people in their 30s and 40s still advertising where they went to school

Anonymous wrote:Midwest is super chill - grew up in a wealthy northern suburb of Chicago and kids are happy with Big 10 schools. Kids thrilled about getting accepted to Northwestern, Michigan, or Wisconsin. Elite or bust is pretty rare.

Are you talking about your experience or do you have HS kids? If you're reading this board, you know how many kids are dying to get those Big10 schools. And, not getting in with perfect/near-perfect scores and excellent ECs. Yes, they would be thrilled.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:What about Orange county / newport beach?

No. I’m in So Cal. Pretty easy going compared to other spots. My kid is at a competitive school, but even so it’s not as culturally cutthroat.

Newport Beach is home to the varsity blues scandal. It is or was a home also to Michael Avenatti, Stormy Daniel's one-time attorney, sentenced for extortion plot.

The city is full of retirees who may no longer be competing. The younger ones, aren't exactly the cooperative types. The city of Newport Beach has a very high percentage of apartments relative to homeowners. These are often Newport wannabes. It's a competitive environment.

The varsity blues scandal was clueless SoCal types who took the "wrong" way to force their kids into college (bribing coaches, getting ringers to take the SAT, etc.) NorCal, NYC, DC parents do things the "right" way (donations, extensive prep, hired 'reputable' college counselors, etc.) Varsity blues revealed precisely how not plugged in SoCal is.

Oh, there were quite a few Northern Californians caught up in the sting. My friend saw the FBI roll up one morning to bust in on her neighbor for the Varsity Blues op.

Anonymous wrote:LOL, Michigan above Berkeley. Okay...

LOL, any public university over a T30 private. Okay... Rich would rather flex their wealth and shield their kids from proles sending their kids to mid tier privates like SMU, Pepperdine, Miami, Villanova, and Wake Forest over an over-enrolled public flagship full of grubby strivers

Anonymous wrote:Midwest is super chill - grew up in a wealthy northern suburb of Chicago and kids are happy with Big 10 schools. Kids thrilled about getting accepted to Northwestern, Michigan, or Wisconsin. Elite or bust is pretty rare.

Well yeah, that's flyover country for ya.

Anonymous wrote:I was talking to some old college friends who are now in the Bay Area and they’re on another level it seems. Many of them are pushing their kids pretty hard to get Harvard, Stanford, Duke, Columbia, etc. Just goes to show it’s all relative

Nobody it clamoring to get their kid into Columbia. Fake Ivy neurotic weirdo college.

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Anonymous wrote:I was talking to some old college friends who are now in the Bay Area and they’re on another level it seems. Many of them are pushing their kids pretty hard to get Harvard, Stanford, Duke, Columbia, etc. Just goes to show it’s all relative

Troll.

No one outside the DMV area considers Duke in this group. Bay area people don't.

Wrong - They have started to pay attention to increase their odds of a T10 admission. Same for Vandy.

Duke and Vandy are not considered anywhere near HYPSM by most in the Bay Area, and below Berkeley and Cornell. Duke/Vandy CS and engineering are not considered to be in the same league as Berkeley and Cornell, for example.

I mean, that's all just objectively true.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Midwest is super chill - grew up in a wealthy northern suburb of Chicago and kids are happy with Big 10 schools. Kids thrilled about getting accepted to Northwestern, Michigan, or Wisconsin. Elite or bust is pretty rare.

Sounds healthy!

+1

Anonymous wrote:You idiots are completely insane. I feel for your spawn.

Yes!!

Anonymous wrote:Midwest is super chill - grew up in a wealthy northern suburb of Chicago and kids are happy with Big 10 schools. Kids thrilled about getting accepted to Northwestern, Michigan, or Wisconsin. Elite or bust is pretty rare.

Sounds healthy!

You idiots are completely insane. I feel for your spawn.

Midwest is super chill - grew up in a wealthy northern suburb of Chicago and kids are happy with Big 10 schools. Kids thrilled about getting accepted to Northwestern, Michigan, or Wisconsin. Elite or bust is pretty rare.