How do kids who got into top schools do so horribly at them?

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Money is STILL the number one issue at these schools - there may be enough money to attend, but there may not be enough money to maintain the family (or help a family through a health crisis, etc.) back home.

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<p>Mini, if what you are saying is that the upper and other Ivies are too expensive for low income kids to attend, I think you are mistaken. There are more than a few threads and experiences that suggest that a lower income student at HYP has less of a monetary price demanded of him than he would at his local state university or community college.</p>

<p>Maybe an interesting comparison would be dropout rates across a given low-income cohort comparing those at different colleges. I'm going to guess it would show that the better the college attended, the less likely the student would be to drop out.</p>

<p>I think I know what Mini is saying here. I know that my alma mater, a number of low income kids dropped out while high income kids brazened it out. It was a matter of safety net that money and knowlegeable parents. A kid whose parents are savvy, can help kid get a leave of absence, maybe a psychiatrist's note, send kid to local college, then send kid back for another try. It makes things much more difficult if there isn't an adult that can help this way. Financial aid packages are a big problem too. If you flunk out, there are rules about federal and state aids, and merit within aid grants will have some clauses in them regarding performance as well. Unless the school has someone to work directly with such kids in trouble, they will just slip away.</p>

<p>Depression, burnout, being forced to major in something they don't like, and general confusion about what they want to do with their life may all cause top students to tank once they get into top colleges.</p>

<p>My son, like Garland's did fine for two years in his general courses. I was holding my breath because he was not the best student in highschool and was lacking in study skills, motivation, organization. Just when I exhaled, junior year is when he had problems. Too much partying, substance abuse, emotional issues, mood issues but also lack of interest in any subject. College was known as a rigorous one with no area majors. To graduate, he needed advanced courses and there were not easy ones. That is when it all fell apart.</p>

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Money is STILL the number one issue at these schools - there may be enough money to attend, but there may not be enough money to maintain the family

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<p>they group that this sentiment is directed toward might be the lower middle class, or, forgetting about a name for the group, it might be that group of people whose income is higher than 'low income' (where there is some good aid), but still too low to sustain unexpected buffets on family budgets - or even expected buffets, such as having another kid in college.</p>

<p>Many times a herculean effort is made to pay for that first year. In a great burst of momentum and excitement, everyone scrambles to get that tuition paid. Relatives dig deep in the pocket for a few bucks to help out, for that extra pizza night out, graduation gifts, etc. The second year is often a let down financially. Other issues have arisen. Janie at XYZ U is old news. Someone needs surgery. A cousin has graduated and has plans, etc, etc. Things have happened at home that need addressing. Janie has perhaps not done so well at the U and the second year financial aid package is wanting. Instead of working she wants to spend some time at the U and visit friend, join one on a trip abroad. Sophomore dorms cost more and she wants a suite with her friends which is even more expensive. Yeah, that second year is when it really bites.</p>

<p>I didn't suggest AT ALL that top colleges are necessary too expensive for low-income students to attend (though the percentage of Pell Grant recipients at these schools is relatively very small, despite the fact that the Winston/Hill study indicates there are far, far more qualified academically to attend.) What I am saying is that family life situations of many low-income students are precarious, and it doesn't take a lot for a FEW of these students to leave because they believe they are needed at home.</p>

<p>Dropout rates at less selective schools for low-income students will be significantly higher, but often for similar reasons.</p>

<p>What I am saying that at those schools meeting 100% of need, non-graduation among low-income non-bingeing students for family/financial reasons is far, far more common than among higher-income binge drinkers.</p>