<p>My oldest graduated from high school last week and I found it rather interesting what I learned about the Top 10 kids in her class of 550. Stanford, Duke, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Ivies, etc... were all missing from their list of schools. In fact, only one kid was going out of state (he is a legacy at Mich. State and just wanted to go there). To me, this is truly a matter of economics ... these kids are staying in Arizona for their undergrad education because of cost. Two of the kids are National Merit Finalists too. </p>
<p>When I graduated in 1981, our top kids went to all the significant schools listed above. What is different? Economics. Sad to say the the elite schools are becoming out of reach for 95% (or more) of the kids.</p>
<p>Good luck to the grads of 2013 ... we wish you well.</p>
<p>The West is very different from the east with respect to how we view colleges. In this region of the country, the public schools, which by and large educated the majority of the states leaders, especially in states like Arizona and New Mexico, are absolutely dominant and well thought of. In other regions, particularly the Northeast, this isn’t the case. I know my friends from New York obsessed over Emory’s rank, while none of my California friends particularly cared.</p>
<p>Also, there are basically no private colleges in Arizona or many other states, so the top students, who often would prefer to stay closer to home, opt to go to the close and cheaper option. In states like NY, the best colleges are private. In Arizona, they’re public.</p>
<p>Hmmm, did UA and/or ASU throw big merit money at them? There are some OOS schools like Texas A&M that throw big merit money at OOS NMFs. The other question is, did they get in to the super-selectives? Getting into the super-selectives is likely much harder now than it was in 1981.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, UA and ASU can be good places for top students, despite the relatively low baseline selectivity. Granted, this is likely more true of the top students who are majoring in “hard” majors (or choose the “hard” options within other majors), rather than the “gut” majors that the students who look to college as a four or five year party major in.</p>
<p>My daughter is entering her junior year and is currently in the top 2%. She will also be staying in state unless an OOS that she likes better gives her merit aid. With two kids to put through college and grad school, I just can’t afford to spend $50,000 or more on tuition. We will not qualify for any significant FA and I won’t take out loans for an undergraduate education. Even if we manage to get a little bit of FA from an Ivy ( getting in is another issue), there is no way that the price will come close to our state schools. Our state schools are fantastic and you can’t beat the $20,000 price tag for in-state residents. Many give merit aid as well. She will be casting a very very wide net. I live in a community where the top kids typically go to Hopkins, Cornell, MIT, etc… But not everyone attends such schools. Last year the Val at the other HS in our district went to UDel on scholarship because the price was brought down enough to almost match our state schools.</p>
<p>I, too, think the price has risen to the point where parents have to seriously consider whether spending more than $125,000 is worth it for a college student. My oldest went out of state and his education cost us, after scholarships, etc. around $85,0000. My third is finally leaving this fall and his education will cost $125,000. My middle one I haven’t totaled up yet as he has one more year, but I’m guessing close to $100,000. My salary has actually decreased since number one went off to college but the EFC has increased significantly both in terms of actual FAFSA EFC and what colleges expect us to pay. We will exceed a quarter of a million dollars in actual outlay for college. Back in 1989 we projected $160,000 for all three so we have depleted our retirement by around $100,000. Not many people will pay $40-60,000 when they can get an equivalent education for $30,000 or less and many families don’t even have $30,000 a year to spend on their kids education even if they look like they can on paper. Pluls unlike the state of Michigan, Illinois and a couple other states most states don’t even come close to $30,000 a year for in-state students - a very real bargain for those lucky state kids.</p>
<p>I get that people think that we people in the Northeast are much more interested in private colleges and prestige, but I personally, have not found that to be the case. Pennsylvania happens to have a slew of wonderful public colleges and the majority of students attend those colleges. </p>
