<p>Already good explanations given for financial and academic reasons to attend an OOS.</p>
<p>Another reason…which is completely non-financial and non-academic…is the opportunity to meet more diverse people…at a time when some kids are ready and eager to break out of their “comfort zone”. A student from metro New York going to Univ of South Carolina will meet more different kinds of people than they would in a New York State school. Even though the SUNY schools have kids from upstate…which is like a different planet for kids from NYC, LI and Westchester…the majority of the NY population is downstate, so that’s where a lot of the kids at the SUNY schools are from.</p>
<p>Because most of the state schools have a majority of students from their state (some. like North Carolina, a high percentage by state government mandate), a student from a place like metro New York will get to meet people with more diverse life experiences at an OOS. The life of a “full pay” kid from South Carolina is even likely to be very different from the life of a “full pay” kid from Westchester County.</p>
<p>And…if you like warm weather and big-time sports (other than hockey)…the University of South Carolina (or almost any non-mountain southern school) is a significantly better option than any SUNY school!</p>
<p>In DD’s case, she dearly wanted to go to Columbia (applied ED and didn’t get in), for its location and its liberal atmosphere, in addition to its outstanding academics; if not Columbia, she wanted to go to the state of her birth and early childhood and attend UC San Diego. She applied to ten other schools and was given great merit money at RPI and IIT, both excellent schools. RPI isn’t really urban and, although there is a lot going on there, its not likely it’ll ever be embroiled in controversy, creating great hullabaloo, about a visiting head of an islamic state or anything remotely like that. IIT is in Chicago but it’s pretty isolated from the heart of the city and is too small a student body to ever bustle like Columbia’s urban campus. Among her other choices was Case Western, which felt urban enough and liberal enoiugh (or, rather, not particularly conservative) but cost $50k for a good (not great) alternative to Columbia. UCSD did accept her, and we would have really had to agonize about passing up the merit money at IIT had she chosen UCSD over it, but she was accepted to Berkeley. Every bit as urban and liberal as Columbia and arguably as fine an academic institution. She would have been IS at Michigan, but wouldn’t even apply–just didn’t like the vibe, particularly the isolation of the area of campus she would have had most classes at. (Also, having moved from SoCal as a tween to a very conservative and rural area, she couldn’t get her head around the idea that UM could possibly be liberal or truly urban.) Money was not a big factor (beyond deciding what we wanted to pay, not what we could pay), and she got the best of both worlds: the urban, liberal, fine academics and California. A perfect fit–and it has been.</p>
<p>So, I’d say the only thing the OP may have missed is, given the right set of circumstances, fit. I’m not sure that many could understand or accept that an outstanding fit could be worth the money (and the notion that most kids end up loving whatever school they go to is not lost on me) but it is to us in our particular set of circumstances.</p>
<p>True, don’t expect Need Based Aid at a OOS Public school. Also, some states have state grant programs that don’t transfer OOS -this can be a big loss of $$.
However, if your child is a great student - many OOS U’s do give nice Merit aid scholarships - which have been discussed in earlier threads. Sometimes these Merit Aid scholarships can be a great deal.
Whether or not OOS is cost effective depends on the state that you are from and also where you are willing to go.</p>
<p>Cartera45,
Re post#33
We have examined the statistics for acceptance from our high school for Clemson, JMU, and Vtech and consulted with our high school counselor. With our child’s stats, she has very little chance at JMU or Vtech, but has a decent chance at Clemson. We can pay full freight for Clemson so that may help her gain acceptance.</p>
<p>JMU and Tech are popular schools for instate students right now. Increasingly selective as well. To the OP: UVA meets full need of all students, IS or OOS. Michigan does not. D dreamed of attending UM; unfortunately, despite a very good aid package, that left us paying around 18k a year for an OOS student. She competed for a few of the merit scholarships but unfortunately did not receive anything further (10k merit and then a huge grant from UM along with loans and work study). She was also accepted at Pitt with a full tuition package and an invitation to apply for other awards. She had been accepted at UM and preferred it so we were prepared to bite the bullet on cost over Pitt. We are instate for UVA and thanks to grants and scholarships will pay nothing so that’s where she ended up. I’d encourage your son to look at OOS schools and examine their aid policies carefully. Pitt is a great safety to apply to early and have a decision early; it also seems the earlier you’re accepted the better the aid you’re offered (from what I’ve read here).</p>
<p>It’s actually 11/15. EA deadline for SC is 10/15.</p>
<p>I’m a person that took the money OOS and went with it. I was deferred from my in-state flagship (UGA) and didn’t finish my application foolishly because in my mind at the time it was down to two schools, both private.</p>
<p>SC came along and offered me the McKissick Scholarship, which gives me in-state tuition along with a $2,000 scholarship. My parents are paying less for college than they did for my private HS.</p>
