<p>Maybe your parents just don’t think it is worth spending lots of extra $ to go to a school that isn’t substantially better academically than public options closer to home. Even if we were all to agree that Fordham, for instance, was a measurably better school than Kentucky, I really don’t think it is worth 40K a year more plus travel expenses. Financial aid might help, but if money isn’t the issue here and your parents have been able to pay for expensive private high school out of pocket, I doubt you’d get much. No matter how you cut it, you’ll still wind up with a big cost differential. If we were talking Northwestern vs. UK, I might have a different opinion, assuming your parents could afford it, but that isn’t the case.</p>
<p>Keep in mind when you compare public to private universities that private universities are always going to have somewhat higher test scores than public ones of comparable stature simply because they draw from a wealthier population, and one of the many things money can buy is higher SATs scores. You should also consider that any flagship state university is going to have some really outstanding students just because it is the best option for smart kids who want to or have to stay in state. </p>
<p>Frankly, you’re coming off as pretty entitled to me. Unless you went to one of a handful of elite boarding schools for high school, no college is going to seem just like high school. You’re living on your own, you have more choice in what you study, and the courses are taught on a different schedule and a different level. Maybe UK isn’t everything you want in a school, but it can be a great four year experience if you choose to take advantage of opportunities. As a graduate student, I can tell you that even if UK doesn’t have world-renowned faculty, the competition for academic jobs is so stiff that there are bound to be a lot of pretty bright and accomplished people teaching there.</p>
<p>When it is all over, you can look for a job away from Kentucky and move elsewhere on your own dime.</p>