<p>"S prefers to go away to college, and we think that’s best for him also. "</p>
<p>It could be best IF your S continues to bounce back from his junior year. Do make sure that he has done that before committing to sending him a distance from home. Remember, he always could start by commuting to college from home and then transferring later.</p>
<p>"S right now likes SUNY Albany, but mostly because of their rep as a party school. When it comes time to make a decision, I don’t think this will be a major factor. "</p>
<p>Unfortunately, attending a party school seems to be important to many students, including very smart ones, so don’t bet that by spring, his priorities will change. They may, but again…</p>
<p>“On a side note, my son likes the idea of an unbalanced male/female ratio (my 14 yr old son thinks 30/70 is about right).”</p>
<p>Yes, my S has no complaints about the ratio (40:60) or so at his LAC!</p>
<p>One important question: What do you expect your S to contribute – through summer jobs, school year jobs and loans – to pay for his education? A way of determining this would be to figure out how much you’re willing to pay (through savings, loans, etc.) and then tell your S he needs to come up with the rest. That may help sharpen his commitment to college, getting the grades that may help him get merit aid and it may strengthen his making a decision based on more important considerations than partying opportunities.</p>
<p>How much do you anticipate he’ll get from a Regent’s scholarship (I’m assuming those still exist.).</p>