<p>Back in my day, almost everyone wore a high school ring at my hs. Hardly anyone bought a college ring. </p>
<p>But times have changed…neither of my daughters is interested in a high school ring. Older D is a senior in college and not interested in purchasing a college ring.</p>
<p>I’d save your money for an engagement ring…</p>
<p>Service Academy rings means a lot because of all the crap that we put up with. We also have a special dance and ceremony for it. What makes mine expensive is not having alternate choices of metal; it has to be some sort of gold because of the school’s contract with Jostens. </p>
<p>I couldn’t afford a high school ring and never brought prom dresses so I’m willing to make up for that.</p>
<p>dmd, did you wear your brass rat at your wedding?</p>
<p>I wasn’t allowed. Hubby said it was too clunky. 
I mean, isn’t that the purpose of the gold one? You wear it to weddings and job interviews!</p>
<p>I have a college ring and high school ring… I wore the high school ring a couple times, and don’t think I’ve worn the college one. I’ll probably wear it for graduation…</p>
<p>Here, they bring the ring selling people to campus on family weekend =P</p>
<p>I think my Brass Rat (MIT class ring) was around $350. I don’t wear it most of the time, because I don’t actually like wearing big rings, but I wear it to things like job interviews, and anything where I would be networking with people. Many of my friends wear theirs all the time. You can also get a steel version that works quite well as a bottle opener. Some of my friends wear that one in day-to-day life and their gold one on formal occasions. I didn’t get a steel one because I didn’t plan to do day-to-day wearing and don’t open enough bottles to care. :D</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Oh my God, Sir! What a beautiful ring! What a crass mass of brass and glass! What a bold mold of rolled gold! See how it sparkles and shines! It must have cost you a fortune! May I touch it please, Sir?</p>
<p>Most academy grads I know not only wear their class ring every day but wear it on their left finger along with their wedding rings although they will wear it on the right hand at the wedding ceremony. Many academy spouses wear a miniature of the academy class ring as their engagement ring. I know that West Point cadets can pin their serious girlfriend with an A-Pin (no fraternities at WP).</p>
<p>In terms of wearing the college ring at appropriate places: I met a darling woman at our pool when we were new to our neighborhood in Northern VA. I specifically struck up a conversation with her since I recognized her Brass Rat! 7 years later, we are still the best of friends.</p>
<p>I still have my high sch. and college class ring. I rmember the h.s ring costing about $150. I think the college ring was about $200 or so…long time ago. I loved my h.s ring and wore it a lot. I still wear my college ring occasionally. DH also still has his h.s and college rings. We actually dated in h.s. so I have pictures of me wearing his class ring with a big hunk of wax in it to make it fit! So it’s kinda cool that he still has it since we both wore it,lol. I know quite a few men who wear college rings. DH’s has gotten too small now but he wore it a lot before he “outgrew” it.</p>
<p>S1 wore his h.s ring maybe 5 times. We just got a brochure in the mail about ordering his college ring. The prices ranged from $250 to $735. S says he’s not interested in getting one.</p>
<p>S2 got h.s. class ring last year. He loved it and wore it everyday until he somehow managed to lose it (arrghhh). It cost $275.</p>
<p>I can’t imagine my dad’s hand without the Aggie ring. It thumped me on the head whenever I got out of line (it’s pretty worn down!).</p>
<p>video on TAMU ring day–after the commercial.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.thepalestra.com/player.php?id=7198&cid=1[/url]”>http://www.thepalestra.com/player.php?id=7198&cid=1</a></p>
<p>Mollie–I couldn’t remember if I wore my brass rat at my wedding, so I checked the photos. Nope. In any case, I sized it for the middle finger of my right hand, so it wouldn’t have been an issue. I like wearing rings and often wear three or four–which is why the weird sizing. Well, that and the obvious reason; I got awfully tired of being asked “do you go to Smith?” when I was an undergraduate.</p>
<p>My high school and college rings all have a story associated with them. My oldest sister purchased my high school ring for me as a gift. She wanted it to be something memorable that she did for her little sister. A 10k gold ring was ~$120. There is a 16 years age difference between us and for most of my life she was married with children, so until then I always saw her as another adult trying to boss me around and she saw me as this little kid. At 17, that was a big thing for me because it did help her have a relationship as sisters. When my youngest sister (who I am very close to) graduated from high school, I purchased her class ring as a gift to my little sister.</p>
<p>By the time I graduated from college (took the long route) both of my parents had passed (in less than 1 year of each other) and I was working full time taking classes at night. I had withdrawn and taken a leave when each parent passed and there were times that I really questioned returning. So my ring (along with the degree) was a symbol to remind me that sometimes the path to education is not always easy and there may come a time when you can either curse the darkness or light a candle. I am so glad I decided to light the candle.</p>
<p>I even have a ring from grad school because at that time I was a single parent, working a full time job, with a young child in elementary school , who literally went to grad school with me. I would pick her up at afterschool, buy her dinner and take her to class where she would do her homework and fall asleep. I would constantly tell her, Chicky, we are doing this now so that things will be better later.</p>
<p>I gave all my rings to my D (happy to have something to pass on to her, because I really do not have anything that belonged to my mom) right before she went to college. She wears them every now and then. She knows the stories behind each ring, and I hope that she will be encouraged that when things are rough that she too can persevere. </p>
<p>I high school she they did not have class rings. Her school does have a big ring day ceremony (I think it is this month) so I purchased a ring for her last spring and she will recieve it at the ring ceremony. The cost was ~ $400.</p>
<p>I guess I’m weird but I love my college ring and wore it often. I still wear it. Its like a crest ring in gold, no stone.</p>
<p>I’ve also got a simple crest ring in white gold that I wear all the time. I think it cost $250 or so. </p>
<p>My high school ring, on the other hand, hasn’t been worn since I left high school.</p>
<p>My son won’t hear of getting one. Neither did I. He inherited my cheap genes. His dad, OTOH, still has his from LeMoyne, though he never wears it. The cost these days is pretty absurd.</p>