<p>At least for humanities PHDs, the advice I’ve heard is that if you can’t get into a top program with tuition remission + stipend, you shouldn’t be pursuing the PHD because your job prospects afterwards are poor(er than usual).</p>
<p>^I concur, for any PhD program. </p>
<p>But quite another story for professional programs (law, med, vet, dental, MBA, infomatics) and near impossible to know in advance what your kids might want to do.</p>
<p>Financial safety was the buzz word when my son was looking for schools. He graduated with no debt and lots of job experience as well as a great education. He is now in grad school and took out his first loan for this year but is getting lots of help and has his new job as usual on campus which could be a career path of sorts. In fact every job/internship has helped him understand his strengths and weaknesses, what he likes and what he doesn’t like. Job experience builds on job experience. His financial safety was an LAC so everyone is different and must do their research!</p>
<p>If your state is CA and your kid is offered any sort of FA at a pricier private factor in the FACT that in most majors at most CA publics it takes more than 4 years to get through. Not such a financial safety afterall when you consider the additional years fees room and board. How it all washed out for us…</p>
<p>D1 is attending her safety though she was accepted to 7 of 9 campuses. The cost is less than a CSU after aid</p>
<p>D2 is attending the same safety which was her #1 choice for about the same cost as a UC.</p>
<p>Great Responses, thank you all.</p>
<p>We are OOS (int’l) since we left NY years ago and sold house there. Son has only attended American School albeit in foreign countries. Our school is largish about 3000 kids, with 1100 in HS, counselors are nice but each one has over a 100 students. We haven’t had our meeting yet so scrambling to get a decent list ready. I think we are allowed to apply to 10 colleges.</p>
<p>Son wants to be in California or Texas and there are so many choices in those 2 states alone!</p>
<p>Schools like UT, USC, UCLA, Rice are his reaches…looking for match/safety schools where he can be happy. He likes urban - to be able to walk to places with friends for a meal type urban. Good weather! American U sounds perfect for him from what I gather, but thats on the east coast. Any one can share some views about the 2nd tier UC’s? Like UCI, UCSB, USF,UCSC? Private schools are also fine, Santa Clara is on our radar. What about U of Redlands, Chapman etc? He wants to do Math/CS/Philosophy, does not prefer techy schools.</p>
<p>overseas - What LAC did your S use as a financial safety? Assuming ability to pay 15k, the only one I can think of is UM-Morris. (Or, I suppose, your own state’s public LAC if you’re lucky enough to have one.) I don’t know of any private LACs that guarantee merit aid close to full tuition. Of course, if your able-to-pay threshold is significantly higher than 15k, the picture widens.</p>
<p>My child is at one of her likelies, which also happened to be her top choice the minute she stepped on campus for her accepted students visit.</p>
<p>My daughter was accepted by all of her schools: likelies, matches and reaches, and was quite thrilled with her outcomes.</p>
<p>But she is where she wantes to be. We, her parents, are grateful for the merit award the school gave her (matched only by her other likely). I don’t think enough parents consider that the safeties typically offer the largest merit awards. She would not have been able to attend without it. Overall, it’s a win-win: Highly subsidized tuition and a great education at a wonderful school that she loves.</p>
<p>I always tell my kids they need to love their likelies!</p>
<p>K, He applied to Wooster, Lawrence, Bard, those were his LAC picks. Wooster and LU had the best packages for him. Bard didn’t. USC also offered him a great package. He chose LU.</p>
<p>Pixie, my son grew up overseas and spent his entire time at international schools. He didn’t have a state so to speak as you well know. LU has a large international population and my son was involved with it. He is an American citizen just felt more comfortable with the internationals for awhile. He grew up in the mediterranean region so the winter in Wisconsin, he considered a treat. If your son wants to be in Texas, why not consider Trinity in San Antonio? They encourage kids with international backgrounds.</p>
<p>PM, where is your child going?</p>
<p>Overseas, yes TU is on our list but husband is not keen as he has not heard of it! He keeps talking about UCLA and the likes.</p>
<p>pixeljig:</p>
