<p>This article may be of interest to parents of students applying RD:</p>
<p>Boy did that take me back....to December 2002.</p>
<p>Thanks for the article. D is one of those who is still not done. I think she falls into the can't make a decision and the fear of going away crowd. I know they will get done but I am not thrilled they are going to be done at the last minute.<br>
D has gone into such denial about the whole process.</p>
<p>In addition to the article marite cited, here's Alex Beam's column from the Globe that describes a book written about Harvard's prez, Larry Summers. Alex Beam writes, "Here is my favorite (indirect) quote, reported to Bradley by a student who met with Summers during office hours. The student told Summers 'he was disappointed by how little contact he'd had with most of his professors.' In reply, Summers 'basically said that at Harvard, we choose to go only for the best scholars, and that if you wanted somewhere that focused on undergraduate teaching, you should go to a place like Amherst or Swarthmore.'"</p>
<p>Thanks so much for posting that! As a Yale alum mysef, I couldn't agree more --- I wish I had gone somewhere else for undergrad!!! At least LS admits it outright!</p>
<p>nedad--yeah, Summers, an MIT grad, can be quite forthright.</p>
<p>I have enjoyed watching Summers rattle the Harvard cage.</p>
<p>"In reply, Summers 'basically said that at Harvard, we choose to go only for the best scholars, and that if you wanted somewhere that focused on undergraduate teaching, you should go to a place like Amherst or Swarthmore.'"</p>
<p>So you go to Harvard with the faculty you have? (attempted humorous reference to something a Secretary of Defense said recently...)</p>
<p>"So you go to Harvard with the faculty you have?"</p>
<p>Minus Cornel...</p>
<p>Seems like Princeton is very happy with Cornel West:
<a href="http://www.princeton.edu/Siteware/WebAnnounce.Princeton_Headlines.shtml#2%5B/url%5D">http://www.princeton.edu/Siteware/WebAnnounce.Princeton_Headlines.shtml#2</a></p>
<p>In spite of what Summers said to that hapless student, my S is extremely happy with the profs of the two courses he's auditing. He has no hesitation approaching them (one of them actually wrote a rec for him). He's also found the TFs very helpful.
Summers is working hard to increase the number of small classes, in particular freshmen seminars (now numbering about 170); and yet, some classes remain large. My S loves his 70+ students class.
What distinguishes Swarthmore and Amherst or Williams or other LACs from Harvard or Yale is probably the more proactive role of the LAC faculty in seeking out students rather than waiting for students to approach them.</p>
<p>As I said, I think Summers is doing a great job of rattling the Harvard cage, even if that involves having bad table manners and getting rid of deadweight celebrity faculty members.</p>
<p>From the Holiday Stress article (thanks, Marite): 'Although the typical senior applies to 6 to 10 schools, Walsh's middle son applied to only one, "and that was at the 11th hour. It was all he could deal with," he says.'</p>
<p>Walsh is the pyschologist who's meant to give parents advice! Stick with CC.</p>
<p>I remember going to the post office on December 31st to send off the last app last year. That was a very happy day in our household!!</p>
<p>The New England LAC's offer great combination of academics and social activitites that a school like Harvard can't match. Beyond Williams and Amherst, Bowdoin, Holy Cross, Colby and Dartmouth offer a great product. Their alumni giving rates are also among the highest.</p>
<p>Another round of LACs vs. research universities. It seems like the college students' parents' version of my daddy's car is bigger than your daddy's.</p>
<p>One of my Ss went to a NE LAC , the other is headed for Harvard. They are very different and therefore needed to be in different college environments.
De gustibus non est disputandum. Chacun a son gout. To each his own.</p>
<p>Marite, I tried ordering that there "Chacon a son gout" in a French restaurant once and the waiter just stared at me wordlessly.</p>
<p>He may have thought that you were talking about a chaconne and was trying to think where the nearest concert hall was (shades of PDQ Bach).</p>
<p>It's the end of a long tiring week, which often results in my giving my mind a chance to loosen before I leave work (and never mind what that results in!!) (P.S. I can't find the smilies so you'll just have to assume the tone of this).</p>
<p>In any case, it does seem to me that the problem of the college applications process producing extra stress during the Christmas holidays can easily be resolved by the simple expedient of rescheduling Christmas.</p>
<p>After all, we all know that the college applications process is one of the most important times in one's life, whether one's a parent or a student, and the colleges HAVE to have the applications in at this time in order to fit their schedule. On the other hand, Christmas is a family event that could be moved into, say January, without causing much trouble. After all, department store sales take place every week or two anyway, so what's the difference? And buying Christmas cards right after Christmas is one of the great annual bargains. Sure, the family celebration wouldn't quite coincide with caroling and with winter break, but those are minor matters.</p>
<p>Rescheduling Christmas in one's family for just one year wouldn't have any serious effect, but it certainly could ease the pressure on the college applicant and his/her parents.</p>
<p>Think about it.</p>
<p>Happy weekend, all.</p>
<p>With our S four years ago, we completed all apps in November b/c we knew that once his winter sport started after Thanksgiving, he wouldn't have the time. This year, our D played a fall sport that, fortunately for the team and unfortunately for her free time, went into post-season play. Having her get into college ED was a relief and we don't have to worry about any more apps! Now, I just have to complete my shopping!</p>
<p>Dartmouth is not a LAC, please do not refer to it as such. Thank you. And furthermore, I don't understand why you imply that it's on a level below Williams and Amherst.</p>