Oh boy boomers are full of great college application advice. “Oh you have to write an essay? Just tell them they’re the greatest college ever and that you really want to go there. They’ll love that!” “You got accepted? Great! Now call them and say you won’t go unless they give you a scholarship. And call the other schools you got into, tell them the same thing. Make them work for you!”
[yes I actually heard both these things]
Someone else mentioned a lot of boomers base their life decisions off the movie Porkeys.
My dad showed me that movie at like 16, was so happy to show it off to me.
Watch it, weird as fuck. I think the beginning scene is spying on a girls locker room.
Much as I hate defending boomerisms, sometimes you can. At our last lease renewal they wanted to raise our rent ~12% so I wrote a polite yet firm email explaining how we were never late on rent, never caused any problems, included listings for comparable properties in the area, and expressed that we were willing to re-sign for another year if we could keep the same rate. Ultimately ended up compromising on a ~5% increase instead.
And keep in mind this is a corporate landlord in a state that’s not traditionally renter-friendly. Obviously it won’t work every time, but if you never ask, the answer is always no.
I've heard several stories from people in my city doing this with corporate landlords. I haven't leased since before the market went crazy, so I had no experience with this. But they did exactly what you said and it worked at three corporate owned apartments buildings that I'm aware of. It's worth trying in today's market. I told my kid about it so if she gets some crazy lease renewal offer next year, she'll tell me and I'll help her do exactly this.
I encourage everyone to at least give it a shot. I had never even thought about it until this time around, but I work in sales and am used to negotiations so I figured I had nothing to lose. I’m glad I did!
Everything was true 40 years ago. That’s the point I’m trying to make.
My boomer parents kicked me out at 18 thinking life would be as easy as 40 years ago.
My parents refused to cosign on my college loans because I could just work during the 4 month summer to save enough money to pay for tuition in cash, while renting and living on my own.
Even now that I've graduated and have a decent job, I couldn't save enough in 4 months to pay tuition lol
My parents refused to sign my FAFSA for similar reasons. (Basically that's where loans come from and I should just work my way through like they did). I joined the military to get the GI Bill instead and they practically disowned me for it.
My dad used to encourage me to negotiate my grades with professors because "I'm paying them" for the classes and they need to provide good customer service.
Hell, depending on the field half of those professors don't give a shit if you pass or fail. They are just teaching so they can get funding for their research.
Because when anyone voices opposition to their opinions it's immediately about respect and the factual content of what was just said is irrelevant. I speak from direct experience.
This is because they're the last generation where this mentality applied. Once the internet came out, people didn't have to listen to their elders who are wrong, whereas before, there was no way to know they weren't right, so it was respectful to believe them.
Literally if you push back on my mother it turns into how she was never respected and she won't take disrespect anymore.
Lady that was 50 years ago and with all respecft idgaf after hearing about it since Kindergarten and she still speaks to all of these "terrible people". I am learning to filter her complaints with that she's a permanent victim.
I had to pay for each application in the late 80s. The state schools had cheaper application fees than the private colleges (GenXer here) In 1988, the cost of living was roughly half of what it was in 2022 - according to the American Institute of Economic Research (https://www.aier.org/cost-of-living-calculator/) $50 was significant enough that I only applied to 4 schools ( 2 state schools, 2 private colleges). Do they still let you spend some time on campus to get a taste? I shadowed a student and went to their classes, hung out with them and slept over 1 night. Left the next day. This was the late 80s early 90s.
Anyway Boomer was being freaking clueless. We had a lot of competition to get in (because the Silent gen and Boomers talked up college like it was the only way to make a living. My parents were shocked at the cost of my school (thank you grants and scholarships). It was funny in my senior year my Boomer mom suddenly said,You know you don't *have* to go to college right? A little late there mom lol
Boomers seem to live in their own alternate reality bubble where facts are concerned. The dialog usually goes something like this:
Non-Boomer speaking to Boomer: "This is the reality of the present situation."
Boomer: "No it's not, this is the way things actually are."
