Ability to Pay and other trends in admissions

Parents Forum
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<p>Absolutely. This is why I have always encouraged my son to leave the south to go to college. My son is wisely waiting for all of his acceptances to come in before settling on a school. I actually had to require him to apply to a few in-state schools. Most of his friends will go to the state flagship and I didn’t want him to regret not applying there come next April when he realizes he might be one of the few to leave the area. </p>

<p>In my experience, people can become very one-dimensional in their views if they have lived their whole lives in the same area, only being exposed to one way of thinking. I made it my mission throughout his childhood to expose him to different cultures and have traveled with him around the world. But, at the end of the day, I would like him to settle somewhere close enough that I get to see him more than once or twice a year - which is how often I see my parents. Oh, well. I don’t expect that I will get much say in the matter.</p>

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<p>No, not at all. If they had wanted to go to law, medical school (etc), the parents would have paid for it, but since they didn’t, there’s really nothing to feel “unfair” about. They would laugh at the thought of begrudging their brother his ability to go to med school, and they certainly haven’t tallied up what was spent and expected the same amount spent back on them. Everyone’s been treated nicely and gotten their education paid for, no need to equalize the whole thing.</p>

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<p>Pizzagirl, what a sane, sensible family of grownups you married into. Congratulations.</p>

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<p>mythmom: sounds like our story; we want to leave (asap); both kids are like, “why would we go to school across the country when we want to end up here?”…</p>

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<p>Funny how our perspectives vary. I recall when I first headed south for grad school, I thought to myself “I’ll go down there for my tan and my degree, in that order, and then go back up north where the real people are”. In retrospect, if was a bit of an arrogant perspective, at the ripe old age of 22.</p>

<p>Then, after spending a few years in the south (granted it was in a college town at a flagship u), I found that the lifestyle was enjoyable, people weren’t abrasive or have a negative/critical mindset, no road rage, it was clean, and it got easier and easier not to have to dig my car out of the snow or deal with road salt ruining my shoes! LOL. And cost of living was much, much better. While there are parts of the south that are a bit behind the times, I find that to be true of rural areas almost anywhere. I found that what I at first was critical of, I later, with age and wisdom, found actually to be pleasant. Atlanta isnt New York, but “provincial” is a bit inaccurate and unfair.</p>

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<p>jym, I wasn’t calling Atlanta provincial. I was calling my daughter provincial for being so narrow minded. Sorry to have offended, but that wasn’t what I meant at all!</p>

<p>I think she’s silly.</p>

<p>Especially because <em>I</em> <em>don’t</em> live in NYC, nor do I want to.</p>

<p>And I want to move!</p>

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<p>Have your kids spent much time in CA? Mine are also NYers to the core. They’ve spent many vacations with family in CA, and we’ve recently moved there. Kept our NY place just to make sure this is what we want.</p>

<p>The kids surprised us. when they’ve arrived home for breaks like Tgiving and Xmas and were sunning by the pool, they wanted to know why we deprived them of this growing up. I suspect all will spend some years in major cities around the world, but they will be enticed home for vacations and probably look for a base in CA at some point.</p>

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<p>OH!! LOL, mythmom!! I read it as your saying you/your dau thought Atlanta was provincial! Yes, the public transportation system is limited and much of it is not a walking city, but it does have running water and indoor plumbing! What makes you choose CA to retire? Many areas are sooo expensive!!</p>

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<p>^Probably because it’s 75 degrees, no humidity and clear blue sunny skies!</p>

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<p>hmom5,
Understand the attraction to the gorgeous weather! But isn’t that a good description of, say, Phoenix too?? No beach, but its affordable :)</p>

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<p>No!! Phoenix is 100 degrees plus half of the year. I don’t know how the locals handle it. And while it’s cheaper than CA, the nice parts could not be called cheap. Then there’s Florida with crazy humidity and also super hot several months per year. We looked hard before deciding that CA really is THE place. Granted, you have to be able to afford it, but coming from NYC, many things seem like a bargain!</p>

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<p>It really only hot in Arizona in the summer. My sister lives in Phoenix and comes North May - beginning of October.</p>

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<p>Moda, that’s half the year! I also have a sib in AZ who left CA to save money but I think they have ended up spending more because the travel frequently to avoid the heat and air conditioning costs them a fortune!</p>

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<p>I love the CA coast as well, and I like the “healthy” lifestyle.</p>

<p>Yeah, pipe dream, may not be able to afford it. An ex boyfriend who I’ve remained very friendly with chairs an English Dept. at a CC out there, and he’s offered me a job many times. Don’t know if H could start up business there or not. But since he’s a photographer, he probably could.</p>

<p>And he has a bit of national reputation.</p>

<p>I lived in CA when I was 14 and really liked it.</p>

<p>As for D, no, she isn’t the CA type. She’s a feminist, Jewish, urban, clothes horse who is also radical politically. She likes that rich and poor rub sweat together on the subway in NY. I <em>do</em> get her point, but I am more of a nature lover. D, who is a size zero and gorgeous, also hates body consciousness, the outdoors. She likes museums and reading books in Starbucks. </p>

<p>S is probably more flexible.</p>

<p>I love CA, but I love D more. </p>

<p>Thank goodness it is really beautiful where I live. I am also on a coast and I see water from the house – just barely, and smell it when I leave the front door and hear the ferry.</p>

<p>jym: I hope I would never be so offensive about someone else’s home, nor do I feel that way. And even D has a soft spot for Atlanta: her BF was born and raised there, she has an awesome internship now at the Georgia Capital Defenders office, a job, passed her road test and is driving.</p>

<p>She also has a gorgeous apartment she can afford (with BF) with wasn’t happening at all in NY.</p>

<p>As for CA, if I don’t end up there I think I’ll just stay here. I need the boats and the water. </p>

<p>FL is not my cup of tea.</p>

<p>Hey, how about we all retire on the multi-million dollar spread Meryl Streep had in It’s Complicated. Santa Barbara looks gorgeous.</p>

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<p>I could get used to a house like that…</p>

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<p>My parents are actually moving to Santa Barbara, CA, they just sold their house. My dad’s brother and mom have lived there their whole lives and have a place that my parents are going to live in so at least they won’t have to break into the real estate market on their own. They tell me its a really beautiful place but I’m more of an east coast person myself. I graduate college in May and am hopefully going to be in grad school somewhere on the east coast so I guess I’ll see them on holidays if I’m lucky.</p>

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<p>MODERATOR’S NOTE: </p>

<p>I’m seeing some personal back-and-forth in violation of the Terms of Service </p>

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<p>in this thread (which also included many thoughtful, helpful replies), so I’d like to remind everyone that if you feel personally offended by a post here on CC, perhaps because of someone’s inadvertent comment on an issue, or if you think someone’s post is generally offensive and violates the ToS, report that to the moderation team by using the “report problem post” link that you will find on that post and any post here on CC. The way to respond to posts you don’t like here is NOT to engage in personal invective with the poster in another public forum post. Just report to the moderation team by the “report problem post” link with a reference to the Terms of Service </p>

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<p>section applicable to that post and keep the public posts focused on the subject of discussion, which here is how applicant ability to pay may be influence college admission policies in current economic conditions. </p>

<p>Good luck to all of you who are shopping for colleges for your children.</p>

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<p>Just saying… the “school year” is typically Sept thru May. So my point is mostly that for the hottest part of the year, you wouldn’t be living there.</p>