JOTD (feeding off second kid comment): Define sterilize. What you do with your first kid’s pacifier by placing it in boiling water for 20 minutes and what you do with your second kid’s pacifier by blowing on it.
@VickiSoCal - good luck on your EA app. Son17 is our first kid, and his app process has been pretty easy. He’s not so highly qualified that we are chasing lottery schools, but has stats that are good enough qualify to get into some decent schools without a lot of stress. He wants to stay nearby and has had zero drama or meltdowns.
My younger son19 has higher stats, and wants more, and is willing to look at any school anywhere. He is super competitive and is the type of kid where “prestige” factor may weigh on him. I’m not really looking forward to figuring it all out for him.
@dfbdfb - I think @MotherOfDragons correctly defined prestige as something the in-laws can brag about at bridge club.
@payn4ward He is applying next yr. Since all of his UG costs are covered by scholarships, he is using UG to explore different options. He is applying for nuclear REUs this summer to see if that is a field that interests him. He’ll be taking the GRE in the spring or summer. (I can’t remember.)
@dfbdfb I guess the example I gave of GT earlier would also be an example of fit. Ds was adamant about wanting UG research and was definitely disappointed by that response. Bc he was so advanced in physics when he graduated from high school, it also elimated any school with UG only level physics. Dd is facing a similar issue with school with only limited course offerings/semester.
Prestige, in my opinion, is about name/brand recognition and reputation. Prestige differs by perspective - general public v. industry/academia/others in the know. The list of prestigious schools is far smaller when looking at it from the general public’s perspective. And with respect to the general public, region heavily influences their perspective.
Prestige is respect and admiration. I care about the respect and admiration of people who might have power and influence in my DC’s life. I don’t care what the neighbors, friends or family think.
People who pick schools that don’t have their major are probably not committed that major.
For us, Princeton is a good example of prestige without fit.
What is prestige?
If you ask W’s family it is the ranking of the football team (except for Ohio State, they are evil).
It seems for many Prestige = cost. It seems to be more about what the parents can afford than what is best for the child.
Here is a real life example that hurt my D a little bit until she realized that to some people better=more expensive:
An elderly gentleman where my D works asked where is going to college. When she replied she was aiming for the honors program at the state flagship he replied “oh, you can do better than that!” He later gave her a brochure from a brand name LAC. Besides the fact tuition at the LAC is over 12 times what it will cost D at the State U, the State U is actually ranked higher (I bring in rankings here because I believe State U’s tend to be under ranked), has a lower acceptance rate and and a higher freshman profile.
Why would someone think this LAC is better than a State U? Bias towards name brand LACs regardless of actual quality of education? If it costs more it must be better? Or is the education environment just better when there is an artificial exclusivity created by surrounding oneself with students whose parents have $65K a year for college?
My bias is worst than @dfbdfb I think.
@RightCoaster wrote:
I’m sure you meant with him. 
@CaucAsianDad Very true. Many people equate cost with better, unfortunately. I personally don’t think any college is currently worth $65k+ per year, but that’s just me.
Not just you @itsgettingreal17 !
I totally agree @itsgettingreal17!
@IABooks ha, I wish I meant that.
Sadly it will be me who ends up dealing with figuring out junior and senior year schedules, testing, applications, etc
If some of you have kids that can figure out how and what classes to take, which tests to take and when, how to pay for them, setting up college visits, filling out Common Apps and other forms then I applaud you and your kids!. My kids barely have time with their sports/EC’s and all the homework they have to figure out what time they need to wake up tomorrow. Figure the college process out on their own, never!! No f#@%ing way.
@rightcoaster, If you haven’t checked it out already, definitely take a look at the [url = <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/engineering-majors/%5Dengineering”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/engineering-majors/]engineering major forum here on CC. There are a lot of smart, helpful people there. I read a lot of posts there and occasionally ask questions. Oh, and congrats on the new acceptances!
@MotherOfDragons, yes I agree with you on the 2018 thread. I find myself wondering if it will evolve to be more like this one.
I also have a D20. I was hanging out on the 2020 parent thread for about 3 days before I realized I didn’t belong!
Thanks all for the SAT II timing reminders. I have to start my BOD/GDOD for D20! Lay out her test schedule and start working on her future :D. Poor girl… She looks to be an engineer. She wants to have something to do with prosthetics, so likely it will mean ME/BIOE somewhere to start. She’s a gymnast, and was originally thinking PhysTherapy, but then found out about those robotic prosthesis hooked up to nerve-endings, and she was hooked.
Don’t worry when the time comes we will take over the 2020 thread and it will be awesome
I’ll be joining y’all on the 2020 thread when the time is right. DD20 is awesome, but to which colleges she should apply isn’t at the top of her list right now. For her, Hamilton, Lafayette, Jefferson, Madison, and Washington are historical figures and characters in a musical, not colleges and universities!
Can’t say I’m sorry that I won’t be joining you all on the 2020 thread. S17 is my youngest and I truly will be an empty nester when he leaves… except for the 12 year old dog and two 5 year old cats that I still call “the kittens” when I am not swearing at them.
PSA OTD: It’s time to check those Spam folders.
@mtrosemom – I JUST got your avatar pic when you mentioned “empty nest.” I’m a bit slow sometimes, but it’s awesome!
Over the summer at an info session of a well known, prestigious U, it was communicated that the percent of students graduating with a degree was in the high 90’s. The credit for this was given to the quality of all the students. Everyone - super smart. At a different well known, but less prestigious U it was communicated that there was the look to your “left and look to you right” scenario- only 1 out of 3 will make it in the program. Of course there are super smart students everywhere, and there are super smart people who never go to college, but the Ivies + top prestigious offer an environment where some students, for the first time, will have classmates that will challenge and inspire them in ways never before possible. I totally support an environment that fosters the synergy of great minds. It is so much more than bragging rights, or the ability to write a check. Ivy + prestigious may not appeal to all, but it does have it’s place, and it is an important one.