<p>Our D is in at Emory with zero financial aid.</p>
<p>She's also in at several state schools' honors colleges with full merit scholarship plus extras: U of AL University Fellows, Auburn, U of Ky.</p>
<p>Is Emory really worth the quarter million dollars it will cost for the B.A.?
(Add another $100K for 4 years of double nonfat soy caramel macchiatos!)</p>
<p>Thanks for any advice!</p>
<p>I guess every situation is unique. Personally, I don't mind writing a check for the full fare. It is one of the best schools in the country and everyone I have spoken with ( dozens and dozens ) had only fine things to say about the school. I don't think it is possible to assess the value of a school, dollar for dollar, prospectively. Probably best to weigh all factors and go with your intuition/instinct/gut. Best of luck to you.</p>
<p>My son is in the same position. He does not think it is worth it, but then Emory was not his first choice school - Georgetown was. If he had made Georgetown and wanted to go, I would have paid the money. He prefers other schools to Emory, where he did not receive money, so he will nt be attending.</p>
<p>I'm in sort of the same situation, except I applied ED not knowing my finaid would be so awful. My parents do not make much, but my father owns a business so his income is assessed differently and consequently our EFC is very high (even with 3 kids in college), but my parents don't have much to contribute. So I'm going there definitely (kinda have to), but am also wondering, is it worth it?</p>
<p>Big question: What does she want to do after college? Is she pre-law, pre-med, pre-business? That would change my opinion.....Save $$ for grad school unless she knows she doesn't want grad school....</p>
<p>If money is not an issue, I would go to Emory. If money is no problem, let her follow her heart. My D was accepted to Emory in 2006, took the full scholarship at another school. In her heart, she really wanted Emory, but she thought she should "follow the money". She transferred to Emory this semester and is really having a great time. It is all about the "fit".</p>
<p>i definitely think it has to do with the major. not only whether she wants to go to grad school but also if emory is the right school. i had the decision between emory and a free tuition at uga honors but because uga doesn't have a very commendable science program (i want to be a chemistry major), I went with emory. And I think if she got into Emory and is deciding between Auburn, theres no question about it. Emory is a much better school.</p>
<p>Thanks for everyone's inputs. I'm hearing about even advice either way at this point. We simply cannot afford Emory without going into serious debt, but are willing to do it, if its worth it.
(I am still just STUNNED at the paltry aid package Emory offered...do they expect me to wipe out my retirement and future for the other kids in the family? Do they expect me to have zero cash available next year in the current economic situation?) But I digress...if you can just write a check for any college your kids get into, then my hat's off to you. Serving in the military just doesn't pay like that. But that's a whole different subject...</p>
<p>My S is currently a sophomore at Emory, having chosen it with no FA, despite some nice scholarships from two of our home state Universities. Answering the question is it "worth it" is a tough one, but I would say on the whole the answer would be yes. His transition into campus life was seamless; his friends are bright, outgoing and driven; Emory's rigorous academics keep him challenged. He is just happy, which to quote the Mastercard ad, is "priceless".</p>
<p>when it comes to assigning value, the answer will be subjective.
is an undergraduate degree (anywhere?) worth poverty?
if attending emory will require sacrifices, then maybe the student should be asked to make a few???
some people are better able to shoulder the investment than others are.
unfortunately, most of the adults on this site--regardless of finances-- put a high priority on their kids' education and their kids' well-being, so these same adults may not have conveyed the importance of financial considerations to their students all along.
If you student has held down a part-time job for the past couple of years, then you will not have a hard time discussing the economic considerations of college choice.
on the other hand, if your student has been passing the past few years without having to make any financially motivated sacrifices, then the cost of college discussion is more difficult for the student.
bottom line is that no one can answer the "is emory worth it?" question for another person.
we can talk about what a great school emory is, but no amount of greatness will compensate for family members facing any kind of hardship.
a quarter of a million dollars for an undergraduate education, even at harvard, is hard to rationalize if it means you're going to have to take on unreasonable burdens.
see what sacrifices your student is willing to make, perhap?
i empathize with you and have confidence that you will make the right choice.</p>
<p>Emory is a good school, but I don't think its worth your family going into debt.</p>
<p>Still stuck between deciding on Emory vs. U of Alabama University Fellows;
Still skeptical that $250K for Emory is worth it, especially if D will be in a low-paying field after graduation, especially given the recession.</p>