<p>Looking for some experienced parents advice:</p>
<p>DD got into #1 which is $8K more (in tuition:R&B is same price) than #2,#3.
She LOVES #1 (dancing around the house when she saw acceptance yesterday)
She Likes #2 and#3 -- accepted back in November and December with scholarship $ off the OOS price. Full OOS price for #1.</p>
<p>We can probably afford #1 but I'm a practical person that crunches numbers and that comes to x4= $32K which can be used for the younger brother someday. Other notes: we probably spoil her rotten... she "tittered with glee" when we came upon #1 school (back country road and then the school appears). #2 has a better rep for her major but I like them both. Both fit her personality. #1 has better weather.</p>
<p>Looking for responses of sending kid to #2 choice and how did it work out?</p>
<p>Did you have a discussion with her before she applied about the price limits, and did you consider the price limits with the younger brother in mind in the future?</p>
<p>If not (or you overpromised back then), you are between a rock and a hard place – either disappoint your daughter now, or disappoint your younger son in the future when he faces are more cost-restricted choice of colleges than his older sister did.</p>
<p>It is impossible to ever know for sure - she could end up loving No. 2 in the long run. Can she work part-time and during the summer to mitigate the debt?</p>
<p>I don’t know that 8K is a huge difference in the grand scheme, but a consideration. How much better for her major is it? What if, down the road, the brother gets a full ride and you don’t need that extra $32K for him??</p>
<p>Thumper makes a good suggestion. If your D takes student loans each year, then that would be about $27k that would be available for younger son. However, if you were already planning on having her do that, it won’t help. :/</p>
<p>Yes – we have a deal, the two “cheapest” schools. She’s okay with #2 but she’s so ecstatic about #1 (see… I spoil her rotten). We don’t need the loans now. Son has his own college fund but $32K is a chunk of change, in almost any household. I just made the agreed-upon deal but Dad talks about the “kids excel where they’re happy”. More comments?</p>
<p>I like the loan option. Our daughter got into her first and second choice schools and got a full tuition offer from the school she will graduate from next month. The difference for us was about $40k per year. We did tell her that we would expect her to take out some loans if she wanted her dream school although we could have made it happen. We, too, had one younger child. DD decided that she did not want to owe anyone anything and followed the money.</p>
<p>For journalism, I would look into which school offers the widest range of opportunities for getting experience in her area of interest. With both of them in the top ten, there may not be too many differences.</p>
<p>Have you talked to the financial aid office? It’s possible they’ll sweeten the deal if #2 is a higher ranked school. Personally I’d let my kid go to the first choice. IMO, you are tell the kids up front what you can afford and you don’t renege on those promises. If #1 was affordable in the fall, it still is.</p>
<p>Meaning #2 and #3 are the two cheaper schools, and you agree to pay for the higher of these two with no loans?</p>
<p>Then you can allow her to go to #1 with your contribution as the higher of #2 or #3, but she has to cover the rest. $8,000 per year is often in the ballpark of the expected student contribution at many schools’ financial aid offices – they expect the student to contribute a Stafford loan ($5,500) plus some summer or school-year work earnings. Basically, you would allow her to decide whether going to #1 over #2 is worth the Stafford loans, work earnings, or frugal living she will have to put in.</p>
<h1>1 is a more prestige school (we weren’t sure even she’d get in) but #2 has better program for her major. She’s just so dang happy with #1 but she’s been to #2 for a summer program so… I was just looking for comments on how sending a kid to their “like” school vs. their “love” school worked out.</h1>
<p>Yes to ucbalumnus. I think that would be the choice to see how much she “loves” it. She’s quite the bargain hunter and understand finances for a kid her age. I think she might say OK to #2 when it comes to money out of her pocket!</p>
<p>If you let it be her choice within the constraints of your previous agreement (see post #12), then it is likely to be a better outcome (even if she chooses #2) than if you try to force her to go to #2.</p>
<p>Is her top choice school UGa? From your other thread, it appears that UGa is her top choice. I don’t see that it’s ranked for journalism. Or is her top choice another school?</p>
<p>What is her second choice? It’s ranked #3 in the nation in journalism?</p>
<p>Maybe it’s me, but if I was willing to pay for #1 without knowing about #2 and #3, I think it would be disingenuous of me to take it off the table because #2 came in with a lower price tag unless this discussion occurred beforehand. </p>
<p>My kids decided which schools appealed to them.</p>
<p>We sent our daughter to #8 (okay, I’ll apply, but I’M NEVER GOING THERE!), and she loves it! Once your kid gets to school, what becomes important are they friends they make. She’ll be fine at #2 or #3.</p>
<p>Don’t know how practical this would be but what about saying you cannot take a car to #1 though the family could afford for her to keep a car at #2? Just trying to measure some level of commitment via sacrifice.</p>