OT: Legacy Son Just Sent Deposit to Pitt Honors

[SVPanther]

Truly a moving moment for any Pitt Alum when your kid is off to Dad's beloved Alma Mater!
On the other hand, little can he yet appreciate the decades to come of Pitt Athletics hope, ending, ultimately, in utter despair.)

 

[pitt-girl]

Truly a moving moment for any Pitt Alum when your kid is off to Dad's beloved Alma Mater!
On the other hand, little can he yet appreciate the decades to come of Pitt Athletics hope, ending, ultimately, in utter despair.)

Congrats - you should be very proud.

 

[GT74]

Pitt is truly a great university, and many publications support that. The city is also ranked high in many categories, so your son is going to a good place. Congrats to the dad and mom, and good luck and best wishes to the son. The athletic program needs to progress in all areas, but there is always hope. Hope good results follow your son there, lol.

 

[CrazyPaco]

Smart kid, smart choice. Best of luck to him and congratulations.

 

[Pitt-Chains]

Truly a moving moment for any Pitt Alum when your kid is off to Dad's beloved Alma Mater!
On the other hand, little can he yet appreciate the decades to come of Pitt Athletics hope, ending, ultimately, in utter despair.)

Only the best to your Son and how proud you must be !

H2P !

 

[upj87]

Truly a moving moment for any Pitt Alum when your kid is off to Dad's beloved Alma Mater!
On the other hand, little can he yet appreciate the decades to come of Pitt Athletics hope, ending, ultimately, in utter despair.)

damn, now I have to go buy one of those "my Pitt kid beat up your Pitt honors son" bumper stickers... good luck to the lad.

 

[vietvet1]

Congrats!

 

[PhPanther1]

I don't get it, I really don't care where my kid goes to school, as long as he comes out with a degree that he can do something with. It's what they do after college that would make me proud, not what school they choose....

 

[SVPanther]

I don't get it, I really don't care where my kid goes to school, as long as he comes out with a degree that he can do something with. It's what they do after college that would make me proud, not what school they choose....

I'm guessing you didn't go to Pitt. To many of us Alums, it was (is) an exceptional school where you can get a top education that opens many life doors. If your kid is a legacy, that makes it even more special. But again, maybe you could only appreciate if you were a Pitt Man (or woman).

 

[9nationalchampionships]

Congrats to your son!

 

[HailToPitt725]

I'm guessing you didn't go to Pitt. To many of us Alums, it was (is) an exceptional school where you can get a top education that opens many life doors. If your kid is a legacy, that makes it even more special. But again, maybe you could only appreciate if you were a Pitt Man (or woman).

This 100%. Our family takes a lot of pride in sending kids to Pitt. Very proud in having three generations worth of Pitt Men and Women. We love our Panthers and wouldn't want to be associated with any other school.

 

[Nittany1997]

Congrats.

 

[PhPanther1]

I'm guessing you didn't go to Pitt. To many of us Alums, it was (is) an exceptional school where you can get a top education that opens many life doors. If your kid is a legacy, that makes it even more special. But again, maybe you could only appreciate if you were a Pitt Man (or woman).

Whatever you say man. College is a minor stepping stone to becoming a man, where parenting will really be evaluated. You're there for roughly 4 years to earn a piece of paper to prevent you from having to become a blue colar worker.

 

[CrazyPaco]

This 100%. Our family takes a lot of pride in sending kids to Pitt. Very proud in having three generations worth of Pitt Men and Women. We love our Panthers and wouldn't want to be associated with any other school.

Very cool. I just changed my avatar in honor of the generations of Pitt men and women passing down the tradition and legacy of the University.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

One of the best places to go to college in the country, finish with wonderful friends, in a fantastic city rated #1 in Money Mag / best places to live, great education, and the opportunity to secure a really good job!
Both of our kids are living the dream! Some of their friends who made other choices aren't living the same dream!

 

[NTOP]

Whatever you say man. College is a minor stepping stone to becoming a man, where parenting will really be evaluated. You're there for roughly 4 years to earn a piece of paper to prevent you from having to become a blue colar worker.

You elitist bum. Lots of great folks are blue collar workers....many earning more than college grads Think about that next time your Bentley needs a tuneup.