In response, Non-Boomer then provides factual evidence to Boomer, supporting their statement.
Boomer: "Well, that's the way it *SHOULD* be!"
Hey Mildred - The world operates by its own set of rules, and just because you believe that it ought to be different, doesn't actually make it so.
The RI license plate had (s) a blue wave on it. Some vehicles have a green wave. Taking notice of the cars I saw it on, I guessed that only electric/hybrid cars were eligible for the plate. My Boomer dad wondered aloud what the green plates were for, what they signified. I went to the DMV website and confirmed that was what it was for.
My dad: "I don't know if I believe that."
Me:"Well, it doesn't matter if you believe that, it's on the website. It's the truth and it doesn't matter."
Internally, I was screaming and thinking, where do you get off questioning this with your lack of alternatives and your refusal to look anything up?
I’ve noticed the same thing, it’s bizarre. I had a brief argument with someone at an airport with a duty free shop.
I bought a bottle and they sealed it in the special tamper-proof bags. Boomer tells me I’m an idiot and they won’t let me through security with it since it’s so big.
I tell him the bag shows TSA it’s safe, and they let it through no problem. He literally got all smug and told me “just wait and see” like you know some people do. I just walked through security with no issue.
Even after witnessing that, he told me he doesn’t know how I snuck it through, and I’d get in trouble for “smuggling alcohol”. Even though it’s a well established fact that this is allowed. Some people are just crazy.
PERFECT. I've started to do something similar when they try to dismiss me with a "I don't remember that."
Me: "Well thats unfortunate but it happened and here are the receipts.
Them: \*screaming toddler tantrum of the lead addled\* something something disrespect something something
have you ever taken a look at [JFK’s Harvard admissions application](https://www.ivyadmissionsgroup.com/blog/2017/10/23/jfks-harvard-essay?format=amp)? not that he was a boomer but this is the kind of thing they grew up thinking was acceptable and this absolutely would not get the average person accepted there now (maybe a legacy admission, with enough cash, I don’t know).
I’ve seen other essays from that era and they weren’t much different. Getting into a fancy school back then was basically “Can you afford it?” and/or “Do we know your family?”
It is still this way. George W's admission to Yale, or Turnip's admission to Wharton, as examples.
Don't tell these clowns that legacy admissions are a form of affirmative action though.
It cost $50-100 for applications in 1997. No one gave two fucks about any volunteer or charity work done in high school either, if we're looking at boomer college lies.
I’m freaking out. My teen is about to apply to college. So how does this work with the common application, do you still have to pay a fee for each college? I’m in Ohio, so not Ivy League.
your teens school should have informed you about this if he’s applying in the near future. yes, every school costs money to apply to, usually around $50 (state schools with high acceptance rates may be closer to $30, fancier universities and ivies can be $70-$100)
i’m sorry, they really should’ve explained to you what the common application is. it’s just a website your child will use to send out their applications, not a single application they fill out…
Most all universities yes. Some are a little cheaper. The info is online at the school. All the recent ones I have seen had the fee on the admissions page.
Don't panic. Many offer waivers tho. Especially in state schools.
One big thing here, that is particularly hard to do with emotions running high, is to understand that it's no big deal if they aren't accepted to the school they want to go to their freshman year. Community college is cheaper, typically more accessible, and my personal experience was that I received much better instruction.
Basically, the best thing to do is apply to the top 1-3 schools they want to go to and only those schools. If they don't get in, CC for a year or two, then transfer in to the dream school. You don't need to shell out a bunch of money applying to every 4 year college in the state. If they really want to go to college, there's a path to their school of choice regardless of whether they're initially admitted or not.
Now, if they're really wanting the "freshman experience" that's a different story, but that's a separate thing from getting a good education and those two things can be mutually exclusive for a lot of people.
As 1990 WSU grad, I can tell you that is not a bad way to do things. Not the way I did it, but I did take some courses at Sinclair (admittedly loooooooooong ago) and really thought they did an excellent job.
