It is looking like a choice is going to have to be made between these two shortly. TCNJ (The College of New Jersey) will cost approximately $30,000/per year less than Brandeis, but parents can afford it without student or parent needing to take any loans. [Parents have told the student and student’s siblings that they will be on their own financially for paying for any grad schooling, BUT in this situation the parents may agree to help this student with grad school costs out of the cost savings if student goes to TCNJ rather than to Brandeis.]
At TCNJ, student (who is from NJ) would be in the Honors Program as well as in the Bonners Community Service Program (another selective program that is sort of an honor to have been selected for).
As of now it appears likely the student will be accepted into Brandeis and the Leaders Scholars Community (LSC) at Brandeis.
Student is a social justice warrior type, also interested in history, probably will major in history or political science or sociology or some combination thereof. Career-wise, student appears likely headed to become a political journalist or a civil rights lawyer or something like that. Parents (one an ivy grad who feels that the ivy name helped open some doors in their life) care somewhat about prestige and college name recognition more than the student does…but ultimately care most about the student being happy.
Any thoughts re: which you would choose? (Also cross-posted this in the TCNJ discussion forum.)