<p>The truth is we simply have more colleges East of the Mississippi, lots more. I can think of 30 colleges within an hour of my house without too much effort. We just have more choices and if you understand how merit aid works it makes sense to look at both public and private.</p>
<p>I think this is absolutely no different than 30 years ago. The parents went to school in-state, and now their kids will. The “elite” schools will still enjoy receiving their income from folks in the top 3% of population economically, as they always have, and, for them, school hasn’t been this inexpensive - relative to their assets - in 30 years. It’s really quite a bargain - if you’re rich.</p>
<p>Out here, Brown remains United Parcel Service.</p>
<p>I agree with momofthreeboys and twogirls. The price is just so much higher now than when we went to college. It is difficult to justify the cost for many, especially if they are considering grad school as well.</p>
<p>I think that is why, at least in my state of FL, admission to UF/FSU/UCF has gotten so much more competitive than it was in the past.</p>
<p>At the very selective independent school where I teach, our college counselors report that more of our students than usual chose less selective/lower ranked schools that gave them strong aid packages. We’ve still got our usual crop of Stanford, Harvard, Chicago, etc. matriculants, but we’re seeing an increase in students turning down top ranking schools in favor of lower ranked LACs and out of state publics who showed them the money.</p>
<p>NY kids will look at privates, but the majority of middle income/up to 200K in our neighborhood, even a friend who lives in a much wealthier neighborhood, majority are going to SUNY/CUNY tossing the privates unless athletic money on top of merit. </p>
<p>The difference from HS class of 2006 to HS class of 2013 in regards to going private or OOS went from 60% of the class to about 5%. I knew the tide was changing but this year has been a total shock in the difference in schools. They got in but they are not going.</p>
<p>Our top state schools have an outstanding reputation and are difficult to get into, but for some reason they are shunned by many in my town. They prefer to spend more $$ to go OOS- very silly to me, but to each his own I guess.</p>
<p>I dunno, these schools are still getting huge numbers of applications, their admit rate is still under 10% for some, and at least for Harvard and Stanford, their yields are also very high–for Stanford this year it was the highest in school history, and for Harvard it was the highest since 1973. It doesn’t look like families are turning away from these schools this year…</p>
<p>My third is going to a state public. This was not even considered for S1 in 2006 (and he was not interested in a big school). Fortunately three wants that big U big sport experience.</p>
<p>^ either they are wealthy ( I am not wealthy), they will get a decent amount of financial aid ( I won’t), or they do not mind borrowing money ( I won’t). Many in my town get college money from grandparents ( not me lol). One father in my town has a kid who was recently accepted to the U of Michigan. The kid is going, and the father openly announced that he has no idea how he will pay for it. He also stated that he will be " hitting people up for money." Again, to each his own.</p>
<p>More applications, small percentages accepted, yields still high or higher. If more kids are staying in state, it is because there are more kids, and more kids being rejected.</p>
<p>For those getting in, and in the top 3%, it’s cheaper than it has been in a very long time.</p>
You mean New York CITY. The rest of the residents of New York State are not especially looking at privates.</p>
<p>twogirls - Two of my three kids went to private colleges that cost just about the same as PSU - instate. The key to MERIT aid is applying to colleges that are known to give very generous merit aid and applying to colleges where your stats are above the average admitted students. For the colleges that my two kids went to, 90% (!) of students received merit or financial aid.</p>
<p>Kids in NY suburbs, look and apply to the privates, but when the FA packages come, their parents are walking to the SUNY’s/CUNYs. </p>
<p>There’s a big difference between looking/applying and actually attending. The kids I know this year are not going to private schools, nor are they going OOS, they are living at home commuting to CUNY or going to SUNY’s. Big difference from years past.</p>
<p>Yes kathiep the key to merit is to apply to schools that give generous merit aid and to make sure that your stats are at the tippy top. That is our plan, and if it does not work then my daughter will be attending our top state school. We visited the school twice and her stats easily put her there. We will visit again because I do not want them thinking that they are her safety. Also many kids in the NY suburbs outside of NYC apply to privates- but they do not necessarily go.</p>