I go to a California private school where all my fellow Asian Indian friends are STEM-obsessed and whose main radar consists of the UCs, the Ivies, Rice, MIT, and so on. As a student who likes small but highly prestigious East Coast/Midwest LACs such as Vassar, Hamilton, Grinnell, and the like, it can be difficult to stomach the utter lack of comprehension among my friends who all share a myopic college vision. It seems that they’ve only heard of wherever their parents’ friends’ second cousins’ uncles’ daughters have done their requisite engineering degrees. They have the stats to match these top STEM schools, and they’re undoubtedly smart and great people (probably more so than I am, haha), but I’m still routinely annoyed by their dismissiveness of my choices.
It’s gotten to the point where, after one of my Indian friends recognized the names Colgate and Vassar and acknowledged how good they are, I involuntarily jumped up, high-fived him, and did a little dance. No one, and I mean no one, knows about these colleges where I live. It’s pretty sad.
In light of the fact that my friends are generally smarter than I am, I constantly feel like I should jump on the gravy train they’re taking. After all, if they’re doing it, then they must know something that I don’t. Is the East Coast also like this, or do these colleges have good names there? I don’t want to spend my college years greeted with looks of bewilderment every time I mention where I go. God knows I’ve gotten enough of that in California.
Sorry about this, I just needed to get this off my chest. I hope I haven’t violated this site’s rules or anything!
If you don’t want to explain where your college is, you need to go to Michigan or Harvard. Everyone else has to explain, occasionally, where their school is. There are many people who don’t know where Yale is, that there is a Washington College in Maryland and a Washington University in St Louis and then a whole bunch of Washington schools in, well, Washington State.
I’m beginning to appreciate how much easier applying to college was for me as a First Gen. No one second guessed any of my decisions and I was absolutely gob smacked when I got into my first choice. I truly wish you that feeling.
Don’t worry, we are much more enlightened on the east coast. wink, wink. Have fun with it! You’re at a great time in your life and it sounds like you are a balanced student who works hard but enjoys other things in life too! The best is yet to come!
We live on the east coast and my D20 decided 2 years ago that she preferred the feel and philosophy of LACs. She has applied to many of the schools you mentioned for, what I assume are, the same reasons. In one of her classes yesterday there was a discussion about college applications and intended majors. She was the only kid not looking at STEM and focused on LACs. Her question is what do 25 physics majors expect to do for jobs (times the 30,000 high schools in the US)?
We have found LACs are a frame of mind and don’t appeal to everyone. Don’t worry about it because while you are there and once you graduate, you will be making connections to the kinds of people who will matter later on, in terms of jobs. My D would say “you do you”.
The reality is you rarely remain friends with people from high school. The only one who needs to like your college choice is you (as long as your parents are willing to pay for it); college choice is one of the first steps to adulthood. Not making choices based on what “friends” may think is part of that step. Follow your heart to a place where you will meet “your people.”
Yep. Same thing here. Our large public school outside of Chicago is not a big feeder to LACs. Top kids want Ivies, Northwestern, Duke, Vandy, etc. Our S19 applied almost exclusively to LACs and, boy, he got the business from his friends. They just could not get why he would want to go to a school with fewer students than his high school when he legitimately had a chance at top universities. He was in a constant state of explaining himself most of senior year. In the end, he’s happy as a clam at his LAC and his friends are happy at their unis. It’s great when a 17-year old knows what he wants and doesn’t get bogged down with the college search peer pressure at school!
Thanks everyone for the support! I’m probably still applying to hyper-selective public STEM programs like UIUC and Michigan just because of the engineering-or-bust mentality that pervades my neighborhood. My dream college is TBD at the moment but it’s unlikely to be one of these, as I don’t really see myself at a big university.
I do know that objectively my LAC choices are what I love, but it’s still a pain to make such choices here in California. My parents know more about Clemson (relative did engineering) and UT Dallas (ditto) than the entire NESCAC.
Also, @homerdog Bowdoin doesn’t need much explanation even at my school. I think we sent a girl there last year to do physics/astronomy and play softball. It just depends on who from the school has gone there. Kids from my school have gone to Bowdoin, Harvey Mudd, Carleton, etc. Just not any of my choices, haha! Besides, Maine sounds cold as all hell.
Well, my main advice is not to go into engineering if you’re not passionate about it. What a grind that would be! It’s hard enough for those of us who really wanted to go into the field!
Me too! We live in the midwest and people were not particularly impressed when she announced where she was going. Part of her didn’t care but part was annoyed as well. It gave us something to laugh about!
The majority of people know little about colleges outside their immediate sphere. I live in an area where Amherst is highly regarded, where people wouldn’t surprised to hear that you turned down an Ivy for Amherst.
On the other hand, a lot of people in my neck of the woods don’t see the CA publics as a big deal beyond perhaps UCLA and UCB, and I heard from more than one person in reference to the Varsity Blues scandal, “What’s the fuss over USC? Isn’t that just some lower ranked California public school? Why would anyone cheat to get in there?” LOL
@deneuralyzer When asked where our son is, we say “Bowdoin College in Maine”. Mostly get blank stares back. When we find someone who knows the school, they are thrilled for him. And, yes, it will be cold but no colder than Chicago! S knows quite a few kids from CA and other warm weather states. Snow can be fun!
Haha @Sue22 I wish that was the perception of USC in California. Most of us in the Bay pretty much hate what it stands for, but we know we won’t pass up a spot at it either. Also, any mid-to-upper-tier UC school here is regarded as on par with USC and the like, especially UCSD these days for computer science. Rankings don’t matter as much as WOM reputation, which is kind of a double-edged sword.
Don’t worry about what other people think. You do you !.
Try to find a balanced list of colleges, that you can afford (parents willing to pay!).
Big name sport schools have the most name recognition.
Rest assured, Amherst, Williams, Bowdoin etc. are well known where it matters.
UPenn /Penn State, UChicago/U Illinois@Chicago, WashU/U Dub - many misconceptions, but it does not matter, as long as you find the right school for you.
This can only be annoying when you are looking for other people’s approval. It does show ignorance to be going through college admission process and not know about Amherst, Rice or Pomona. This is age of internet, if you read at all, you can’t miss reading articles or lists about top colleges but people’s ignorance is astounding specially if they themselves or their children are exploring college admission process.
Majority of people are focused on HYPSM or local state schools. Choices are often dependent upon aid, merit or cost. Upper middle class Asian students have even limited choices due to elite school discrimination and aid ineligibility.
However, do keep in mind that Amherst gives zero merit award and cost a fortune if you aren’t high need aid eligible. There is a huge athlete-non athlete divide. It’s great if you are LGBTQ, they have their own dorm. It’s an amazing school to learn thinking and writing skills but if you are STEM oriented, probably not the best choice. It’s located in a beautiful small town but unless you are into winter sports, it can be depressive in winter. Alumni is very helpful.