When we toured California schools with my first, we did both self tours and scheduled tours. While I felt like I got a good feeling for the school in a self guided tour, my kids felt they learned more from the scheduled tour. I began to feel like all tours were the same but that was with my perspective after spending 8 years in college. My kids heard different things at the different schools -things that mattered to them that I might have brushed aside. We toured a UC while my oldest was home for break. He was surprised at what he picked up on now that he is in college but wouldnât have paid attention to when he was in high school. The tours are also variable based on tour guide. I wouldnât completely take a good fit off of the list because of one tour guide.
As far as test prep, my oldest prepped over winter break and some of January to take the ACT in Feb. Did well but tried again in April and improved. My second prepped for NMSQT because she had a chance and took the SAT two weeks later. She did well but took it a 2nd time in Dec and improved so is now done. #:-S
We are also full pay and chasing merit. She did well on the NMSQT but Iâm not sure she is interested in any of the NM full ride schools. If we can find a âfitâ that will bring costs down to a UC level, that would be ideal.
I wish I knew the secret to nudging/motivating for test prep here. DS18 never did and DD20 appears poised to follow in his footsteps. DD has really lopsided ACT scores, very high in English and Reading but significantly lower Science and Math, especially Math. If I could just get her to just focus on Math I feel like she could pull a really pretty high score.
Her HS this year started offering a one period, one semester class during the school day for ACT prep. I could not get her to sign up for it. She insisted on taking AP Psych instead. All in order to keep up her class rank with a weighted class. Sigh.
This past weekend she told me she was mad at her BF (affectionately mad) because she dropped Spanish III second semester to take the prep class. All I could say was why donât you follow her and do the same.
She doesnât mind taking it multiple times. But prep for it? Impossible.
@LOUKYDAD I actually applaud your daughter for taking a Psych class over an ACT prep class. The Psych class will undoubtedly be more interesting and could potentially spark an area of interest. An ACT prep class is likely to do neither. Additionally, the ACT prep class might be too general for her. As you stated, her English and Reading scores are already high, so why waste time in a class that would be addressing those areas. No need to go over what you already know. I think for these tests itâs about studying smarter, not more.
My daughter took the test in September (after using the summer to prepare). She used an analytic approach to examine what it was she was missing and focused on those areas exclusively. I think most prep, whether done with a tutor or on your own, is well intended although not well executed. The test is systematic and oneâs approach needs to be as well. Quality study materials are essential too. And the time frame for test prep cannot go on ad infinitum (itâs disheartening) â set a schedule so that thereâs enough time to make improvements but thereâs also an end date.
Iâve noticed a lot of parents here are full pay. We are also in the same boat. D20 probably has a reasonable chance at some decent schools that give out very few merit awards. She is interested in several like that. When our D20 was very young we had always told her if she works hard and gets good grades we would pay for any college she wanted to go to and could get into. Well, back then we were under the impression the prices for these schools were in the $200,000 range and now some are closer to $300,00 (for four years, housing, expenses etc). I know this question has probably been done to death but is it ever worth it tp pay that much for an undergraduate degree? My husband doesnât think so and wants to steer d20 to schools where she would get the most merit money.
@janiemiranda I have 3 kids and we are a merit chasing family. We look hard to find the best schools with the best âfitâ for the least out of pocket expense for each kiddo. We will not go into debt nor allow our children to go into debt for an under grad degree.
Thanks, @3scoutsmom. Weâve been looking a lot at UT Dallas and like what we see there. I think right now it is D20s best fit if we go the merit award route.
@janiemiranda UTD is at the top of our list as well - partly because of the merit money (we are also full pay). D20 is the youngest of four. Our older three all graduated with no debt and had good scholarships.
@janiemiranda I never like to tell people how to spend their money (although I think it all the time). I donât think itâs how much you spend on a college that counts, itâs how much you have left over when youâre done. And, itâs not just UG that you may have to worry about. Maybe thereâs more schooling after that they you want to help with. Maybe you want to pay for a study abroad, too? How about that unpaid internship over the summer? Are you going to make it fair for any siblings?
While I donât think spending $300K makes sense in the context of our family, it may be OK for another family. Our goal is to get our kids through college with no debt. And, we donât want to cut things close, either. The lose of a job, an illness, or an unexpected expense shouldnât jeopardize your childâs education or cause loads of stress on you.
And, one last thing: Fit? Your kid will be fine at almost any school in the country. On the flip side, they could have a horrible experience at an elite school you think âfitsâ. Theyâre kids. Theyâll be fine, and the ones that should shine will shine at any school your drop them in. In our case, âfitâ simply meant they have big time football and basketball teams.
