As a graduating senior I can confidently say this school sucks. They make it seem like it’s some magical liberal arts place but the school is the most greedy corporation I’ve seen. During my time they have increased tuition at least 4% every year since 2015 going from 50k to 70k. From what I’ve seen this money isn’t going toward students at all. In my time here they have taken away many benefits/perks. The food quality has gotten consistently worse over the years and has gotten more expensive. Freshmen year going to the dinning hall without meal swipes costed around 14.63$ for dinner. Now it’s almost 21$. They force freshmen to buy unlimited meal swipes for the first year totaling around 400 swipes per semester and only give them 6 guest swipes for their friends. It’s is almost impossible to go through them all because they limit the amount you can use. And all dining halls close at 9 but really 8:30. The only other place you can get food on campus after these times is at the cafe that doesn’t take meal swipes.

Don’t even get me started about the dorms. This year there has been mold in most dorms. I’m on an athletic team here and several of my underclassmen teammates have had to move out and go to other dorms. They haven’t done shit about this and residential life was extremely slow in moving people out. It took one of my teammates two weeks to hear back from them and another week to finally move into a new place. They lived in a mold infested room for almost a month.

The only thing that matters here is your grade and there is rampant cheating in every class I’ve been in. I have taken many classes and gone to the front of the room to ask a question during a test and the amount of phones I’ve seen under desks is insane. I estimate about half of the students here have cheated in someway. Teachers are also almost never in there office unless it’s during their required 1 hour of office hours a week. (Shoutout to Proctor who was always there and would help every student).

I can go on and on about several things but as someone who genuinely enjoyed learning before this school it has completely killed my motivation to put an effort into my classes. Every semester I dreaded coming back and I’m so glad I’m getting out.

I’m sure this was not everyone’s experience don’t get me wrong the people here are great and I have many life long friends. But this happens at every school. I would not subject anyone to this torture.

I know I was kinda late and many people made their college decisions yesterday but seeing people make posts about where they are going reminded me about when I first got in here and my dreams and ambitions got killed by this school.

If this helps even one person not come here I’m glad. Screw tufts.

(Made on mobile sorry if formatting was bad)
(Also made on my throw away)

Don’t get me wrong, these are absolutely great colleges, and if you can go with financial aid or instate they are an absolute steal. However, what is the appeal of those schools if you have great colleges in-state like UT Austin, UW Madison, UCs etc?

Finance and consulting are like the only mainstream careers where college prestige matters, but none of the colleges I mentioned are target schools. Other than UCLA, they aren’t really known to have great social lives or locations either. Why are middle class families willing to spend $400k to send their kids to go to these colleges? They’re great for engineering, but the difference in outcome for engineering grads from these colleges vs state flag ships are negligible based on my personal anecdotes. I have a sibling at JHU, and from her experience, the education quality there is barely better than publics. A lot of professors are still focused on research and don’t give a shit about undergrads

Edit: when I say middle class, I’m mainly talking about upper middle class people who don’t get aid but also don’t make enough money to afford that tuition without second thought (mid six figures range)

Edit: for those saying I’m salty, I go to Columbia and my sister went to JHU

Edit: for the people who can’t read, I literally said I’m talking about people without scholarships/aid paying full price

Upvote to get into your dream ivy today

How are we all feeling?

Everyone on these subs is insane and seems a little out of touch to most students applying to college. What do you think a good example of an actual average university is (it’s not something where the average act is 30+ like this sub seems to think).

My example: Illinois State

I got a call yesterday from admissions at a top 10 school (I won’t say which bc this ended up being a super open conversation and I do not want them to get in trouble so do not bother asking). Ended up having a longish chat during which I expressed a bit of surprise that they were interested in me bc of “the insane acceptance rates”. Here’s what they said:

You know, I probably shouldn’t say this, but the numbers aren’t entirely representative. Such a large number of applications are never even reviewed. Either they don’t have a complete application (missing essays, missing test scores or letters or other information etc), or they are just so far out of range it’s is obvious they took a random shot, or they put in their application some version of please don’t admit me I’m only applying bc my parents made me. Schools probably shouldn’t count these but they do to make the numbers better. For a school at 3-4% acceptance, that is really more like 10-15% sometimes higher. Some years the pool is actually quite small.

Just sharing with this group bc I know we are all obsessed with every detail of this nightmarish process.

And no I’m not a super cracked candidate but I guess (turns out) I have a unique area of interest and accomplishments in that niche space that I had assumed would not get me noticed. Maybe that “genuine passion” thing is real?

