<p>...if the only other option is University of Colorado, Boulder? CU isn't necessarily "bad"......it's just that UW is "better". I would major in business w/ a concentration in marketing either way, and money isn't a problem. Still, if there isn't any benefits to going to UW compared to CU, then I wouldn't want to waste the money on nothing.
Thoughs?</p>
<p>Well, I’m assuming that you are an “in-stater” for UC-Boulder, because I’ve got a buddy going there and the OOS tuition for that school is around 40k I think, even more than OOS for UW.</p>
<p>IMO, the UW would suffice, unless you get in-state tuition at UC-Boulder, because for undergrad, I believe the best education for your money is the best choice, and from what I’ve heard UC-boulder is good (maybe i’ve just heard about their grad schools, but not sure)…</p>
<p>Yeah, I do live in CO. According to businessweek, Boulder’s undergrad business program is ranked 89th out of all US schools, while UW is ranked 25th, so according to the rankings, there IS a noticeable difference. The dilemma that I’m facing is that I don’t know if the difference in these rankings actually MEAN anything. How will my college education and future job search differ? And will the differences be enough to justify paying expensive out-of-state tuition?</p>
<p>Rankings are meaningless, it is all about what YOU can do and how you present yourself to an employer. Is prestige the only thing you are considering? It is definitely a factor, but have you visited both campuses to get a feeling for them?</p>
<p>D is all set to go to UW. It has been her choice for 2 years and it is a wonderful school, however we were expecting a 7% increase (25,056 in tuition OOS) and we got our Fine Aide report (only a couple of very small loans) which we were expecting but now we hear tuition may go up as much as 14% and this is causing us to reconsider her attendance. 7% is doable but 14% then at least 7% increase for the next 3 years after that may not be worth attending for us. Especially when D has a scholarship she is turning down at UCLA in the same major. D is heartbroken but we’ll see if she has any outside scholarships coming in. So sad:(</p>
<p>Any1can-are you serious, your daughter is turning down a scholarship at UCLA to come to Seattle and pay mega out of state tuition for the UW? The only possible reason I can see to do that is if she really wants to get out of CA and come and live in Seattle (I love living here, but our winters are really gray) or there is an amazingly great program at the UW that is much better than UCLA (maybe comp sci, or)? Maybe a boyfriend who lives here?</p>
<p>I think the UW is a fine school, but I’d rather pay $25K for UCLA then get the UW for free. Is UCLA unattractive to her because it is close to home? That is a spectacular campus and a very prestigious school to get accepted to and graduate from. I honestly can’t see why she is even considering this. Just my 2 cents for you!</p>
<p>busdriver-you probably just aided in her decision to go to UCLA when she reads this- thank you. In answer to your question- D loves UW we have spent a total of 6 days just on campus to get a feel for the U and people there and she loved it! She did want to get out of CA for a change and she likes rainy/gray weather :), no boyfriend just friends and relatives in WA. She a pre-science major (MCD) at UW and a direct admit to Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at UCLA so the same majors at both schools. She was also accepted to Cal (I guess she is a smart kid-lol). We told her she could go to UW because she worked so hard and deserved a choice but the tuition increase and budget uncertainty have caused us to reconsider-especially with a scholarship at UCLA and no fine aid at UW, which we knew beforehand so not complaining. And UCLA is about 45 minutes away from home. Son went there as well. I told her most people would love to be in her position, she actually is lucky. Anyway, thanks for the commonsense</p>
<p>Any1can, I am glad I am of use and not being too irritating putting in an unasked for opinion, but I couldn’t help it! I’m not sure where Cal is, being a Washingtonian, is that Berkeley? If that is so, wow, those are 2 amazing schools and so hard to get into. Perhaps your daughter could use some of that hard earned money you have saved for her and go to graduate school at the UW.</p>
<p>I think there are generally 3 groups of kids that apply to the UW-though your daughter is obviously not in this mix. Kids who are from the area, who have always wanted to be a Husky, this is the path they always expected to go on and want to be near their friends and family. Kids who are interested in a particularly highly rated program there (my son). Kids who are from the local area who just put it as a backup to the schools they really want to go to (all of his friends). </p>
