<p>My decisions haven't all come out yet, but my parents are very confident that I'm not getting into any of my reaches. I was given a full tuition scholarship for a very low ranked school, an early write to a top 20 LAC. My parents just don't think the programs at the former will be good enough, and that its low ranking will hurt my chances at a decent career. I haven't visited either, and all I said was that I was giving the low-ranked school full consideration. My dad insisted that I shouldn't even think about going there. I just find it really frustrating that he doesn't have any faith in me. If I pick the high ranking school, there's a good chance I'll be in debt for quite some time.</p>
<p>I'm just so frustrated that he's placed so much importance on ranking. It's like he doesn't even care about how I want to spend my next four years. I think what you do in college is a lot more important than the school you go to. Is it too cocky for me to believe that I have the ability to succeed in the fields I want to pursue, regardless of what school I go to? I already have substantial awards (national and state level), positions, and experiences that indicate I'm proficient for those areas compared to others my age at least :/</p>
<p>What exactly do you mean by “low ranked”? Are we talking a flagship university or another LAC? Specifics would help in this case because maybe that school isn’t as “low” as you and your parents think.</p>
<p>It would help others help you if you specify:</p>
<ul>
<li>Which schools you are referring to.</li>
<li>What your possible majors and post-graduation goals are (if “grad school”, specify PhD vs. professional programs like MD, JD, MBA, etc.).</li>
<li>How much debt would be involved in each choice.</li>
</ul>
<p>Are you planning visits to both schools? Or maybe waiting for all your acceptances before you decide where to visit? There is still time to visit and gather other sources of info about the schools you are interested in. No need to blow up with your parents just yet. Agree to disagree, try to get your feet on the campuses and gain confidence in your top choices before you pick your battle lines.</p>
<p>Have you had THE TALK with your parents, and are you confident they can pay what they are saying they can contribute? Are you also planning to go on to grad school? That is a huge factor to consider when choosing your undergrad. The prestige of the grad school will matter so much more.</p>
<p>Quietly do your research, make your plan, and crunch all the numbers. Include costs for travel, books, etc. Show your parents some love along the way, too. It is not all about you, they are probably feeling the weight of you about to leave their nest. Thank them for all they have done, and let them know you appreciate all their hard work and support through the years. From their perspective, only “the best” will be good enough for their sweet child. It may take some persuasion to convince them to trust your instincts.</p>
<p>You sound really mature and able to make good decisions. Most kids want the coolest school and expect mom and dad to pay. After just finishing paying for 4 years for my D, we are taking a different tack for kids 2 and 3. The emphasis is not on reach schools, but on schools where they are in the top 20%. The financials can be crushing unless your folks are super wealthy. Plus, if you are on a full ride, you get treated like royalty on campus and get the best programs and often funds for study abroad. Plus you will have money left for grad school. Good luck to you…you sound like you will excel no matter where you go.</p>
<p>You sound very wise. And if you are the one paying, the decision should be yours. It’s not fair for your parents to insist on a “higher ranked” school unless they are willing to pay the difference. </p>
<p>And I agree with you that college is what you make of it. Unless the so-called low ranked school is really truly terrible, you will do just fine. </p>
<p>It would be helpful if you tell us the name of the “low-ranked” school, if you want opinions about it. </p>
<p>Also, it may be that the low ranked school is better than the high ranked school for some majors, possibly including those of interest to the student. Or the low ranked school may be truly awful in what the student wants to study. But only naming the schools and the academics of potential interest will allow others to help in this respect.</p>
<p>Giving full consideration shouldn’t be met with any resistance. And wait to see all your offers. If you got into one top 20 it is possible you can get into another. How much debt are you talking about? </p>
<p>Without knowing the schools or your major/future desires, your question is impossible to answer.</p>
<p>However, my middle son chose a Top 30 National U with basic student loans and is loving it there taking full advantage of all the opportunities it offers for research, etc. His academic peer/friend from high school chose a Top 30 Regional U where he got a full ride. Over Christmas the two were talking and comparing. His peer is taking advantage of what is there, but admits it’s not what he likes - it’s just “all they have.” He wishes he had gone the “basic” debt route to have had far more options to choose from. Both schools are very similar in size, so it’s not a factor in what is offered. They just differ - probably due to research funding they have.</p>
<p>I have no doubts that both will be successful with their future plans though. It’s just a matter of the path to get there (and the cost) being different.</p>
<p>If “all they have” is also what interests you at the lower ranked school, it could be a win-win.</p>
<p>I know of students who could have gone to much higher ranked schools who took full rides at the University of Pittsburgh or the University of Maryland at College Park so that they would have no undergraduate debt. And it worked out OK for them. But these are not low-ranked schools. They’re major public universities with lots of opportunities for high-achieving students to do interesting things.</p>
<p>If your low-ranked school is similar to Pitt or UMCP, I think you’ll be fine there. But if it’s well below that level, maybe not.</p>
Hmmm. Forgive me if I probe a bit here, but is there any other reason you are interested in the lower-ranked school that you haven’t mentioned? For example, is a boyfriend/girlfriend going there? Or is it a famously fun party school? I agree that finances are important–who will be paying for your education, and how much debt will be necessary?</p>
<p>No apparently mention of what the “low ranked school” is, although New Jersey residents posting here commonly seem to think of Rutgers as something to run away from as fast as they can.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of your insightful replies guys! I’m not really comfortable sharing the low ranked school just because I think someone might find me, but it’s a private lac and it’s ranked below top 130 in terms of lac rankings on us news. And I made a mistake, it wasn’t full ride, but rather full tuition. The rest of it would leave me paying like 8k a year though? Idunno, I still think that sounds nice. Don’t get me wrong, there are so many things I love about Wesleyan university…it actually has all the qualities I can think of in a dream school…if I went there I’d probably double major in art and economics or international relations. I mean, it’s not like that other school is my first choice, I just want them to keep an open mind about it I guess. @Hunt…no, the free ride is honestly the only reason. I mean I just like the LAC qualities overall, but those apply to wesleyan too haha. @SouthernHope…lol I have four schools left to wait on, and based on the harsh results I got for today’s schools, I wouldn’t count on it</p>
<p>As for money, parents are offering me 100k for all four years no matter what college, and told me the rest of it is what I’m responsible for paying off…so if i attended wesleyan id be maybe be like 150k in debt?</p>
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