Prestige/Expensive vs. Good/Cheap

07DAD
Fri, 09 Feb 2007 17:25:30 +0000

Of course, we raised our own kids, so it is very likely that they share our values – but the point is, the feelings at the end of the process probably reflect the feelings at the beginning

calmom-- One male HS senior had both parents who went to a large state school, Texas Tech (met there and married), but the parents moved to Dallas and had their family and raised their children in Dallas. The parents always talked about how much they enjoyed Tech.

The parents did very well financially. They sent S to a very focused (and expensive) college-prep school in Dallas. The parents had repeatedly expressed a desire that he attend a certain prestige college. You know the drill, they bought him a sweatshirt with the college’s name, took him to visit over the years, hyped it with some frequency. Assumed that was where he’d go.

S came home one day in early spring of his senior year and handed them a letter. It was from Texas Tech. He was a National Merit Finalist and had listed Tech as his 1st choice. Tech offerred him full ride and he accepted. The letter confirmed all this.

Once the parents read the letter, the young man said he recalled in middle school they had mentioned a trust fund his grandparents had established for him with money that could be used for college if it was needed. He said that he’d like to know who the administrator was because he’d taken care of paying for college and wanted to see when the money became his.

Mother apparently freaked and it took a few days for the dad to see the humor. That young adult will do just fine. FWI-- the mother got over it eventually. I have been told the young man is doing very well at Tech.

You Raise um, but you get what you get.