Thank you for that insight! That’s pretty awesome that at that age he was able to step back and see the bigger picture and not get too caught up in his love of the Gators. It seems like the high-achieving students in Florida REALLY get caught up in getting into UF, and it’s such a status symbol for these students. I worry that her Gator family legacy, her “brainy” friends and the lure of a very inexpensive education will overshadow what she is TRULY needing in a university for the next 4 years. I’ve told her she can always come back and be a Gator in grad school! 
Unfortunately, we don’t have the resources to help her much with the out of state private schools, so if she does end up at a school like Wake, she will no doubt incur a lot of debt. Not necessarily a deal-breaker, but as a numbers girl, the idea of being $150k in debt upon graduation does scare her. She is heavily leaning towards a degree in Statistics/Analytics and has moved away from the Accounting option. She had no idea how much she loved stats/probability until her AP Stats course this year…very grateful she took that course and was able to learn that about herself.
Also, she has been talking to Stetson…and the package they are presenting her is becoming increasingly hard to ignore. She is submitting for the J. Ollie Edmunds scholarship and they have already awarded her nearly full tuition, the ability to bypass many of the gen-ed courses as well as the promise of a paid job doing what she loves (numbers) on campus. The small campus/town does appeal to her, and she is happy to hear that NONE of the classes are taught by TA’s. You can really see how the personalized attention and focus is something that just can’t be overlooked. My son went to UF and we saw first hand what happens when you are one person in a sea of 55,000 students. Did you happen to look at Stetson with your son?
Miami of Ohio is always worth a look for high stat kids seeking merit aid at a college with an excellent business program. On the other hand, there is a lot to be said for a college that you don’t have to fly to, or better yet, is within a half-day’s drive of home, so that picking up & dropping off kid does not have to be an overnight trip.
Id add SMU if interested in southern-ish schools and add it to other private schools listed.
Depending on your EFC/ income, meet need private colleges OOS may even a good alternative.
Very true! That was at the top of her criteria list…school must be drivable in less than a day. She has limited her applications to the Southeast for this reason. However, she did apply to Harvard, UPenn and Cornell…and if any of them accept her, it will change our conversation considerably.
We are just above what’s considered “need”. Too poor to afford the private schools, but too rich for need-based aid. I think that a lot of middle-class American families fall into that category!
I would love for her to consider schools in Texas! Unless there’s a compelling program, she isn’t interested in states outside of a day’s drive. Oh well.
TCU ?
We were in a similar situation a yr ago. S was accepted into UF Honors, Presidential scholarship, etc. He just didn’t like the environment. We did spend a good amount of time at Warrington and he liked that but was fond of the rest of it. His mother and I agreed he would be far happier (and receive the type of experience we were hoping for) at a smaller, more intimate school and decided on Wake Forest. He has thrived there. The place is amazing.
Regarding accounting, you’ll not find a better set of professors, curriculum and outcome. It is clearly a program designed for public accounting. Wake Forest has had the best 1st time CPA pass rates 15 out of the last 18 yrs. That’s pretty astounding. They also boast 100% job placement of all grads (most with multiple Big4 offers). One thing that is unique is their Financial Transaction Services track, so many of their grads work in valuation, M&A due diligence, etc. right out of undergrad.
It’s not really a matter of better or worse as that is quite subjective. For us, there is no comparison between the resources, small discussion based classes, overall environment, etc. But that’s for us. We place a different value on certain things and are able to afford the huge expense of a fine private education.
Wake is a great option if she gets good merit aid there. I did Accounting at UNCCH and it is a wonderful program, but tuition costs should definitely factor into your decision.
I should also mention Wake places quite well in banking and consulting. Pretty large numbers relative to the size of the school.
Another school to look at if she has any interest in the northeast is Bentley. They do a great job preparing kids for the real world in many business sectors. Heavy placement in the NE at all the major firms. A nice thing about the Boston market is there are several large asset management companies (Fidelity, MFS, Wellington, Putnam, etc) for internships in the city. All the major banks and BIg4 too. Big tech exposure as well.