Hi, We have twin daughters. One got in Baylor(32 k with scholarships) and one in Purdue engineering- honors(45 k -no scholarship)
The total is 75k per year which is impossible for us without taking loans. Both of them also got in state- and with good scholarships/honors its less than 30k per year.
We have four options now
Both go to their dream colleges but we end up with lot of debt.
one goes to Baylor and one instate- 42 k total
One goes to Purdue and one in state- 55 k total
Both go instate- less than 30k.
We feel that sending any one twin to her dream college is unfair to another. Also, Are Baylor and Purdue worth that much money for undergraduates? We are worried about taking a wrong decision.
Please advice. Thanks in advance.
That is a tough situation! An important question is whether there is anything special or unique that either twin can get at dream school that she can’t get at state. For example, I will be spending a good deal more on D19 than I did on D16 because D19’s school has a program she can’t get anywhere else. D16 doesn’t mind because her school has everything she needs.
Also, how much less than 30 is State? If it is just a tiny bit less, it might be fair to allow twin1 to go to Baylor if the cost is similar.
How do the girls feel about State? Do they each love the “dream” school equally?
Both should go in state because that makes the most sense. Save money for grad school. Number one would be too much debt. Two and three does not work because it is unfair and either child would resent you.
Did both get into the preferred major for the State school? Does the State school offer desired majors? Does either twin want to go to graduate school?
Is the State school highly regarded?
Both Purdue and Baylor are far from airports. Are you also budgeting for travel?
This is tough. Have the twins each visited the preferred school and the State school?
Definitely 4. No undergrad debt for premed. And the other won’t make that much more with a Purdue engineering degree for it to make up the difference in cost.
Yes. Both got their preferred majors in state as well as out of state. One with engineering wants to do masters and one with premed wants to become a doctor.
Besides (unless Purdue has changed the way they operate since my kid looked at it) she could go for a whole year at Purdue and not get into the major that she wants. Which is my number 1 problem with Purdue. And I know plenty of kids who didn’t get into their major of choice after the first year. And where are you then?
Is it an actual choice, or it is just tough to tell them there is no actual choice? Did you have the money discussion before applications? Do they know that instate is the default as the others haven’t delivered enough merit money, I assume you are full pay for both because you probably wouldn’t have applied to OOS publics otherwise. Were you expecting merit from Purdue? What if both had the same costs at 30K a yr (so 60K a yr) were you ready to pay that?
A friend’s daughter had a similar conundrum. She was accepted at an OOS public at $47,000 per year. She enrolled at UT Dallas with a full tuition scholarship. She is busy planning a trip and study abroad semesters because there is some extra room in her budget. Her parents told her that going to the instate option would mean more money for traveling, and she took that to heart.
With those majors, absolutely State for both. Absolutely no reason to go into debt or seek prestige for pre-med. From what others are saying engineering is the same.