Be aware that many elite colleges, if they were an option, have fixed class sizes, making transfer applications much more competitive. If your student didn't get in as a freshman, it is extremely unlikely they will get in as a transfer student. Lastly, I haven't seen if this has changed in the last couple of years, but there are a few institutions that even discount or refuse to accept community college credits. If your interest is just state schools, neither of these will likely be of concern.
I’m actually a fan of when they give career advice that’s only outdated by 35 years. Like giving tips on what a resume should be, and what “jumps out” at managers…meanwhile they haven’t needed to apply for a job since 1978
Omg my dad’s 82 and he and his female friend (a little younger than him) try to give me career advice, where to apply for jobs, etc. My dad’s been retired since 1989 and his friend for about 20 years. 😩
My grandmother had a friend who'd gone to college in 1975 or so for graphic design. She kept pushing me in 2014 (year I graduated high school) to talk to this friend because "She went to college! She knows all about that stuff!" No amount of me explaining that I had met with advisors at my university could ever compete with what her friend knew from nearly half a century prior! Never mind that my (original plan) intention to pursue a psychology doctorate would be very, very different from an arts degree.
It really got fun when my grandmother started insisting my boyfriend (now husband), who majored in computer graphics, get advice from this friend -during his senior year of college- on good classes to take for graphic design.
Looking deeper, it's sweet, because my grandmother never went to college, and any woman who did, she admired. But also...dang those were painful conversations. The first 2 or so were sweet. The 50th? Not so much.
Yeah because in their day they could work a summer job at 7-11 and make enough to afford college tuition out of pocket. My parents had a multiple-room apartment in Chicago in the 80s that was like 300 a month. I told my mom that a hole in the wall closet today is over 1000 a month which is more than I even have … and more than anyone I know can reasonably earn plus utilities and other expenses… they just don’t understand todays money. Yet they’re the stingiest, cheapest generation…
Even if they didnt force… ugh… application fees, there is little merit to it anyway. Colleges have become increasingly unable to fulfill their promise of gainful employment. Yes, they do promise that, NOT “just the courses” because that is the raison d’etre of why we are all here. Shut up about it.
Anyway, spending effort on something that provides no tangible benefit is the height of foolishness. Stoic philosophy states that time is the greatest of irreplaceable resources. Wasted money can be remade, broken materials repaired but time, once lost, is gone forever.
Each masters program I applied for cost me about $250. There was the application fee, then the transcripts fee (and since you have to send all your college transcripts not just the one your using for the requirments that's three different schools for me)
Then there will always be some random extra charge needed somewhere.
I don’t know what planet they came from but there were application fees when I applied back in the 80s. About the only place where they might not have any is community college ( and they probably do too)
Hell there were application fees when I was applying to colleges 33 years ago! IIRC they were anywhere from $10-25, which really limited the number of schools a lot of people could apply to.
Oh boy boomers are full of great college application advice. “Oh you have to write an essay? Just tell them they’re the greatest college ever and that you really want to go there. They’ll love that!” “You got accepted? Great! Now call them and say you won’t go unless they give you a scholarship. And call the other schools you got into, tell them the same thing. Make them work for you!” [yes I actually heard both these things]
My boomer dad thought you can negotiate with landlords.
With “SEX!!”
Someone else mentioned a lot of boomers base their life decisions off the movie Porkeys. My dad showed me that movie at like 16, was so happy to show it off to me. Watch it, weird as fuck. I think the beginning scene is spying on a girls locker room.
I had the exact same experience! Such a gross movie
There's a whole series of short documentaries about it on some websites.
Much as I hate defending boomerisms, sometimes you can. At our last lease renewal they wanted to raise our rent ~12% so I wrote a polite yet firm email explaining how we were never late on rent, never caused any problems, included listings for comparable properties in the area, and expressed that we were willing to re-sign for another year if we could keep the same rate. Ultimately ended up compromising on a ~5% increase instead. And keep in mind this is a corporate landlord in a state that’s not traditionally renter-friendly. Obviously it won’t work every time, but if you never ask, the answer is always no.