<p>PM me if you have any questions about South Carolina. I’d love to answer them.</p>
<p>My son was a National Merit kid who dreamed of the Ivies, Duke, MIT. Last year, we urged him to go through the stack of National Merit offers (as well as other scholarship offers), and to pick one school as a financial safety. We told him that the economy may not bounce back immediately, and truthfully, we did not see any point in signing off on big loans that would take years to repay. At the same time, we still had one more to educate in five years. </p>
<p>A year later, my son is at the financial safety … and he just loves it. He called the other night and said that he could not see himself any other place. He will graduate without debt and perhaps, with a masters in addition to his BA. Hindsight is great, he said. If he knew he would love his southern school this much, he would have saved hundreds in application fees to the Ivies, Duke and MIT, as well as some outstanding public schools.</p>
<p>yorkyfan – you never know w/VA Tech – my son got accepted and invited to apply to the honors program – and his grades were not stellar (test scores high, tho). Maybe worth a try? I always figured – $50 and an essay, not too high a price to pay for the possibility of a great education…</p>
<p>Yorkyfan, you might have some factors that may help with VT. First, VT is a state school, and if you are an in state resident, keep in mind that the school must have a certain percentage (67) of in state students. Second, an I hate to play the sex card, but I have seen some guys with good scores/stats be rejected from VT, while some girls with lower scores get in. It depends on what they seek for their student body. Third, where do you reside in VA? They could be a help. They try to take kids from all regions of the state.</p>
<p>Finally, is VT her top choice? Can she go through without much aid? If so, consider applying ED. Sure, that would take the option out of her hands to go any place else, but if she really wants VT, and you can handle it financially, you might consider the ED route. A smaller percentage apply ED, and that might favor her, too.</p>
<p>Momreads,VT and JMU are not easy even for instate kids these days. Son, 1360 SAT(m and cr), all state in sport, Eagle Scout, 1st chair in orchestra, got waitlisted by both. I’m sure it was the 3.55 GPA with 6 Ap’s that did it. Just did not do as well with grades and homework as he could have.VT in particular is very numbers driven . He ended up getting off the waitlist for both schools but it was a rough few weeks dealing with the waitlists.</p>
<p>Momreads, per your post #50. How were the FA packages from the Ivies, Duke and MIT compare to your DS’s financial safety?<br>
</p>
<p>That is very objective, isn’t it. He did not attend “the Ivies, Duke and MIT” so how would he know if he would not love “the Ivies, Duke and MIT” more?</p>
<p>Please forgive me if this was already addressed (I didn’t see it but only scanned the posts)–</p>
<p>Does a kid who does not need any financial aid have a better chance of getting in than a similar kid who does? We’ve diligently scraped and saved since S was born, and we can send him anywhere. Problem is S is not an uber student and may not have many APs or ECs. We expect he will do reasonably well but not outstanding on the SAT. So, will the fact that he won’t need aid help him? (We are not looking at Ivies, BTW.) Thank you.</p>
<p>BfloGal - From what I’ve read, as a rule, it is the kid on the cusp as far as admittance goes that is most likely to benefit from being a “full pay.” For schools that are need aware or need sensitive, the fact that they would not need to offer your son financial aid would work in his favor relative to a kid with similar credentials who did need to financial aid. With the economy being as it is, I can’t help but think it might even give your son a little more of an edge today than it would have in the past.</p>
<p>But keep in mind, the money won’t get him into a school where his stats are clearly below average. But might help if they are a bit below average.</p>
<p>To be clear, need aware and need sensitive schools admit that they take into account an applicant’s ability to pay. Need blind schools say that they don’t (I’m cynical).</p>
<p>sevmom - Very strange. We are out-of-state for VaTech, but virtually every kid from my son’s public high school with a weighted GPA of 3.5 or above who applied got in. And the average SAT for admittees was under 1300. We are talking dozens of kids, not a few flukes.</p>
<p>Delamer.That is what baffled the guidance department. His guidance counselor told me his situation was one of the only truly strange ones they could not figure out this year. Frankly, it is harder sometimes from some parts of Virginia to get in to Virginia Tech than it is for out of state students. Especially instate boys. He was well liked by teachers and his guidance counselor assured me her recommendation (based on her recommendation and feedback from his teachers)was very good so we were a little surprised. But all’s well that end’s well and he seems very happy so far at Virginia Tech.</p>
<p>The Virginia schools love those OOS tuitions. Virginia is threatening to increase the percentage of in state kids the schools have to take and it won’t be welcomed. If that happens, I think William & Mary should just go private.</p>
<p>I wondered about the OOS dollars, cartera45.</p>
<p>sevmom - I’m glad things worked out for your son, and that he is happy at VaTech. You seem more serene than I would in your position as a tax payer in the Commonwealth!</p>