<p>An awful lot about this post doesn’t add up. I think I’ll skip the bait.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>Some things are odd, but I’m not detecting blatant dishonesty. I do think there must be a mistake in regards to the UF rejection. I think the GC needs to pursue that. If the Val of a school with a decent ACT can’t get into the flagship, something is wrong. Since the family is affluent, I doubt the student goes to a crappy school where his GPA is rather meaningless.</p>
<p>I think Thumper and others are right that the family has consumer debt…probably expensive cars, credit card debt from material purchases, and probably a pricey mortgage. </p>
<p>I doubt that there are a bunch of little ones in the family since the parents take numerous childless trips every year. That more sounds like a family that only has kids that can at least drive (but I could be wrong). </p>
<p>I just think that the parents were not forthcoming, they withheld important info (which is a form of lying), and they misled this student into applying to impossible schools. Since they don’t want to have their lifestyle affected, they should have - at a minimum - told their child a year ago what the financial parameters are - especially after the UW visit. They have an older child in college, therefore they cannot claim ignorance about college costs.</p>
<p>I have to agree with Hudsonvalley51. There’s no way this kid was first in his class with a 4.0/4.6 GPA and was rejected from the state schools he listed unless there is some anomaly in his application (bad recommendation, terrible essay?). We’re not getting the whole story here.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>Yes, there could be a bad rec, but wouldn’t there be a bad rec for the other schools, too? Mistakes happen; I think the GC should call.</p>
<p>The OP is also interested in knowing if he can bring his own boat to Madison.</p>
<p>I am going with a high debt load. I know it is unfathomable to some, but a lot of that income goes to taxes and owning your own business in a luxury market is probably not all that great in this economy. However, my H - while not complaining about college costs - still thinks jeans run about $30 a pair (which only makes it more obvious he doesn’t shop for himself). So maybe parents need a reality check or perhaps they’ve already paid into state college savings plan, etc. Instead of complaining about what they spend on themselves (your mom may have issues if she needs a new coach bag every month since really, they don’t even change that much), you should get more to the crux of the matter and that is why they think $20K is the max in spending.</p>
<p>This said… I also think a lot of this post doesn’t add up.</p>
<p>Sorry pal, why dont you try to sell the boat or bag on ebay. I am sure they won’t mind if you told them afterward, just like what they did.</p>
<p>The OP also got accepted to Emory. His GC needs to contact UF; there has to be a mistake!</p>
<p>thumper 1, your post #19 was popular with ME! And while I think hudsonvalley51 may be right… </p>
<p>OP, it really doesn’t matter if you feel your parents are being selfish. THEY get to decide what they are going to do with their money - right or wrong. It is time to stop dwelling on how you would LIKE things to be and deal with the way things ARE.</p>
<p>As thumper mentions, they have offered you $80,000 towards college. My guess is that you either did not apply to the financial safeties you say rejected you, or in some way did not complete the applications properly so you would be ineligible - probably on the assumption that your parents would then be forced to pay for the more expensive schools. A couple of options are to take a gap year and re-apply to schools that meet your parents’ requirements or attend a community college for the first two years which would leave about $40,000/year for the last two years at an expensive school.</p>
<p>That you are inquiring about parking “your” boat at a school you cannot afford shows that you have net yet quite absorbed the situation in which you find yourself.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>I don’t understand why everyone believes that the rejection to UF was a mistake. I know several kids from in-state, private prep schools, top athletes (not trying to be recruited), excellent ECs, near perfect (2300+) SATs, top 5% of class that were not accepted to UF. There are many, many kids each year who would be “qualified” to attend UF that don’t get in. They have in the range of 25,000 applicants and offer admission to less than 11,000. Certainly in the pool of 14,000or so applicants are many who have the stats for UF. There are only so many spots available.</p>
<p>If UF is rolling admissions, it makes even more sense to be rejected since the early birds will definitely get the worms.</p>
<p>Oh, did he apply late? </p>
<p>I realize that UF rejects lots of kids, but often publics cannot reject in-state kids, who apply on-time, with minimally qualifying stats for fear of being accused of being unfair. </p>
<p>This kid’s stats are within the top 30% or so.</p>
<p>This kid SAYS his stats are in the top 30%. He also SAYS he completed the application to his flagship but…did he SNAFU it because he really doesn’t want to GO there. With his “reported” stats, he is quite eligible for Bright Futures…and since he says he got accepted to those other well regarded schools…his SAT/ACT scores must also be well within the guidelines for the Bright Futures monies. </p>
<p>Sorry…I agree…he is whining about his parents’ excess spending but he wants to take a BOAT to Wisconsin from Florida? You know…it’s not free to own, transport, store, or run a boat. Oh…he has to GET the boat to Wisconsin and that won’t be free. And the boating season in Wisconsin is in the SUMMER…not during the school year…brrr. I’m sure he plans to have some vehicle with him so he can GET to his boat…since I doubt that U Wisconsin runs shuttle services to the local marinas.</p>
<p>Sorry…this whole situation just doesn’t add up…not at all.</p>
<p>^^^Definitely NOT the case at UF. They reject tons of in-state kids with top 25% and above stats. They accept aprox 3% OOS, 97% in-state with 75%+ in top 10% of class and 85% with a GPA of 3.75 (recalculated). App deadline is Nov. 1, with decisions mid Feb. Late apps are accepted through March 1st with decisions in late spring, although I don’t know a lot who get accepted this late.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s your parents who are being selfish. They are making you a fair offer as to what they are willing to pay for your college education. If they do spend money like water, OK they earned it. You don’t deserve more just because your parents are rich.</p>
<p>^^I agree with GTalum. I think it’s OK for parents to set a budget. It may appear not to be fair on the surface, but bottom line is they are paying and they can set the budget. Whether or not the OP sabotaged his UF application there is nothing here except speculation. If the OP did sabotage his application then he will live with the consequences of where he has been accepted in Florida.</p>
<p>Wow, there’s a lot of judgement here. You are all right that we don’t have the full picture. Some well to do families (or appearing well to do) can live miserable, toxic lives. There isn’t one thread weaving oddly, there may be many – and an 18 kid can be smart and frustrated even if there are tons of things he is not doing “perfectly.” </p>
<p>Kiddo, you’ve been dealt a hand to play. Play it as well as you can. One path might be to go to the Florida school your parents support and be determined as hell that you will get an education AND you will learn people skills so that no family or boss ever has you behind the eight ball again. (once more, I do recommend “Toxic Parents” and “Emotional Blackmail”). </p>
<p>Please don’t idealize UF or Madison. Both are strong schools but they are far from perfect. They may have spoken to your heart and it’s ok to grieve some. Then lick your wounds AND GO LIVE. I’m rooting for you.</p>