Where you go to college....for most it matters!

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Not really true. I was responding to this from post above...and it's simply false.

"The dropoff is significant... in terms of quality of education and more importantly in terms of job opportunities and alumni network. I'm sure there are plenty of kids who went to Fairfield or Bridgeport and have had successful careers... but they are the exception and likely a result of the kid and not the school."

Lol in fact I know a multi millionaire who went to UB. Crazy smart but wasn't a good student in HSor even college. Yes school makes a difference but it also doesn't have to define you.

[Unregistered]

Lol in fact I know a multi millionaire who went to UB. Crazy smart but wasn't a good student in HSor even college. Yes school makes a difference but it also doesn't have to define you.

Very common, happens all the time.

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Agree, no need to only focus on top 30 schools. One of my kids graduated from a school ranked somewhere in the 50's, a mostly regional school. They got merit aid, and were hired by a top investment bank on graduating. Not everyone blossoms in high school. It is not the end of the world if they don't.

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Very common, happens all the time.

For every ub millionaire, there are 50 graduates working in a fast food restaurant.

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For every ub millionaire, there are 50 graduates working in a fast food restaurant.

Harsh, not to mention completely ridiculous.

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Very common, happens all the time.

Poster never said it was common but used the example to illustrate a point - as they said school doesn't have to define you. Tell that to my loser name dropping ivy grad brother in law.

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Courant published the most recent SAT Scores by district. Vast differences between the top districts and many others. So where you go to HS matters.


http://www.courant.com/education/hc-...htmlstory.html

[Unregistered]

For every ub millionaire, there are 50 graduates working in a fast food restaurant.

Harsh but not incorrect.

Everyone is using outliers as proof points. Sure there may be a few millionaires who went to UB or even worse. There are also people living on welfare who went to Harvard. However, each year between 1.5M and 2M kids will graduate with a bachelors degree. Do you hope your kid is an outlier or do you hope the degree they have gives them the best possible advantage?

Graduating from UB, Fairfield, etc., is something to be proud of and most of those kids will have good careers. However, graduating from Harvard, Princeton, MIT offers a leg up and a better starting point. Ultimately, it's up to the kid to achieve what they want/can achieve. However, going to a better school is like starting a marathon at the 10 mile mark. You still have a long way to go (and can be passed by a kid who started at mile 0), but at least you have a head start.

As a parent, our job is to create the best possible environment for our kids. I'm prepared to dig into retirement savings if it may help (even the slightest bit) my kids have a better life.

[Unregistered]

Courant published the most recent SAT Scores by district. Vast differences between the top districts and many others. So where you go to HS matters.


http://www.courant.com/education/hc-...htmlstory.html

That explains it. The whole Hartford county chip on the shoulder thing. Top 5 are all fciac schools. Of the 7 that average greater than 600 on each part, 6 are from fciac. Oh yeah, and most of those 6 are pretty good at athletics too.

[Unregistered]

That explains it. The whole Hartford county chip on the shoulder thing. Top 5 are all fciac schools. Of the 7 that average greater than 600 on each part, 6 are from fciac. Oh yeah, and most of those 6 are pretty good at athletics too.

Yes, the best tutors and private trainers money can buy

[Unregistered]

Courant published the most recent SAT Scores by district. Vast differences between the top districts and many others. So where you go to HS matters.


http://www.courant.com/education/hc-...htmlstory.html

Where's the Masuk dad who said Monroe is a top district? #26

[Unregistered]

Harsh but not incorrect.

Everyone is using outliers as proof points. Sure there may be a few millionaires who went to UB or even worse. There are also people living on welfare who went to Harvard. However, each year between 1.5M and 2M kids will graduate with a bachelors degree. Do you hope your kid is an outlier or do you hope the degree they have gives them the best possible advantage?

Graduating from UB, Fairfield, etc., is something to be proud of and most of those kids will have good careers. However, graduating from Harvard, Princeton, MIT offers a leg up and a better starting point. Ultimately, it's up to the kid to achieve what they want/can achieve. However, going to a better school is like starting a marathon at the 10 mile mark. You still have a long way to go (and can be passed by a kid who started at mile 0), but at least you have a head start.

As a parent, our job is to create the best possible environment for our kids. I'm prepared to dig into retirement savings if it may help (even the slightest bit) my kids have a better life.

Of course, but you are comparing school choices that likely don't exist - a student considering FU is extremely unlikely to be applying to Harvard. A school like Amherst or Williams would be more likely. Now Ivies don't give merit grants, just very generous need based aid, so let's leave them out. But if you were applying to another top academic school but were "average" by their standards you are not going to get much merit money. But you may get a fantastic package by stepping down slightly (but not to FU or certainly UB levels). It still won't be a full ride but lowers the cost enough to make it worth dipping into savings or taking on a little debt for the long term payoff. Many families, especially around here, make too much to qualify for much financial aid but aren't wealthy enough to just pay cash outright. That's where those tradeoffs come into play - balancing academics and financial health. Whether or not grad school is in their plans (which often is these days) also plays a roll. Graduate from a top 50 school with little or no debt vs a top 10 with a lot, making paying for grad school that much more difficult?

[Unregistered]

An interesting statistic would to be to compare the average salaries of female athletes. Also maybe acceptances to top graduate schools. I have experience with graduate programs and believe that a top student 3.8 GPA with sports accolades at a D1, well recognized big state school, probably gets the admission nod from most admissions officers 9some have issues with athletes so some of it is luck) over the thousands of 3.8 Harvard grads and even the 3.8 Williams 4 year soccer player. There is a mystique that top athletes carry in our society much of it is of substance.

[Unregistered]

An interesting statistic would to be to compare the average salaries of female athletes. Also maybe acceptances to top graduate schools. I have experience with graduate programs and believe that a top student 3.8 GPA with sports accolades at a D1, well recognized big state school, probably gets the admission nod from most admissions officers 9some have issues with athletes so some of it is luck) over the thousands of 3.8 Harvard grads and even the 3.8 Williams 4 year soccer player. There is a mystique that top athletes carry in our society much of it is of substance.

If i can find it somewhere there was a recent study showing that a large portion of successful female executives were former college athletes (although not necessarily all D1). Obviously it helps with time management, focus and drive, team work, hard work... The "dumb jock" stigma applies more to men than women, particularly football and basketball players.

[Unregistered]

Where you went to college helps with getting your first job after college, but after that it is just a footnote on your resume. Your work history becomes far more important to future employers. It would be interesting to find out if the time management skills, student athletes must develop, help them become more successful later on in their careers.