She has interest from quite a few colleges, both public and private, quite a few of which I'd never heard of before. But there are a couple that really stuck out - both due to their reputation.
I thought it was pretty cool that Harvard has an interest in our girl.
Now don't get me wrong, I think that credentialism is a terrible sickness that is infecting modern society. The notion that a degree makes you better than some other person who can't afford one is bullcrap. Going deep into debt for that degree is even bigger bullcrap. Whether an Ivy-league degree is any better than a degree from a state university is an open question...
That said, rubbing elbows in your dorm with future senators, CEOs, ambassadors, and the like would be a great way to create a path for a successful life. The education you would get at Harvard might not pay for itself, but the social connections might. Only 5% of applicants are accepted however, so I'm not sure how that would work out for our daughter if she decides to apply.
At the other end of the spectrum of interested colleges was this one:
If Evergreen were the last college on earth, I would discourage her attending - I certainly wouldn't assist with her tuition. Many college-bound students seem to feel the same way, because Evergreen's enrollment has dropped about 25% since the 2017 incident. Covid-19 may finish the destruction that the students started.
I hope that she will choose a nearby school that falls somewhere between these extremes. It will probably come down to a decision between Gonzaga, University of Idaho, Washington State University, Oregon State University, University of Montana, or Boise State University. I'd love for her to attend Harvard (for reasons stated above), but it's very far from home and pretty pricey.
The thought of my daughter being/living in even the next town scares the crap out of me. Having said that, I wish my daughter had chosen to go to college or learn some sort of trade where she would make a decent living, but hasn't happened yet. Instead, she chose to get a minimum wage job(full time) and move into an apartment where she has to room with some guy and his girlfriend. Sadly, rental prices are through the roof. On sort of the opposite end of this, I also have a relative who, last I heard, is $250k in debt with college loans. That's money she will never be able to fully pay back, in all likelihood. Thankfully, in my daughter's case, her apartment is just up the street. This provides some comfort to this old man. I wish your daughter luck in her decision and hope it turns out to be the best one.
ReplyDeleteI hear you my dude.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to think of having my daughter that far away, but hopefully once she leaves the nest, she gets plenty of air under her wings. I'd be cool with her going to the local community college for a couple of years while she continues to mature, and maybe take on a part-time job to pick up a solid work ethic. She doesn't listen to her parents :)
She is interested in becoming a physician, so if she follows that path, school would last seven years minimum. That's a lot of time and money to invest in an education.
It's absolutely vicious to afflict a young immature person with several hundred thousand dollars in debt at the beginning of their adult life. The only reason they do this is because they are greedy and because they can. Student debt is the only type of debt that cannot be excused in bankruptcy.
If she were inclined, I'd send her to a trade school. Less time and money, more immediate return. The kid is really smart, and I just want to see her reach her potential, whatever route she chooses to go.