@Twoin18 I’m so sorry to hear about your neighbor’s son. That’s just awful and i wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Always unfortunate to have an academic struggle like that. Obviously, though, every school’s freshman’s class has a handful of students not ready for the collegiate experience.
Without getting into specifics, DD was only supposed to be there for a year, but she absolutely fell in love with the environment, her professors, two dozen friends, the events, the travel (even on a nominal budget.) She made the hardest decision of her life this summer to remain there, passing up a superior U.S. option in terms of “prestige” (which actually wasn’t that much more expensive.) DD didn’t want the American Greek life campus, or the SLAC lifestyle where you see the same people every day, or even to deal with the 2024 campus environment (none of us can predict what that’s going to look like.) She has her choices just like our youngest one, who’s dealing with the process now and just wants to go to a “College Game Day” school, as he calls it.
@blossom brings up insightful questions for every parent to discuss with their child whether they are considering sending them overseas or to L.A., Boulder, Colorado, Miami, etc. BTW, if a kid gets caught with a package of narcotics that appears to be distributable in Omaha, either Portland or Walla Walla, Wash, it’s not going to be a picnic here, either.
I always found CC to be a place where, yes, we remind each other of smart questions about their DC ahead of sending them anywhere, but also remind successful academic students about ALL of their academic options. Let the family of an academically accomplished student spend the $20-25 on the UCAS, get some admission wins under their belt and then figure out what’s right or not right. Of course, kids with “issues” or basic anxiety shouldn’t be sent to Europe, just like they probably shouldn’t be sent 1000 miles away across the country. And also, not every kid at STA is heading to the Canary Islands for “Reading Week.” Some are, and some go back to London, or someone has a house in Troon or Arran and invites everyone down. The price of a flight from Edinburgh to Paris is about the same as a spring break trip to Daytona from the Northeast.
Also, what’s the difference between a kid blowing up at Wisconsin-Madison in a single semester vs the UK school example? 3 credits? 6? Still none?
In the end, these are all great questions to ask. DD’s time there has been one of minimal social drama, amazing academics, exciting travel (on a budget), something to do every night, numerous friend groups. That experience is out there for the highly successful, “average excellent” American student who doesn’t want to pay full boat at Colgate or is frustrated that they only got into Grinnell.