<p>OldinJersey: Well, that’s why I said the Christian school would also be located in a town (a sin-city of sorts) that needed a lot of soul-saving, but you have a point. ;)</p>
<p>slyvt: Yes, it was only a matter of time for the thread to veer in this direction!</p>
<p>Jesus would have taken a loan from The Devil to attend Williams!</p>
<p>Where Would Jesus Go? That’s a no-brainer.</p>
<p><a href=“http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.library.nd.edu/images/mural.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.library.nd.edu/about/history/mosaic.shtml&h=469&w=400&sz=49&tbnid=dPpeKqviZrXkhM:&tbnh=128&tbnw=109&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtouchdown%2Bjesus&start=1&sa=X&oi=images&ct=image&cd=1[/url]”>http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.library.nd.edu/images/mural.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.library.nd.edu/about/history/mosaic.shtml&h=469&w=400&sz=49&tbnid=dPpeKqviZrXkhM:&tbnh=128&tbnw=109&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtouchdown%2Bjesus&start=1&sa=X&oi=images&ct=image&cd=1</a></p>
<p>He’s a football fan, you know.</p>
<p>Binx: I enjoyed your posts and the every other poster’s story. I think most posters have good stories to tell and when I read them, the decisions made seemed logical for each circumstance. As far as validation, of course everyone wants to think others feel he/she had made a good decision. I am not sure if for future decisions it would change anything but I think what you do see on this thread is that for any decision you made or will make, you are not alone. Others have had the same choices and have done the same (and another group did it differently).
For the record I like HPYS schools, have many many friends and former strudents who went, some took big loans, most were happy they went. For years I thought boths kids would go, especally D, who somehow made a 180 degree turn after second round visits after junior year. S since 5th grade always thought he was going to MIT /Caltech. Both kids looked at fit and decisions were and may be totally different. We would have been and will be happy either way as long as we feel they chose the best school for them.
I am a late comer to the teaching profession (and maybe late to the parenting one too). One of the things I have been concerned about is kids/parents who seem to base their self worth on getting into a school especially a top one. often, unintentionally the hype of HYPS, somehow has made kids feel that if they do not go or do not get in they are somehow “not as good as” someone else. I know they are just kids but it is something that may make it sound like I have a bias against certain schools. I like them all but I do think there are many ways for a motivated, bright kid to skin the cat. I end up having to tell kids that and get them “psyched” (is that pediatrec neuropsyched) to go on a different path.
There is one thing on the thread that clearly has two distinct camps (other than the "if you could go for free anybody would go to HYPS) that being whether or not having large merit scholarhips is a good thing or only that need should be considered. Fortunately, there are schools to provide a home for familes from both camps. I actually agree with both sides of the argument on this one. I am a fence sitter and would not make it in the polarized political world these days–moderate, Yuck! My 2222 oldold cents worth.</p>
<p>Whoa. Why so twitchy? What happened to the famous humour?</p>
<p>I made sure my family wasn’t in a pinch for cash so I cannot comment on different merit money choices. I don’t care which poster has what money–I kinda like most of the longtime posters. I ‘get’ and don’t ‘get’ the hissing towards those that do have full freight. Why would anyone in cyberspace care enough to hiss? Oh well, it’s part of the CC landscape and always has been. nevermind. </p>
<p>I sent my kids to a primary school that cost as much as my university. I made sure I earned the dollars. It’s been part elbow grease–part good health–part daring–part genetic smarts. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t have a clue who gets to decide about merit money. We never gave merit money a thought–except when it was offered to us five years ago–and we declined on principal so that needy kids could take up the funds. I let the institutions decide who is needy–though I do hear mini when he yammers on about Pell Grants. My father and father-in-law were Horatio Alger bootstrappers so I know how much the money means to lower income families.</p>
<p>Each family has different dynamics. It sounds like your D made the choice and that scenario, given all you’ve described, makes perfect sense to me. She will make a fine neurologist.</p>
<p>Sly_vt: Actually Tufts would carry alot of wieght in a place like Idaho.</p>
<p>This thread, by the way, is really good for reminding me that there are other perspectives in the world. </p>
