My Daughter applied to 14 schools - accepted at 11 - waitlisted at Lehigh - rejected from 2
After school visits - pros and cons lists and tears - we got her on board at Bing - the “ivy of the SUNY system” - ok whatever.
My D received a call from Lehigh admissions - she is accepted for Spring 2016…
Now what???
From her perspective - she is 17 - wants to start school on September and has a roommate at Bing lined up. It wasn’t her top choice - there at are 15 kids from her grad class going there and she wanted a fresh start but due to financial considerations and the fact that her options were academically equal to or less than Bing - we got her on board at Bing. she wrapped her head around it - ordered $250 of Bing gear and was done - until yesterday.
From our (parents) perspective - Spring vs Fall is not an issue - go to community or Israel/travel and start in the Spring. The financial difference is HUGE - is it worth it? We can make it happen with sacrifice - but is the value there? At Bing she would not have to work and have spring break money - and at Lehigh - its a different story. We thought Lehigh was such a reach for her when she applied - and now its an option. Will it open doors that Bing wont?
Do we redirect her to Lehigh after we had to get her on board at Bing?
is the value there for an additional $160K over 4 years?
we are on an emotional rollercoaster and she has a call with Lehigh admissions today
Lehigh is certainly not worth that much more than Bing. It seems like her heart is with Bing right now anyway. She was the gear and the roommate. Encourage her to go to Bing. It may mean nothing to you as a parent, but as a student, she would be at a disadvantage socially if she went to Lehigh half way through the year when every student has already began to make close bonds and already have their routines. Lehigh will not open doors that Bing won’t. Did she visit Lehigh?
@CaliCash - thanks for reply. We have not visited yet - as we didn’t think she would have any chance of admission. we were discussing a trip Friday - but I have been told - “don’t take her to visit unless you want her to go there - she will fall in love with it - it shows well”.
call with admissions today to see if Fall admission can be arranged - but I think its unlikely.
Thanks again
Well FWIW, I hated Lehigh when I visited. It looked like an abandoned industrial city. The students were arrogant and were all like “We’re Lehigh! We’re the best.” Also, the campus is very hilly, so lots of walking and it’s relatively isolated. That was my experience there.
Are you saying an additional 160K out of pocket? I’d say not. I have no personal experience with Binghamton, but know people who love it. I can’t see spending that amount to NOT go there.
A few random thoughts…
Probably not worth the price differential but…what is her major? IMO Lehigh is especially good for engineering and business.
My D also hated Lehigh on our visit there – didn’t like the students or the campus (while beautiful it was very hilly).
What does your D think?
If she does spring admit she could probably work with Lehigh and take some classes at a local college for credit in the fall, this way you can save a bit of money and she can graduate on time.
Going to lehigh would be the most stupid decision ever. It is certainly NOT worth $160k more, regardless of major or “fit”. Its not that much better than bing. Look at the opportunity cost for $160k!!!
Also, just be aware that CaliCash is a HS senior who just made the opposite decision for herself to go to the more expensive “name” school - Northwestern - for journalism vs. other more affordable options for her own family. Not that that isn’t a happy outcome for her, but I think her advice to you is disingenuous (and also doesn’t offer much life perspective as she is not a parent who is actually paying the tuition bills).
FWIW - my S really liked Lehigh when we visited in Feb. The campus is beautiful (although extremely hilly). The surrounding town is certainly not a big city and is an aging steel town (although some revitalization seems to be happening). I have no idea how it compares to the town of Binghampton. Lehigh is very “Greek” if that matters one way or the other to you. Very strong in engineering and business. The two students (both guys) I know of who are attending love it.
Seems to me that whether or not the premium is “worth” it is a totally personal family decision. We don’t know what “sacrifice” means — doesn’t sound like loans are involved. Were you prepared to pay for Lehigh when D applied? Of course, I am sure Bing is a great choice as well. I just think that saying something is the “most stupid decision” ever is a bit drastic.
I don’t think there’s anything drastic about my statement. If you look objectively at the 2 schools, the experience and academics at Lehigh don’t justify $160k more than Bing, a perfectly good school that also has a very strong business program, especially not if the only way the family can “make it happen” is with sacrifice. That leaves little room for problems like medical expenses or unemployment. The parent said that the student will have to work at Lehigh and not at Binghamton. Think of the impact working will have on her academics, along with the added pressure of a huge financial investment. Don’t get swayed by the excitement of getting into a reach school!
