Bribery, greed: All for a little bit of Ivy League

Plenty of rich folks do this with architects.

 

It's not that difficult. Choose a couple schools, do your research, apply. A couple safety schools, your target schools, and maybe a reach school. Any 18-year-old who is supposedly smart enough to get into UCLA, USC, Georgetown, etc., should easily be able to figure this out on his/her own.

The only thing we had to do for our child's applications to undergrad and grad school was fill out the FAFSA and transfer some money from his college fund to his checking account to cover the application fees. He did the rest.

Freaking entitled celubtard rich kids who probably never picked up a rake, a lawn mower or a snow shovel in their entire life. Fuck them, and their parents. I hope they enjoy JC/jail.

And yeah, get off my lawn.

 

I imagine being a parent, listening to other parents talking about the schools their kids were hoping to go to, the measures those parents were taking (SAT tutors etc.) makes you wonder if you are doing enough. There is a reason people spend ridiculous amounts of money on things they really don't need nor or worth the money - it's because they can and want to let other people know they can.

 

When I was stressing over my own college applications, my dad said, "Don't worry, there's a college for everyone."

Still not sure how take that.

 

We thought about that, when learning that other kids and their parents were going up and down the West Coast or in the east looking at colleges. You do wonder if you're doing enough. Luckily Micro Jr. told us to stop worrying about it. For as annoying/insufferable as he was his last two years of high school (and he totally was), he had his shit together about that aspect of his life.

 

In 2019, I don’t even think it matters as much anymore where your degree comes from. Perhaps, 30 years ago, it mattered because of contacts and a shared alma mater with business leaders.

Now it’s only perceived prestige. Aunt Becky wants her kid to go USC because she’s not going to tell her friends, “she’s at Fullerton” even though that’s probably where her academic profile merits.

It’s not a hard process. Get your grades/scores, see where you’re profile fits the median, apply to 10 or so. Do the financials. Decide. Make a deposit.

Do people even care abou schools anymore? In TV news, we assume that someone from Mizzou, Northwestern or Syracuse is more of a finished product than others BUT I learn more with a person’s web page/reel and resume. I see more of a person’s level of initiative there.

I’ll be curious to see what my son does for 15 months from now. If he plays soccer, that’ll cost us some tuition money but I hope not too much. If he doesn’t play soccer (and plays for a club team), he has a few of free tuition options (mostly SEC, Big 12 and some D1 mid majors)

 

How Much Does Getting Into an Elite College Actually Matter?

How Parents Are Robbing Their Children of Adulthood

 

Both my children did not get into their first choice. Both went to the same school, which was about their second/third choice. Both thrived there in very different ways, for which I'm profoundly grateful. BUT, our town is totally built around its outstanding and expensive for taxpayers public school system, and college admissions is the apex of the whole shebang. It wasn't just parents who felt that way, many kids did too. Super competitive atmosphere with unhealthy aspects. My son's "rebel" friend didn't apply to college. He enlisted in the Marines because he wanted to fly helicopters, which he eventually did. Guy's now a software engineer making the big bucks, but at the time, many parents in our peer group were scandalized. Imagine Marine helicopter pilot being seen as underachieving. Very weird.

 

I hope three-bags is well, wherever he is.

 

TIMES ELEVENTY!

Now back on point: Is this not an academic version of what those who have been in the business have seen for years? Little Johnny Sidewinder is gonna get that scholarship, dammit, so we're gonna have him play travel ball in the summer, then fall ball, then private coaches for winter workouts, and finally, the high school season. And Podunk State may not be good enough ... it has to be the SEC or Pac-12 (maybe the only sport they're good at?).