<p>I recently received an Ask the Dean query from a high school guidance counselor in Kentucky. She is advising a student who would like to attend a small liberal arts college, but the parents are set on a large public university in a larger city. The availability of scholarship money will play a major role. The parents feel that bigger school + bigger city = more opportunity (and less debt.)</p>
<p>So the KY counselor would like to hear from students or parents who have been in this same situation. What choice was ultimately made? Did you students follow your hearts or your parents edicts? In either case, whats been the outcome so far?</p>
<p>its the kids life they should go where they want financially permitting, and the parents should understand they are not the ones that are going to be attending the college.</p>
<p>My advice to the counselor, would be to encourage the student and her parents to run their numbers. Once they know what their likely EFC will be (they can start with the FAFSA EFC formula at <a href=“http://www.ifap.ed.gov/efcformulaguide/attachments/111609EFCFormulaGuide20102011.pdf[/url]”>http://www.ifap.ed.gov/efcformulaguide/attachments/111609EFCFormulaGuide20102011.pdf</a> ) and once the parents have gotten completely, utterly honest with themselves and their daughter about how much money will actually be available, then they will be better able to approach the decision making process. Perhaps the truth is that the parents know that they can’t pay for the private LAC, and they just haven’t been able to bring themselves to tell their child that.</p>
<p>I think there may be a compromise option. As long as the student is not set on one specific liberal arts college, he or she may be able to find a liberal arts school that offers sufficient financial aid (need-based and/or merit) that satisfies the parents. </p>
<p>As for the bigger school = more opportunities theory, the student will have to provide evidence to the parents of alums from the prospective alma mater who have been nurtured in the small-school environment and who have gone on to do great things because of it. Just about every college can trot out happy grads and their testimonials to satisfaction. And certainly it’s true that smaller schools are the best fit for some students.</p>
<p>So, as happymomof1 suggests, “Run the numbers” first, and if some liberal arts school can provide comparable aid, don’t cross them off the list.</p>
<p>In my case split decision. My Dad was happy with my chosing as long as I picked a good school … however my Mom was very disappointed and mad at me for not going to the top ranked school in my major to which I got accepted … ultimately I went where I wanted to go … however by the time I graduated my Mom was very happy with my choice.</p>
<p>Just out of curiosity, did you stick with your original choice of major? If so, do you feel that not attending the “top ranked” school had any sort of negative impact?</p>
<p>My college search was very poorly done … about the only common elements of my top choices were … 1) they were pretty selctive … and 2) they had all of diverse majors in which I had some interest in high school. An engineering school was the main driver of my search and I did graduate from an engineering program … the major itself I had never heard of until I got to college … so majors were not really a differentiator between my choices. I turned down a top 5 school to go to a top 15 school so the difference wasn’t that big and I do not believe there a negative consequence to my undergrad choice … I do not know what would have happened if I had gone to the higher rated school … maybe my job offers would have been even better than they were. However, I am very sure there would have been very negative consequences of my picking the higher rated school … the vibe of the schools was very different where one felt like home instantly … and one was urban and one a classic college town and I have a very strong preference. The different in rank did not out rank the difference in vibe and location.</p>
<p>i mean its not all the kids decision as everyone thinks it should be.</p>
<p>for the most part, the parents are paying all the tuition so they definitely should be allowed to have a huge say on the part.</p>
<p>financial reasons are the main concern. I know a couple of financially-well-off friends who have parents who refuse to pay college tuition because it is too expensive, so they are indirectly being biased into choosing relatively easier schools to get a full scholarship. </p>
<p>if however, the kid feels that a small LAC would be the best school and where he/she would thrive, and the parent wants them to apply to, say, Stanford for the super prestige and money is not a problem, the kid should fight his parents in this decision. however, the parents do ultimately have all the control, if you think about it.</p>
<p>EDIT: honestly, the tuition for private colleges are ridiculously high and need to be changed somehow. it’s just crazy and sparks all these problems. i have no idea how they could change it but I’m just throwing out my thoughts</p>
<p>I love the concept that we will let teenagers make a 4-year/$250,000 decision on their own. Before you can make this decision you need to know the net cost of all the options. It may be that the parents are right, that the in-state flagship is cheaper and less debt burdened. It may also be that with the lower cost their EFC will mean little or no aid from the school.</p>
<p>I appreciate the value of "fit’, but it doesn’t matter if an Armani Couture suit fits like heaven if it’ll be hell when it comes time to pay.</p>
<p>vinceh–You are right, and this is why some of us, like happymomof1, suggest “running the numbers.” (See post #4)</p>
<p>When I worked at Smith College, I regularly encountered students (and parents) who were shocked to discover that it often cost them less to attend Smith than it did to go to a local public college or university. Colleges that meet 100 percent of need can be great bets for those who qualify for aid. For those who don’t (or whose Expected Family Contribution seems unrealistically high), there are lots of liberal arts colleges that offer excellent merit awards.</p>
<p>So, with a little legwork, the KY student in the original post may be able to convince Mom and Dad that a small private college can be as affordable as a big public university.</p>