<p>I know kids who applied to Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Stanford (and some got in) that didn’t even attempt to put in applications at UCLA or Berkeley because they knew they had zero shot of getting in. My son goes to a very tough private school, and in the last 6 years only 2 have gotten into UCLA and 2 into Berkeley (probably the same 2 kids). 15 have gotten into Brown, 8 into Harvard, 22 to Stanford, 8 to Yale and 14 to Princeton-for comparison’s sake. 295 have gotten into the UW, with most not attending. I know going to a local school probably doesn’t sound that interesting to alot of kids, but if your local school is one of the best in the US, why pay the big bucks to go somewhere not as highly rated? I don’t mean to put down the UW, my parents went there, and I took some classes there too but graduated elsewhere. It is a nice school, I love Seattle, but…UCLA! And Berkeley (if that is the other school), wow!</p>
<p>any1can- As a Ca. mom myself, I have enjoyed your enthusiasm for Seattle and the UW. We’ve sent two of our three children there. The third went east… We spent many years living 45 min. from UCLA, and presently live 45 min. from Berkeley. They are both incredible schools and it is indeed hard to justify walking away from that IS tuition. However, I have absolutely no qualms about our decision. I honestly believe that UW and the Seattle area offers a unique and special atmosphere–a wonderful combination of academics, environment, lifestyle, diversity and mix of all-around type students that is unique to the northwest. Both of my children had extraordinary experiences in Seattle and feel bonds to UW that they do not see to that extent from their friends who attended school here. I can’t explain it and don’t understand, but I think that the school is just so balanced in all aspects that it draws the type of kids that love it and make it a special place for them. Anyway, that’s another subject…
What I wanted to say is that I would consider delaying any final financial decisions until you at least find out how this will affect OOS kids. From all that I have read and heard, the proposed 14% increase is for resident tuition…not OOS. I have seen no OOS increases mentioned, though I am sure they will be coming. I am guessing/hoping however, that the increase may not be nearly that percentage. Just a thought…</p>
<p>The UW is facing a MAJOR reduction in state funding–according to the UW President it is one of the worst cuts in the country–far worse than the UC cuts. Think twice before paying lots of OOS $$$. You might not be getting the same product.</p>
<p>[What</a> the state budget proposals could mean for the UW : President Emmert’s Blog - washington.edu](<a href=“What the state budget proposals could mean for the UW – Office of the President”>What the state budget proposals could mean for the UW – Office of the President)</p>
<p>In the end, it is a matter of using your best judgment. No one knows the answers for the future. The UC system has been facing these woes for 5 years now–fee increases, program cutbacks, etc. Their fees are currently 25% higher than UW and cost of living is much higher also. Personally, I’ve heard a lot more from Berkeley kids about impacted majors than I have from UDub kids. I could name 100 kids that have gone thru the UW in four years - none I know took longer. Another thing to consider is how transparent the schools are attempting to be-and how reactive they are being to the current economics. I give Emmert kudos for a consistently open line of communication. He has diligently led with openness, willingness to take stands, give opinions, and make hard decisions. Barron’s–I’m sure you noticed that the proposed cuts did NOT include tuition increases or stimulus $$ to offset cuts–kind of the point of his letter.</p>
<p>Things are bad everywhere. All I am saying is to wait for all the facts before making final decisions.</p>
<p>Good luck with your decision–it’s a win/win.</p>
<p>It is with great sadness that D and I bid UW forum good-bye:( Since D wants to go to grad school and possibly med school, and with the state’s and UW’s budget woes, it doesn’t make financial sense at this point to wait on the tuition increases and possible a 5th year. A possible 5th year is doable at the UC’s if needed and we can pay for a year or two of grad school. We laid the numbers (and possible numbers) out for D and let her choose where she wanted to spend the $$. She has a scholarship at UCLA that she was going to turn down but it just did not make sense when we laid all the recent facts out. Anyway, now a spot can open up for someone on the waitlist. Best of luck to all of you!! Enjoy your time in college! Thanks for all the advice we received. You people are all really nice!</p>