Anonymous wrote:If you only apply to T50 schools, Ivies, etc and think that your parents’ experience with their college admissions in the 80s, 90s or 2000s has any relevance to your own, then yes, it really is that hard.

If you cast a wide net, apply ED to your first choice if you can (and you only get one shot at it, so don’t make it HYSP if you aren’t a top 1/2% student with massive other qualifying features) and apply to LOTS of schools with several true safeties, then no, it’s not.

One guess which option most of DCUM takes.

Anonymous wrote:"Do you mean merit aid, or need based aid? Tons, a large majority, in any event, of colleges give need based aid. Merit aid independent of aid is a smaller set, but many of those include the most selective universities and SLACs."

This info is wrong. The most selective schools do not give merit aid. If they do, it's to just a tiny sliver of people. Most merit aid comes from schools that are trying to convince you to go there instead of to a higher ranked or even equally ranked school. Think Loyola MD, Fordham, Santa Clara, Mt. St. Mary's, and so on. There are also some publics that give merit, like UNM, Arizona, and Alabama.

https://www.collegedata.com/resources/pay-your-way/how-to-get-merit-aid-from-colleges

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Anonymous wrote:Common Op. don't be ridiculous. Thousands of colleges out there.

Most of which are not worth going to if you are from an UMC family with a long history of attending top colleges and certain expectations, like coming from a top private school. Those of you who keep posting this flip can let your kids to no name and mediocre schools but for some people that’s just not acceptable.

Better get used to it.

My current senior is going to a top school, just like her siblings, thanks.

I just think those of you spouting the “thousands of colleges” being acceptable for DC area students don’t have a clue about how things are in certain circles of our country. Or maybe you are being deliberately obtuse. Most of those 1,000 colleges will never be acceptable to certain people. And they don’t have to be as they aren’t intended for those people. Of course there are a handful or two of less competitive schools that are fine for kids of these folks who aren’t academically strong or have learning challenges but for the most part there is a subset of acceptable schools and that won’t change. That’s what you are seeing on the DCUM college thread that seems to drive some posters crazy - the ones who keep posting the tripe about there being “thousands of colleges” and “people need to stop focusing on the same 50 schools” etc... You are trying to defeat the very heart of these people’s views on college - people whose families have been UMC and UC for generations, whose grands and greatgrands had degrees from top colleges, whose families have always invested in education and expect the next generation to do that same. It just is what it is. No point in trying to convince those folks differently.

I'm so sorry for them. That's terrible. There aren't enough spots for these kids. Some of them will have to find another path. Ivy/Ivy+ or bust is a recipe for heartbreak for most kids.

And a really stupid recipe at that. Once you get your first job (other than in a few fields---high level investing/PE is one area) it really does not matter where you went. It's what you did in college that matters, and what you do at the job. My first kid went to at T100 school, and the program was rigorous, with the honor program being even more rigorous for those who are up to that challenge (not my kid). all of my DC's friends are gainfully employed or onto graduate school (that's over 25 students). Some in at top graduate schools and medical schools. You do not have to attend top 20 schools to be successful.

Anonymous wrote:I would argue you should select a school based on how well specific programs rank.

For instance, CU does extremely well for placing students with NASA & other sciences.

https://www.colorado.edu/about/rankings-achievements

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Anonymous wrote:Common Op. don't be ridiculous. Thousands of colleges out there.

Most of which are not worth going to if you are from an UMC family with a long history of attending top colleges and certain expectations, like coming from a top private school. Those of you who keep posting this flip can let your kids to no name and mediocre schools but for some people that’s just not acceptable.

Better get used to it.

My current senior is going to a top school, just like her siblings, thanks.

I just think those of you spouting the “thousands of colleges” being acceptable for DC area students don’t have a clue about how things are in certain circles of our country. Or maybe you are being deliberately obtuse. Most of those 1,000 colleges will never be acceptable to certain people. And they don’t have to be as they aren’t intended for those people. Of course there are a handful or two of less competitive schools that are fine for kids of these folks who aren’t academically strong or have learning challenges but for the most part there is a subset of acceptable schools and that won’t change. That’s what you are seeing on the DCUM college thread that seems to drive some posters crazy - the ones who keep posting the tripe about there being “thousands of colleges” and “people need to stop focusing on the same 50 schools” etc... You are trying to defeat the very heart of these people’s views on college - people whose families have been UMC and UC for generations, whose grands and greatgrands had degrees from top colleges, whose families have always invested in education and expect the next generation to do that same. It just is what it is. No point in trying to convince those folks differently.

I'm so sorry for them. That's terrible. There aren't enough spots for these kids. Some of them will have to find another path. Ivy/Ivy+ or bust is a recipe for heartbreak for most kids.

Anonymous wrote:As an employer, I’m seeing a lower caliber student coming out of the T10 schools than I did a decade ago. (Apart from the Asian students - who are awesome. I know - extremely politically incorrect)

Anonymous wrote:As an employer, I’m seeing a lower caliber student coming out of the T10 schools than I did a decade ago. (Apart from the Asian students - who are awesome. I know - extremely politically incorrect)

Anonymous wrote:After those celebrities getting caught fudging/padding wealthy kids resumes, these top schools are now getting a lot of negative attention.

Anonymous wrote:If you only apply to T50 schools, Ivies, etc and think that your parents’ experience with their college admissions in the 80s, 90s or 2000s has any relevance to your own, then yes, it really is that hard.

If you cast a wide net, apply ED to your first choice if you can (and you only get one shot at it, so don’t make it HYSP if you aren’t a top 1/2% student with massive other qualifying features) and apply to LOTS of schools with several true safeties, then no, it’s not.

One guess which option most of DCUM takes.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Common Op. don't be ridiculous. Thousands of colleges out there.

Most of which are not worth going to if you are from an UMC family with a long history of attending top colleges and certain expectations, like coming from a top private school. Those of you who keep posting this flip can let your kids to no name and mediocre schools but for some people that’s just not acceptable.

Better get used to it.

My current senior is going to a top school, just like her siblings, thanks.

I just think those of you spouting the “thousands of colleges” being acceptable for DC area students don’t have a clue about how things are in certain circles of our country. Or maybe you are being deliberately obtuse. Most of those 1,000 colleges will never be acceptable to certain people. And they don’t have to be as they aren’t intended for those people. Of course there are a handful or two of less competitive schools that are fine for kids of these folks who aren’t academically strong or have learning challenges but for the most part there is a subset of acceptable schools and that won’t change. That’s what you are seeing on the DCUM college thread that seems to drive some posters crazy - the ones who keep posting the tripe about there being “thousands of colleges” and “people need to stop focusing on the same 50 schools” etc... You are trying to defeat the very heart of these people’s views on college - people whose families have been UMC and UC for generations, whose grands and greatgrands had degrees from top colleges, whose families have always invested in education and expect the next generation to do that same. It just is what it is. No point in trying to convince those folks differently.