<p>I have been a longtime lurker. My D has benefited from the wisdom of many parents on this board. Curmug could probably be my husbands nice twin. Having said this - My D applied to 2 safety 2 match and 2 reach schools this year. She was accepted to all. Her reach schools and one match are on the CC list of top schools but not ivy. (Nothing could persuade my D to apply ivy - her guidance counselor tried.) Having said this, she will probably go to Clemson Honors this fall. We have a long family history of Orange in our house. My daughter was heavily recruited there and has an almost free ride. Our situation is such that the top schools would cost the full 160K (most of it expected to come from our house). My husband is retired, if we were to borrow on our house we couldn't afford the payments. We would have to move. We just don't see the rationale for that. We don't want out daughter to carry that much debt. Our daughter is interested in sciences and medical school (I know how many change their minds). But graduate school is a must. She plans on living a life in NC,SC, GA, or TN (but plans can change).</p>
<p>The honors college at Clemson only takes about 10% of the incoming class or about 250 each year. Most of these receive scholarships which come also waive OOS tuition. Clemson is 65% SC and declining. It is a great school. Having said that, GA honors was also considered in our house. The UGA is higher ranked than Clemson and their honors program is stellar. Our daughter has chosen Clemson due to the family history. We have not finalized our decistion, D is still thinking about the highest ranked school she got into but only in a what if kind of way. Even she at 17 thinks it is too much debt. </p>
<p>Are we wise or are we not? Is there something we haven't considered?</p>
<p>If she would be happy at Clemson I think it's fine to go there; if she is interested in graduate or med school and wants to stay in the region, doing well at the Honors College will help her get into a good program, she will have local connections, and you will not be putting uncomfortable financial pressure on yourselves. The key I think is whether she will be happy and challenged, and I would guess, given Clemson's name recognition and the financial benefits, that she will not be the only student of her caliber there--so probably will be happy, and do well. I hope everything works out well for all of you.</p>
<p>Orangemom, sounds good to me. Your daughter can accomplish her goals and not put your house or retirement in jeopardy. Won't have to go in debt.</p>
<p>Orangemom- has your D been awarded any $ from UGA? I agree with Mattmom's post. Clemson Honors, along with the financial award, sounds like an opportunity too good to pass up. Since you say that some type of post-grad school is a given, saving your tuition dollars to help her out then makes sense.</p>
<p>Something else to consider---I believe that in some cases a great physician is born, not made. Many of the docs where I work that have top-notch academic pedigrees are the last that I might recommend in any situation. Some of the DO's that I work with are the most outstanding, passionate, committed, and knowledgeable professionals around these days. I believe that she will be fine wherever she goes if the passion and commitment are present.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your quick response. Being close to the situation and because no one in our family has ever gone to a top school (my husband and I are first gen college grads) we are just doubting ourselves at times. We have agonized over this decision (much more than D). </p>
<p>Our D was offered only OOS waiver and $1000 to UGA. Doable if her choice. She has ruled it out. The size of UGA and the fact that most students live off campus also swayed her. The Honors program itself seems outstanding.</p>
<p>From what I understand GA and Clemson are generous with OOS tuition waivers for honors caliber students.</p>
<p>orangemom, can you give us the names of other schools she (or should I say my daughter's heretofore unknown twin) is considering? D is adamantly opposed to attending school in our home state (or any state touching our homestate).Other than that they are simpatico. She also is a science gee...uh.....oriented student who aspires to pre-med who also plans to return to the home area to live after residency.I believe there was some mention of UGA on another thread. Any others?</p>
<p>LOL. Another similarity appears-UGA is too big for D also.</p>
<p>My D applied and was accepted to Clemson, UGA, Furman (with good scholarship), Wake Forest, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Emory. She loved them all but she really loves Emory.</p>
<p>Furman made a very nice offer, but she has ruled it out in favor of Clemson Honors. We haven't heard about financial from UNC or Wake, but again she has ruled them out.</p>
<p>I think your daughter should not rule out GA because it touches your State (AL I think). In our State I have had many surprised that my D would give up Furman for Clemson until they hear about the Honors college, so I would highly recommend your D look at both. I guess it really depends on the student.</p>
<p>D and I am from Tejas. Although I do pretend to be from Alabama sometimes to suck up to cangel. D loved Furman's campus and the kids were so very nice and made her feel special and wanted . We were not on a tour, just strolling around like we had good sense. D is a Furman scholar, so she gets $4k/yr merit at least but we'd need more than that. Their selectivity is just blowing up. </p>
<p>Atlanta is out of the question. When we arrived at Emory D just shuddered "Dad, I'm intimidated" I responded,"Gee,kid.I think I am ,too." Dang that is a massive complex for a little bitty undergraduate school (with all it's associated institutes etc.) </p>
<p>She had no such feeling at Clemson. It was just that they were out on Spring Break and nothing but the internationals were left there on campus. She didn't see it at it's finest. I 've posted before about a Clemson student we met who loved it and after hearing that D was a hard science and math kid, suggested strongly that Clemson was the better "ticket". He was from Pa. I believe.</p>
<p>momnipotent - Thanks, I agree with you, but sometimes I have picked by pedigree when no other information was available. </p>
<p>curmudgeon - your D is unlike mine in that mine wouldn't consider a school that didn't touch her State (brief consideration of Rice, W&M and UVA). Others from her school have gone to Duke and were content but not ecstatic, loved UNC, Wake, Davidson, and Furman</p>
