Is Carleton affordable? If not, I would move on.
1 Like
Thank you for pointing that out. She did talk to the coach of her sport, who told her she had mostly STEM majors on the team…which she liked to hear. But I don’t believe she asked about a double major. She will want to look into that further.
1 Like
It would be difficult but maybe could be done, depending on how much more grandpa wants to help. I’m not going to ask though. We are comfortable using some savings but want to be smart about it. 300k seems crazy for undergrad. I think it’s outside of our comfort zone.
2 Likes
Certainly something to think about, given the possibility of medical school.
Is she willing to budge a little on any of her “must haves?”
1 Like
Have you gotten a chance to formally arrive at the costs for any colleges that meet demonstrated need by using their Net Price Calculators? Some of these schools do award substantial financial aid packages for families earning even greater than $110,000 annually.
Carleton is not $300k. Based on the current COA it’s $313k. But that’s 4 years based on this years COA.
Then you have inflation….that’s this year. Next year maybe it’s 3-5% higher and then each year.
Then you have the fact that college costs more than they tell you. Uber. Trips in town. Eating out bcuz you tire if the dining hall or just want a cappuccino. Trips for weekend or breaks. Emergency I’m miserable flight home for some. Campus healthcare is backed up and you get a private doctor. And more.
It’s a value question - is it worth it to you ? To me it wasn’t. I had a top $$ in mind and we held firm to it.
That’s why I recommend you only apply to schools with merit. So at least you have a chance to get to your #. That’s the Gustavas Adolphus, etc. The Hendrix etc. they may but probably won’t hit your price. But there is a chance !!!
And then you add a few that will 100% get you there. The Bama. Arizona. UAH. MS State. Truman State. South Carolina. I’m just throwing out names. We’d have to focus more on the rural etc you want. But you see the point. These are…If the small private schools are just not attainable financially after you see the merit.
Entering colleges like Carleton into the discussion are just flat out wrong to what you are seeking.
College is a lot of money. Stick to your guns. If $40k were your comfort then stick there. The savings will grow over time and you’ll be happy. And what you think costs $40k will in actuality be $43-47k by the time you experience all the unexpected.
Carleton is a fine school but there are hundreds of others that meet your needs.
I recommended W&L. The COA is $81k. My daughter got nada so she’s at Charleston where her scholarship is more than tuition.
But 10% of their kids get full cost and others full tuition to which my daughter was an alternate but did not get. Had she gotten the full tuition she may have chosen that.
Every school she applies to offered a chance of money and most, but not all, offered.
Applying to any other school…like a Carleton…was never considered. It’s the wrong focus.
You’ve now gone from $40 to $50 to maybe $78 if grandpa helps. And it’s really more than $78k.
Your family has built itself up financially over time.
It’s up to you but I certainly wouldn’t throw that away or bring myself financial stress because you are chasing a name. There’s literally hundreds of colleges that will do well for your child.
Find one that will hit the original goal. They are out there and you’ll feel better. Sorry to lecture but I see this spiraling out of control.
4 Likes
@SoCalDriver , @Kathleen_Mauzy : I’m confused: which one of you is the OP?
I’m going to make one more plug for Grinnell here. It’s VERY similar to Carleton in most respects other than the location. But the town itself is actually quite lovely with surprisingly good food and a super cool boutique hotel. And unlike C, has excellent merit aid.
Also, would you be comfortable sharing your daughter’s sport? I suspect it may be the same as D21s, in which case I’d be happy to talk off line about what I know about the coaches and team culture on the schools that are/were on both of their lists. (And if not, feel free to PM.)
8 Likes
Whether it is ok to let a kid apply to schools your family can’t afford depends on the kid, I think. I know 2 kids whose parents encouraged them to apply anywhere they wanted, but were clear from the onset that each only would receive a certain amount each year, and if a school was over that price it was a no go. The 2 students applied to some top 20 schools and got in, but after seeing that the price was above the limit chose schools with merit aid instead. They were a little disappointed but also proud they had been admitted to elite schools, and that was a confidence boost. They ended up with a great college experience, and now are applying to Ivy and other top grad schools where they have excellent chances of admission due to finishing at the top of their class.
4 Likes
Yes. Our initial list based on her “must haves” is what put me on this website lol.
I’ve done a few and the most we got in aid was 7K. However, I dont think its that accurate as I’m having to estimate our income because I retired mid last year, and was on disability off and on the last two years. I’m still waiting to see if I get my disability retirement which will greatly effect things as well.
They are both me.
For some reason it used our other Google mail when I logged in last night.
She could get over this by checking the weather in Northfield today.
2 Likes
Not taken as a lecture at all, I appreciate the input - that’s why I am here. We are looking into W&L as that scholarship they offer is amazing if she gets it. We have added numerous more colleges to her list to research/eval for visit after reading through this forum. Your points are all valid and appreciated. We are most definitely looking at other options after your post and many others.
1 Like
And message sent.
Closed other account
Another vote for Sewanee. Very rural (too rural for many)but only an hour from Nashville. Lots of recruited athletes. Pretty liberal. It can get real cold, a decent amount of snow and even frozen fog. The most beautiful campus I’ve even seen. My student attended there and got merit aid putting the cost in the low $40s and their stats weren’t nearly as good as your student’s.
1 Like
If you have time and money …sure. You are saying to do it for a confidence boost. Then apply to a school that gives merit. Chicago, .Rice, WUSTL, Vandy or find your rural one. Grinnell for example. W&L. Get in there, no merit, and be proud. Or maybe you’ll get lucky and score some merit.
Applying to one you have zero chance of affording to me is silly unless you literally have that much time and money to throw in a few apps. I get it. Anyone who gets into Harvard would be proud.
On the flip side, how disappointed would they be that they weren’t allowed to attend that school ??
4 Likes
Would your daughter be interested in a school like Colorado School of Mines? It is division 2 so there are athletic scholarships available (depending on her sports) and they also try to attract women so there may be more in scholarship money than that listed on the NPC.
1 Like
Yes, but I was wondering if there was any flexibility with the “must haves.” Sometimes they realize that giving something up creates more opportunities.
1 Like
Based on its website, Mines does not appear to offer a general biology major: Undergraduate Programs - Academics.
1 Like