That’s AWESOME.
What does that mean cost wise? And how does that change the ordering of your list?
What is your list again 
Who’s on first??
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She has full tuition at Pitt and Bama. Those are her two last choices.
Waiting on-
Syracuse
St.Lawrence
Wesleyan
Vassar
Williams
Amherst
Colgate
Hamilton
Syracuse and St Lawrence she applied for TE but they aren’t full tuition, they do stack I think.
The others may be doable if NPC was close. Will have to wait and see what all the offers are.
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I am 90% Syracuse does not stack? (Definitely hoping to be wrong lol) good luck!
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Last two - dang - that’s a bummer.
But I see why given the list. Outside of SU, they’re all smaller.
When I spoke to my husband yesterday, I was thinking a lot about the topics on this thread e.g. good students can be found everywhere, not just at “top” schools; college is what your student makes of it; some students are primarily concerned with grades and career, etc.
This school year, many of his students are men currently incarcerated for violent crimes. Even compared to his other students-who are pretty disadvantaged URM students at a commuter campus- his prison students are clearly in a difficult position to be college students: they have no internet access, their library has been shut down for security reasons, they randomly miss class for court appearances or are thrown in solitary. I could go on.
And yet… this week one of his students (a really good one whom he also taught last semester) mentioned he had already read all the literary short stories from the semester’s syllabus from his textbook. It was only week two of the semester! Other students skipped their meals and spent their commissary money on snacks so that they would be able to ask more questions during what should have been a meal break in the three hour class since they have no access to office hours.
These students aren’t working for top grades or career moves. Many will be transferred before they can earn the AA, others before this semester even ends, but there they are: reading ahead, asking questions, trying to understand material for which, frankly, their K-12 educations did not adequately prepare them. Are all of them doing this? No. Definitely not, but this reminded me so clearly of the “bloom where you are planted” element of the process.
I hope everyone’s child has a successful college search this spring, and I know right now all the decisions can seem overwhelming. I feel that way too, but I also know that for my S23, I hope he becomes a student who loves learning enough to read ahead and to give up meals to talk to the teacher if needed and to want to learn even when there may not be any clear route to that learning leading to any “concrete” advantage.
My husband’s stories about teaching at the prison almost always ground me about what’s really important in education. They also remind me that even if the FAFSA algorithm doesn’t understand our family’s decisions about alternating between jobs that pay better and jobs that serve better, we do understand our choices and our children do as well. It can be helpful for me to remember that- with the added benefit that it stops me from feeling sorry for myself or S23!
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what an inspiring post, thank you
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Does anyone else have a son or daughter who applied to Lewis & Clark? My daughter just forwarded me an email from their admissions lead saying congratulations, she is accepted, but apparently her portal doesn’t reflect an update or anything (and there’s no information about merit $, which is one of the reasons the school is on her list of safeties, chasing merit since we are otherwise full pay). She applied RD so was not at all expecting a decision this early.
Just wondering if anyone else has applied there to compare notes (I don’t think there is a L & C specific thread for this year)…
THIS!!! Brought tears and smile at the same time. Very profound and very true. And your children are blessed to have you both as parents. Wishing all the very best to your family.
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Is Puget Sound too small? I seem to recall it being on your list. My neighbor went there in the music program and enjoyed it.
Mine did but was EA, so has already heard. My other child did a few years ago and went RD. I think she heard in late January-early February so sounds right.
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They do!
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D23 found out today that she got the Centralis Scholar Award from Central MI U. Full ride.
Now starts the fun task of convincing her to accept it even though CMU is #3 or #4 on her list. And way behind #1.
She plans on being a HS teacher. So school reputation is not huge for her career plans.
I know we won’t be the first parents to have this conundrum.
We are looking at a $70-80K 4 year COA or basically $0.
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Becoming a principal (or other educational administrator), if that’s even vaguely in her realm of possibilities, requires graduate education beyond what’s needed to become a certified teacher. In fact, some graduate education beyond that will likely be necessary for career progression even if she doesn’t want to be an administrator, ever.
And the ability to do that will be greatly increased if she graduates from college with little or (even better) no student loan debt.
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Awesome for you!!!
What’s choice #1 and #2.
Let her know that her hard work has paid off!! And mom and dad can breathe easier.
Could there be a compromise - such as she gets a car or you pay for spring break trips?
If you honestly need to save or save for grad school - that’s ok too - to tell her. It’s a lot of dough.
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1 & 2 choices are IL St and MiamiOH. ISU is a solid school for Education.
It is a no-brainer of a decision but we want our kids to make their own decision especially since they are the ones spending fours years someplace.
Our D19 had to decide between her 1 and her probably 2 or 3 choice. She choose the cheaper school and has no regrets and is happy to graduate with no loans.
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That will be part of our discussion for sure. My better works at a school not a teacher but she knows the game.
Her 529 could cover most of a masters at whatever point she wants to get it.
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I could be wrong but I assume most state directionals are solid.
In the end, schools “acquire” students - so a “lesser” school and I’m not saying CMU is - but a lesser school will buy students. U of Alabama, for example, buys in National Merit Finalists - they have the most in the country.
Many a student is bought and attends maybe not the dream school. But with teachers starting in the 30s and 40, it’s not a lot of $$. So maybe that’s the tradeoff.
Miami is obviously the outlier here -it’s the most “national” school if you will.
Totally agree on the four years - they have to spend each and every day.
Will Illinois State (or Miami) require loans?
You might show her the impact of the loan on a loan calculator.
That she applied to CMU tells me she knew it was a possibility - i.e. she was ok to go or wouldn’t have applied.
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When we left our visit for the scholarship competition in December she didn’t cross it off the list.
We will run numbers for her and hopefully that will convince her to go.
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I’m a CMU grad and married to a teacher…take the money and run! She’ll get a good education and be far ahead financially. Congrats!
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There’s also a $5,000 study abroad scholarship, so if she has any interest in that, it’s a great opportunity! There are lots of options.
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