 

[pbrad]

Whatever you say man. College is a minor stepping stone to becoming a man, where parenting will really be evaluated. You're there for roughly 4 years to earn a piece of paper to prevent you from having to become a blue colar worker.

After getting out of the Army in 1973 I attended PITT and graduated in 3 1/2 years. I happened to have chosen the wrong major for the times or I was too "smart" to take the low paying jobs offered. I chose a blue collar trade and never looked back. I put 2 girls through college with no debt and just purchased my retirement home cash, it's too bad you look down upon the blue collar worker the way you do. I love PITT and am happy when I see proud parents of PITT students, but do not discount the importance of the blue collar workers. Who do you think builds the facilities in Oakland and throughout the area!

 

[pitt-girl]

You elitist bum. Lots of great folks are blue collar workers....many earning more than college grads Think about that next time your Bentley needs a tuneup.

Exactly NTOP. Btw all the free and easy student loans have enticed too many kids to attend college who really should be elsewhere learning a trade but are now saddled with thousands (some hundred of thousands) of dollars of debt. Somewhere along the line we have lost the fact that although having a college degree can help with some jobs, it isn't the be all, end all.

If I had a kid who didn't thrive or enjoy academics, I'd at the every least have them take a gap year and work, not just jump into college.

 

[Tuckabuckaway]

Truly a moving moment for any Pitt Alum when your kid is off to Dad's beloved Alma Mater!
On the other hand, little can he yet appreciate the decades to come of Pitt Athletics hope, ending, ultimately, in utter despair.)

Congrats! I encouraged both my kids to look at many schools and keep and open mind to other possibilities but I think the countless trips back to the Burgh during their childhood rendered my efforts pointless. Pitt has been very meaningful to our family. Oldest (son) is graduating in December with a BSME (he switched from Pharma and had to add a semester) and the youngest (daughter) is traveling out with us this weekend for Admitted Students Day (Physician Assistant Program).

I wholeheartedly agree with the encouragement and importance of the trades. Both my kids were raised to appreciate and value the skills of tradespeople and were encouraged to pursue that avenue with pride, should they be so inclined. The trades should be encouraged every bit as much as the STEM majors and others.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

You elitist bum. Lots of great folks are blue collar workers....many earning more than college grads Think about that next time your Bentley needs a tuneup.

NTOP is on the money!
My legal immigrant blue collar Italian neighbor who owns 4 restaurants and can buy and sell me a few times which isn't easy to do!
Hard working blue collar workers make this country hummmmmmmmm. The sound of factories running 24/7 is a bueatiful sound.
I started out in a financial training program for one of the major auto makers. One of the requirements for a financial person was spending six months learning how the assembly line ran! The auto maker I worked for required office/admin personnel at plants to spend the first hour of the day in the plant doing various operational audits.
To this day when I visit a manufacturing location I spend atleast the first two hours working with the plant teams.
Today many kids who skipped college are pulling down lots of $ welding, ac/heating repair, maintenance, etc.

 

[HailtoPitt]

Going to college as a reason for not doing blue collar work might not be the best objective for attending, but I don't think the previous poster meant to make what was perceived as a derogatory comment about blue collar workers.

 

[mvc81]

My son as well is committing to Pitt this week and we are all very excited for him. This is a great opportunity for him. We live in Central Pa, which is predominately Penn State territory. He had the opportunity to play football at several DII & DIII schools as well as a few smaller D1's. But he said he didn't want to sacrifice his education just to play football. His grandfathers were a Steel Mill worker and and self employed carpenter who built houses for a living.

 

[pitt-girl]

My son as well is committing to Pitt this week and we are all very excited for him. This is a great opportunity for him. We live in Central Pa, which is predominately Penn State territory. He had the opportunity to play football at several DII & DIII schools as well as a few smaller D1's. But he said he didn't want to sacrifice his education just to play football. His grandfathers were a Steel Mill worker and and self employed carpenter who built houses for a living.

Congrats to you and your son.