Both schools are excellent, and if your daughter is in the Binghamton mindset, then I would keep her at Binghamton. We love Lehigh and it became one of my daughter’s final choices ( she ultimately chose another school). My daughter received a lot of money from Lehigh; if we had to choose between being full pay at Lehigh versus attending Bing, my daughter would have had to choose Bing. We know 3 kids who recently graduated from Bing- two are attending Ivy League grad schools and one is attending NYU. I do not know what your daughter’s major is but the business school at Bing is very competitive. My daughter questioned the Greek life at Lehigh, and I do not think she would want to be a spring admit someplace ( nothing wrong with it- that’s just her). Lehigh’s campus is gorgeous; Binghamton’s campus does not have a reputation for being pretty. Your daughter will not go wrong at either school. It’s a personal decision.
I agree with @momofzag It is not up to any of us on this board to decide how another family should spend their money. If a family has the means to afford a private school (especially with no loans) and chooses to provide that option to their child it is not our place to say it is “stupid”. In fact, it is a wonderful option to have.
If you want your D to have Lehigh as an option then I’d certainly visit first. Lehigh is an excellent school. Although my kid was another one who did not like the vibe of the campus (felt it was too frat driven) I have friends whose kids are very happy there. Consider what the money differential means to your family versus any added benefit you think your D might get from attending Lehigh over SUNY Binghamton. The spring admit can be worked around with classes from a nearby college, or some schools run programs for spring admits.
Also many students have shared negative experiences about being a spring admit on college confidential.
If sacrifice really means not being able to deal with medical expenses, etc. then I agree. But if sacrifice means having less meals out, fewer vacations and perhaps driving cars a bit longer then I think it is worth considering. Presumably there was a reason the family allowed D to apply to Lehigh in the first place (since it would have been unlikely that she would have been accepted to Lehigh and not to Bing). I also assume that the family knew through the NPC what their costs were likely to be at Lehigh. So at some point, they were willing to pay that premium.
FWIW, studies have shown that students who work part time in college (no more than 10-15 hours per week) do better academically than those who don’t.
But I am starting to beat a dead horse and since it doesn’t sound like D is in love with Lehigh, then it probably isn’t worth reversing the decision at this point. And I am sure the extra $160K could be put to good use elsewhere.
I would say visit with the caveat that $$$ is part of the decision. She may love it. She may hate it. But if you don’t take the time to visit she might always wonder “What if…” And if you do visit, go see Financial Aid. Will she be the only kid in college next year? What about years 2, 3 and 4? If she has a sibling who will be enrolled full-time somewhere in subsequent years then she might get more aid. Have an honest discussion w/ the FA folks. If she really, really falls in love with Leigh being an RA in years 2, 3 & 4 can help cut expenses. Bing is fine I know lots of kids who went there, loved it, went on to top law schools, got jobs, etc. If she does go to Bing and it’s not her thing, there’s always transfer after either freshman or sophmore year. Bottom line, I think you owe it to yourself to explore the option. See if she likes Leigh. Honestly answer whether the Spring admit is an issue. And most importantly, look at the finances. Good luck.
I’m a Lehigh grad and loved it. That said, in your situation I would choose Binghamton. The combination of the large cost differential and the spring admit are both negatives, and Binghamton is a fine school in its own right. Good luck whichever you decide!
Trisherella has echoed my thoughts. S is also wait listed for Lehigh but we would only consider if it was a fall admit.
And it is also considerably more expensive then the university he has enrolled in - while we can afford it, I also have to wonder if the experience is worth that much more than an excellent public university. Binghamton was on our list originally and we only took it off due to location and difficulty of travel to and from our home. Our private college counselor touted it highly and said its academics compared to nearby Cornell’s.
Binghamton’s SAT scores are lower than Lehigh’s by only 21 points. The slightness of this disparity has at least some bearing on their comparative academic quality. (USNWR.)
I don’t believe Lehigh is worth more than Bing for the extra coin. If your daughter is in the Bing mindset and you all have already plopped down cash to sport the gear, then I wouldn’t recommend leaving that mindset. Have a sit down conversation. If she is still second-guessing and isn’t actually happy about going to Bing, then by all means visit Lehigh and see what she thinks. But if she’s happy with the roommate and the new gear, then stick with your gut and keep your wallet less rooted through.
@momofzag How dare you. I didn’t choose Northwestern for the name. I chose NU because I wanted the academic challenge and I wanted to be in an intellectually stimulating environment and around like minded students. I’m not being disingenuous. Especially since over the long run, NU isn’t going to be $160,000 more than UF. In the long run, it isn’t even gonna cost $160,000 for my family.
Pick one. It’s either a personal decision, or it’s something you can excoriate me for on a public forum.
She spoke from a parents perspective and unlike you, I can actually speak to what her daughter might experience as someone who is her daughters age. So how about you quit the ad hominem attacks about me, especially when you told the OP to choose the same damn school.
EDIT: Not gonna go back and forth on this.