This is so wonderful!!! Thanks for the update!
2 Likes
Me too!
1 Like
I love Malcom Gladwellâs talk about Henry Rowan. Itâs a heartwarming story. Living in South Jersey, I can attest to the impact that Henry Rowanâs gift has had on our regionâŠand on my family personally since my D18 was a Rowan engineering student on a full tuition scholarshipâŠwhich helps us now pay for D23.
Knowing how Henry Rowanâs gift made such a difference, I was incredibly excited about the personal donation recently made to Mississippi State of the same amount once made to Rowan. I wish I could remember the MSUâs donors name. I anticipate wonderful things happening for MSU and Mississippi because of it.
8 Likes
And guess where Malcolm Gladwell visited recently?
Hope College!
3 Likes
I listened to the podcast last night. It is interesting. Gladwellâs outrage over Stanfordâs fundraising was kind of funny.
(The idea of the episode - my takeaway at least - was that Hank Rowan gave what used to be Glassboro State College 100M and made an enormous difference to that school and thousands of kids - why do rich people continue to give to Stanford/Harvard where it only helps a select few?)
Iâm glad your daughter will attend Rowan and you didnât have to do any last minute applications or visits, @MACmiracle - I said it up thread, but I know how hard you worked to craft a list of different types of schools for her so she would have good choices.
9 Likes
@swan1 I feel like you just need to let things play out at this point. I think you are stressing unnecessarily. Your child will do just fine. Trust the process and trust that she is at a good school.
2 Likes
What I also found fascinating is that Hank Rowan went to MIT (if I remember correctly), but wanted to make a difference in a local community and impact more people than have a named building at MIT. Which is why he chose to give his $100mm to (now) Rowan- (then) Glassboro State.
The podcast is more about education and development, but gets into the concept of strengthening the weakest link vs. making the top dog better/bigger. (As a sports fan, the soccer stuff is also interesting).
Sorry for the OT. But while I donât always agree with Gladwell on everything, he makes me think.
7 Likes
I remember your journey with D18. Im so glad it turned out well for you D18
1 Like
I am trying. Itâs our first child most likely only child who will be going to college and our son we are not sure if he will be able to attend college or not as he is on the spectrum .
So itâs just that fervor wanting to check and provide the very best in our capacity.
I know life has its own plan things donât go as we wish most of the time.
Thanks for your reassurance!
4 Likes
Because the âselect fewâ it helps tends to include their own kids. Ask Ken Griffin whose kids are now starting high school why he gave $300M to Harvard.
Note that one argument colleges give about why they shouldnât get rid of legacy admissions is that it would discourage donations. So they are pretty open about taking these bribes.
5 Likes
really random, but just thinking about this in general âwhy do rich people continue to give to Stanford/Harvard where it only helps a select few?â
â makes me think of all of the fundraisers weâve seen over the years. the positive, winning groups - seem to attract more fundraising than the down and out groups. (losing soccer teams. down and out urban HS schools. etc. etc.)
have any of you seen that? wonder what the basis is behind that?!
2 Likes
The professional fundraiser in me has to respond to this â first, people give their money to issues they feel passionately about. If they donât give to places like Stanford it is not right to assume they will give, instead, to places other people feel are more appropriate. Instead, they simply wonât give at all.
Secondly, donorsâ generosity is what makes decisions like this possible.
Stanford expands financial aid for 2023-24 - Stanford Report.
5 Likes
The posts on the Barnard Waitlist message board are so upsetting. Barnardâs wait list is âneed awareâ and they actively encourage you to change your status to say that you donât need financial aid if you want to increase your chances. The waitlist acceptances have been rolling in over the past couple days and itâs all full pay kids. I know this was clearly telegraphed ahead of time, but its so disheartening. I donât know whatâs worse, the kids who got in just because their parents can afford it, or the kids who canât afford it but are willing to change their status and take out bonkers loans just to get off the waitlist, or the kids (like mine) who didnât change their status and now are shut out. (For the record, I think my kid chose a great school and will be happy there, I just want to complain about the horribly unfair system).
4 Likes
Richmond is the same way for wait list. It does stink.
1 Like
Iâm really sorry. That does indeed stink. I understand that Barnard is not wealthy and has to watch the financial aid budget, but ugh, for a lot of students it is one more unfair thing in such a long line.
2 Likes
As someone whoâs faculty at an underfunded regional public, Iâll just say that I look at Barnardâs >$450M endowment as something so removed from my experience that I canât even be envious.
So, yeah.
16 Likes
And some students feeling desperate in that thread seem to have changed their status (to not request FA) thinking that maybe that only counts for the first year and that theyâll somehow cobble together enough money and loans for the first year and then suddenly be able to get FA in subsequent years (quite a gamble).
3 Likes
Yes - heartbreaking reading posts from these trying to beat the system, but it canât be beat.
Similarly my D had an e mail yesterday from Santa Clara asking if she would attend if they gave $16k in merit (She was deferred than waitlisted).
#1: Seem to be gaming system for yield reasons do it will only count as an offer if she followed up.
#2: Even with the $16k it is about $15k more than where she will attend.
4 Likes
That wreaks of - maybe we havenât hit our number. Itâs bad optics.
And it shows this is a business - so they should stop denying.
Theyâre willing to crank up the incentive budget and make less.
Not good for such an esteemed profession and an esteemed school in the profession.
And for anyone reading - just donât accept next year - wait til the last day even if you intend to attend.