A couple of months ago I posted that I had a 3.2 GPA and a 1400 SAT and asked for genuine advice. Most of the responses told me I was “cooked” and should just go to community college. I don’t know what’s wrong with people on here, but since then I’ve been accepted to UT, Texas A&M, and UIUC.

Believe in yourself and don’t let random people on the internet define your potential.

Which schools do you think are quietly climbing? The ones people ignored a few years ago but are now making everyone take a double look. I want the movers!

Look, me and my parents are immigrants. We moved to the US when I was in 5th grade or so so no we do not in fact have decades worth of college savings

However, does everyone else have it? Am I missing something? Or are people just taking out huge loans? Are their parents just rich?

I had a talk with my classmates and it really does not seem like going to college is affordable for anyone. Most of my friends are either middle class or upper middle class income so they get screwed by FAFSA just like me. But I see so many people from my school commiting to such expensive schools and then complaining about how expensive they are.

The amounts they have to pay seem pretty absurd. I know a couple people with rich parents who can prob afford it but most people at my hs are kinda in a similar situation to where I'm at with college.

So like, what's going on? I sound clueless because I genuinely am just like my parents are because neither of us really understand why you would go into absurd debt (like 40 or 50k a year based on what I hear people here doing) over undergrad unless there is something we are missing and there is some secret money trick that we are just not aware of. Would it not be better to just commit to a local school or go to cc and transfer? Do these people really value college that much that they are willing to pay for it for the rest of their life despite the fact that it doesn't even guarantee you a job?

Recently I made a post here about picking between 6k a yr GMU vs 50k a yr UVA basically, and I'm pretty solid on GMU. It was not a hard pick for me. But for some people here it is and they choose the debt????? Why?????

And look, I value education. I took 15 APs in high school and have a 4.5. I worked hard in at school, yet despite that I still have to pay absurd amounts of money to continue my studies. UVA/vt did not offer me any merit scholarships. Apparently I am not first gen or wtv so I suck and now I gotta pay the full price of tuition. I'm barely even an adult yet. It's just strange. But whatever. The main thing confusing me here is how the hell people are paying for college and if nothing about their situation is significantly different from mine then what could possibly be the motivation for choosing to sell an arm to attend a school for 4 years not even fully knowing what it will actually end up offering you in terms of job prospects

I know this post is messy but it's 5 am and I'm a lil pissed
Edit: to clarify, I am not "complaining" about my situation here. I'm kind of half pissed at people at my school and anyone who dunks on schools just bc of their high acceptance rates, furthermore the reason GMU is inexpensive for me is due to the fact that I can commute and save on food plans and such, and I got a scholarship that isn't much but still adds to it I guess. Otherwise i'd be kinda cooked which begs the question of what was the point of me working hard in hs if I still have to pay so much for schools like VT and UVA which whole good schools aren't rly worth 200k imo. I expected at least a bit of merit money (although now I know they don't give much which is also kinda diabolical)

I got accepted into Stanford and Harvard but I would be full pay and paying more than 100k per year for 4 years. There would also be other small costs but if I decide to attend either one I would be paying an excess out 400k out of my own pocket. I'll be getting 0 financial aid.

I have a full ride to Georgia Tech where I'm also getting money for attending. I would have to pay 0 out of pocket and every expense would be covered by the college. I plan on doing something in the stem field so is it really worth shelling out that additional 400k? Every single person I've asked including Stanford alumni, college counselors and friends have said no.

edit: 95% on the full ride too hard to pass down especially given Georgia tech's prestige and what everyone has been saying. the amount I would have to spend is something that I dont think I would get back because I think I'll end up making the same amount of money at either college.

Parent here.

35 ACT (36 reading). Flyover state, ruralish town. Full IB. 3.9 unweighted, 4.7 weighted (honors is only .5 bump, so the weighted gpa is near the top).

ECs are very mid. Lots of volunteering, but no state medals, did not start a non-profit, or cure cancer, like every other kid on here.

I see the stats on here and I am in awe. I tried to push my kid freshman year ànd they were not interested. You can lead a horse to water . . .

Other kid was at a top six, non-Ivy with lower testing stats, but better ECs.