<p>Like you I have a senior in the mix of things and we live in California and my DH is a state employee. The UC and CSU schools in California are so impacted by budget etc. that our DS’s counselor is strongly encouraging him and other students to apply out of state. Indeed my son went two weeks ago to UCB to visit our neighbor who is a senior and he was telling DS that his friends can’t get their classes, classes are overcrowded and teachers are being let go. Plus the UC system used to have a guarantee program that if you had a certain GPA (I think 3.5) you were considered UC eligible and you would be guaranteed a spot at a UC. they have now gotten rid of that program.</p>
<p>With respect to santa Clara, it is considered the most difficult Catholic college to get into according to our school counselor (my son goes to an all-boy catholic hs.) Perhaps your son wants to look at University of San Diego, my dd went their this summer for a conference and we were impressed with the school. Although you can’t walk to anyplace, a car drive would be less than 5 minutes to some good eating places.</p>
<p>Chapman College is up and coming. My sister just graduated from there. The school is getting a ton of money and opening some great facilities. The Dodge Film School to name one. When I walked the campus I couldn’t believe it was the same place I saw 20 years ago. Plus you can walk to places for a meal. Old Towne Orange is about a 3 minute walk, although there are a lot of antique stores, many new places are opening in the area and your son could easily get a meal. Plus of course the beach is about 30 minutes away.</p>
<p>Pepperdine is another option. Sorry for being the bearer of bad news. California’s state budget is a huge concern to us in-state parents of seniors and my DH’s work says the system is going to get worse before it gets better. All of my neighbors are having work furloughs.</p>
<p>Yes, I see your point.^^</p>
<p>Even though Chapman is known for Film and media majors, their math major should be ok. Most schools will have a decent math dept., isn’t it? </p>
<p>Its the overall experience that counts - that has to be positive, rest everything falls into place. If the kids are happy and learning from the environment thats half the battle won.</p>
<p>Santa Clara looks like a good bet for son too.</p>
<p>Pixie, I sent you a PM.</p>
<p>overseas - How was LU a financial safety, though? Unless you were full-pay?</p>
<p>pixeljig - Depends on what you want to study in math. Generalist education degree, yes, most schools will have a decent math department. If your kid is specifically interested in applied math or statistics or deeply theoretical math, the department may be lacking. Always do your research.</p>
<p>K, LU offers good financial packages to students. I guess it depends on how much you can pay. But more so, my son was able to work and study for his four years including through the summers, the cost of living is much lower there than many other places. He was able to take care of himself. He did have some outside scholarships as well. That of course always helps. I think it depends on individuals as well. The three best schools for aid for him five years ago when he got his acceptances were USC, Wooster and Lawrence. Hands down. Would it be the same this year? I have no idea.</p>
<p>I still would not call that a financial safety, because FA is never guaranteed. But a strong academic safety and financial match, yes.</p>
<p>K, he wants to do applied math or CS. Anyone know about a 2nd Tier College which has a good Math/AppliedMath major?</p>
<p>Son is doing AP Calc BC with differential this year and the teacher said that within the first 2 months this group would have covered the AP course. So, this is like a Calc 2 course in college. He is good at Math and is very interested in Programming, also likes Physics, as of now all 3 majors are of interest to him. He is leaning towards CS though.</p>
<p>He does not want to be in a Totally tech environment. GTech is on our list, but I dunno if he would thrive in that environment. I hear it is very tough!</p>
<p>Desperately looking for a safety, fin aid is not an issue.</p>
<p>Thumper, thanks for your PM, Santa Clara is on out radar, but husband is just not convinced.</p>
<p>pixeljig - How about University of the Pacific (CA) or University of Puget Sound (WA)?</p>
<p>UC Davis used to be strong in CS, and Davis is a very pleasant, livable town. But it’s not a safety, since their admissions rate was lower than usual and less predictable for high-GPA students last year.</p>
<p>^^ UCD was on the first list but had to take it out because of the low acceptance rate. Will look up the other 2, thanks.</p>
<p>To clarify some confusion in this thread:</p>
<p>“Graduate school” refers to MA/MS and PhD programs in the liberal arts and sciences. JD, MD, MBA, etc. programs are in professional schools (law schools, medical schools, business schools), not graduate schools. MA/MS programs and professional degrees usually aren’t funded by departments and/or schools; PhD programs usually are funded by departments and/or schools.</p>