<p>My husband works with his brother whose son is a rising Junior. They (brother in laws family) went to look at Middlebury College while in Vermont over the weekend. Apparently it was too rural for his liking. My brother in law said to my husband that Middlebury is ranked simular to Wesleyan University which is where my daughter will be a freshman in September. He than said "oh, Mike isn't into those second tier school's, he's only interested in the IVY's.</p>
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The next few years are going to be sickening
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<p>The next few years?! I imagine your husband has been dealing with this sibling rivalry his whole life. Now it will just be transferred to whose kid is doing better. Try not to get caught up in it.</p>
<p>Having relatives like that is GREAT news for everyone else. Keeps selectivity lower than it would be otherwise, with lots of families and students pleased by their experience. </p>
<p>(I think I've already told the story about how my GC used to threaten students with Middlebury if they didn't buckle down....)</p>
<p>My husband just laughs about it, I see them as little as possible.. just a few times a year. It just amazes me that someone, especially one's brother would even think of making a comment like that!</p>
<p>Take heart, lbridge, there's an excellent chance that you could be doing a (strictly internal, mind you) happy dance next May when the son has been rejected from all the Ivies he's applied to. We can only hope that young Mike is smarter than his dad and will have applied to a couple of 'lesser' schools he likes alot.</p>
<p>No unfortunately, young Mike feels that way. He's only going to be a Junior in September so it's going to be 2 years of this stuff. In a way, I don't want him to make any Ivy's but of course that would make me as bad if not worse than the way he and his family feels. I'm not going to allow myself to stoop to that level. In fact, it will probably drive them crazy if we show that it doesn't bother us in the least. My daughter is very bright and is soooooooooooo excited about Wesleyan, I know that she didn't pick a name but rather a great fit! </p>
<p>You have to understand that I just got the phone call hearing that story... I needed to vent and hear from fellow parents --- strangers I might add, that have much kinder words and thoughts than my own family!</p>
<p>Lisa, in Texas you can legally hunt your BIL for that. Just check to see if you are in a "one idiot" county, and remember to tag him. BTW, I have a great recipe for "Idiot Jerky". P.M. me if you want it.</p>
<p>You are too funny Curmudgeon.. we always wanted to get him the tee shirt "Your village called their missing their idiot". SIL is just as bad if not worse.. thank g-d for friends and strangers!!!!</p>
<p>lovely image, 'mudge. Blech....
But I am <em>sure</em> you, your neighbor, or whoever makes that stuff has the top-of-the-line curing equipment, guaranteed to remove all germs, parasites and flavor from that stuff. I never quite got why people like to chew on shoeleather...</p>
<p>uh oh-- with your editing of your description of the lack of buffalo hygiene, my response doesn't make a lot of sense. This thread started about buffoons putting down any non-ivy school. The lack of social graces, buffoon or buffalo, seems to be the key thread here... Seems your response was right on target.</p>
<p>I'm rather curious to see how my brother-in-law will handle the whole college admissions process. He went to Rice, his wife went to Cornell. He's pretty competitive, but I'm not sure he knows what's in store for him (his oldest will start 7th grade in the fall).</p>
<p>Yes, I see that, mudge. thanks. I guess we're too quick on the trigger. lbridge's h. should go on line and order application materials in the name of his nephew from (apologies in advance to anyone offended by this random selection of schools) Oklahoma Panhandle State University, Black Hills State University in South Dakota, Medaille College (NY) and Felician College (NJ). If that doesn't cause the brother to stroke out, they ought to get a good laugh and put it in perspective.</p>
<p>I feel bad when I see situations like this, because the kids have been influenced by the parents.
In one situation involving a bright girl who was recieving her IB diploma, she had been told for years that she was the brillant one out of the family. She didn't have social skills and was very sheltered but believed what her parents were telling her re: her superiority and made deprecating comments about the non-IB students in the high school to her parents amused approval.
They thought the Ivys were the only schools worth considering and she applied to all of them except for Brown and two other schools.
She was admitted to her two other schools( neither was a good fit)- but it had to have been devastating to assume that she could have easily been admitted but then find out that she wasn't even waitlisted.
When parents make comments about schools of the caliber of Swarthmore/Amherst/Middlebury as they are "OK" if you are interested in "regional" or lower tier schools, ;) that of course just shows their limited knowledge.What I would do, is suggest other schools that are a tad easier to be admitted to than the Ivies, whether they take you up on it or not, it always helps to have the high ground when the cards are played out.
The school my daughter is attending Reed College has at least three strikes against it.( in some opinions)
They don't particpate in the US News rankings so they are actually 2nd tier despite being one of the top schools in the country.
They are on the left coast- which of course isn't as intellectual as the east coast ( TIC)
They are confused with John Reed who was one of the most famous American communists- their informal motto is Atheism- Communism and Free love-
Our friends and relatives were very confused at why we would spend as much on tuition as Harvard for a "hippie" school.</p>
<p>Really? Reed College gets confused with John Reed? I'm happy that people even recognize John Reed's name anymore, honestly (it's been how many years since "Reds" came out?).</p>
<p>"Our friends and relatives were very confused at why we would spend as much on tuition as Harvard for a "hippie" school."</p>
<p>You should just tell 'em it's 'cause it ranks higher than 26th. ;)</p>
<p>I live out here among the unwashed by the other puddle, though in the state capital. In almost 20 years, I have never met anyone who could carry on a conversation for more than 15 seconds about my alma mater (Williams), and 99 times out of a 100, folks have never heard of it (and those who have think it is William & Mary). Many folks, however, hear "Whitman" when I say "Williams", and I don't disabuse them of the idea, as out here Whitman has a much better reputation (and it might even be deserved).</p>
<p>I love, though, how many of the schools have names that could be associated with butlers. "Oh, Middlebury, could you fetch me my vest?" "Williams, make sure we have tea set up for 5." "Oh, Smith, I'd like one of those Cuban cigars with my port."</p>