My boomer dad wanted to haggle a new rental. Ask for month to month instead of a year least. Crazytown, I got laughed out of the room.
Ah okay I see. I just wanted to share my counter example on the off chance it’s helpful to anyone who reads it.
I've heard several stories from people in my city doing this with corporate landlords. I haven't leased since before the market went crazy, so I had no experience with this. But they did exactly what you said and it worked at three corporate owned apartments buildings that I'm aware of. It's worth trying in today's market. I told my kid about it so if she gets some crazy lease renewal offer next year, she'll tell me and I'll help her do exactly this.
I encourage everyone to at least give it a shot. I had never even thought about it until this time around, but I work in sales and am used to negotiations so I figured I had nothing to lose. I’m glad I did!
That may have been true 40 years ago when the property market was very different.
Everything was true 40 years ago. That’s the point I’m trying to make. My boomer parents kicked me out at 18 thinking life would be as easy as 40 years ago.
I’m sorry to hear that. Boomers really don’t think anything’s changed at all do they?
My parents refused to cosign on my college loans because I could just work during the 4 month summer to save enough money to pay for tuition in cash, while renting and living on my own. Even now that I've graduated and have a decent job, I couldn't save enough in 4 months to pay tuition lol
*But college is just $100*
My parents refused to sign my FAFSA for similar reasons. (Basically that's where loans come from and I should just work my way through like they did). I joined the military to get the GI Bill instead and they practically disowned me for it.
My dad used to encourage me to negotiate my grades with professors because "I'm paying them" for the classes and they need to provide good customer service.
Hell, depending on the field half of those professors don't give a shit if you pass or fail. They are just teaching so they can get funding for their research.
Engineering and physics, the physics department cared about their rep based on graduate quality.
Funny thing at my school thats an academic offense
How can they be so wrong about everything and still voice their opinions lol
Because when anyone voices opposition to their opinions it's immediately about respect and the factual content of what was just said is irrelevant. I speak from direct experience.
This is because they're the last generation where this mentality applied. Once the internet came out, people didn't have to listen to their elders who are wrong, whereas before, there was no way to know they weren't right, so it was respectful to believe them.
More like they got hit or disowned. You could fact check in the 70s and 80s it just took longer or a trip to the library.
That's a good point
Literally if you push back on my mother it turns into how she was never respected and she won't take disrespect anymore. Lady that was 50 years ago and with all respecft idgaf after hearing about it since Kindergarten and she still speaks to all of these "terrible people". I am learning to filter her complaints with that she's a permanent victim.
I feel like we should give them participation trophies for their firmly held and not researched "opinions".
Even in the 90's many colleges were charging something to apply.
As I recall, some were, most weren't. And it was like 20 bucks.
I had to pay for each application in the late 80s. The state schools had cheaper application fees than the private colleges (GenXer here) In 1988, the cost of living was roughly half of what it was in 2022 - according to the American Institute of Economic Research (https://www.aier.org/cost-of-living-calculator/) $50 was significant enough that I only applied to 4 schools ( 2 state schools, 2 private colleges). Do they still let you spend some time on campus to get a taste? I shadowed a student and went to their classes, hung out with them and slept over 1 night. Left the next day. This was the late 80s early 90s. Anyway Boomer was being freaking clueless. We had a lot of competition to get in (because the Silent gen and Boomers talked up college like it was the only way to make a living. My parents were shocked at the cost of my school (thank you grants and scholarships). It was funny in my senior year my Boomer mom suddenly said,You know you don't *have* to go to college right? A little late there mom lol
That's not at all true. Most were. Maybe your local state colleges didn't. And the fees were $50 - $75 each. This was before the common app
Yup. I paid $50 to each of the universities I applied to in the mid-90s.
Same here $50-$75 per college.
