Yes starting for the class of 2024.
Lewis & Clark appears to be the best option unless the Wesleyan financial aid package is close in COA. Then it simply becomes a choice of personal preference.
Early Decision Applications Class of 2022
Boston U - 4159
Wesleyan -1080
Brandeis - 786
L&C - 53
Boston C. - N/A*
*According to their website BC will admit its first ED class next year.
Lewis & Clark is a fine school. Your son will get a great education there! Four years fly be, and those loans, if you take them, will be quite a burden for quite some time. This looks like an easy choice to me. Love the school that loves you, I say… it looks like they want to have him in their community. Best wishes to your family, whatever you all decide!
Although the Boston schools are great, you do not want to spend that much on a college especially if your son isn’t the most focused academically. The name is not worth the money at this point. As long as your son takes advantage of opportunities at LAC, he will be successful and graduate with a lot less debt.
I always thought that current earnings were the biggest factor in FA. Guess not.
^depends on the formula. BC especially focuses on assets.
I am going to agree with BC;s formula. If you have assets of say 400,000 - 500,000 that is completely different than a family who has not been able to amass such a bankroll on 40k salary each combined. Something doesn’t quite make sense. Maybe you have no living costs but “very frugal” doesn’t really add up. If you have that much or more in assets, sorry but you should have to pay more accordingly. Agree with BC, BU and Brandeis on this one.
According to the document below parental assets typically count 12% into the expected family contribution.
https://www.edvisors.com/fafsa/estimate-aid/expected-family-contribution-efc
This would mean 500k in assets add 60k in college costs.
I got admitted to BC as an undergraduate right out of high school. I turned it down because of the financial strain. I received little to no aid from BC with the same income range. It wasn’t worth spending around $280K for a Bachlor’s degree ($70K + a year, the yearly cost rises around 3-4%). That would be absurd to do unless you have more than that in savings because your son will be paying off the loans for that degree for the rest of his life. Especially because right now he might not be considering graduate school but many jobs and specialties want you to get one. If he likes BC or BU that much, have him earn his undergraduate degree at a school you can afford without accruing too many loans. Then if he decided he wants to attend graduate school have him look into BU or BC. He might even get some assistance from his employer if they deem him a large asset.
^^^ NVCC you absolutely made the right decision. But OP is different. They have significant assets and would not be loaning.
How is this even a question? BU/BC should not even be in the equation.
@MYOS1634 that’s not true at all. They include home equity to avoid playing a shell game with moving money to this asset instead of savings. Some people fund 529 plans and some people rent. I could have low income but a big trust fund, should that be excluded? At BC it is counted. It’s a formula and It’s a net worth test and income test. I think it is very fair. Others may not. C’est la vie.
OP, anyone who hasn’t graduated any of these schools in the past five to ten years really shouldn’t make absolute statements about something being “worth it”. Heck, I took a few classes at Harvard for a certificate program, definitely not worth full pay.
Good lord. Can we all try to check bias at the door.
OP. Congratulations on the fine admissions season. You should be very proud of your child’s achievements. If they are not academically focused and want a science path. The only two schools I have any recent personal experience with are Wes and BC. Nephew and d are current students. I would say no to both of these options. Unless you think perhaps they perhaps will find another gear and meet the challenge. It’s a bit of a brutal work load.
The BU and LC options couldn’t be more different, viewing from afar.
Consider finances, your kid’s comfort zone and their personal goals. Make the best choice you can based on all of the available information. There’s really no wrong answer. But there is an answer.
My advice is to ignore any advice that is too firmly resolute or seemingly absolute. It’s not coming from a fully informed place, although well meaning.
We all are influenced by our view of the world and embedded bias. Myself included.
@jazzfanzz I also live in the mountain west and both of my kids have attended/are attending competitive high schools. At each, a significant number end up at L&C, or peer schools in the PNW like Willamette or Puget Sound. These are good schools with strong academics and many accomplished students, some of whom are attracted by merit packages, like the one you are considering.
I agree with above posters, I don’t think that BC and BU are worth the upcharge. Wesleyan might be worth considering as it has the prestige boost and also most closely approximates L&C in price.
You say your son is “not the most academically focused and likes to socialize.” I would question that a bit, given the quality of schools that accepted him but good for him for maintaining some balance in life. Given your comment, though, I would 1) weigh even more seriously if it’s worth paying full price if there is a risk of him losing focus when he transitions to college. 2). If the L&C package includes merit money, check to see if there is a minimum GPA he needs to maintain. I do not mean to insult your son, but I have read about many cases here on CC of students that have a rocky transition and some of whom have placed their scholarships at risk.
Portland is a fun place for young people that he might really enjoy exploring. Boston is also fun, but less so if you’re on a budget, as your family would be. Middletown, CT, is a perfectly fine small town but not particularly exciting. Additionally, when we visited, we found Wesleyan kids to be intellectually intense with a significant cohort of “life of the mind kids.” This may or may not resonate with your son.
Finally, my kid is at a LAC in the midwest and there are no direct flights. Getting there involves a full day of travel. Do not underestimate the advantage of having your child closer by if you want to visit or an emergency should arise.
Congratulations to him for the many fine choices he has before him. This is a good problem to have.
BC/BU are not worth the full tuition. Wesleyan is a better choice than BC/BU and is cheaper.