<p>School A:
Private University (small under 4000 undergrads)
Mechanical Engineering Major
5 hours from home
Near a medium sized city
An hour or so from Philly and Washington, DC
Huge, Huge, Huge need based aid package
May not be able to run on XC team (may be deal breaker w/ son)
Coaches not responsive, calls and emails ignored</p>
<p>School B:
Public University (large 16,000 undergrads)
Mechanical Engineering Major
6 hours from home
Mid sized city, close to Philly & Washington
Aid-room and board free $6,000 more a year than school A
Will be able to run, spoken to coach, very receptive</p>
<p>Parents thoughts:
We prefer School A. Is there such a thing as a better engineering degree from one school as opposed to another? Running issue is a problem with us. If he makes the team great, but an education is much more important. Less debt for us and him when he is done. Closer to home.</p>
<p>Son's thoughts:
This is my last chance to run. Running is like eating to me. I need to run. I feel safe with friends that have a common interest. I don't like the fact that the coaches at School B are ignoring me. Money issue is hard to grasp. I will get a good job when I am finished from either place. </p>
<p>You can see our dilemma. We will be visiting each college again this week. Any advice would be appreciated.</p>
<p>If "running is like eating" to your son, you absolutely should consider this. Our D is an IR major, but just had to go somewhere where she could sing. We did not value this as much as she. Turns out, she is in 2 performing groups and absolutely loves music; enough that she will double major. Your son's love of running is the thing that will connect him to other students and provide a social group. It is also something that will help him stay committed and motivated..............and probably healthier than most freshman. While the money is an issue to you, hopefully it will not have to be the deciding factor. It doesn't sound like you are talking about a very costly private LAC; Please don't discount your son's passion. Life is short and he will be working the rest of his adult life. Good luck!</p>
<p>Did you mix up the coach comments for the two schools? </p>
<p>I'm not sure there's much difference in what they learn in Engineering at different schools (DS in Engineering as well; DH also an Engineer - making me an expert ;) ). However, there are differences in the reputation of different schools. That can lead to the trap of becoming beholden to rankings. So, for the Engineering aspect, I would take a look at the course offerings of each, as well as the job placement outcomes for the two schools.</p>
<p>Comment from personal experience (YMMV): My S has been to three different schools due to Katrina. Rigorous science/Engineering courseload at all. Fair degree of variation in the "ranking" of two of the schools. Despite different rankings and selectivity, he felt the kids at the schools were equally smart and able. However, he has found that the schools have very different "cultures" in the Engineering students - those at one school very much more grade-obsessed and competitive than at the others. Not competitive in a cut-throad way, but still such that at one school the kids are sufficiently intense as to make it a tougher environment. So, on visits, I would try to get a feel for that. (Although I can't say I know how).</p>
<p>Re the running: I would just have him answer (for himself) the question: is this a school where I would like to be if the unfortunate happened: ie, an injury and I couldn't run.</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply. The base price of School A is $45,500 a year. The grant he received is almost $30,000. This is nothing to sneeze at. We are seriously considering his passion for running.</p>
<p>How talented is he as a runner? Do his times suggest he could make the team at school A even though the coaches are not currently interested? If so he would have a reasonable chance to make the team as a walk-on. Nothing speaks to a track coach louder than his stop watch.</p>
<p>We have been told his times are competitive. We just don't know how many recruits are attending school A. Since we can't get through to these people it is quite frustrating for us and my son.</p>
<p>Is there a really major difference in the reputation/prestige of the engineering schools at the two universities, or are they roughly equivalent?</p>
<p>I am assuming that B is the University of Delaware, but A could be a lot of places, some of which are considerably more prestigious than UDel.</p>
<p>If school A is $15k after aid and school B is $6k more, perhaps he could contribute some summer or on campus job money if he really wants to run at school B.</p>
<p>to the OP-- if both schools have decent reputations in engineering you could be fine... but I want to alert you to the very high attrition rate among Freshman/sophomore engineering majors, which is particularly acute among mechanical engineers. So- your son has to ask himself how he'd feel at either school if he decides he doesn't like engineering, and how many other opportunities there would be for intellectual growth. At big public U's the temptation is to fall into a Business major... just because if a kid has strong math skills that's an easy fallback.... but if your son isn't interested in that, he still needs to find a passion.</p>
<p>Also, does running have to be on the official team? ARen't there intramural opportunities, or other, not so high profile teams where he can be part of a team, train, run, compete, etc. but as a walk-on?</p>
<p>Keep in mind that over the 4 years, the need-based grant will shift more responsibility to the student -- if the cost-differential is $6000 now, it may only be $2000 by senior year -- of course, that also depends on what financial aid, if any, is coming from School B as well as School A.</p>
<p>1) if money is not a serious concern, let her choose. The distance thing is your issue, not hers.</p>
<p>2) if money is a serious concern, then there is a strong case in favor of School A, provided that it offers what she wants academically (her preferred major, etc.).</p>
<p>Alternate opinion to Marian's (not saying it's better, just different):</p>
<p>Daughter is only leaning 55/45 to Ivy - that is nearly undecided. One is virtually free, the other ca. $200K? The non-Ivy is a top 30 school. I would dearly hope, if I were the parent, that she would choose the top 30. Depending on my financial situation, I might urge her to. If you can pay the Ivy, you still might consider giving her a financial stake in the question: requiring her to pay part of the Ivy and/or offering her some of the savings from the top-30 financial package - whether funding an IRA for her, setting aside some of the $$ for her post-college plans, for enrichment travel, or whatever.</p>
<p>Moohead, Sounds like my son's situation LY. Accepted at USC, Trustees scholarship and Dartmouth. Decided on USC for a number of reasons, including $$, but S is not intellectually stimulated enoug by fellow students [ which we were afraid might happen], so he is reapplying to D. We should have listened to our gut and IMO that is what you should let your D do.</p>