<p>I’m an Ivy graduate, and my husband got his Ph.D. from an Ivy League university, in a department that was ranked among the top 10 in the country at the time.</p>
<p>One of our kids had a 3.5 GPA in high school. He went to our flagship state university, which is exactly where he wanted to go. It worked out very well for him. I never regretted that he could not go to the school I went to. Even if he could have gotten admitted, it would have been an inappropriate choice for him. Why would I want him to go to an inappropriate college?</p>
<p>Is it just a myth or is there some truth that you may find more rich kids in LACs?</p>
<p>I just read an article from the alumni magazine from my kid’s alma mater, in which it is said that among the top LACs and top private research universities, Vassar and Amherst have a higher percentage of students (their percentages are 24 % and 22 % respectively) who qualify for Pell Grant. Among the 18 (mostly top) private LACs and research universities they considered, the majority (5 out of 8) of ivies and similar ones (e.g., Duke) are the bottom 9 out of the “top” schools who have the highest 18 Pell Grant students. I remember the bottom two among these 18 colleges are Middlebury and Princeton (the “eating clubs” effect??)</p>
<p>Do many of these research universities spend too much of their resources on the research rather than on the “social engineering” for the good of the society? Are their “missions” for the society somewhat different? They all try hard to “pump” money for their institute, but where do they use the money under the constraint of the limited resources?</p>
<p>MIT and Harvard are doing better. Maybe MIT appeal to more lower income engineering students? Maybe Harvard just has more money than others?</p>
<p>Among all 4 year colleges including LACs, 35 % of the students qualify for Pell Grant. All the top colleges are either teens or lower 20s in their percentages of Pell Grant students.</p>
<p>I also found that we were among the bottom 30% of the families who sent their kids to DS’s alma mater. It was likely correct in our speculation back then that, economically, DS was the bottom two students among the six students in his freshman year suite! It is coincident or not that the bottom 3 students continue their education a few years after UG graduation. The top 3 from his suite found no need to do so in my guess. A BA is good enough for them; the experience in their environment is likely more important/meaningful for them.</p>
<p>It wouldn’t surprise me to find more rich kids in LACs just because they aren’t as well known and it takes a certain sophistication level to be aware of them. Any doofus can throw in an application to Harvard because he’s heard of it - not just anybody has heard of Williams, Swarthmore, etc. </p>
<p>Oberlin, Kenyon, Dennison, and Grinnell, or at least Grinnell until this Freshman Class, when its average scores leapt, for Midwest “Ivy Grad” parents whose kids likely attended a “college prep” caliber HS too. Not all B students are equal; we quickly learned that last year.</p>
<p>@mcat2 it’s not the research universities supporting the faculty, it’s the other way around! The faculty doing research bring in grant dollars from outside, federal and private, which comes with indirect costs that fund the operation of the university!</p>
<p>One comment I hear much more often is that LACs, especially academically respectable ones are where many academics…including those at elite research I universities prefer sending their own kids as they feel they provide a better undergraduate educational environment than their own research universities. </p>
<p>As for rich students, that may depend on generosity levels of FA/college scholarship grants or not which could vary at LACs or universities. </p>
<p>For instance, many reputable LACs probably provide much more generous FA/scholarship money to lower-income students than universities with history of low FA/scholarships for lower-income students like NYU. In fact, that was my experience and those of dozens of HS classmates who turned down NYU or GWU for comparable/more reputable LACs/universities because of this very factor. </p>
<p>And from what I’ve gathered from current NYU students, not much has changed since I received my miserly FA/scholarship offer back in the mid-'90s. If anything, several NYU students from that era actually said that’s more than what they’ve received. </p>
<p>One of my daughters is applying to a “Baby Ivy.” I am getting really turned off by the whole process. We are by no means “wealthy” but not poor either. Have a highish EFC. The financial information they want from us is incredible. I am thinking she is an excellent candidate for that school but she won’t get it. We are not rich enough to pay 60 grand or poor enough to qualify as diversified. All this paperwork before they make their decision. I have more respect for the schools that accepted her before they saw any financial information. </p>
<p>The schools that accepted her before they saw any informations 1° are probably of the need-blind/won’t meet need category 2° probably don’t have a program of financial aid as comprehensive as the Baby Ivy. The more paperwork, the higher the odds of financial aid based on various factors.</p>
<p>Why not a large state school? Good education, great prices, and b/c it’s such a good option these days people won’t think she’s going just b/c the student can’t get in elsewhere</p>
<p>@LindaFromNY … she did apply and get into to all the big Flagships already. Which is probably where she will end up…even if she does get into the “Baby Ivy.” </p>
<p>I haven’t read all of the posts here but I have a very wealthy family member (who owns a very well known company) who is one of the most narcicistic and obnoxious people I have ever met. He constantly talks on Facebook about how his 10 year old kid is going to school X. (“Only eight more years until X!!”)</p>
<p>I also went to school X but am not rich, and I have to admit that I’m jealous and upset about the fact that his equally obnoxious (maybe will change, who knows) kid may get into a school that my kid (who is extremely qualified but has no connections) may not. I’d like to get over this but I don’t know how. </p>
<p>While they should be given due consideration, it’s not always the case that state/public colleges are the most cost effective…especially if the applicant comes from a lower-income family and/or has high academic stats for a given applicant pool. </p>
<p>FA/merit/college scholarship money could make it so the private colleges could end up being the more cost-effective option. Even if one factors in room & board and transportation costs. </p>
<p>Had firsthand experience with this when I was applying to colleges 20+ years ago and several neighbors had similar experiences. </p>