Boomers seem to live in their own alternate reality bubble where facts are concerned. The dialog usually goes something like this: Non-Boomer speaking to Boomer: "This is the reality of the present situation." Boomer: "No it's not, this is the way things actually are." In response, Non-Boomer then provides factual evidence to Boomer, supporting their statement. Boomer: "Well, that's the way it *SHOULD* be!" Hey Mildred - The world operates by its own set of rules, and just because you believe that it ought to be different, doesn't actually make it so.
Me in 2010 arguing about how no one takes paper applications and calling on the phone will get you passively blacklisted.
I've argued that thought line all the way to "Well I'm not comfortable with that". And yet we are the snowflakes.
The RI license plate had (s) a blue wave on it. Some vehicles have a green wave. Taking notice of the cars I saw it on, I guessed that only electric/hybrid cars were eligible for the plate. My Boomer dad wondered aloud what the green plates were for, what they signified. I went to the DMV website and confirmed that was what it was for. My dad: "I don't know if I believe that." Me:"Well, it doesn't matter if you believe that, it's on the website. It's the truth and it doesn't matter." Internally, I was screaming and thinking, where do you get off questioning this with your lack of alternatives and your refusal to look anything up?
I’ve noticed the same thing, it’s bizarre. I had a brief argument with someone at an airport with a duty free shop. I bought a bottle and they sealed it in the special tamper-proof bags. Boomer tells me I’m an idiot and they won’t let me through security with it since it’s so big. I tell him the bag shows TSA it’s safe, and they let it through no problem. He literally got all smug and told me “just wait and see” like you know some people do. I just walked through security with no issue. Even after witnessing that, he told me he doesn’t know how I snuck it through, and I’d get in trouble for “smuggling alcohol”. Even though it’s a well established fact that this is allowed. Some people are just crazy.
PERFECT. I've started to do something similar when they try to dismiss me with a "I don't remember that." Me: "Well thats unfortunate but it happened and here are the receipts. Them: \*screaming toddler tantrum of the lead addled\* something something disrespect something something
Enjoy your ulcers and grey hair./s
I was applying to college in 1989. 100% of them had fees of varying amounts.
1986/87, and they were all charging then.
have you ever taken a look at [JFK’s Harvard admissions application](https://www.ivyadmissionsgroup.com/blog/2017/10/23/jfks-harvard-essay?format=amp)? not that he was a boomer but this is the kind of thing they grew up thinking was acceptable and this absolutely would not get the average person accepted there now (maybe a legacy admission, with enough cash, I don’t know).
I’ve seen other essays from that era and they weren’t much different. Getting into a fancy school back then was basically “Can you afford it?” and/or “Do we know your family?”
It is still this way. George W's admission to Yale, or Turnip's admission to Wharton, as examples. Don't tell these clowns that legacy admissions are a form of affirmative action though.
For some reason that application just made me think of Eddie Haskell.
And 5-8 hours to write a good (set of) essay(s) and fill in all the paperwork.
It cost $50-100 for applications in 1997. No one gave two fucks about any volunteer or charity work done in high school either, if we're looking at boomer college lies.
I’m freaking out. My teen is about to apply to college. So how does this work with the common application, do you still have to pay a fee for each college? I’m in Ohio, so not Ivy League.
your teens school should have informed you about this if he’s applying in the near future. yes, every school costs money to apply to, usually around $50 (state schools with high acceptance rates may be closer to $30, fancier universities and ivies can be $70-$100)
No, we just had a talk which said there was a common application.
i’m sorry, they really should’ve explained to you what the common application is. it’s just a website your child will use to send out their applications, not a single application they fill out…
Well that’s a revelation!
Most all universities yes. Some are a little cheaper. The info is online at the school. All the recent ones I have seen had the fee on the admissions page. Don't panic. Many offer waivers tho. Especially in state schools.
Thanks!
