In your opinion, would it be better to go to a more challenging school where GPA & SAT’s are average or a school where she is at the top level of SAT’s/GPA and offered a spot on the Honors program?
There is no one right answer for everyone. Both of my kids preferred to go to the more overall challenging school and it was the right choice for them. Probably most importantly they both felt more comfortable, more excited about the school they ultimately attended and all of the schools considered in the end fell within our financial means. And both kids had a great college experience --great professors, great fellow students etc. But it is understandable why others would make a different choice. Some things to consider…
-Do you (or your child) have a preference?
-Is there a price differential that is meaningful to your family?
-What exactly does the honor program provide – it varies tremendously school to school?
Money aside, there is a very, very big difference between the average student at these two schools. The average ACT at Bloomsberg is a 20 and Marist about a 26. One is below the national average and one in the 83rd percentile.
I can’t see how you get around that by having an honors program. Who would really care?