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<p>This is most certainly true. A fairly small and unknown uni nationwide is MOS&T (in Rolla, MO). Small public school with 90% admit rate. Almost everyone has done an internship, co-op, research by they graduate. 2nd highest average starting salaries for public schools in USA, although, I guess you’d expect something like that from an almost exclusively engineering school. Nonetheless, graduates from there do very well and accept every qualified applicant.</p>
<p>Money was not a factor. None of the schools to which our kids applied were inexpensive. We were fortunate that we could pay the costs. </p>
<p>No regrets here…kids went to their choice of colleges.</p>
<p>@lmkh70, I thought there were cost issues with your son’s first choice (Cornell in Iowa), and that is one reason he ended up someplace else. But maybe I am not remembering that correctly… it has been a couple of years. I seem to remember that HE would have made a different choice (even if you wouldn’t have). But again… might not recall it right.</p>
<p>No. Though I wouldn’t have felt as much relief as I did with my kids choices or have suffered the pain I have in paying for college. </p>
<p>Also, we focused a lot of time on affordable and lower cost options due to money being in the picture, as we shall be doing again. I wish money were a non factor.</p>
<p>No. Both guys went to/are at places they love. Thanks to generous FA. Ds2 is at his lifelong, first-choice school. Ds1 got WL’D at his initial first-choice school so it was a yes, not finances, that kept him out. Of course, in retrospect, he wouldn’t change a thing.</p>
<p>D’s top choice did not work out financially. She attends her 2nd choice and is very happy and thriving. I believe she is at the best place for her and that the universe has a a way of working these things out!</p>
<p>@intparent:</p>
<p>My reading is that @Millancad went to another school (that presumably was a better fit) instead of Harvard. And the parents are still complaining about that.</p>
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Yes, exactly.</p>
<p>And my read on lmkh70 is that she would have targeted more expensive and different options for her kids IF money had not been an issue.</p>
<p>My daughter might have applied to, or attended, different schools if money had not been a factor. While we are not rich we could have afforded to pay full tuition but did not feel it would be a good ROI, given her intended major (engineering) and thoughts of medical school/grad school. She knew we would not qualify for FA and she ruled out schools that did not offer any merit aid. She applied to OOS and private schools where merit aid was automatic as well as some that were competitive. My daughter knew that her final decision would depend upon receiving scholarships and total costs of attendance.</p>
<p>After all is said and done, she will be attending a top ten ranked school where she received a generous, competitive, merit scholarship and is very excited. It is not the cheapest option but was much cheaper than full OOS or private school tution. Had money not been a factor she might have ended up applying or even attending a different school. </p>
<p>This is an interesting question. My D hasn’t started yet, so I’m not really in a place to know for sure… but I’m sitting here wracking my brain for a different school I think would have suited her better, and I quite honestly can’t think of a one. That makes me feel extremely lucky and grateful: thanks for making me consider this!</p>
<p>If money were no object, my D definately would have gone to her top choice. She is just starting her Freshman year now, so hopefully this school will be a great match for her.</p>
<p>Well, we are full pay at both schools so, no, money was not an issue. But, older daughter chose her D3 school to pursue her sport…which she subsequently quit, so I believe she would have chosen a different school to begin- but having a new college graduate with a job makes me feel it worked out ok… <:-P </p>
<p>I will say…if the opposite had been true, our kids would be at different schools.</p>
<p>In other words, if we had significant financial considerations, our kids would have needed to attend less costly options.</p>
<p>No, my D is perfectly happy where she is, and we’re happy with the education she’s getting. Money wasn’t a factor in her decision, but D chose an OOS flagship that gave her a full tuition + scholarship. She only applied to state flagships (our own and four others) - that was what she wanted. I initially thought she’d prefer a much smaller school, maybe 5000 students or so, but she wouldn’t even consider anything but large universities. Judging by the good experience she’s having, I guess she knew herself much better than I did.</p>
<p>Oh, good point, @thumper1, mine also would probably have been at in-state publics (UCs) - but neither wanted to stay in California…go figure!</p>
<p>One may also ask whether you yourselves would have attended a different college if money wasn’t a factor for you back then.</p>
<p>If money was not a factor, I’d have sent them to a private prep school which would have opened up more college possibilities. We’ll see where D1 ends up going to college.</p>
<p>No. Both schools were/are on the less expensive side, but our top choice for each child.</p>
<p>There were a handful of schools that intrigued D but didn’t make the application list due to finances. If there hadn’t been a limit I suppose she could have applied to a few of them. I will say, as a parent, it would have been nice to have an instate LAC on the table but honestly, I don’t think it would have changed anything. There has been no lamenting lost opportunities. I guess we are lucky D was able to turn off any interest the minute the NPC came in too high.</p>