Saying no to Stanford?

waterrat19
Sat, 27 Apr 2019 23:40:34 +0000

Congratulations to your daughter! If she has not decided yet, I will throw in my two cents. I went to Stanford undergraduate and Notre Dame for law school and now live in Alabama. I absolutely loved my time at Stanford - it was an amazing, unique place. Granted it was a few years ago, but I did not find it competitive at all - any competition there may have been was with yourself. Everyone was supportive and it was a very collaborative environment. Who wants to room with people from your high school. Having a random roommate is part of the fun of college (and if she goes to ND or BC, she will also have a random roomie). They may end up your best friend or just an acquaintance. Mine was a varsity swimmer and we did not have a lot in common, but I made so many amazing friends from all over the country and they were my roomies for the next three years vs at an Alabama where there are a lot of kids probably from your daughter’s high school and the state. I would expand my horizons. I also loved the quarter system. Having three quarters of classes really gave you an opportunity to explore many different classes and interests (much more so than the semester system). The Stanford name also opens a lot of doors. If your daughter decides to go there, I am sure she will flourish.

My son is off to ND in the fall. I also loved ND and the tradition and the sense of family. I loved both schools equally for different reasons and there is really no wrong choice for your daughter. If she chooses Alabama, ND, BC or Stanford - however much she puts into it, she will get out of it and she will make it her own experience and will love it.