<p>No rankings for us. D. is happy at state school. Merit scholarships: Full tuition + a little more to cover some R & B. Never considered/applied to any top ranked school, did not see any reason for it.</p>
<p>We did not dwell much on the rankings, but the kids certainly do, and that puts added pressure on those students who have the potential of landing admission at a top 30 school. We have had this chat with our son, who is a senior. Sometimes, he feels compelled to apply to a top school – because that’s what his classmates expect him to do. That is added pressure to a life that includes lots of APs, lots of Ecs, a part-time job and yes, college applications. I do admit, however, some of this might be because we live in a rural area, and while everyone wants the best for my son, it does make his senior year a little more stressful. His classmates just assume that he will land at … pick the top school. It’s because their focus is narrow. They do not understand the competition or what it takes to be at those schools.</p>
<p>JL50ish: LOL about the Yankees visiting Vandy as a ‘back-up’! </p>
<p>I have to say, though, Vanderbilt should stop marketing itself as the “Harvard of the South”. I know one person who was being recruited at Vanderbilt and she was really put off by those kinds of statements that she heard on her trip.</p>
<p>I’m surprised that you would think you are the only one, or that this would start a fire storm. I hear a lot of people on this board talking about fit over ranking. It’s not an uncommon refrain. Every now and then you hear someone wanting to groom their 8th grader for admission to Harvard, but that’s isn’t the norm. But I would say that on the “admissions” forum you do get a lot of HYPS.</p>
<p>I agree with momreads…when D1 was applying to colleges she was looking for the right fit and got into her #1 “right fit school.” She thought her friends would be happy for her…but, their comments proved otherwise. She often came home from school in tears, as others with the same class rank(comparable test scores,etc) who were off to ivies, top LACs or CC’s top universities, because of what they said to her. Often she heard, “Is that it? That’s the best you can do?” These kids didn’t understand; she WANTED to go there. She went to a school that was totally her choice, was happy there and that’s all that counted to us…she got a GREAT education and has blossomed into quite the young woman. H and I are very proud of her.</p>
<p>I would absolutely put UA, the flagship, up there with schools like PennState, UGa, UMd, UFll in terms of atmosphere, I would put it with Pitt, UAriz, Fl State, USCarol, UOk for the availability of big merit money. It’s there but you gotta have the stats to get any of it. At least it’s there. I would put UAH with those schools where a good merit package is available and a fairly low sticker price, but it is not a flag ship school. Being in a state that does not really have a flagship school, all of our schools are kind of in that category. However, there are very good programs at many of our SUNYs that pretty much ensure great employment and pay afterwards. Not an option to take lightly in today’s climate. </p>
<p>Things have changed in the last 20 or so years. Vanderbilt, Emory, Davidson Wash Lee, for example are showing up on a lot college slists and not as back up schools. Sons’ school which is a private prep has lots of kids going to Vandy and Emory. They are very popular ED choices, so I hardly think that they are considered back up schools. Maybe those who have been away from admissions for so long and only know about the NE name schools feel otherwise. We looked at a lot of Southern schools and they were not back up schools. Sons looked long and hard at Va Tech. Ga Tech, JMU, Wm &Mary, Elon, College of Charleston. Not as safeties either.</p>
<p>vicarious: >>> JL50ish: LOL about the Yankees visiting Vandy as a ‘back-up’! </p>
<p>I have to say, though, Vanderbilt should stop marketing itself as the “Harvard of the South”. I know one person who was being recruited at Vanderbilt and she was really put off by those kinds of statements that she heard on her trip. <<<<</p>
<p>Seriously… these families told me that Vandy and Duke were going to be their “safety” schools in case Junior or Buffy didn’t get into HYP. And the kids truly acted as though they were “slumming” throughout the visit. </p>
<p>Actually, I find the tradition that exists at many of the older southern schools to be very interesting. Some of the schools are actual sites of Civil War battles. UA tells a very charming story about the wife of the then university president who stopped the Northern soldiers from burning down the “president’s mansion” after they had already burned down a few of the school’s buildings (some of the antebellum buildings still remain.) The Northern soldiers had gathered all the mansion’s furniture together to start a fire on the first floor. She scolded them and made them put all the furniture back where it belonged. After the soldiers put everything back, they agreed to protect the mansion until the war ended. She thanked them by serving them lemonade and cookies. Now, that is southern hospitality. :)</p>
<p>I didn’t realize that Vandy marketed itself like that. I do know that Sewanee tends to market itself as the Oxford of the South (which amuses me).</p>
<p>I think the best college experience can be found at the large LAC-type schools. Tufts, Dartmouth, Brown, Colgate, Georgetown, William & Mary, Davidson, Claremont Consortium, Rice, Wake Forest, Emory. These schools hold their own against higher “ranked” schools in terms of actual student involvement and education any day of the week.</p>
<p>doctor::: >>> I think the best college experience can be found at the large LAC-type schools. Tufts, Dartmouth, Brown, Colgate, Georgetown, William & Mary, Davidson, Claremont Consortium, Rice, Wake Forest, Emory. These schools hold their own against higher “ranked” schools in terms of actual student involvement and education any day of the week. <<</p>
<p>I think that major National Universities such as Dartmouth, Brown, Tufts, Georgetown, Rice and Emory might be a little “put off” by being considered to be LAC’s… they are not liberal arts colleges by any means… They are major National Universities.</p>
<p>JL- I didnt say they were LAC. Pls focus. These schools def do not place an emphasis on grad schools over undegrad and they are all in the med size 5000-7000 student body. You are right they are not LAC but they share some of the best qualities w/ a LAC like smaller community, teaching focus etc… IMHO an LAC education is superior to a national research U which are usually higher ranked, ergo the point of this thread and my post.</p>
<p>doctorb… Thanks for the advice, but I am focused.</p>
<p>Davidson is very small…around 1700 students.</p>