<p>It doesn’t help that his dream school is ranked #1 for his major.</p>
<p>??</p>
<p>The only major that I can see that UMich is ranked #1 in is Management. Is that it?</p>
<p>I thought it was a more unique major since you mentioned that his instate public doesn’t have his major.</p>
<p>is ranked #1 in his major, which some people say doesn’t matter, but several recruiters in this field have told us differently. He is set on this major and has been for years. It’s his job now, even.</p>
<p>The only major that I see that UMich is #1 is Business Mgmt. Is that it? Are these recruiters claiming that if you go to Purdue, UTexas and other good B-schools that you’ll be at a disadvantage in this field? </p>
<p>Or is it a different major?</p>
<p>Osserpusser - Reading through your posts in this thread, I have absolutely no doubt that you will make the right decision . . . and that your son will do just fine, whatever that decision is.</p>
<p>(You’re still not accepting PM’s, though! ;))</p>
<p>@mom His unique major is SportManagement with a dual business enrollment. He’s one of 150 freshmen that has been accepted into SM; business I believe he needs to apply. We need to look at his all of his offers–we are sitting down and making spreadsheets this week–but I do remember Purdue was the Presidential Scholarship combined with another for close to full. Yes, recruiters from teams I work with have told us they prefer a true SM program and not just a business program that offers sports classes. Apparently, you can piece a major together but the teams recruit from actual programs at Michigan, Texas and Oregon mostly. I hire for my department as well so I know that’s not a given–to me, internships in college are the best indicators of a student’s knowledge and drive. Darn, I know I changed that PM setting. I’ll try again!</p>
<p>Point well taken, @kelsmom!</p>
<p>Osserpusser… S also got into UMich EA. I wasn’t at all sure he would, so didn’t worry too much about the cost. Didn’t even visit because didn’t want to spend the money if he wasn’t going to get in. Well, of course, he proved me wrong and got in EA to COE. Ok, he then thought it was his first choice, but we had long discussions about the fact that he would also probably not get any merit money, and we don’t qualify for FA. We made a visit recently, and on his own he came to the conclusion that while it IS a great school, it is not worth the $20k more a year over his other choices, considering he is likely to make roughly the same starting salary coming out with a degree from any of his other schools. We would have paid for it, but it just does NOT make sense. Your son sounds like an equally smart kid… given the facts and the opportunity to do so, I’m guessing he will make a smart decision. And merit money from UT is nothing to sneeze at! I know for a fact, they don’t give much more money than UMich…</p>
<p>Ahh…at a number of other schools, SM is a grad school program.</p>
<p>OP, your situation is almost a duplicate of ours. In 2008, our investments went belly up and DH lost his job while I had been a SAHM for 23 years. D1 was starting senior year of college in a dual degree program at a private school that would require 2 additional grad school years. D2 had just started college at a different private school. Unemployment was 17% in our area and it was 18 months before DH found a job. I found a full time job that paid $9 an hour and was grateful for that. All our savings were wiped out. Thank goodness for the merit scholarships the girls already had; both had to take out stafford loans for the first time. Meanwhile D3 was entering college in fall of 2009. We had to say no to private college for her-her dream school- because while she had a decent merit scholarship most of the remaining aid was a huge parent plus loan which we were unwilling to take on while DH was still unemployed. She accepted merit aid that was a few thousand more than tuition at our state school. We were all heartbroken for her. But, you know what, she has made the most of her opportunities there- has studied abroad, has had two paid summer internships in a field where it isn’t easy to get paid internships (not for profit management), has been accepted into the top public affairs grad program in the country, top honors in her major, …She has thrived and I truly believe and she does too that things would not have turned out any better if she had attended her dream school. Many students deserve their dream school but can’t go for whatever reason. Students with the desire and motivation will make their dreams come true wherever they land.</p>
<p>@Hoosiermom Wow, it’s so good to to hear from someone who has literally walked in our shoes. Sometimes it feels like no one else has. Are things going better for you now? We feel really lucky to be in a better situation, and in reality, the kids have learned so much more going through this than they would have otherwise. I feel like they are better people for it, actually. </p>
<p>Remember the very beginning of the process where you knew you had to tell her she couldn’t go? That’s where we are. Gut wrenching. I’m operating 100% on emotion on this board, but I know in my head this isn’t going to work. He more than any of our other kids has made the best of every single curve we’ve had to throw at him, and I know he’ll do well wherever he goes. </p>
<p>This is obviously helping me see this is more about me and my issues than him. Thank you ALL so much. This has been cathartic. And I <em>should</em> be accepting PMs now.</p>
<p>OP, I think you might be surprised to find a lot of people in your position! One of my kids made that choice with public versus private high school. He liked the private high school but he said it wasn’t worth all that money. He was right. </p>
<p>You said Texas (I am guessing Texas A&M) and Oregon also have sports management? How does the $ work out there and how do the grads do as far as jobs?</p>