<p>Cur- won't she consider Rice? I know it is in Texas, and my D felt the same way about coming home to Texas for college (no way....) after boarding school. She visited Rice at her voice teacher's urging and found it to be the best fit. She is SO happy there (a soph). Her bf is from NYC and is a biochem major and also loves it.</p>
<p>MomofWildChild, THROUGH? WE HAVEN"T STARTED! I haven't missed a year have I? :eek: LOL. I'd really hate to Rip Van Winkle this. (Furman scholarship is for jrs if that threw you off.) D knows that to keep peace in the house with her mom, she will have to visit Rice. That whole mom+daughter dynamic has me befuddled and has for years.</p>
<p>orangemom,As to Clemson Honors, what are the housing choices like? Separate honors dorms that most choose? Anything Furman specific that she didn't like and/or preferred at Clemson?</p>
<p>I think Furman is becoming big on showing interest. They offered my D about 2/3 tuition. In SC we also have State scholarship worth $6,700 so my D had tuition covered there. Furman is considered THE LAC of SC. It is however very conservative.</p>
<p>Clemson has a brand new biotech building and much more $ in research facilities. My D is biochem/genetics oriented. Clemson is big State school oriented until you look into honors. My D has talked to Bio professors and has been assured that she can (and is expected) to begin research by the beg of her junior year in order to complete honors requirements. </p>
<p>My D loved the Emory Campus but was intimidated by Atlanta. We do have family there to help tho.</p>
<p>I gather your D doesn't like big Uni either - Texas has a great honors program too.</p>
<p>Sorry. Yep, it was the Furman scholarship that threw me off. I am just starting with S, who is a junior who boards outside of Texas. He is interested in UT (but not over the northeast), but I do not think it is a good fit for him. He would be a candidate for Plan II or Business Honors, but definitely not a shoe-in. He counts as a resident but the top 10% does not apply to him since he does not go to high school in Texas. That means we can't count UT as a safety school.</p>
<p>Clemson has a premium 5 story dorm just for honors students. It houses about 300 students. It is considered the best on campus as far as dorms go. Clemson also offers apartment style housing on campus and many upperclassmen take advantage of this (including honors students) The apartments are considered to be much better than the dorms. I like the fact that the apartments are on campus (altho located a bit further walk). I still hope my D would stay in the honors dorm 4 years (Suite style, computer lab, kitchen, laundry in bldg). Freshman are housed in honors based on date they apply to Clemson, not date admitted, so most early Fresh are housed in honors dorm. There are about 1000 total in honors college. I have been told most seniors do go to those cushy apartments.</p>
<p>Honors college (its on their website) offers priority registration, tickets to the cultural programs free, research, and some very good honors only classes, and oh yeah a free copy of the New York Times for each student every day!</p>
<p>My D did really like Furman the only thing she really didn't like was the trimester system.</p>
<p>Emory appeals to her intellectual side. Thats also what makes me wonder. I know there are 1000 honors kids at Clemson, but will she be challenged in the other classes like she would at Emory? Does she need to be exposed to the rest of the world?</p>
<p>Orangemom, I would ask you the same question I asked my son. He had a scholarship offer with perks at the school he's at now. He applied EA. Before letters began to arrive in April, I asked him whether he wanted to go to a school where they wanted him enough to offer him these things and where he could immediately begin building a strong college resume or attend a school where he made it in with nothing but an acceptance letter. He thought about it and then chose the school who offered more. I see your daughter being in the same situation, and I would think that a heavily recruited student that has been offered Honors and a very nice scholarship at Clemson could attend there, start with a jumpstarted resume and be an attractive candidate for any graduate program she might pursue.</p>
<p>My turn to talk up Clemson. S has been named a National Scholar and is 99% sure Clemson is where he will matriculate. S & H attended the National Scholar weekend. H was blown away by the opportunities that program provides. To be honest, the reason for even taking a look at Clemson was the very strong student association for S's preferred religious affiliation, then we discovered the National Scholar program & crossed our fingers. S's comment upon his return from Clemson was "it feels like family." Both S & H believe the academics are there and that S can & will take advantage of the many opportunities provided. S & H were impressed with the caliber of student in Calhoun Honors & the other National Scholars as well as the prospective National Scholars. S was also accepted at Rice and Carnegie Mellon, along with some others. At this point (could change tomorrow of course) we all believe this is the best fit for S - all things considered.</p>
<p>Out of curiosity, is there an SAT cut-off for the Clemson Honors dorm, or a range/average. I'm collecting ideas for my son who probably won't qualify :(.</p>
<p>BG - I'm with you, my D was not invited to National Scholar weekend, but I've seen the opportunities offered and agree it is hard to pay $$$ elsewhere. Good luck to your S. </p>
<p>Cangel - I was told automatic admittance to honors was 1375 SAT, 3.75 GPA and top (I think -know im close 3%). That said, any Stat outside that and you are reviewed case by case. There is no separate SAT for honors dorm- it is filled based on date of application to Clemson - not date into honors (this began this year). But you must be in honors program.</p>
<p>The stats given are that 38% have SATs over 1400 and 30% were val. of the 2004 class of honors fresh. Having said that I know of kids with low 1300s who have been admitted in the past and were in top % but not val. I also have been told (by Clemson) that the honors college and not the admissions staff review applicants not meeting the auto admit criteria. (my Ds school has small unranked classes and there are no auto admits at her school (bad thing about no ranking by school))</p>