^^ I think it’s a neat analogy. In general, kids from elite boarding schools like Norstrom better than Patagonia because the latter would be too similar to their boarding schools - in their views anyway. If you look at the matriculation lists of various schools, that holds true not only for larger schools like Andover and Exeter, but also for mid sized schools like Deerfield, Hotchkiss as well as the small Groton. Here’s the snapshot of Andover class 2015 college destinations:
Btw, I see this year Stanford has become a more “popular choice” than Harvard and Yale the first time for a long time.
My kids like Patagonia in real life and went for the Patagonia type colleges. Quality and a good fit were what was important to them. They are not label conscious.
“Label conscious”? Aren’t these “label schools” great academic institutions in the first place? Not so nice to categorically label those who chose to attend these colleges “label continue”. Don’t you think?
@panpacific, I think the point is that there are many, many great academic institutions out there. But many applicants continue to have difficulty seeing anything beyond Andover/Exeter and Harvard/Yale/Princeton, for example…simply because of the brand name.
@cameo43: that’s a valid point, but it hasn’t to be made at the enpense of those who choose to attend prestigious schools. People make different choices all the time. Just a matter of fact. And given the fact that these big name schools are great schools in the first place, being a little “label conscious” cannot be the biggest sin.
They are excellent schools. But to choose a school based on name recognition alone, without giving consideration to whether it is also a good fit for the student, may not be the wisest approach.
Don’t read too much into my post @panpacific, at least don’t read more than I posted. Purely meant my kids weren’t too interested in prestige when picking their schools. Their schools are great academic institutions and ones that are a great fit for them but ones the average American has never heard of. Obviously, places like HYP are quality but they get the volume of applications they do because of perception and prestige not purely based on what they offer. And yes, some folks are label conscious when picking their colleges.
Just making the case that not all students from elite boarding schools chase the HYPS schools. Mine didn’t. They liked small classes and close relationships with their professors and sought out the same for a college experience.
Sure, @doschicos. You know, prestige is in the “eye of the beholder”. I bet the boarding schools most of your kids’ are attending are considered elite and/or pretentious by some members of your community even if they are not the “most elite” in the BS circle. The small LACs your kids are attending must be misunderstood in similar fashions by some folks who are happy to send their kids to state colleges. It’s ironic that when people are in different yet similar contexts, the roles of party A and party B could be switched so easily.
@panpacific Your reaction seems a bit out of scope for my fairly innocuous comment. You made a comment that students from elite boarding schools chose Nordstrom type colleges. I pointed out that some do not, using the analogy outlined. Do you truly not think that at least a measurable percentage of folks DO consider prestige when applying and deciding on a college? For some, those schools are a perfect fit. Yet, I know others that are unhappy after the fact and probably would have been better off somewhere else.
I get your “eye of the beholder” point however most folks don’t know my kids’ colleges. They don’t know enough to be impressed because they’ve never heard of them. The only reaction is a blank face. And my family is totally ok with that. We know they are great schools and great fits, and people knowledgeable about academia know the quality of the education they provide. That is all that matters.
@doschicos: Oh I totally agree that prestige is perhaps a factor for most of those who end up in the most prestigious colleges. My point is that I don’t believe a significant number of them end up in the wrong place because they took prestige into consideration. In other words, for most people, prestige consideration isn’t really doing any harm especially to those who end up attending prestigious colleges. Just as with boarding school applications, if they cared to apply and the college accepted them, it means there’s a basic fit there. Then what really matters now is if prestige or label consciousness is driving them to choose a more prestigious school over another school if/when they have those choices. I can see kid A thinks his/her best fit might be a non-Ivy League school but would actually thrive (or wouldn’t survive for that matter) in either. I can also see kid B’s top choice might be a non-Ivy but takes an Ivy offer because it comes with a better financial aid package… Which is what I meant by “label conscious” is not the biggest sin. I guess I was a little offended by the disdainful way in which you threw the label “label conscious”.
I apologize if I came off as somewhat aggressive. My response was indeed a little “out of scope”, come to think of it. We are a group of parents who care deeply about our kids’ education. Caring about education doesn’t make us a minority but the fact that our kids all attend boarding schools and then move on to elite colleges does. We all agree that they are all great schools except some are better known than others. I appreciate parents like you sharing your experience and cautioning the prospective students/families not to focus on the brand name schools only. I just feel - again, sorry for being “out of scope” again - that sometimes some parents are taking it too far by using “prestige” as an ugly word as if it’s a shameful thing to pursue the best known schools/colleges, and that somehow attending a less prestigious school is a more noble choice. (End of my rant)
Last night I mentioned to K2 that if he wanted to take part in an incoming student program/trip before classes start, I’d be willing to pay for it. He thanked me and agreed that everything they offered looked interesting but took a pass saying, Aren’t those things for students who have never been away from home before ? And then he added, I think I’d rather stay here and continue to bond with my bed…
Good point, but…
I was wondering if BS students took part in these types of excursions/programs and found the experiences worthwhile … I have to admit some of the offerings looked very interesting and a lot of fun but my suggestion to go was met with a semi- death glare from K2 and a not so subtle side eye from my husband and K1… It was like- Are you really that uncool?
Personally, I roll my eyes at the 14-17 yo’s going on trips to study water management in Brazil or build homes in Costa Rica. If one wants to give back to the community, there are cheaper options closer to home. Even the privileged kids want no part of a program that reeks of privilege.
If it’s language immersion in Barcelona, however, sign me up
My 14 year old is doing a language immersion program in Granada (all summer) and it seems to be a great precursor to BS in the Fall. Just Skyped her and already see improvement in language after just one week. May be considered a “privilege”, but definitely good for the c.v.
My D is excited to go on a pre-frosh backpacking trip sponsored by the college, figures its a way to meet new people in a relatively stress free situation (that is, if you have been backpacking before). Most schools and parents who post on other threads recommend these programs.
@2prepMom: I see you are an Exeter parent. Has the school posted some/any college matriculation info for Class 2015? The commencement issue of Exonian used to have graduates’ college destinations published, but this year’s doesn’t seem to have that section.
Like Deerfield last year, Choate only published a simple list of colleges that seniors matriculated to this year, no student-to-college list. I think some of the schools are trying to help prospective students and parents avoid reading into these lists what they cannot tell you.
^^Yes. I suspected that Exeter was internally steering away from publishing the student-to-college list this year. Is Choate’s “simple list” as you mentioned posted online?
