The "Good Enough" College

Parents Forum
61

<p>When D1 was visiting colleges she visited basically similar “great books” classes on the western tradition at 3 different schools, all top 10 schools in USNews. At one school, only a handful of students (that’s one hand) showed up and though the instructor was fantastic, the students weren’t into it. She felt so bad for him she made a point of thanking him for letting her attend the class and how much she enjoyed it. I likened him to the Maytag repairman. At another school, a top ivy, I went with her and we sat in the back, and I couldn’t believe how many students were on facebook or texting with their iPhones. Only a handful of students had anything to say. At the third school, which I was also allowed in, the class was so engaged and the students and instructor so fantastic, that 90 minutes seemed like 30. That’s where she now attends and loves. She has a STEM major anyway, but the culture of the school is what she loves. </p>

<p>Different schools have different vibes, students have different values, motivations, ambitions, etc. I think the trick is to find a school that will make them grow but not break them. For some the “good enough” is terrific. For some, there is a lot of tangible value in going that extra step in degree of difficulty. I don’t think that any of the generalizations apply in general.</p>

62

<p>I agree with much that has been written. It is finding that match and knowing your own kid that allows you to make an informed decision.</p>

<p>The key is to find a place where your kid is challenged but not overwhelmed, especially if they are not the competitive type like my son. </p>

<p>The environment of the school, big versus small, big greek culture versus no pressure to join, a variety of offerings so that they can get exposed to something they might not normally try.</p>

<p>That match part is the most difficult because students themselves may not know. Visiting helps but for me, I do a lot of web searching and reading from a number of sources (though cc is my favorite :slight_smile: ) to see if I keep hearing the same message in all these places. The schools that I thought were fits are the ones my husband and son visited and he mostly found them to feel like possibles. Those are the ones he applied to.</p>

63

<p>These posts would be a lot more useful if the specific schools were named. ClassicRockerDad, would you mind naming the 3 colleges you referenced in Post #62?</p>

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<p>I’m especially curious about school #3; I’d love to go there.</p>

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<p>I’m also very interested to learn the names of these schools. It is this type of information that makes cc useful.</p>