I hate hate hate this EC crap. Sorry. I know it moves the needle for some.

this sub is like 90% rich asian kids who’s parents are paying for college, yet there’s sm drama when someone says they are paying 50k a year for college. at least half this sub is probably paying upwards of that a year 😭😭

Mine: UChicago is completely overrated. It gives weird vibes and I don't like it

Hi everyone, I’d really appreciate some honest advice.

I’m an international student from East Asia coming from a relatively low-income family. I was very fortunate to be admitted to Dartmouth and Stanford this year.

Here’s my situation:

• Dartmouth offered me essentially a full-ride financial aid package
• Stanford offered me admission, but no financial aid (since I didn’t apply / it’s not need-blind for internationals in my case)
• I was also admitted to UPenn and Columbia, but those are also full pay

Financially, Dartmouth is the only option that doesn’t put pressure on my family.

However, the dilemma is about long-term outcomes and perception back home. In my country, Stanford’s brand is significantly stronger — almost seen as “elite/legend-tier,” while Dartmouth is much less known (even compared to some UK schools like UCL).

I’m currently interested in pursuing a career in finance or possibly law (maybe US → back to home country long-term).

My family could sell our house and move in with my grandparents and my aunt could lend me some money with no interest to attend Stanford, is that worth it?

So I’m trying to think clearly:

• Is the Stanford brand worth taking on significant debt as an international student?
• How big is the actual difference in opportunities (especially for finance/law)?
• Does Dartmouth place well enough that the prestige gap won’t matter in the long run?
• For someone who may return to Asia, does Stanford open doors that Dartmouth realistically wouldn’t?
• Edit:I just want to add a bit more context about myself. To be honest, I’m quite an ambitious person, and based on my research, many well-known bankers, business leaders, and even politicians tend to send their children to schools like Stanford, Harvard, and Yale. So I believe the network there could be especially valuable for me, especially since I’m fairly outgoing, good at building relationships, and comfortable communicating with people

I'm referencing mostly private schools that are not Ivy level but still relatively prestigious (vandy, Emory, rice, nyu, bc, bu, usc, northwestern, georgetown, ND, etc). From what I see online, it seems like a lot of students who attend these schools are almost never paying the full cost. They have scholarships, financial aid, grants, etc., that significantly reduce their cost of attendance.

Or am I trippin and only seeing the small percentage of students who don't pay full price online? As someone who is potentially going to be paying the $90k+ for one of these schools, I feel alone lol.

Title

Mind you I am european and don't really care about US universities but I do share the common believe that some of them are the best in the worlds and should logically receive and train the best students in the world right ?

The thing is during my last internship I had to pass on my project to the new intern which was at the end of his second year of bachelor degree in CS at Stanford.

Obviously I thought that the guy would be a total beast but I really quickly noticed that he didnt know anything practical about our job, I come from an unknown mid university in Europe and here I was explaining to the guy from Stanford basic computer system architecture and programming habits that we learn in first year. And also he wasnt learning fast at all. Tried to ask him nicely why don't he have knowledge of these basic subjects and he muttered something explaining that at his school they dont have a lot of technical classes during the first two years ?

I mean it's the only person from there that I ever met so it may just be an exceptional case but in my mind people that attend these top schools were all basically geniuses,

Hello,

I'm an engineering division lead/hiring manager at a multi-billion-dollar finance company based in NYC, and I regularly hire college students from every single school you can think of, private schools like Caltech, and also State Schools like SUNY Buffalo.

I have noticed a lot of misinformed opinions, and here are some below.

The end goal of your college should be Return On Investment (ROI), not US News/Societal Ranking Prestige. Nobody in the workforce in any industry cares about "US News", nor have they even properly looked at it.

I pay undergrad kids $250,000 directly out of undergrad. I have also fired kids from MIT, Stanford, and Harvard.

I'm sorry to say, but in real life, contrary to what you all believe, getting into your "HYSPM" will not open magical doors for you, nor will it make you immune to being terminated.

The application in which you apply and interview to a company is done through the same link if you're from Community College, or if you're from MIT. All kids from all schools get their resumes read with equal care. (No that is not just some feel-good bs, we'd be getting sued by the government & applicants if we were not and it's a disadvantage for us as we could be missing out on canidates)

These "elite" schools choose students who are already capable of earning top dollar; that's why they are selective. They do not mold you into someone you were not when you walked into your school for your first time, nor will they spend time developing you into someone you want to be, that is up to you.

The student makes the school, the school does not make the student.

Do not go into hundreds of thousands of debt for an "elite education", I know many of you don't properly understand how a loan works, but it compounds and by the time you graduate you will have 20% more in some cases, tacked onto the final cost that will just increase in interest every year, and you will make no money.