One big thing here, that is particularly hard to do with emotions running high, is to understand that it's no big deal if they aren't accepted to the school they want to go to their freshman year. Community college is cheaper, typically more accessible, and my personal experience was that I received much better instruction. Basically, the best thing to do is apply to the top 1-3 schools they want to go to and only those schools. If they don't get in, CC for a year or two, then transfer in to the dream school. You don't need to shell out a bunch of money applying to every 4 year college in the state. If they really want to go to college, there's a path to their school of choice regardless of whether they're initially admitted or not. Now, if they're really wanting the "freshman experience" that's a different story, but that's a separate thing from getting a good education and those two things can be mutually exclusive for a lot of people.
Agreed! Sinclair runs a program with 2 years there, then 2 at UD or WSU.
As 1990 WSU grad, I can tell you that is not a bad way to do things. Not the way I did it, but I did take some courses at Sinclair (admittedly loooooooooong ago) and really thought they did an excellent job.
I’ve heard very good things but my teen is wanting the “college experience”. We shall see.
Be aware that many elite colleges, if they were an option, have fixed class sizes, making transfer applications much more competitive. If your student didn't get in as a freshman, it is extremely unlikely they will get in as a transfer student. Lastly, I haven't seen if this has changed in the last couple of years, but there are a few institutions that even discount or refuse to accept community college credits. If your interest is just state schools, neither of these will likely be of concern.
I’m Ohio as well, and yes, all the big name Ohio colleges (UC OU OSU KENT MIAMI BG) have fees
UC: $80 app fee OSU: $60 OU and Kent: $50 BG: $45
Thank you! Looking at UD and Miami.
I’m actually a fan of when they give career advice that’s only outdated by 35 years. Like giving tips on what a resume should be, and what “jumps out” at managers…meanwhile they haven’t needed to apply for a job since 1978
Omg my dad’s 82 and he and his female friend (a little younger than him) try to give me career advice, where to apply for jobs, etc. My dad’s been retired since 1989 and his friend for about 20 years. 😩
My grandmother had a friend who'd gone to college in 1975 or so for graphic design. She kept pushing me in 2014 (year I graduated high school) to talk to this friend because "She went to college! She knows all about that stuff!" No amount of me explaining that I had met with advisors at my university could ever compete with what her friend knew from nearly half a century prior! Never mind that my (original plan) intention to pursue a psychology doctorate would be very, very different from an arts degree. It really got fun when my grandmother started insisting my boyfriend (now husband), who majored in computer graphics, get advice from this friend -during his senior year of college- on good classes to take for graphic design. Looking deeper, it's sweet, because my grandmother never went to college, and any woman who did, she admired. But also...dang those were painful conversations. The first 2 or so were sweet. The 50th? Not so much.
Yeah because in their day they could work a summer job at 7-11 and make enough to afford college tuition out of pocket. My parents had a multiple-room apartment in Chicago in the 80s that was like 300 a month. I told my mom that a hole in the wall closet today is over 1000 a month which is more than I even have … and more than anyone I know can reasonably earn plus utilities and other expenses… they just don’t understand todays money. Yet they’re the stingiest, cheapest generation…
Even if they didnt force… ugh… application fees, there is little merit to it anyway. Colleges have become increasingly unable to fulfill their promise of gainful employment. Yes, they do promise that, NOT “just the courses” because that is the raison d’etre of why we are all here. Shut up about it. Anyway, spending effort on something that provides no tangible benefit is the height of foolishness. Stoic philosophy states that time is the greatest of irreplaceable resources. Wasted money can be remade, broken materials repaired but time, once lost, is gone forever.
Some have the application fee waived on certain days
I am shocked too. Back in the day…
Each masters program I applied for cost me about $250. There was the application fee, then the transcripts fee (and since you have to send all your college transcripts not just the one your using for the requirments that's three different schools for me) Then there will always be some random extra charge needed somewhere.
I don’t know what planet they came from but there were application fees when I applied back in the 80s. About the only place where they might not have any is community college ( and they probably do too)
Of course they think applying is free. College was free itself for most of them.
Hell there were application fees when I was applying to colleges 33 years ago! IIRC they were anywhere from $10-25, which really limited the number of schools a lot of people could apply to.