<p>We are NYS residents. My son was accepted fall 2008 freshman. We are visiting both VTech and JMU accepted students weekend in April. In your opinion, is a degree from Vtech worth OOS tuition. We have a high EFC, so no financial aid money. At this point, haven't gotten any merit money, so we would be paying totally out of pocket. I know Vtech has a great reputation. We are also considering SUNY'S. Is a degree from a more nationally known school like Vtech worth all that extra tuition? Also, he hasn't chosen a major yet. Possibly business, accounting, secondary ed-math.</p>
<p>It depends on what other options you have and what you want to do with it. If he wants to stay in the NY area he'd probably be better served in any of those majors with a degree from a good NY school.</p>
<p>ddotjon,
We are on same boat down here in Miami. Son was accepted to a good engineering school in florida and we know Aerospace Engineering at UCF is a very good choice, but we also have Vtech acceptance to consider. I have tried to ask, goggle it etc etc but no one has been able to tell me if it is worth spending such large amount of money to go to VT.My step son went to VT in 96 and he could not tell me too much about it. He has some opinion that it may not be worth too much if you keep it on the undergraduate level. We know VT is top in engineering and that may swing in their favor, but we also qualify for some financial aid and that helps. Any other subject, other than engineering, VT would not play a part on our decision. It would be on-state.</p>
<p>VT definately has better engineering than UCF</p>
<p>esmitty01,
we know the reputation of VT in engineering and they are top notch but in some ways it is up to the student to make the best of it. At recruiting time, from own experience, employers are more impressed with GPAs and how dutiful you have been with college work. Not to say that famous schools don't matter but you better have good grades all around..BTW..you are still waiting on FA from VT aren't you?</p>
<p>YES!!! I am.... Have you gotten any yet? or was that just a mention to the fact that i need money too :D lol. I got that 5k merit scholarship. I'm excited/nervous though to get my award, i heard it comes this week, could be wrong though</p>
<p>And yes I no prestige is not everything. Go with what works for you. I was just simply stating that VT is known better than UCF, and new york schools really, for engineering. Not that UCF isn't a good school, and not that you couldn't get the same opportunities. </p>
<p>Honestly the reason i will chose tech over any school, unless i get a full ride (not happening) is that i just felt right on the campus. Absolutely beautiful. I'm such a southern boy at heart (live in ohio, born in SC), and I just love the atmosphere in blacksburg. I can't wait to be fly fishing on some remote stream down there, and hunt in the jefferson national forest! </p>
<p>But ya, go with what works for you, and if thats money, then take the better deal.</p>
<p>Scholarships are available almost year-round, even for college students. The is a ton of money out there for merit based, community service, unique characteristics (though they usually offer little money) and sports of course. If your son is going into eningeering (one you didn't list), go for VT all the way. You could also check out a book on the school that he might be interested in looking through. It is a book for students that describes what the school is like in comparison to others varying from drug prevalence to academic work-load, to how the girls look. It is through c-o-l-l-e-g-e-p-r-o-w-l-e-r(dot)com and the book for VT costs around $16, as should the rest. Also check out the business week site looking for the Virginia tech article; Don't know if this link will show up {<a href="http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/undergraduate/06profiles/vapoly1.htm">http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/undergraduate/06profiles/vapoly1.htm</a>}. good luck.</p>
<p>Thanks for everybody's input...hopefully, we get the FA statement soon and that will tell a lot. I was hoping he would get that 5K that some other posters have been mentioning, but he hasn't as of yet. I don't expect anything from JMU as far as merit money, from what I read they don't give out much, and he got 2K for UMW. And the SUNY's are still an option, although he got rejected at Bing, go figure his instate school, and spring admit for Geneseo. He's in at Suny Buffalo, but probably not interested in going.</p>