5 ms·

Your post is rather presumptuous. Do you consider playing classical piano, debating important issues, and helping the community as "really dull"? Because that's

Your post is rather presumptuous. Do you consider playing classical piano, debating important issues, and helping the community as "really dull"? Because that's what I did that was "prescribed extra-curricular activity." And yet, I loved it all and got accepted to multiple "elite" schools. I didn't grind test prep either, acing my schools' coursework had prepared me over many years. The real issue with these modern elite school graduates is that either they are massively indebted or that they come from an increasingly insulated wealthy class, not that they are dull.

seattle_spring 8y ago
Mm yes, shallow and pedantic.
bilbo0s 8y ago
>The real issue with these modern elite school graduates is that either they are massively indebted or that they come from an increasingly insulated wealthy class... This issue actually can't be overstated. It's a real problem not only with elite schools, but even with a lot of non-elite graduates as well. Not sure what a good solution for that is though?
- WhompingWindows 8y ago
  It may be the most boring solution of all: education. Without someone telling our 16-18 year olds the idea of VALUE in education, they will end up over-spending. See the story below for my own analysis of myself: When I compare my skill-set and knowledge-set now to 12 years ago, when I was 18, I am remarkably astounded by the huge amount of $$ I casually dropped on an elite education. Even with $20k paid by merit scholarships and research grants, I was dropping $40k yearly for an education that was maybe 10-15% better than what I could've gotten for $5k yearly at a local school. If I took that $35k yearly and invested it into the stock market, I'd probably be about $200k richer today. Is that 10% of a difference really worth $200k to me now? Is a slightly deeper/broader knowledge better than half a home, in my MCOL area? Is it better than a Tesla and a yearly $10k vacation to expand my horizons? I doubt it...

seattle_spring 8y ago

Mm yes, shallow and pedantic.

bilbo0s 8y ago

>The real issue with these modern elite school graduates is that either they are massively indebted or that they come from an increasingly insulated wealthy class... This issue actually can't be overstated. It's a real problem not only with elite schools, but even with a lot of non-elite graduates as well. Not sure what a good solution for that is though?

WhompingWindows 8y ago
It may be the most boring solution of all: education. Without someone telling our 16-18 year olds the idea of VALUE in education, they will end up over-spending. See the story below for my own analysis of myself: When I compare my skill-set and knowledge-set now to 12 years ago, when I was 18, I am remarkably astounded by the huge amount of $$ I casually dropped on an elite education. Even with $20k paid by merit scholarships and research grants, I was dropping $40k yearly for an education that was maybe 10-15% better than what I could've gotten for $5k yearly at a local school. If I took that $35k yearly and invested it into the stock market, I'd probably be about $200k richer today. Is that 10% of a difference really worth $200k to me now? Is a slightly deeper/broader knowledge better than half a home, in my MCOL area? Is it better than a Tesla and a yearly $10k vacation to expand my horizons? I doubt it...