Also I strongly suspect early decision is more for legacy kids. I just don't know about it working out for many of the very much NOT legacy kids I've known with insane GPA and all kinds of fancy projects and test scores and stuff.

I can't prove it... but it feels like a way for with kids with two legacy options to signal which one.

... just a suspicion though.

@futurebird

💯

"get yourself a state school scholarship instead graduate with no debt."

🗣️ 📣 LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK!!!

if there is one thing my ex-husband and i were militant about was for our sons to not end up with college debt.

once the pandemic hit, they totally got why we insisted on them going to SUNYs or CUNYs.

ever so randomly one of them will come to me and hug me after hearing their friends cry about student debt and say, "thank you for not letting me take out loans"

@futurebird

@futurebird @Gorfram Many state schools *are* among the best. If I had an 11th grader I'd be prouder to send them to Michigan than to Harvard.

My father's a state school grad, and was the chair of his department for years. He took it from barely meeting accreditation to thriving. And he made the mistake of hiring someone from the Ivies. They were fine as teachers, but the only people they were recommending were also from the Ivies. My father asked him about this, and he said, to my father's face, that of course he'd only hire from those schools, not from *state* schools.

That's really what you're getting. Not necessarily a better education (that's up to the student). Just in-crowd networking.

@futurebird That's what we're doing. He has managed to pay for his entire schooling with scholarships BECAUSE he is going to a good, but small engineering college in state.

He is studying electrical engineering. No need for ivy league.

@futurebird I graduated from a prep high school where it was drilled into me that “smart” people at least got into a top 50 school if not an Ivy. Going to a state school would’ve been equivalent to dropping out.

My biggest regret now is not taking my scores and going to an HBCU or state school for a full ride. Instead I came out with nothing. Be smart y’all.

@futurebird maybe slightly different as I am in the UK but fully behind this! Education should be free, trying to educate yourself and train for a career that will help GDP / the economy of [insert country name] should not begin with at least 30k of debt, and that's not including the rent for somewhere to stay, bills and food, that's just tuition fees.

I, as an older fella well above 35, feel so sorry for any kids today (I call my mid 20s children kids still!) trying to make something of themselves.

It was hard enough when I was a kid, I wouldn't want to swap places nowadays.

I hope they all understand that not all us older buggers are anti-youngsters, we are here to help and to listen. Shame governments don't try that now and again and sort the education systems out where ever you may be.