4 ms·

Is he definitely going to the Big-10 university? I almost hate to ask this, but is attending an elite private university an option? It is very much possible to

Is he definitely going to the Big-10 university? I almost hate to ask this, but is attending an elite private university an option? It is very much possible to get an outstanding education at public universities. I went to the University of Wisconsin for my Ph.D. in math, and they have a fabulous graduate program. I know some of the professors there are also very devoted to excellent undergraduate education. But my sense is that the usual outcome is a good education, and to get a truly top-notch education at a large public university, you have to seek it out. Some people naturally do this, but seeking out opportunities is a talent -- one I mostly lacked myself as an undergraduate. From what I can discern, it's easy to miss out. Whereas at a private university there will be a lot of peer pressure. I went to Rice as an undergrad, and I met a lot of fellow students who were incredibly accomplished and motivated at a variety of pursuits (academic and otherwise). The peer pressure very much pushed me in the right direction. Although some people don't need this, or don't really benefit from it, I did. My point is not to say "private universities are better than public" -- there are many excellent public universities, and plenty of mediocre private ones. If the Big 10 place is his only choice, then good luck there -- all of the Big 10 schools are good universities, and some are excellent. But, if possible, I'd suggest that he be as deliberate as possible in his choice of university. I wouldn't worry too much about whether CC credits will be accepted or not; instead, I'd try to figure out (as much as I could) what the classes are like, and what the student experience is.

mswen 8y ago
I share your perspective. He got invitations to do early application at both Harvard and Yale (and yes I know that an invitation to apply is not a promise of acceptance) but it clearly suggests that they think he could make a go of it there. I also told him that it wouldn't really matter if they didn't accept the cc credits. I used to work remotely with firms in the Boston area. I would travel to Boston several times a year and worked with a number of Harvard and other Ivy League graduates. I tried to convey to my son the value of the network that Harvard supplies. Not only your own student cohort, but also the uniformly high quality of world-class professors and alumni who are in positions of leadership and influence. But for some reason he wanted to go to school close to home and chose our state university. At some point I decided that me pushing was not worth the tension and that he could get a good education at a state university. Assuming that he will go to graduate school, maybe he will try for some of the elites schools at that point.

mswen 8y ago

I share your perspective. He got invitations to do early application at both Harvard and Yale (and yes I know that an invitation to apply is not a promise of acceptance) but it clearly suggests that they think he could make a go of it there. I also told him that it wouldn't really matter if they didn't accept the cc credits. I used to work remotely with firms in the Boston area. I would travel to Boston several times a year and worked with a number of Harvard and other Ivy League graduates. I tried to convey to my son the value of the network that Harvard supplies. Not only your own student cohort, but also the uniformly high quality of world-class professors and alumni who are in positions of leadership and influence. But for some reason he wanted to go to school close to home and chose our state university. At some point I decided that me pushing was not worth the tension and that he could get a good education at a state university. Assuming that he will go to graduate school, maybe he will try for some of the elites schools at that point.