 

[pitt-girl]

NTOP is on the money!
My legal immigrant blue collar Italian neighbor who owns 4 restaurants and can buy and sell me a few times which isn't easy to do!
Hard working blue collar workers make this country hummmmmmmmm. The sound of factories running 24/7 is a bueatiful sound.
I started out in a financial training program for one of the major auto makers. One of the requirements for a financial person was spending six months learning how the assembly line ran! The auto maker I worked for required office/admin personnel at plants to spend the first hour of the day in the plant doing various operational audits.
To this day when I visit a manufacturing location I spend atleast the first two hours working with the plant teams.
Today many kids who skipped college are pulling down lots of $ welding, ac/heating repair, maintenance, etc.

We have friends who own one of the prominent pool companies in the city. Neither are college grads and they are literally loaded. Nicest people in the world too.

 

[SVPanther]

Where did this attack on blue collar workers emanate? I missed it.

 

[Revenge Of The Noise]

You elitist bum. Lots of great folks are blue collar workers....many earning more than college grads Think about that next time your Bentley needs a tuneup.

I really really wish mine would go into plumbing, hvac, or auto mechanic or electrician profession or anything hands on mechanical, and I'm not kidding. They are tough and expensive to find now and apparently it's getting tougher. They will be among the last things outsourced or replaced by robotics (God help the robot who would have to deal with the insanely finicky plumbing in my house).

Btw congrats to the OP and child!

 

[PhPanther1]

Going to college as a reason for not doing blue collar work might not be the best objective for attending, but I don't think the previous poster meant to make what was perceived as a derogatory comment about blue collar workers.

exactly. I had my entire college career paid for by a blue collar worker (my father). He had our ass up every summer doing work with him to show us how shitty working outside can be....that was our motivation to go to school. You should always want to 1-up your old man and what he was able to do for his family.

 

[pitt-girl]

exactly. I had my entire college career paid for by a blue collar worker (my father). He had our ass up every summer doing work with him to show us how shitty working outside can be....that was our motivation to go to school. You should always want to 1-up your old man and what he was able to do for his family.

I hear what you're saying, but nowadays carrying an enormous student loan is crushing for those who can't convert it into a more lucrative career. Although going to college translates to better options, tuition is sky high and continues to climb. Kids need to be very careful picking where they attend and what they will study. Just going to a four year school does not automatically mean a better life anymore.

 

[CrazyPaco]

College was never meant to be something that just trained you for employment. There was supposed to be more to it than just a cost/benefit analysis based on earnings potential. A large part of that has been lost, but that is also why there are still general education requirements in most every school of arts & sciences. But the necessity of college has definitely been over prescribed to the point where such a high percentage of the population has a degree, its intrinsic value has been watered down and it has become a baseline requirement for many jobs that shouldn't require it. Roughly, the % of the population with a college degree today is similar to the % with a high school degree in 1940.

 

[Tuckabuckaway]

I hear what you're saying, but nowadays carrying an enormous student loan is crushing for those who can't convert it into a more lucrative career. Although going to college translates to better options, tuition is sky high and continues to climb. Kids need to be very careful picking where they attend and what they will study. Just going to a four year school does not automatically mean a better life anymore.

Agreed. Little to no regard for school selection or major of study is commonplace. Majoring in left-handed puppetry is not going to get it done. But one can get a student loan for majors just as marketable and meaningful. The $1.3 trillion in outstanding student loans is beyond crazy. Easy access to secure federally guaranteed non-collateralized loans. For teenagers with no income. Brilliant. Alternate paths to college, like the trades, should be equally encouraged.

 

[Revenge Of The Noise]

Agreed. Little to no regard for school selection or major of study is commonplace. Majoring in left-handed puppetry is not going to get it done. But one can get a student loan for majors just as marketable and meaningful. The $1.3 trillion in outstanding student loans is beyond crazy. Easy access to secure federally guaranteed non-collateralized loans. For teenagers with no income. Brilliant. Alternate paths to college, like the trades, should be equally encouraged.

This is why I raise my eyebrow at some of the chest beating done about Pitt having improved SAT scores, more applications, "better" students. Its usually during a debate over why having good football and basketball teams is important or not beyond selling tickets.

When I say it's important because it helps (or hurts) the university brand which affects the shine or tarnish on our degrees, someone invariably points at the "better" students we get now vs, say 1981 at our football peak. As argument that for Pitt anyway, embarrassing sports isn't a visible detriment.

