Very smart. If these colleges put stress on a families finances I do not think they are worth it at all. And most kids we know are making the decision based on how much schools cost. It is a strange system we have in the US. But that is another topic. Best of luck to your daughter.
CoC has an annual math and CS competition for HS students and DS participated for many years. We looked forward to going to Charleston each year with him. CoC did a great job with both the CS competition and the math competition and we were left with a very favorable impression of these departments.
DS got wait listed, just as i suspected. will see what happens with he WL across universities this year.
Thx - weâd be in international studies and something else - but itâs good to hear.
Wishing your son the best! Those are great stats!
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Thank you. And to your son too!
Those of you who accepted a place on the waitlist, is your child writing a note to their admission counselor in addition to uploading a LOCI to the portal?
Accepted at Rice on Tuesday! 3.96 GPA 35ACT 720 SAT Chem 770 SAT math. As you can see, my stats arenât anything amazing, and definetly not amazing for a great school like rice. my Major: Social Policy Analysis on pre med track. I didnât do any major extracurriculars but I did do the typical pre med stuff like volunteering and job shadowing doctors. I guess one thing unique about my application was that I had a great position on a presidential campaign. I am ORM (Indian) and live in the Midwest. I wrote my essays last minute in 3 hours so I am confused how I got in. I guess my essay was slightly quirky.
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So true. Itâs such a crapshoot this year for so many reasons. These schools can quite literally construct a tapestry of exactly their choosing in formulating their classes and the students will be the better for it. Stinks that they canât let in more. My son was one not accepted, but itâs ok. I loved Rice. I still like Rice (not sure I love them right now). And know that the students who make up this class are highly qualified (as was my son but not what they wanted) and will do amazing things. Congratulations to all who will be part of this class. And to those not given the chance, I have no doubt you will be hugely successful wherever you end up deciding on.
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What you say isnât amazing puts you in like the top 1% of the country. Congrats.
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Definitely not amazing for such a school and not the reason I got in 
College admissions officers just like to read different essays. My mindset was to write something so different that they either loved it or hated it. Looks like rice loved it
My daughter was accepted to Rice and it is in her âtop 4â
We have 1 other child in college also.
(They are 1 year apart.)
She received merit from a handful of schools, but not 3 of the top 4.
She received @ 22,000 in FA from Vanderbilt.
and @ 7,000 from Rice.
We were surprised that they werenât closer to the same # since the pricing is similar.
Anyone have any insight?
You can talk to Financial Aid - but they all see aid differently. Iâll give the example I know - Washington & Lee - where my daughter was admitted. Another bid endowment school. All these CSS schools calculate aid differently. W&L, for example, puts out a chart and in my income level, 88% of families got aid averaging $38K. We got nothing.
Rice says - if youâre under x$, you get full, full tuition, or half tuition. But they always say - and hereâs why you need to call - assuming normal assets.
At W&L, for example, they donât include your retirement plans but they do include home equity. The assuming normal assets means twice your salary to them - so if you made $150K, having $300K in assets, including home equity, puts you average. I know thatâs a lot of money - but for families trying to go to a $75K+ university, itâs not a lot.
My point is - youâd need to call Rice and Vandy - because each will use their own methodology - and you need to find out what their formula is, etc.
Good luck.
Thank you.
I think you posted earlier about your daughter loving CoC?
My daughter loves it there tooâŠ
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So this is the dilemma - or not really.
At C of C, out of state it is $34K + room and board, etc. I think their COA shows $50K. We were offered $12K merit so $38K total. Yesterday, she got a note that her Honors Scholarship has been enhanced - to $16K. So now itâs $34K a year - or so. We also get $2K off the first year and my daughter gets a trip to the Republic of GA after Freshman year as an international scholar.
Equally as affordable but she didnât love was UGA where she got into Honors (they have a 1500+ SAT so itâs very strong) but the campus is just too big for her. And Florida which is now high ranked (#6 of public schools) - but again, sheâd just be a #. My daughter needs small and personalized and the C of C will be better suited for that in their small Intl Scholars Program.
We donât have Vandy or Rice to worry about - but for example, U of Miami will be $52K after merit aid. Her top choice American is $57K after merit aid. Washington & Lee = $81K.
C of C, in pedigree, is less - so how do you balance that monetary decision? In your case it will be Vandy, letâs say $53K since you got $22K or Rice $68K vs. whatever C of C will cost - if thatâs still a consideration.
Honestly, my daughter now is like - is C of C âgood enoughâ to tell my friends - i.e. will I be embarrassed which is ridculous although admittedly Iâm probably part of that pedigree problem.
I have talked to someone going to SMU because they got a full ride - but also into Emory and theyâd have chosen the C of C over Emory.
Anyway, I hope you go tot the C of C too - then I can tell my daughter- see, she got into Rice and Vandy - but chose the right fit
The one thing I think a lot miss is - once your kid is in school and you are paying, that raises your stress level - especially if you canât truly afford it. It may be better for your kids - but every time a stock I was going to use goes down, etc. itâs just a stress test. I really thing, all things equal, costs should matter.
We are off to AZ in the AM - to go see dirt cheap U of A. My niece works there, itâs $24K a year, and my daughter says sheâs generally interestedâŠweâll see.
Good luck - keep me updated.
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Best of luck to you!!
My daughter did not apply to U of A or U of South Carolina although I did mention USC many times b/c generous with NC students and not too far from us. I love Arizona (as a state/area) and definitely the honors college gets a lot of positive discussion from people.
Mine also has NCSU and UNC and since in state, great pricingâŠbut she thinks both are too big too although she has done many events at NCSU and has been going to UNC forever b/c we are alums. The class size for many intro classes and the overall # of students just seems like too much.
Best of luck!
Great opp for your daughter. I worked in Georgia several times. It is a great place with awesome food/history and wonderful people. Same for Azerbaijan!
Not sure of your daughters intended major but we have a bit of experience with CoCâs CS and Math departments and I think you can get a great education from those departments from what we have seen.
Just seeing this now ⊠my DD is a sophomore at Rice and we are Jewish. She is strong in her Jewish identity (raised primarily reform in small Midwestern towns with one synagogue - we are not particularly observant) but not active in Hillel.
Freshman year she attended High Holiday services at the Hillel, the Chabad and a local synagogue (a college friendâs youth group palâs family lives in Houston and took them to services). Not sure what she did this year for the High Holidays.
The president of Rice is Jewish - and he has made a point for the campus to essentially have no religious anything. There is a chapel on campus but no chaplain. Rice is the only private secular university in Texas.
Rice does have a Jewish studies program - and my daughter has taken a couple of interesting courses (she is studying engineering) - one on Jewish food (field trip to the yummy local deli) and one on Jewish books.
Happy to answer any questions you might have.
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Thanks everyone (2NCKid too) for their nice words.
She will major in International Studies as sheâs been named an International Scholar. Itâs interdisciplinary - and sheâs try to focus on the political aspect. But they require a second major in the program - and sheâd likely do Urban Studies (also interdiscplinary) or public health - less on the science side - and more like the community aspect.
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