In other news (apolitical thread)...

[Gigem]

Yeah I think that's where we're going to end up as well, with my daughter's college application process.  She's going to apply at Texas but it's extremely difficult to get into.  She's a straight-A student taking all AP/Honors classes, but she's not a straight A+ student so she's not in the top 6% of her class, which is what it takes to get admitted to UT.

Top 10% gets into A&M so she's got that covered easily.

It doesn’t hurt that A&M admits about 2x the students that Tx does. Not 2x, but close. 

My oldest is graduating in May from SHSU. Didn’t want no part of the big school experience. 

[utee94]

It doesn’t hurt that A&M admits about 2x the students that Tx does. Not 2x, but close.

My oldest is graduating in May from SHSU. Didn’t want no part of the big school experience.

Well yeah, capping admissions is exactly why Texas has moved from admitting the top 10%, to the top 8, then the top 7, and now the top 6.  Even 5 years ago she would have gotten into Texas.  Now it's pretty much an impossibility.

[MikeDeTiger]

I shouldn't talk, there's a decent chance my daughter ends up at Texas A&M.

I'd make a smart-alec comment about this, but considering the fact I loved my time in College Station with the Aggie co-eds, I can't bring myself to do it.  

Everything about that is different in retrospect.  At the time I thought "Yay for me."  Now I think "26 yr old dude, chatting up 20 yr old girls.....kinda creepy."  

I used to think "She's' hot, she's here, and I'm here" and that's about the extent of it.  Now I think "that's somebody's daughter, and they didn't send her out into the world to make out with me."  

I think.......I regret that I don't regret it 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Rumor is that college enrollment/applications are dropping a little right now, but it's still way more competitive than when we applied to college. Back then, at least out in California, Wisconsin was pretty unknown, only about 20% out of state (not including Minnesota) students, and overwhelminingly midwestern. Now Wisconsin is about 50% out of state, significantly more competitive for everyone, and a "hot" school in California.

Curiously, until about two years ago, Minnesota was almost as competitive as Wisconsin out of state, but for some reason in the last couple of years, Minnesota has eased up a little--which was good for the boy, who didn't cover himself in glory in high school, but tested well because he's really freaking smart.

As much as it pained me to spend money in the University of Minnesota bookstore's apparel section, I'm excited for him. He's going to have a great time.

And I'll have a really good excuse to go out for the Axe game...maybe every year?

What are his expectations of... Winter?

Has he ever spent significant time in the upper Midwest in winter? 

My kid's first choice is Berkeley, but is definitely interested in Purdue & Michigan. But being born and raised in SoCal, he's terrified of how cold it's going to be if he ends up at either. 

[847badgerfan]

The cold skips over Madison and goes straight to Illinois.

[utee94]

I was looking at Air Force Academy, Michigan, and Northwestern.

Winter DID factor into my ultimate choice.

[SFBadger96]

He's visited the midwest a couple of times with some pretty rough weather, this last weekend included. It wasn't brutally cold, but it was pretty grey and miserable--including 18 degrees Saturday when we started on campus in Minneapolis. He also visited Pennsylvania when it was in the single digits. My in-laws live in New England, so he has experienced pretty cold Christmases a few times. 

Long story short: he knows it will be cold, and that it will last longer than it does on trips, but he really focused his college search in the upper midwest, so you get what you choose. I went to Wisconsin from the Bay Area and I used to be alternately amused and annoyed when people would ask me about the cold. I knew Wisconsin would be cold. It was. In school it never really bothered me (and being a recreational hockey player, the cold is a feature, not a bug). But I am curious to see how he feels about it come February next year. They don't build tunnels between all the buildings because of the beautiful sunny days.

[SFBadger96]

I was amused by the Michigander who pointed out that while Minneapolis gets plenty cold, she thinks Michigan is more gray because of the lake effect. Could be. In Wisconsin they say that Michigan gets more of the extremes than Wisconsin does for that reason, whereas in Minnesota, they get the cold fronts that sweep through the Dakotas, but not the impact of the great lakes (at least not down in Minneapolis).

[847badgerfan]

I don't miss the 5 months of gray skies one bit. That part is worse than the cold. It's depressing.

[betarhoalphadelta]

Long story short: he knows it will be cold, and that it will last longer than it does on trips,

But I am curious to see how he feels about it come February next year. 

Yeah, trips are different. On a trip, I can deal with anything. Having grown up in the cold, though, I know it's a completely different thing to live in unyielding cold for 3 solid months. 

Of course, if he comes back to SF for Christmas break, he'll probably be wearing shorts the whole time 

[Gigem]

I'd make a smart-alec comment about this, but considering the fact I loved my time in College Station with the Aggie co-eds, I can't bring myself to do it. 

Everything about that is different in retrospect.  At the time I thought "Yay for me."  Now I think "26 yr old dude, chatting up 20 yr old girls.....kinda creepy." 

I used to think "She's' hot, she's here, and I'm here" and that's about the extent of it.  Now I think "that's somebody's daughter, and they didn't send her out into the world to make out with me." 

I think.......I regret that I don't regret it

Eh…26 and 20…not really that big a deal. At that age, she’s not a fish. Probably not a virgin. Junior or possibly senior in college. You on the other hand, probably were a virgin.   

[Gigem]

Well yeah, capping admissions is exactly why Texas has moved from admitting the top 10%, to the top 8, then the top 7, and now the top 6.  Even 5 years ago she would have gotten into Texas.  Now it's pretty much an impossibility.

Well, my outlook on it is that it’s harder to get into A&M now than it was when I first applied straight outta HS. And, there are way more Texans now than 30 years ago. Lot of good, smart people in that non-6%. I would almost say some of the best. More Aggies in the world can’t be bad either. And if we’re being honest, A&M and B/CS has the room. 

[utee94]

Well, my outlook on it is that it’s harder to get into A&M now than it was when I first applied straight outta HS. And, there are way more Texans now than 30 years ago. Lot of good, smart people in that non-6%. I would almost say some of the best. More Aggies in the world can’t be bad either. And if we’re being honest, A&M and B/CS has the room.

Sure, and Texas A&M doesn't have the same mission as the University of Texas.  They serve different purposes for the state.

The real problem with the Top 6% rule, or even the Top 10% rule, is that it penalizes students from highly competitive high schools, and rewards students from less competitive high schools.  I'll speak plainly, we're talking about kids from the Valley and other economically challenged areas who are Top 6% in their own school, who probably wouldn't make Top 80% at my daughter's high school.  I understand the state's intentions with this admission policy but it's unfortunate that it disallows so many highly qualified students.  It's no rumor or joke that there are kids at the top competitive high schools in Texas who can get into Harvard or Stanford but who are getting rejected at Texas.

[Gigem]

Sure, and Texas A&M doesn't have the same mission as the University of Texas.  They serve different purposes for the state.

The real problem with the Top 6% rule, or even the Top 10% rule, is that it penalizes students from highly competitive high schools, and rewards students from less competitive high schools.  I'll speak plainly, we're talking about kids from the Valley and other economically challenged areas who are Top 6% in their own school, who probably wouldn't make Top 80% at my daughter's high school.  I understand the state's intentions with this admission policy but it's unfortunate that it disallows so many highly qualified students.  It's no rumor or joke that there are kids at the top competitive high schools in Texas who can get into Harvard or Stanford but who are getting rejected at Texas.

They both serve to educate the people of this state. Split the rest of the hairs however you want. Most of the country bumpkins from the Valley and other less competitive schools will be flunked out in 1-2 semesters anyways.