<p>MYTH # 12 GO TO THE BEST SCHOOL YOU CAN GET INTO</p>
<p>I think this is silly. Go to the best school for you! Who cares if you got into Harvard if you don’t like it there. Go where you can live and thrive</p>
<p>rocket6louise, Good for you to understand that myth #12 is silly!! There are people who are in middle aged and older who would live by that statement. In fact, one gentleman just commented to me that my son did not “shoot high enough” (referring to rankings) when applying. I completely disagree with that because for “higher ranked schools” would have been a poor fit for many reasons. We chose thoughtfully and carefully, and nobody in our family is living with any regrets.</p>
<p>Myth 13 - STUDENTS WITH GOOD STATS ALWAYS GET MERIT AID</p>
<p>No. In addition to the Ivies, several other schools do not offer merit aid. Others offer merit aid, but even if your child’s stats far exceed the mid range, they may not be offered any.</p>
<p>MYTH 14-GO OOS IF POSSIBLE. KIDS WHO STAY INSTATE USUALLY JUST HANG OUT WITH THEIR H.S. CROWD SO DON’T MEET DIFF. PEOPLE OR HAVE HORIZON BROADNING EXPERIENCE.</p>
<p>wrong…Many of the instate privates are full of kids diif. parts of the country and the instate publics have kids from all over the state plus some oos’ers. No matter where you go, college will be diff. from h.s.</p>
<p>This is not really the pervading attitude where we live but see it a lot here on CC.</p>
<p>Agree with Myth #1. Worked with a student this year for whom an Ivy (not HYP) and another outstanding specialized LAC wound up being cheaper than the in-state private. The flagship cut back significantly on departmental scholarships this year; in prior years this student (based on state and historical experience at two schools with this department) would have gotten the university half-ride scholarship PLUS the departmental scholarship, the sum of which would have been close to COA.</p>
<p>Myth 14- If I struggle to send my kid to an expensive school and force him/her to major in something “practical” (accounting, engineering, etc) then it will be worth it-- he/she will be earning a comfortable living after graduation and it will even out in the end. I’ll have spent all my retirement funds but my kid will be happy to support me in my old age.</p>
<p>Truth- there are kids who majored in Renaissance Studies who out-earn all of us; there are unemployed CPA’s with few job prospects; there are miserable engineers who go back to college to get master’s degrees in museum studies. (I know one of each and scores of others besides.)</p>
<p>Your kid should find a major which he or she loves and will excel in; you should find a college which you can afford without having to sell a kidney; you should take on educational debt after carefully considering your age, your health, number of other obligations (elderly parents and other children, etc.). Similarly, your child should consider his/her own career aspirations regarding educational loans and his/her ability to defer gratification after graduation in order to pay off the debt.</p>
<p>myth 14–post #24, myth 15–post #26</p>
<p>Myth 16: It’s okay to take out lots of student loans. Once you graduate from a top-whatever school, you’ll have no trouble paying it all back. No, there’s no guarantee you’ll get a job once you graduate, and going to a “top” college isn’t a guarantee for a top paying job. Instead, take out as few loans as possible.</p>
<p>Similar list of myths from a previous thread:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/874072-big-college-myths-half-truths-what-did-you-find-out-wrong.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/874072-big-college-myths-half-truths-what-did-you-find-out-wrong.html</a></p>
<p>Limabeans is sooooo right with her post #27.</p>
<p>how often have we heard that myth!!???!!!</p>
<p>Myth 17 You have to go to a top ranked college to get into med/law/grad/business school. Therefore, it’s ok to go into big debt to make that happen.</p>
<p>Myth 18: Everything you see on college websites, every snazzy letter you receive in the mail and everything you read on bulletin boards or the internet ( including CC) must be true as other wise people will not be posting it or wasting money mailing the material</p>
<p>There is so much of misinformation that the principles of caveat emptor (buyer beware) are as applicable in the college admission area as any where else</p>
<p>m2ck - I will pm you but suffice it to say her on campus apt,food, books and spending money will be paid for by her stafford loan and part time job.</p>
<p>
True. One of mine rents a house off campus. Her school has little dorm space and guarantees for no one (not even freshmen) but she had no difficulty finding a reasonably priced house and much cheaper than on campus housing. </p>
<p>Myth #18 - Love this!!<br>
Notice how all the brochures feature lots of ‘green’ space - regardless of location of the college? Also, even colleges in the snowbelt rarely have photos of snow -they are always taken in spring/summer, even if most kids have left campus by then!</p>
<p>Myth #19: What can your parents possibly know about selecting a college? They have not been in college in two million years and school has changed so much. Handle it yourself.</p>
<p>My son could not disagree more with Myth #19. During his senior year, he was school co-president, president of a community service organization, captain of the academic team, a student assistant for an English teacher, juggling six APs classes and held a part-time job. He was very glad to let me open all the college mail and sort through it. He was glad that we took all but two visits following his sophomore and junior years. Together, we had a chart going that listed all the schools where he planned to apply, financial aid application info, SAT/GPA requirements, what essays were needed for what school, etc. </p>
<p>The funny thing is that my youngest son was talking about colleges with some friends (BTW, my youngest is a rising HS freshman), and one of the boys said that I could not possibly know much about colleges and what they want. After all, this young man’s mom was a HS guidance counselor and knew much more than a HS media specialist ever would. That’s why this young man believes he needs five years of HS Latin to get into our state flagship. Our high school does not offer five years of HS Latin.</p>
<p>As for Myth #18, we went to a college program about three years ago, and one of the admissions directors was very funny. She talked about not judging a school by a pamphlet or website. She pointed out that New England schools had to feature fall colors, schools near a beach needed to feature the beach and there needed to be an equal balance of race/color in photos. She had about 250 people doubled over in laughter.</p>