<p>^really?..not dating, no parties because they are focused on their “dream school”…How about living life… because your next day just night be your last.</p>
<p>YOLO?! Actually I was similar to that, I limited my social activities because I had a dream. It wasn’t just for a specific school though.</p>
<p>I would say that I didn’t really realize how much of a dream school S’s school was for him until he got through his first year and we saw how perfectly it fit him.</p>
<p>My D got into her dream school and was miserable her entire freshman year. At one point, we spoke to the Freshman Dean and she said the following which made a lot of sense to me: </p>
<p>To many students, the dream school means perfection. When they get there and run into the inevitable problems – an inconsiderate roommate, a class which isn’t as enthralling as it sounded in the catalog, broken laundry machines, a jerk who won’t leave them alone – it can shatter the dream of that college, of college in general, even of themselves as a student. The Dean said that students for whom the college was a second choice often do much better because they aren’t expecting the school to be paradise on earth, and they don’t have to go through the difficult process of adjusting the dream to the reality.</p>
<p>D graduated from “dream school” a few days ago, and says she might have gone to big scholarship school if she were to do it again. She has very minimal loans; maybe $10 k. She seems to think I encouraged her to pick the dream over the money. I don’t think so! </p>
<p>More of a reach than a dream; we didn’t even DREAM she would get in. We did think it was a good fit, though.</p>
<p>Son went to the graduation, and now its HIS dream school!</p>
<p>Great to hear that, Shrinkrap. She might change her perspective over time. $10K isn’t much. The sinner she pays it off, the better. Life gets in the way over time. She could probably to it in 2 years tops.</p>
<p>Shrinkwrap,</p>
<p>I wonder if my son will feel that way in 4 years. He chose the most expensive of his options, much to my husband’s chagrin. It’s not outrageously expensive-my son will probably be able to graduate with 6-10K debt- but when he had five other options of debt-free college including two Ivy League schools, it’s still a bit of a struggle to be totally enthused for him. </p>
<p>He felt this was the best fit for him but it was never his “dream” school. I hope he has a great time there; otherwise, it’s possible he might regret not getting out of college debt-free. I need to erase those doubts in my mind, though, and be 100% supportive.</p>
<p>SBJ, your son will earn that much and more each summer rest easy</p>
<p>Reading this thread, you’d think that everyone who ends up at a school that is NOT his/her first choice is happier. My offspring did go to dream school, but I’ve seen a lot of kids who didn’t. Some do adjust. Others spend the first two years of college trying to transfer somewhere else. Some succeed. Some don’t.</p>
<p>I’ve received a full scholarship to Cornell University for this Fall. But my dream school is NYU which offered nothing but a small amount of loans. My dad says he won’t pay $375K for a second tier school. (I need to live off-campus due to my dietary requirements.)</p>
<p>New York is wonderful … the restaurants, the theaters, the Olson twins. I’m sure I’d be miserable tramping around Ithaca in the cold and snow. How do I convince my dad to let me attend my dream school?</p>
<p>^^^^^^You sound like a ■■■■■. How can this be? Cornell gives no merit money. I know NYU doesn’t give the greatest aid, but his is too much of a discrepancy. </p>
<p>If I have missed something, Cornell is beautiful, Ithaca is cute, and you can move to NYC after you graduate. I am with your dad, of course.</p>
<p>That is not what I meant by dream school. A dream that is this impractical (if this is a true account in any way) is a nightmare.</p>
<p>Yah, I smell a ■■■■■…</p>
<p>The Olsen twins is the tip off to SOMETHING. That, and the fact that NewHope registered on CC in 2005.</p>
<p>“The Olsen twins is the tip off to SOMETHING.”</p>
<p>Guilty. I really enjoy the CC community. What I enjoy least are the Dream-school obsessed. And no, I’m not talking about hardworking kids who are making the most of their educational opportunities at whatever school they’re attending.</p>
<p>On a completely different note, can anyone supply a list of “Dream Schools” that lie between the Appalachian and Sierra mountain ranges? I guess UChicago, Vanderbilt and Carleton would qualify. Others?</p>
<p>The whole point is that there is no one “Dream School” or category of dream schools based on selectivity, etc. Every kid dreams differently. Any school can “qualify” as a dream school.</p>
<p>Some really desirable schools for kids I’ve known in the specified geographical region besides the ones mentioned: Grinnell, Macalester, NORTHWESTERN, NOTRE DAME, WASHU., UMICHIGAN, Emory, Oberlin, Kenyon and I’m sure dozens I’m not thinking of. And this was from Long Island kids. Oh, definitely Rice, too.</p>
<p>saintfan - You are precisely on point. “Dream School” means different things to people. In DW’s hometown the state flagship was an unattainable “dream” for virtually every student. DW was determined to attend there, and it was the right decision … for her. A dream-like experience it wasn’t. But it did provide a solid academic foundation for the next step.</p>
<p>My D seemed happier before she got into a "dream " school.</p>
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<p>LOL, well played! I love how anything not in the Northeast all falls into one big category!</p>