@bigmacbeth There are some things a little bit unique to our family situation and D20 that makes fit an important consideration. I totally agree that an elite school wouldnât necessarily guarantee a great experience, though.
@janiemiranda we are in the same situation as far as fit being an important consideration. D20âs situation is definitely more complicated than my older kids and the college search has been overwhelming at times.
@janiemiranda we are in the opposite situation where I am the more frugal parent and my spouse is more willing to go into debt. We have put aside money and both kids have 529 accounts so we can pay some but not as much as the FAFSA estimates we can pay.
@LOUKYDAD I agree that group test prep probably isnât the best bang for your buck (or time). I would look for test prep centers that will allow her to take timed, proctored practice tests. Many will allow you to take a free practice test in order to try to lure you into using their services. Practicing the timing of the test helps a lot and is difficult to do on your own. Look at it as if you were training for a marathon or long distance swim. Getting your pace down and keeping your stamina is important. Something else to consider is that the SAT has English first and math second while the ACT is English, math, reading, science. Will her ACT reading score drop because it is in the second half? Or is it better to take math earlier when she is more focused?
@janiemiranda That last âyourâ was meant to be generic, and not directed at you.
Iâm feeling a little guilty since D17 is finishing up her second year and we have not dipped into the 529 yet. We will most likely have to do so for D20. Iâm hoping the older one doesnât even think about it.
With respect to college costs, we happen to be lucky that our state flagships (UCLA/UCB) are some of the top public universities in the U.S. and we would be hard pressed to not take advantage of them if D was so blessed to be accepted. With that said, the UCs do have their problems with overcrowding, large class sizes, very expensive rent, many classes taught by TAâs, and for D, many of the UCâs donât have a true âBusinessâ major and/or difficult direct admit.
To this end, some of the top private colleges look very attractive with their relatively small student body, great student to professor class ratio, direct admit to intended major, and close knit and robust alumni network. I also believe that college is not just a means to a job but is an educational experience that stays with you the rest of your life. For example, my cousin and his wife went to Stanford as undergrads and they are still heavily involved in their alma mater, have tons of connections and networking opportunities over the years and their school pride is strong even after 35 years. To them, where they went to college is very important.
Howvevr, I do agree with the concept that kids should not take out much (if any) debt for undergrad especially if they are planning on attending grad school.
I actually love her schedule the way it is too. I think I just want a couple more points on her ACT a little bit more for merit chasing purposes. Hoping she pulls it those couple of points out anyway and then we will both be happy :).
We are a full pay but merit chasing family. I could and would pay more if I saw the value. I value education a lot, but I also think you can get a good education in a lot of schools no one talks about on CC. DS18 has a full ride at an in-state public. I am hopeful DD20 can get full tuition or somewhere close to it.
I think it helps that both are the type that thrive on being a big fish in a small pond. If you want to get a really big merit award, you have to be willing to look at a school where you are sort of a unicorn.
Completely understand every family analyzes this from expenditure a different place. Would never say our way should be your way. I enjoy following everyoneâs journey and hopefully seeing them end up where they are seeking.
Another full-pay family here and love the different yet similar situations/sentiments here. To us, fit and strong academics are the top priorities, preferably a campus that has non-dominating Greek scenes and good music learning/performing opportunities. We are very fortunate to have excellent in-state public and private safety options, but we are open to great OOS choices too.
lol / I wrote a long winded response regarding shelling out for elite institutions and then read @LOUKYDAD response and will simply say - âWhat he said!â
To each their own and every family
must negotiate their own path. We are full pay and chasing merit. We feel very good about our older two kidsâ possibilities. Both are extremely high stat with strong ECâs but at the end of the day, they will have lots of opportunities even at the schools that arenât top tier.
There is really no ârightâ way. I enjoy following everyoneâs journey as well!
Those with older kids, do you sense that merit is harder to get than even a couple years ago? (I have a D17 and feel the stats needed for automatic merit are a decent amount higher)
We are full pay as well. D17 was planning to chase Merit but unexpectedly fell in love with Michigan. In the end she gave up full ride (well almost) from our flagship to go to Michigan. Go Blue! We donât plan to focus on Merit anymore for S20 and he is eyeing colleges that do not offer much merit anyway. We are fortunate to be able to put aside a nice amount in 529s and we started when each kid was born. We should be able to cover the rest easily from current income.
One data point about increasing difficulty in receiving merit aid.
DD 17 had nearly the same stats as DS 14. They had the same ACT score (slightly different sub-scores) DS did have a UW 4.0 while DD had one B+. DD was NMSF and DS was not.
DS 14 got a full-tuition scholarship at Pitt and DD 17 was offered 15K per year.
They applied to different majors, but it does seem harder now at Pitt.
DD 17 did find the right spot for herself, though.
