<p>I did not qualify for financial aid and did not get a merit scholarship so if I went to Wash U I'd be paying full price. So just a few questions if you are/were in the same boat.</p>
<p>Do you think Wash U is worth the $250,000 it costs to attend for 4 years? What makes it worth that amount of money? Did your family have to make sacrifices for that price, and we're they/have they been worth it? Did you choose full price at Wash U over a much less expensive school? Why? Would you do it over again? Do you think the jobs opportunities you will have after graduating are better at Wash U than at other places and will offset any debt you might be in? What is your major?</p>
<p>No one has to answer every single question of course, I would just appreciate some insight from students in the same position I am. I love Wash U and know I would have an amazing experience there, but I have also currently deposited at my local state university honors college because my parents and I are still ruminating over the financial ramifications. I am a business major but plan to explore engineering and possibly switch. I don't know if I am going to grad school or not.
Thank you.</p>
<p>Luckily, my family was in the position that finances were of no concern, and as a result I could attend WashU without taking on any loans. I did choose WashU over my much less expensive state school, and I have been extremely satisfied with the education, quality of life, and the overall experience. That being said, I would not attend if it had required any sort of extensive loans. There are certainly other universities which can provide a quality college experience for a lot cheaper of a price.</p>
<p>I agree with RyanMK. If your family can afford it, then by all means go for it. If not, it really isn’t worth the struggle.</p>
<p>Some folks drive BMW and some, equally wealthy, choose to drive a hand me down. So it really boils down to your family’s value, priority and resources. No one knows that better than your parents and you. Sit down with them, create a list of pros and cons and decide from there. It would be really fair if you make your decision and withdraw from one or the other school. You have the means shouldn’t mean the world has to wait on you. Somebody is on the waiting list, you know.</p>
<p>We pay full price for my son (except for National Merit Scholarship that is only $2,000 per year). My son could have gone to many state and other schools for free and USC offers a $20,000 National Merit Scholarship which he declined. We can afford it without too much sacrifice. I think one of the most important features of a college is the quality of the students, and I think that is high at Wash U. At some point, people have to spend their money on something and education is important to us. Having said that, if my son had to take out a lot of loans, or if we (his parents) had to make a serious sacrifice and Ithink there are many other schools that would have been fine for my son.</p>
<p>Our son was to be on the football team and I loved everything about the school. He also could have gone to U Chicago, USC, and out of state to U of Michigan. However, my job security became a huge question mark past this current year, so we had to decline and go to a state school tuition free. Tough situation but an economic reality. thus unless money is a non-issue- the prudent decision is obvious- and many parents are doing this rather than taking a risk of adding to the 1 trillion in default debt.</p>
<p>ComputerDad: I am sure your son will do well at the state school. Best of luck to him!</p>