<p>From my little northeastern elitist coccoon, I don’t know that many kids who make the non-prestige choice, but my limited personal experience does not accord with what many of you say. Specifically, I have not been very impressed by the few Vanderbilt students I have met (one of whom is one of my ubiquitous cousins, a 2005 grad). I have not been impressed by the quality of education at Schreyer/PSU (but I can’t judge it in science/engineering fields). The kids I see go there are not actually competitive at a HYPS level, and very few of them are competitive at the level right below that. I’m sure that’s different elsewhere, but for the schools I know best (a couple snooty privates, a large urban public magnet, and some large snooty suburban publics), that’s the deal. I’m not saying the kids who go there are chopped liver – far from it; many are smart, hardworking, admirable, etc. – only that, on average, they are not as impressive as the kids who go the Ivy (or equivalent) route.</p>
<p>But that’s just my personal experience, and it’s limited. I am paying attention to what others here say about those schools.</p>
<p>But one more elitist argument: The bottom 25% of SAT scores at Harvard may be below the Vanderbilt median, but, apart from a handful of athletes and developmental admits (whose equivalents are present at Vandy, too), the kids with SATs in the 600s at Harvard are the ones who really knock your socks off – special enough to be compelling candidates even with that “disability”. </p>
<p>Also, the score ranges may mean different things at different schools. School A may have a 75-25 range of 800-700 M and 760-680 CR, but it may have a lot of kids with highly unbalanced SATs, so that most of the sub-680 CR kids have 800 M scores, and vice versa, and the 75-25 combined range might be 1540-1450. And School B might have only a slightly lower range in each test, but on average more “balanced” students, so its combined range might be more like 1450-1300. Instead of a 3/4ths overlap between the schools, it’s more like a 1/4th overlap, and that’s on SATs only.</p>
<p>I’m not saying this is the case between Harvard and Vandy. I don’t know how to tell if it is. But it could be.</p>
<p>cheers: Not twitchy at all. I do like all the posts and enjoy leaning about the posters decisions. Several posters have questioned the worth of the thread and several are passionate about their views. Just wanted to point out that I am not-- anti HYPS , anti HYPSer, anti nonHYPS, anti non-need, anti merit, oh yeah and crumudgeon is my hero but I am dissapointed his keyboard did not explode at post 1000… maybe a lady jumped out of a cake though.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, and there sure are a lot of really knowledgable posters on this thread.</p>
<p>toneranger - I’m with you on the spreadsheet. In fact, we have one in progress for kid3. It is our own private “ranking” system where we get to choose the criteria. Ours is the only ranking system I know of that includes whether the campus has Coke or Pepsi. We get to weight different items according to the value we assign them. Money gets weighted, music programs get weighted, class size is a bit less important. Some things, such as name recognition, does seem to matter to my D. Although it’s not logical, she does get influenced by the “Where’s that?” reaction about some of her schools, so I guess that’s kind of a prestige factor. She has placed her 6 schools in an order of preference that does not exactly align with mine; but she says I don’t get to go with her anyway. When we’re done, D will get to attend a school that is ranked #1!</p>
<p>There are indefinable differences in schools that have to do with “what feels right.” Back to S1’s situation, he wanted a large school. He enjoys spectator sports, and wanted to go to football games. But the indefinable portion: He didn’t get a bit excited when the UGA tour guide taught us all to bark like Dawgs. But he got absolutely giddy when he learned that Penn students “toast” the field. Psychologists could probably have fun with that – does he want to be a visceral, audible fan, or a punny one?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>O.K. Helpful folks. It appears that among all the carping and backbiting we have done something that some people find worthwhile. Whew! Maybe this will put an end to the “this is useless” posts. Of course to some folks it IS useless, I’ll grant them that but those aren’t folks who are wrestling with the decision by and large. </p>
<p>And boy do I agree that the family stories of decision and results of that decison positive and negative are the most informative . That and our work together in formulating a list that is as much as possible bias-neutral (which was the goal) IS the value of the thread. The rest was just the almost inevitable CC firefights and hurt feelings. </p>
<p>I, too , wish for someone to give us the seriously edited version. ;)</p>
<p>
Good one!</p>
<p>
Dare I ask what this entails?</p>
<p>JHS:I liked your post but the fourth paragragh remined me of Groucho Marx."The party of the first part shall be known in this contract as the party of the fiist part, the party of the second part… or Tom Lehrer in “New Math”…but only if you scan it quickly.
