I think there is probably something to this. Last school year, I had a meeting w/1 of our school counselors and she said that there was 1 senior who had been asked by one of the humanities/social science teachers to write him a letter of rec. The teacher had approached the counselor for advice on how to proceed since the student had literally slept through every single class except when he was awake to take tests & quizzes. The student had stellar grades, but the teacher literally could not think of one good thing to say about the student because she really hadnāt had ANY interactions with him all school year (other than on test days).
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Which one does your daughter like best? Which location speaks to her more (urban, rural)? What state would she rather live in?
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I donāt know that yet as she doesnāt discuss much. I am just doing the basic research. Weāre going for visits next month.
Some food for thought to consider:
- which one is the cheapest in terms of total tuition+room+board?
- does your kid like some of these campuses better than others?
- what are the econ major graduation requirements at each of these schools? How are those requirements different from the other schools?
- is econ major āimpactedā (aka has a pre-major) at some of these and not others? If yes, that might sway you in 1 direction or another.
- What are the employment/grad school outcomes for econ majors from these schools? (for that, youād probably have to inquire w/each college directly in order to find out, or at least start by looking at the Econ deptās website for each school)
- which campuses have better weather?
- which campuses have econ classes that sound more interesting to your kid?
- do any of the schools have problems with students being able to find housing after freshman year?
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Thank you! Good points. Congratulations to your daughter!!!
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Well, those are pretty different schools in massively different locations.
UMass Amherst - 22k students, small town/rural location, blue state
OSU - 66k students, urban location, red state, state capital if she wanted easy access to govāt internships in same location as school
Temple - 40k students, urban location, purple state
Pitt - 35k students, urban location, purple state
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I am not sure how old this article is, and not everyone wants to go to an Ivy but I remember reading about this:
For admissions in general, I think that being a well rounded student + kind gives the kid an edge, and that being a immensely well rounded student + not kind puts the kid at a disadvantage.
I have no hard data as proof but have seen/heard numerous instances of this.
And IMO its sad that one has to cite college admissions as a reason to be kind, but thatās a different story.
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Off hand I want to say Ohio State. Academically very good in both areas, good experience opportunities in Columbus . . . . Of course if other factors trumped that would be fine, none of those are bad colleges! But given the question as defined, that was my first thought.
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Iām not an economist, but Iāve heard economists talk about UMass ā¦ UMass is nationally renowned for its economics program - it is kind of the anti-U Chicago, often described as the nationās top āheterodoxā econ program. In addition to the standard courses all Econ programs have, they are focused on market failures, and understanding things like racism, environmental pollution, inequality, etc, from an economic viewpoint. Their program is politically engaged. If you roll with their vibe, nowhere better in the US. If you donāt, youād be unhappy. For a student interested in politics/law, if they lean progressive, this might be a really nice fit.
To repeat, though, this is second-hand knowledge.
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One kid from last year got into Yale and the counselor said they were most simply put, a kind person. The whole application just showed how kind they were. No special ECs curing cancer or going to the moon. So if she had a āspikeā it was kindness. I loved that story so much.
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That is such a great story! Would have loved to see her application/essay.
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My sonās prep school would annually given an award in recognition of āthe senior who best exemplifies the spirit of giving of themselves and serving othersā. The recipients of this award over the last 6 years have matriculated as follows: 2 Duke, 2 Notre Dame, Brown, and Yale. The school is very deliberate to ensure this isnāt a contest to be won but āthe totality of who you are when no one is looking.ā
This is one of 4 major awards given out at graduation: top student, top athlete and student who has overcome the most adversity. When you walk into the main hall there are 4 large plaques inscribed with the recipients names and the schools motto.
When each kid gets announced they receive a standing ovation and itās great to see this balanced value system so embedded in the ethos of the school.
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In the sage words of Bill & Ted, be excellent to each other. 
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So a story along those lines of a past recipient.
An upper classman saw a freshman on crutches struggling to get to class and navigating the stairs and doors. Without hesitation he walked over and helped him get to class at the expense of being late and getting a detention.
Kid while serving the detention was pulled out midway by the head of college counseling (saw him through the window) and asked him why he was in detention and also thanked him for helping his freshman son who had recently joined the school and broken his leg.
One thing led to another, the dots were connected and the kid was asked āwhy didnāt you just tell someone why you were lateā. Kid said āI didnāt want to disrupt the class and I knew I would get in trouble when I made the decision to help my classmate. It was the right thing to do and worth it.ā
Needless to say he was released from detention, became a mentor to the freshman and got a pretty good college recommendation.
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Has to be the best story Iāve heard on CC this year. Thanks for sharing, every school should do this
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What an awesome story!
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I think Iāve discovered what I might do once this application season is over and Iām preparing to be an empty-nester!
I heard on the Your College Bound Kid podcast this morning that the organization Scholar Match trains adults to help high-achieving, low income students navigate the college process.
Given how knowledgeable most of us are by now, it might be a good distraction ā and one that can help others. Thereās an info session tomorrow that I plan to join. If tomorrow doesnāt work, there are others in the next couple of weeks. Anyone interested?
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Love this! Just submitted my name for the March trainings. Thanks!
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Me too 
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Me 3! 
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