Hey Cela’s back!! 
And he is off to LMU. Congrats!! And to you on your new job! The things we do for love…
Perhaps a better way to put it is that finances are the most important fit factor for most college students (assuming that, at this stage of choosing between admission offers, that the colleges applied and admitted to have suitable academic offerings for the student).
Shoot I didnt realize you didnt decide yet! What is an “opportunity fee?”
Can he reapply to Cox once at SMU? Also, I’m a little bit jealous that so many people got a ton on $ from SMU, and we barely got any…maybe I should have donated a little since ‘93:). We might have made my son go there if he got as much money as yours. It is a solid school, with interesting programs. I did fall in love with Cal Poly when we saw it last summer though. Very peaceful campus. Is off campus living cheaper in SLO v Dallas? Can you drop the health insurance from the school budget if you have your own? I didnt realize how much they were charging for that. LMU was the only school to give my son work study. It isn’t a ton, but every little but helps. Also look at what scholarships they can give once he is actually IN the school. I know its not a guarantee, but when I researched LMU, there were a ton. So, I’m trying to be hopeful moving forward. I may also be dreaming!
If you really want to get crazy, you can start again and apply to one of the schools on NACAC list of schools still accepting apps after May 1.
National Association for College Admission Counseling- College Openings (nacacnet.org)
@Cela71 , I’m new to this conversation. Is your son still leaning to LMU over Pepperdine and SDSU?
For some context, we live Redondo Beach too. Daughter graduated from RUHS last year. She was looking at SDSU Honors among other colleges, but chose a different path out of state.
I really like SDSU. I don’t think it is like Redondo in that it is inland and more diverse than our town. In fact, I think LMU is more like Redondo than SDSU.
One caveat about SDSU is I don’t like how they treated students during COVID (I’m part of a Facebook SDSU parents group and it has been bad). That being said, COVID shouldn’t be a big factor next fall. The rankings shouldn’t mean much as all three schools are great schools. But the tuition bill is much less for SDSU and the facilities very nice.
Did your son hear back from Wisconsin? I love that school.
Honestly, I have no idea what “opportunity fee” is except it is charged to OOS students, on top of tuition ($10200 in state, $11800 non resident=$22000 tuition), and then extra $6000 OF. A friend explained to us that it might be a surcharge to OOS students to help offset some of the tuition burdens of disadvantaged CA students.
As far as applying to Cox as an internal transfer, it is a slim shot as Cox has been direct admit since 2020.
Son’s school historically sends a few kids to Rice and SMU each year. Last year there were 3 committed to SMU but never matriculated. This year about 8 got in, but maybe non will commit.
That’s very hefty - and your friend is right. Wow - you’d think they’d tax everyone $100. That’s pretty…hmmmmm…going to lessen geographic diversity.