See I really am oldold</p>
<p>binx: I thought my spread sheets were detailed! Coke versus Pepsi… I saw the Atlanta location. I had been wondering why no Doctor Pepper!</p>
<p>Ok, let’s make a list of who likes the list concept.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Oldolddad: The funny thing is, she doesn’t even drink Coke. She’s just loyal.</p>
<p>Jesus would have taken a gap year. </p>
<p>What he would have done is anyone’s guess, but I’m thinking he might have spent at least part of the year working at McDonald’s. You know, the fries, we’ll always have with us.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Society reinforces this view even if you don’t happen to hold it. There are global accolades heaped onto top school admits–deserved or not. If your child happens to get into one of those top schools, the general estimation of your whole family rises. Crazy but true–and true across the globe.</p>
<p>JHS…you brave soul. Among my friends…Yalies have the deepest college friendships…Harvard grads have the most powerful friends in high places…usually thier bloody roommates so it works out to be one out of every two students, LOL…Princeton grads tend to be teachers and writers. G’town grads tend to maintain an interest in the larger world…USC grads tend to be innovative entreprenuers. MArchI grads from all schools tend to be project managers and professors, not designers.</p>
<p>I do know a couple of very impressive Vandy grads but I also know a bunch of impressive Big Ten grads. As a rule though, their characteristics are not as consistant as the HYP group.</p>
<p>That’s my single data point view.</p>
<p>
Things were happening so fast I didn’t even recognize what was the 1000th post or consider it a milestone, but I DID LOL when a poster p.m.'ed to let me know that it was altogether fitting that the 1000th post was a humorous one. I didn’t always keep my best humor on the thread but I tried. I apologize to anyone who was disappointed in my less than successful effort.</p>
<p>“I have not been impressed by the quality of education at Schreyer/PSU (but I can’t judge it in science/engineering fields). The kids I see go there are not actually competitive at a HYPS level, and very few of them are competitive at the level right below that. I’m sure that’s different elsewhere, but for the schools I know best (a couple snooty privates, a large urban public magnet, and some large snooty suburban publics), that’s the deal. I’m not saying the kids who go there are chopped liver – far from it; many are smart, hardworking, admirable, etc. – only that, on average, they are not as impressive as the kids who go the Ivy (or equivalent) route.”</p>
<p>I agree that your impression is influenced by the high schools you know best. My kids attended a very large average suburban public high school where only about 50% go on to four year college, but where there is a large enough class that the top 5% or so is very accomplished and competitive for highly selective schools. There is not much talk or awareness of competitive colleges among the vast majority of students and parents at our school. My impression is different than yours because I know several cases where top achievers either did not apply to private colleges or turned them down (in one case, an Ivy) to attend Schreyer. And, as I said, most of them are science/engineering oriented and seem to get very good research opportunities, and I am not familiar with the quality of the humanities programs there. Again, someone considering Schreyer and other options needs to look into the programs and departments most relevant to him or her.</p>
<p>I love the toast tradition! (Even if it’s too recent to be really considered a tradition.)</p>
![http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.library.nd.edu/images/mural.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.library.nd.edu/about/history/mosaic.shtml&h=469&w=400&sz=49&tbnid=dPpeKqviZrXkhM:&tbnh=128&tbnw=109&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtouchdown%2Bjesus&start=1&sa=X&oi=images&ct=image&cd=1[/url]](http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.library.nd.edu/images/mural.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.library.nd.edu/about/history/mosaic.shtml&h=469&w=400&sz=49&tbnid=dPpeKqviZrXkhM:&tbnh=128&tbnw=109&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtouchdown%2Bjesus&start=1&sa=X&oi=images&ct=image&cd=1%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
