<p>We live in the Northeast and my son is applying to public universities only- Penn State, Wisconsin, UF, FSU, Delaware, Maryland, Indiana and Michigan. So foolish to think that you can only get a great education at a private school.</p>
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I never said a private counselor was necessary. These families just thought the advice, step by step guidance, and other perks were worth it. Their kids are happy at the respective colleges, so I’m sure the parents think it was money well spent.</p>
<p>D1 had a thriving business of being a tutor (babysitter) to some high school students when she was in college. She used to help those kids organize their folders/notes before their finals, make sure they went over their old tests and homework, and that they actually studied instead of checking out FB or texting. D1 used to be able to help those kids bring up their grades by a whole point, which made those parents felt it was money well spent.</p>
<p>D2 and my relationship used to be more contentious, so it was helpful to our relationship to have a private counselor to work with her on the college process. It was easier for him to get her on a schedule than me. Hindsight, D2’s college process was a lot less stressful than D1’s. So I think for some families it does make sense to use a private counselor.</p>
<p>Responding to Blossom’s post in which she argued that there weren’t parents who would hire a private college counselor to get their kid into a state school. </p>
<p>My friends hired a private college counselor to get their kid into a state school (out-of-state). The kid was not very bright and had some issues. Parents really, really wished to send him to college, away from his parties and his girlfriends. Surprisingly, the kid was accepted to a very reasonable state college. Started this year … </p>
<p>Re: Ann Arbor. I spent a year there and was freezing there! FREEZING! Beware, campus doesn’t have enough parting slots. You should either use a bus (wait time can be up to 20 minutes) or walk several blocks to the designated parking. Most restaurants close really early, around 8 or 9. You really need a car, if you want to drive to Chicago, for example, or any other place to spend weekend. (I would strongly vote for California - a much, much better place to live).</p>
<p>“We live in the Northeast and my son is applying to public universities only- Penn State, Wisconsin, UF, FSU, Delaware, Maryland, Indiana and Michigan. So foolish to think that you can only get a great education at a private school.”</p>
<p>Why apply to so many OOS public schools which cost the same as private schools for OOS?</p>
<h2>“no one “can’t imagine” going to Harvard because Boston is so awful in the winter”</h2>
<p>I can imaging not applying to Harvard, or any other school in the Northeast or Chicago, largely for that reason, and I didn’t!</p>
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<p>Sorry, but U Conn is a joke to anyone with brains or means in the area.</p>
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<p>All of my engineering friends made between $800-1400 per week last summer, lodging included.</p>
<p>Californiaa- you will be shocked to learn that there are millions of people in the Northeast who do not own cars, and somehow manage to wait for the bus or the subway (or even walk to their destination!) and we all do just fine.</p>
<p>There are schools worth suffering in the cold for, and schools that aren’t. I would put Harvard in the first category, but winter in the Boston area D’s freshman year was pretty brutal! At least once that term I read that H had to cancel classes due to the inability to keep the walkways ice-free. So D was REALLY glad she chose Stanford in sunny CA!</p>
<p>I know tthi isn’t facebook, but Post #410 is a textbook example of an “Undercover Brag”</p>
<p>[7</a> Ways to Be Insufferable on Facebook | Wait But Why](<a href=“7 Ways to Be Insufferable on Facebook | HuffPost Impact”>7 Ways to Be Insufferable on Facebook | HuffPost Impact)</p>
<p>What was undercover about that brag? As far as I could tell, it was right on top of the sheets, and not wearing any pajamas, either.</p>
<p>Undercover brag: Wow, it’s rainy here today! But not as rainy as it is in <em>Boston</em></p>
<p>And the really great thing about that form is that <em>Boston</em> can be replaced with <em>New Jersey</em> or <em>Connecticut</em> or <em>Palo Alto, I mean not the part where the shops and restaurants are</em></p>
<p>I can’t imagine walking to class in the snow, or even NorCal rain. My D chose sunny Southern California over Palo Alto, Boston, Connecticut and New Jersey. The fact that none of the schools in those areas admitted her really had nothing to do with her decision- it was strictly based on weather.</p>
<p>We parents may hate bad weather, but most young people don’t seem to notice it as much. My kids grew up with CA weather, and wanted to go to college somewhere they could experience the seasons. It was a criteria, but would not have been a deal breaker if they had ended up back at a top CA school. They did end up on the East Coast, and were fascinated by the snow and rain and changing leaves and flowers. My Ds especially liked it because they could now wear boots and jackets, coats and hats, which are rarely needed where they grew up. Four years of that was enough for even them, though.</p>
<p>I grew up in Miami and went to college in Chicago. This was back when there were occasionally 80-below windchills off Lake Michigan. I am still in the Midwest, 30 years later. For three of our four seasons the weather is generally glorious, and many people love our snowy winters for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating, and so on. The only month I really despise is March, when there isn’t much fresh snow and everything looks gray and tired.</p>
<p>My older child wanted out of the Midwest and he is in the South for college. Not sure where the younger one will end up.</p>
<p>Ease of transportation was a criteria, but not weather.
We love the seasons.</p>
<p>Just wanted to offer my $.02 of hiring a private college counseling service–</p>
<p>I can enthusiastically give a thumbs up for hiring a private counselor as my D likes external validation and rises to challenges given by teachers, adults of authority, coaches, etc. (vs. her parents). We signed up after freshman year when D’s GPA was 3.2UW at a choice middle school. The counseling service recommended which classes she should take, gave her specific target goals, and became an external cheering source.</p>
<p>What a difference that made! D felt empowered and raised her cumulative UW GPA to a 3.65 by the end of junior year. She now feels confident about her ability to succeed in college and beyond. </p>
<p>For many parents on this website, their kids don’t need a push and have the internal fortitude to be 4.0 in everything they do. I think it’s important to acknowledge that 90% of kids going to college are NOT in the top 10%. H and I are proud of how hard our D has worked and that going to an elite Top 50 college has never been the goal. </p>
<p>For some, private counseling help families find colleges offering the most merit aid, or honors options which can easily make up for the cost of the service. For us, it’s about keeping our D motivated and excited about going to a best fit school. Can’t wait to see how it all turns out.</p>
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<p>Why is it surprising that weather might be a LARGE factor in the application process? Isn’t the element of “best fit” not lauded ad nauseam on College Confidential. Unless one is prepared to suffer the inclement weather for four years OR the absence of seasons in a sunny locale, it should be an important factor in the final decision. </p>
<p>The weather, the city environment, and the people you will deal with four (or more) years might very well trump the academics and reputation of the school. </p>
<p>PS I quoted both the original statement and the repartee, because I happen to agree completely with the response, and absolutely reached the same decision a decade ago. At that time, I could NOT have imagined having to spend 4 long years in the Northeast, in Illinois, or in Michigan. I might take a more mellow approach today.</p>
<p>PPS Again, it works with all locations. CC members over the years have reported to be massively underwhelmed by schools in California, including Stanford that has been described as dull or a gigantic and soulless Taco Bell. Others have stated their desire to have season and look down on the weather in LA or San Diego.</p>