<p>My son is a NMF and a bright honor student in engineering and he is working very hard to get good grades this freshman year. A friend’s daughter (who was a B student in hs) is at the same state university and her mother told me that her daughter is breezing by getting As in her classes without any problems. I agree with tstar13, it is the courses you take as much as the school.</p>
<p>what kjcpmom said.</p>
<p>Then there is this: you can compare the rigor/effort required for the same difficult courses at different schools. This is difficult to quantify, but of course, my engineering student thinks he has a grip on it! :rolleyes:</p>
<p>“I can understand why he’d reject the ivy league schools to avoid the long term debt, etc., but I’m curious why he opted for the lower ranked state U rather than the top ranked state U. Can you elaborate on what it was about the campus that appealed to him ~ or what it was about the top ranked school that did not appeal to him?”</p>
<p>Sweapea…My son said he loves the urban feel of the less ranked state U, it’s a bigger, newer campus with a great “feel”. He said it “feels right”. When we went to visit the higher ranked U, he didn’t like the layout of the campus and wasn’t impressed with the dorms. The curriculum for his program is comparable. The professors all have Phd’s at lower ranked U, so he’s not just looking at the amenities. My concern is that lower ranked U is the first college campus he visited. He was hooked. What would have happened if he visited ivy league U first? </p>
<p>Well…I actually feel better after I spoke to a former teacher from his middle school last weekend. She said her son went to the same lower ranked U (I did not know this). He had a great experience there, graduated a few years ago and was immediately hired at a dream job in New York. This teacher said it was a great education for him. That made me feel better. She said not to worry so much about the ranking because this lower ranked U is one of the top up and coming Universities in the country. It’s a diamond in the rough. </p>
<p>I want to thank everyone who responded to my posts. This is all new to me and yes, it does make me feel better that I’m not the only one who feels this way. I’m working on it, too. Now,…what do you do with a kid with SENIORITIS!!!</p>
<p>what do you do with a kid with SENIORITIS!!! "</p>
<p>^^ "me thinks it’s time for a new thread!!!</p>
<p>Very good information on here. My son is very close to deciding while waiting to hear from his Ivy apps this week. Once that info is in-for better or worse-he can finalize his decision before he leaves on his school trip to Spain mid-month.</p>
<p>He feels very good about where he is leaning. A parent asked him the other night where he was thinking of, he told her, and she said she hated the school when they visited, couldn’t he do better, etc. I know her pretty well and I like her-I know she says what’s on her mind and I also know she really has no idea what she is talking about so I let it pass but my son was annoyed.</p>
<p>He’s a big fish in a little pond. People in town really believe Harvard is going to send a limo to pick him up next fall to attend class there. :)</p>
<p>My main concern has been this: He told me the most important thing he wanted was to not be the smartest kid in class anymore. Please understand that is not arrogance on his part-it is reality because of the school he goes to. It’s a good school but it certainly would never be described as rigorous-although he has really had to work hard the last two years as he finally was able to get into classes that challenged him.</p>
<p>Going through this process (ordeal???) has made me feel that there are many schools out there that will have lots of students at his level and higher-I don’t think he will be bored at any of the schools he is considering.</p>
<p>I can only see one admit next week if it came that would change his mind-even if the other two said yes I think he would pick the lower ranked school for a few reasons-and yes money surely is one of them but not the main one. If he gets three rejections-the most likely scenario-then I believe the next day I will be making a deposit.</p>
<p>I am sure if and when he choses this school people will have their opinions-but I’ve been hearing that nonsense ever since we kept him in our local HS at his request so I have learned to just let it roll off me like water rolls off a duck. We already have kids in the class who have ED acceptances to “better” schools and he is a little worried what people will think if they end up going to better schools than he does when everyone expects him to be at Elite U. I told him worrying about what other people think about what you decide to do is a recipe for a very unhappy life and what better time to learn this than while still young.</p>
<p>I got caught up in that whole “what are people going to think if my son, who’s at the top of his class, goes to a less than elite school”. My son is the one who set me straight. HE knows what’s best for him. The state U he chose is not a top tier school. He plans to get his undergraduate degree there (all expenses paid) and then apply to grad school at Brown or Stanford in 4 years for his Phd/Masters. He feels good about his decision and yes, this state U was his first choice. The fit is right, he says. He doesn’t care what other people say. He’s done his research and talked to Brown and Stanford and the advisors at this state U (as have I) and he’s going to be just fine…and debt free going into grad school! Good luck.</p>
<p>“”"
He told me the most important thing he wanted was to not be the smartest kid in class anymore.
“”"</p>
<p>EXACTLY what I want…</p>
<p>Similarly, not trying to be arrogant, but from a small school, small town etc etc.</p>
<p>It’s not arrogant-it is because you, like him, have been a big fish in a little pond and want to be challenged more. </p>
<p>I have found though the more I have helped him in this process that wherever he goes to college he will find kids like him and do well. </p>
<p>Have you figured out where you are going?</p>
<p>“He told me the most important thing he wanted was to not be the smartest kid in class anymore.” </p>
<p>I agree with what he is saying, that’s the exact reason why I applied to mostly high targets/low-reaches because I knew I could push myself to succeed at the level of “more qualified” admits if I studied at an academically intensive environment.</p>
<p>Just wanted to drop in and tell you we have a decision! In the end, my son picked up place where he felt the overall experience would be best for him. He feels the academics will be there and all the other things he wants to get out of his college experience will be there as well.</p>
<p>I am confident that while he may be in the higher range of tests scores and all the other things we use to try and figure out academic fit he certainly won’t be the smartest kid in his class anymore. </p>
<p>He is excited and he had great reasons for his choice.</p>
<p>^^ so tell us where he’s going!!!</p>
<p>Oh sorry-that would be good huh?</p>
<p>He is going to Northeastern! It came down to them, U Rochester, and Bucknell-but the co-op and the Boston location plus getting into Honors all tipped the balance. I think it is a great total fit for him. :)</p>