Quality "Cheaper" MT Programs at Public Colleges

In answer to toowonderful’s question,

“Isn’t your experience with your two kids an anecdote? Couldn’t it have worked out differently for a different two kids?”

I would answer “Yes”, to both questions. Which is exactly why I wrote immediately after telling that anecdote, “I must point out that my experience is just another story. It doesn’t prove anything.”

To prove something you need data, not more anecdotes, and I have endeavored to provide data sources to back up my assertion that on average, a public school education is cheaper than a private school education.

And in response to this comment from toowonderful, which pointed out that I had stipulated a condition,

"But in post #26 you said ‘Finally, I stand by my assertion that, all things being equal, the average college student will graduate from college with less debt from a public school than a private school.’

I can only say that if suggesting that we use the average student as a comparison point is a stipulation, then, yes, I stipulated the average student.

Once again, here is some data to support my assertion:

"In 2012:

At public colleges, average debt was $25,550 — 25% higher than in 2008, when the average was $20,450.
At private nonprofit colleges, average debt was $32,300 — 15% higher than in 2008, when the average was $28,200."

Suggested citation: The Institute for College Access & Success. 2014. Quick Facts about Student Debt. http://■■■■■■/1lxjskr

@mom4bwayboy - in my personal opinion the horse is so far gone he is already glue. I felt bad for a moment (post #79), but I got over it

I agree with both toowonderful and mom4bwayboy, that I am beating a dead horse, and I will let it drop. I have sincerely appreciated every comment found on this thread, as it serves to educate everyone. “As iron sharpens iron, one person learns from another.” My heartfelt best wishes to everyone as you try to find the best place for your child to receive an MT education.

@sunsetweekend I certainly agree that sharing about lesser known schools is an asset to the MT Forum. I think there is some disagreement on the various assertions with regards to some points in the discussion and that they are not always necessarily the case. But public or private, knowing and discussing lesser known MT schools is a good thing for the forum.

I don’t think everyone on this forum is unconcerned with the affordability of the college programs. Surely, some don’t qualify for or have to pay a lot of attention to financial aid. But many here do have to do so. Speaking for myself, we are not poor. However, my kids qualified for need based aid and got it, as well as scholarships and fellowships. Still, I am paying off a lot of loans too (not making my kids incur any of that expense).

In any case, every applicant and their family has different criteria when it comes to selecting colleges, and every applicant has different qualifications, and what fits one person, isn’t right for the next person. I haven’t found anyone here to ever say that certain schools, such as non-flagship public colleges, are “inferior.” Everyone wants different things and so not one size fits all.

@theaterwork- my DD was a transfer to PSU so only spent 3 years there. While their initial offer was less than full tuition, she did not initially accept as she was waiting to hear from other schools. She was not intentionally negotiating, but each time she told them she hadn’t decided, they upped their offer. In the end, they offered her a package that covered her tuition over the 3 years. While she was there, she knew of 2 others who were receiving full tuition for 4 years. We had always heard PSU was not generous but that was not our experience. The UC’s however are very stingy!!!

^^^i think that is what makes this process so difficult. Our in-state publics are UCLA which only accepts around 10 each year, and UCI which has a second year audition and cuts. Both are around $35,000/year, so to me, neither could be considered a safety. UCLA was our DD’s original top choice, but with such a slim chance of acceptance she certainly didn’t count on it. Penn State was not even on her original list because of the OOS cost, but she did a walk-in on a whim at Unifieds. We would never in a million years have expected that she would receive a great offer from PSU- an OOS public. While she was accepted at UCLA, it was with no money. PSU even flew her back for a visit and at that point it became a no-brainer. This is just an example of unexpected and unplanned twists that can happen during this process. You really do have to do your homework and look at financial calculators for each school to come up with a list of financial safeties, but it is hard to predict things like talent money. In-state publics should be considered if they are available, but are not always feasible options

IT seems as if most posters agree that there are no hard and fast rules to applying for colleges based on merit aid. But, when there are so many programs out there (outside of the top 20 that are usually discussed here) how would someone even be able to tell the worth of the programs out of their area?
Yes, there are programs many private and public colleges, but without being able to visit them, it seems a crap shoot. As you all know, many the top programs may not fit your child so how can you assess the less or barely known programs? It appears one would have to just like the fit and general caliber of any of those college and then take a leap of faith in applying, knowing that one could always transfer if the program is subpar?

I think you can assess a program’s fit with a lesser known school much in the same way with a better known school. Visits help a lot. Read up on the curriculum and every aspect of the school and compare with one’s own selection criteria, as well as with other schools. Talk to current students and alumni and if you don’t know any, ask the school or department to provide contacts. Ask questions about criteria that matter to you.

@mtmcmt … soozievt brings up some could points.

I think it’s also important to keep in mind that no one program is a one-size-fits-all … and that just because a program gets lots of raves and churns out Broadway stars, it doesn’t mean it’s the right school for your kid.

There are a couple of schools here that are spoken of highly that I have personal experience with that are definitely not all they’re cracked up to be.

Also, I think college is a lot like your wedding dress. When you put it on, you just know it’s the right one.