Ok, fair enough...i truly don't think the impact is more than superficial either ...but is Pitt's improvement really that impressive? What are these superlative students actually learning? And is the growth at Pitt at least as much a factor of the overall influx of college students compared to 30 years ago? It rose Pitt' s boat a little compared to 1981, maybe ... but in context with the growth in college attendance and questionable degrees everywhere else, did it really rise at all?

 

[SVPanther]

This is why I raise my eyebrow at some of the chest beating done about Pitt having improved SAT scores, more applications, "better" students. Its usually during a debate over why having good football and basketball teams is important or not beyond selling tickets.

When I say it's important because it helps (or hurts) the university brand which affects the shine or tarnish on our degrees, someone invariably points at the "better" students we get now vs, say 1981 at our football peak. As argument that for Pitt anyway, embarrassing sports isn't a visible detriment.

Ok, fair enough...i truly don't think the impact is more than superficial either ...but is Pitt's improvement really that impressive? What are these superlative students actually learning? And is the growth at Pitt at least as much a factor of the overall influx of college students compared to 30 years ago? It rose Pitt' s boat a little compared to 1981, maybe ... but in context with the growth in college attendance and questionable degrees everywhere else, did it really rise at all?

Yep. Study after study finds no correlation between results on the football field and a university's academic standing (eg attracting top students).

 

[pitt-girl]

This is why I raise my eyebrow at some of the chest beating done about Pitt having improved SAT scores, more applications, "better" students. Its usually during a debate over why having good football and basketball teams is important or not beyond selling tickets.

When I say it's important because it helps (or hurts) the university brand which affects the shine or tarnish on our degrees, someone invariably points at the "better" students we get now vs, say 1981 at our football peak. As argument that for Pitt anyway, embarrassing sports isn't a visible detriment.

Ok, fair enough...i truly don't think the impact is more than superficial either ...but is Pitt's improvement really that impressive? What are these superlative students actually learning? And is the growth at Pitt at least as much a factor of the overall influx of college students compared to 30 years ago? It rose Pitt' s boat a little compared to 1981, maybe ... but in context with the growth in college attendance and questionable degrees everywhere else, did it really rise at all?

Here is the profile of Pitt's fall 2016 entering freshman class:

https://oafa.pitt.edu/explore/class-profile/
http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg01_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=85

Here is the profile for the 1999 class:

http://ir.pitt.edu/factbook/fbweb00/student/CHAR001.PDF

In 1995 Pitt received approx. 7800 total applications. For the 2013 incoming class they received over 27,000. For the 2016 class they received over 30,000. Although there are more kids applying to college in general, the jump at Pitt has been remarkable under the stewardship of our previous and current Chancellor. That is why the profile's continue to increase.

http://www.pitt.edu/chancellor-search/progress

 

[CrazyPaco]

Yep. Study after study finds no correlation between results on the football field and a university's academic standing (eg attracting top students).

Acutely, it can impact applications #s. But that is fairly transient and often doesn't correlate to a more academically adept student body. Over the long term, it is different question that depends on the reputational starting point of the university and it's desired geographical pool for student recruitment. Certainly, no one heard of Gonzaga 30 years ago.

Anecdotally, questions about a school's sports are more common than you'd think at college fairs.

 

[CrazyPaco]

Here is the profile of Pitt's fall 2016 entering freshman class:

https://oafa.pitt.edu/explore/class-profile/
http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg01_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=85

Here is the profile for the 1999 class:

http://ir.pitt.edu/factbook/fbweb00/student/CHAR001.PDF

In 1995 Pitt received approx. 7800 total applications. For the 2013 incoming class they received over 27,000. For the 2016 class they received over 30,000. Although there are more kids applying to college in general, the jump at Pitt has been remarkable under the stewardship of our previous and current Chancellor. That is why the profile's continue to increase.

http://www.pitt.edu/chancellor-search/progress

The thing that is impressive is that Pitt has substantially improved the academic qualifications of its undergrads while also increasing the number slots available and having its public support slashed (meaning higher sticker prices compared to out-of-state peers).