<p>D absolutely loved UR on our visit, but it turns out that her application was complete back in 11/06, but for the $50 fee. Without the money, she was never considered for scholarships. She wasn't even a semi-finalist despite having better stats than some of the previous years UR scholars. They of course, have assured us that the 50 bucks have nothing to do with their decision, but they didn't mention the missing fee till several weeks after all semi-finalists had already been notified. They even told us, on our visit that they were still reviewing her application, on the day that all semi-finalists had to have their final apps in! My D specifically asked, if they would consider her for the Scholars program if she paid the fee at this late date, and you can probably guess the answer! I'm sure they had a good chuckle on that one! Sometimes you just have to laugh.......... </p>
<p>(Chapel Hill Admissions denied having any knowlege of a "scholarship weekend" in an on-line chat after CC had tons of postings about how great it was! I think they are all that way!)</p>
<p>Oh well.................</p>
<p>Ok here's the riddle:
All the numbers are in, EFC 35k(little or no need) here's the out of pocket:
Per Year!
UR - 23k
UNC-Ch - 26k
Lafayette - 20k
Loyola-MD - 18k
U. Miami (Fla) - 16k
UMD-CP - 15k
UD(Delaware) -14.5k
College of Charleston - 8k
ECU (East Carolina) - Full Ride </p>
<p>She leans CofC, any thoughts? (Math major- Pre-Med thoughts- 56 AP credits offered)</p>
<p>I think your daughter needs to think a bit more about what she wants in a school. You have schools ranging from small private liberal arts colleges to full-fledged research universities from Delaware to Florida. Each of those schools offers very different experiences and it's impossible to offer advice with a range of colleges like that. To me at least, it's almost a game of "guess which doesn't belong" with some of them.</p>
<p>It does seem a bit scattershot, but money is a very important factor, and many schools were added because of the availability of merit money. With a major like math, with pre-med prerequisites, just about any school is good. At this point, the real question is whether the amounts of money involved, can be justified, given the ECU or Charleston offer. In other words, is there enough value in any of the pricier deals? UR and Lafayette would be nice places to spend 4 years, but Charleston is pretty nice, and the town is much nicer than Easton, Pa. I need a real reason to turn down the best money offers.</p>
<p>With all due respect, it's your daughter's college education, not yours. If money matters, then she should take that into consideration, but ideally she should make the best choice for herself, not for your wallet. If she needs loans to complete college, then so be it. If she wouldn't be happy at ECU even though it's free, then what's the point of going? I personally paid $25,000 out of my own pocket while at school to get me through UR from money I earned in high school and I held a job on campus at UR. I think after someone gets their first job, the school they attended is less meaningful than the quality of work they put forth, but in my mind, you can't compare the quality of education at UR, LaFayette or UNC to ECU or CoC for applying to grad school or attempting to get your first job. </p>
<p>I think you should ask her where she would like to go if money were not a factor, then figure out a way to make it work.</p>
<p>I've told her that she can go where she wants, as long as she can justify the decision. I haven't heard anything definative yet.
I guess I come at this question from a different angle than you Spider05. I joined the Navy right after high school, and didn't attend college till I was discharged 6 years later, going full time, while working a full-time job. With the GI bill exhausted, I borrowed heavily to attend law school, and still owe.
The whole idea that kids go where they feel most comfortable, at any cost, is foreign to me.</p>
<p>Turtle, my brothers still owe for Princeton ('90) and MIT ('87) because they had to take out loans. By the time I came around, my parents were in a better position, so they didn't have to borrow to send me through, but they believed in sending you to the best school for you, regardless of cost. Lots of nights of PB&J's for dinner. I myself borrowed for school and am out $25,000 from my own pocket. Luckily, my 60 hour weeks working at Ford during the summers in high school and my job during college were able to get me through, so I don't owe anything now. I could have avoided it all by going to a school that would have paid me to attend, but I know I wouldn't be where I am today (not far in my journey obviously but I'm off to a good start) if it weren't for the education I received at UR. It was worth every bit of debt I had to take on at the time, and I'm sure my brothers would say the same thing about their respective decisions in regards to debt. </p>
<p>For me, it means something to have walked into a job interview and said that my degree came from a school ranked in the top 10 in that field. I was the one selected for the job out of the 80 applicants. Would I have gotten the job had I gone to a less reputable school? Perhaps. I'm just happy I don't have to worry about finding out. </p>
<p>This whole thing isn't a plug for UR, it's a plug for getting the best education you can, even if it means taking on debt to obtain that. Unfortunately certain doors close just based on where you received your degree, even if you're qualified to walk through it. Why close those doors if you don't have to?</p>
<p>Additionally, I would try contacting the financial aid office at UR again and explaining the situation concerning the late money, etc. I know they could help you figure out what really happened concerning the merit aid.</p>