If you wonder about the media elite continuing to live in a bubble, look no further…
I mean, good luck with the story and all, but there are plenty of parents feeling pressure out there, financial and otherwise, and MOST of them will not have students attending an Ivy League school!
Blueskies, MAYBE she will inform her editor that it would be nice if they’d address issues that affect many parents. I’m aware that this is the story that has been assigned.
Elguapo, I love YOUR story idea!
Stradmom, they should publish you as a sidebar to the WaPo/Ivy story!
Come on people, lighten up!!! How can we tell this reporter how POSITIVE the support is at CC if we are so negative to her?!! And media elite? Might want to be careful how you throw around that term. You don’t know anything about her. Where she is from. Her family situation. Her family income. What she eats for breakfast. And ditto for whatever other people contributed to this particular story subject. Using the phrase “media elite” to dismiss other humans out of hand is, well, not objective nor useful.
I am not negative to the writer. I am negative toward the editor who ASSIGNED this story, which, frankly, has been done to death already. Like Ivy applicants need any more fuel for their obsessiveness.
I’m not talking about the writer per se as media elite (she could be an intern for all I know), I’m talking about the Washington Post and its myopia when it comes to what affects most people EVEN within its specific circulation zone!
I am not dismissing the writer AT ALL. She is doing her job, and I hope she writes a great story. I also hope she mentions to her editor that a follow-up on what concerns MOST parents with kids applying to college would be welcome.
Elguapo’s story idea would be great, I think it’s a subject that has not been touched by a lot of publications. How about a story on parents who take a second mortgage to help pay for their kids’ college educations? It isn’t all that uncommon from what I hear.
What are the best ways to get a college education on the cheap? How about a recurring column on best tips for college students and their parents – there are so many GREAT things they could cover with a recurring column. I’m thinking of a thread currently here on best ways to purchase a computer for your college student, and do you need a backup for the info and insurance on the computer…how do you get it serviced when you’re away at school, etc.
No, wait, I need to know how to battle the Ivy Night Sweats!
@Trisherella WaPo is not what’s called a “service” publication. WaPo is news and features. Maybe from time to time they publish a service piece. But if you want a lot of stories like this:
then read Consumer Reports. They publish quite a bit on these topics.
It drives me crazy how people look at one article in isolation and cry “Media Elite!” WaPo publishes MANY stories about people struggling to cope with day-to-day life.
I do not work for WaPo, nor have I ever been published there.
@momofthreeboys - its funny. At my kid’s Ivy obsessed high school, the one state school that they flock to is Michigan. That is especially true of those who want the big sport type school along with an excellent education. It is the only midwestern school that the kids apply to in any numbers. All that attend seem ecstatic when they get there (if their FB pages are any indication).
My D is a junior at Penn who has an internship with a congressman in DC starting in early May. If you would like to talk with her just let me know. She is biracial, comes from a small North Jersey public high school that has sent very few students to the ivy league.
A good story idea if you want another one is about the enormous stress these kids are under. My daughter who had all A’s last year may end up with a B or two this year. It’s too soon to tell, but it’s a possibilty. She feels like all her hopes and dreams are going out the window. I’m trying to convince her that the world won’t fall apart if she gets a B and that there are lots of great schools out there. It is awful how hard these kids work when they should have more time to just relax and enjoy the simple things in life. Hours of hw and studying every night and on weekends. For what purpose? To get into a prestigious college? Being here at CC has made me open my eyes to all kinds of schools, not just the ivies. Now I want my daughter to understand what I now do: you can find lots of great schools out there if you keep an open mind. Anyway, this is a partial vent, but I think the pressure is too much and I think it has to stop.
Oh, and I have nothing against your story idea. I would read it if you wrote it! Just offering another story for the future, perhaps:)
Your story will help parents and students reduce their pressure if you classify who apply to Ivy schools, who get in, and who have felt the pressure the most for years. I bet the most pressured are those that don’t get in. In other words, they don’t realistically know their chances of getting in. I blame the media, ranking industries, testing agencies, and the Ivys mislead people about their chances and the schools’ significance.
I don’t think this article will provide any insight on who gets into the Ivies or why, @eiholi, unless they interview Ivy adcoms. The chance of acceptance doesn’t seem that difficult to figure out. If scores and GPA are below the mid-50%, don’t expect to get in. If they’re in the upper end of the range, you have a chance. I think that’s all that can be accurately deduced from what we know. You either have a reasonsble chance or you don’t. Help your son create a well rounded list and hope for the best.
I’d love to help. Feel free to pm me. Daughter is at an ivy (although she’s a recruited athlete- not sure if that matters). I’m on CC all the time as I’m now helping my nephew get into college.
Saw this in the comment section following the article–
“Obsessive? I have only checked it about ten times today. It’s just sort of interesting to read some of the posts. I think that will be ending soon though as admissions are just about over and she’s figured out where she’s headed in the fall.”
LOL–that’s what I thought years ago–then I discovered Parent Cafe. Can’t seem to leave my favorite diner!