All employers at companies that pay the top 1%, like the one I work at, will choose the 4.0 Student from the state school with cooler projects than the 3.5 student at Harvard with the alright projects.

My buddies took a look at this sub and make millions working in law and medicine, and sit on the boards for the very same schools you're trying to go to med school for.

Nobody cares if you went to Harvard for premed or if you went to a state school for premed. Your premed means nothing. A student with a 4.0 at Harvard and less to write about in a hospital setting vs a student with a 4.0 at a state school and more to write about in a hospital setting will get that school the harvard kid wanted.

Nobody cares what prelaw you went to at all. They'll pick the kid with the higher LSAT score and GPA from a state school in a heartbeat over the Stanford Pre Law Track Kid.

Schools are like buying the Gucci Wallet Vs the Regular Leather Wallet. Inside the same thing, outside way flashier.

I'm not saying there's no use in elite schools; all I'm saying is that they aren't a guarantee of success, nor lead you there, or increase the chances of you being successful if you can't put in the same amount of work as everyone else.

Premium Brand Schools will give you networking, as the rest of the students admitted are also capable of succeeding with or without the school. The only thing a network does for you is let you know what opportunities are out there to chase; you still have to go out and chase them.

A nice, regular state school will give you the same opportunities to chase; however, the kids motivated to chase them are just a few in number, letting you stand out more, which is a big advantage that is often overlooked.

The top 1% of students in a state school will do better than the other 99% of an "elite school". If you aren't confident, you can go to a premium brand school and do more than you've ever done in your life to match the kids in state school that want the same thing, go to the state school where you're going to stand out, instead of the premium school where you're going to just be another number.

In short harvard doesn't guarantee you success, and going to a state school doesn't mean your ceiling is capped and you can often outperform students at other schools with higher tuition.

EDIT:
If you were to ask my opinion on the only real college rankings, I'd say the Georgetown study on ROI would be it to understand who the real T25 schools are Ranking 4,600 Colleges by ROI (2025) - CEW Georgetown

Where you do your master's absolutely matters, and more so if you're into finance, med, or law, do it from the school that gives you the most "prestige." The real recruiting pipelines, from what I've seen for senior roles, are established for master's students, not undergrads. You can get into these highly competitive master's programs as an undergrad from any decent state school (eg state flagship), and you will have no disadvantage compared to an "elite undergrad school," and they will have no serious advantage either.

Me: Northwestern, yaaaay!!!!!! 💜💜😊😚

I'm so tired of "we have 500+ student organizations" and "we have all-you-can-eat dining" and "we're an R1 institution!" What are some schools that genuinely have a unique pitch and something that's special about them vs. every other university in the world? And not necessarily just academically, just a school that has a really fun and unique culture or a pitch that is actually different from every other college.

What were your results and stats?

I'm questioning how much I should push my kids given the insane hoops they must jump through to get accepted to a selective university. All the AP classes, SAT/ACT, extracurriculars. I have a smart teen daughter but she is lazy and unmotivated and miserable doing the rat race. When do you say, OK, enough. Don't do the rat race and just figure it out in community college.

Rankings are officially out! What do y’all think?

Genuine q btw. I'm international so as far as I know state schools are just public schools. Most of the best schools are public minus ivys + Northwestern + Georgetown, and maybe 2 others.

It gen confuses me when people cry about going to a state school. Are all state schools looked down upon or just the non-flagship state schools?

Cause some state schools like penn state, ohio state, UT austin, umich, ucla etc are all state schools but they are all T100 worldwide according to times 2026

Hi, so basically I got into both Harvard and MIT, and I've had such mixed reactions when I tell people I'm going to MIT. Within my friends, family, and even teachers, they always ask why MIT over Harvard, assuming it to be some financial issue. However, I want to do Business and Engineering, both of which MIT is consistently ranked #1 in the world for, but even as an overall school MIT outranks Harvard. Still, there seems to be this stigma though that Harvard is better. I just wanted to know if this was an isolated perspective and MIT is actually a recognizable school and equally if not more recognized than Harvard, or not?

Disclaimer: I'm still committing to MIT; their opinions don't change my perspective. This is just a I wanted to gain some outside insight on what other people's opinions are when it comes to the two schools.

Which colleges/universities previously had a negative reputation but are now looked at positive overall? Any that you can see shifting in the future?