<p>I get your point about meeting the kid’s needs, and agree with getting that fit right.</p>
<p>I just think there are many schools that can meet an individual kid’s needs, so if Wheaton was really “needed” but it would cost “Columbia” money ~ 50k per year I’d want there to be other Wheaton-like schools on the list where it’d be probable that the kid would be awarded merit money. </p>
<p>Then when it came down to her decision - say, Wheaton at $50k net vs. Beloit at $30k net - I’d want to have some discussion about the schools that was much more than “but the only school that will work is Wheaton.” </p>
<p>After all, we need to love our financial safeties, too :-)</p>
<p>Kei</p>
<p>P.S. That said, I’m not sure where we will end up . . it is a process.</p>
<p>Show your DD on paper what paying back a third of the cost of a private college plus med school looks like. Then show her projected salaries for MDs under nationalized health care. The debt will be crippling.</p>
<p>"Show your DD on paper what paying back a third of the cost of a private college plus med school looks like. Then show her projected salaries for MDs under nationalized health care. The debt will be crippling. "</p>
<p>As long as the # of doctors minted is constrained, there should not be a big problem.
As I understand it, once licensed there is little or no risk of unemployment. As a friend of mine said, worst case he could always work in an emergency room. The rest of us, who bear the full brunt of the business cycle and foreign competition, and have no shortage of competition from people who would happily and readily take our jobs, have no such assurance.</p>
<p>That being the case, investment in medical education is a near risk-free investment; it has a near guaranteed minimum return on investment. Unlike say, an MBA, whose potential jobs have far fewer barriers to entry by others.</p>
<p>As a finance person I’m sure you would agree that, in a competitive market, the appropriate rate of return for a riskless investment having a guaranteed return is the risk-free rate.</p>
<p>So as long as MDs are getting paid incrementally more, for any “above and beyond” additional educational expenditures, than that same amount of $$ invested in a T-Bill, they are ahead of the game.</p>
<p>I’m with CalMom. Tell your daughter what your budget is. Of course, if you agree to pay 2/3s of the cost of her college, no matter what that cost is, she has no incentive to choose a cheaper school.</p>
<p>If, instead, you say she has <whatever 2=“” 3s=“” of=“” the=“” four-year=“” cost=“” her=“” most=“” expensive=“” option=“” is=“”> available to her, to use as for her undergraduate education or her graduate education as she chooses, she might quickly see the appeal of a SUNY.</whatever></p>
<p>I am in agreement with all of the posters who feel that that the finnacials should be on the table when discussing colleges. I know my oldest son felt that Binghamton was just fine and had no problem going there if finances were an issue. My second one ended up at a state school with finances definitely a factor though not the only thing. This is a good time to learn to balance cost with value. </p>
<p>My good friend has been struggling with paying for Holy Cross for her son. Things have been hard for the family financially these two years. When they finally brought up the subject with him, he was very cheerful about transferring locally and taking out loans. This will make a huge cost difference for them. It was not the young man’s first choice but it was not such a terrible thing for him either.</p>
<p>Sometimes there is a very strong aversion to some of the alternatives. My current college student really did not want to go to some of the schools where he was accepted after looking at his choices. We did not push those avenues even though one was a full ride + with great job prospects and another was top school at a good price that everyone felt was not to be declined. He really did not want to go that route. He also did not want our combined efforts to have to fork out over $50K a year, and eliminated those schools that cost that much that did not offer any merit aid.</p>
<p>I highly doubt we would qualify for much financial aid. My son which I mentioned in my first post, attends a SUNY and was recruited for sports, although he doesn’t get $. His grades were not as high as hers are. She seems to have more direction with her major. </p>
<p>SUNY BING is the school I am trying to entice her with. SUNY Geneseo is “to far” for her. We live near Albany. She is partial to the eastern part of the state (whatever~~)We are planning SUNY week next week and will visit several. She also loves MARIST. She most likely would get merit money. SHe also qualifies as Hispanic and may get scholarship money for ethnic related/science scholarships so a private MAY be an option, but I am concerned with this economy not to be to dependant on any external funding.</p>
<p>If you are middle/ low middle class, and your daughter has the stats for a top private school you might pay less sending her to that private than to any SUNY.
For example, I was accepted to Bing, they wanted 19k approximately. However, for Pomona I only needed to pay 1900 a semester (and would make back 900 dollars a semester during my work study program anyway). Amherst gave almost as good financial aid, and Northwestern a little less so, but still much more affordable than Bing.</p>
<p>If Cornell is under consideration, I would like to add that the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is not the only state-subsidized school with majors that appeal to premedical students. Check out the College of Human Ecology also.</p>