<p>Okay, you have my apologies then. I guess we did admit a couple of people from Colorado. The kid I was thinking of is a dedicated cross country runner. It's funny though because he too mentioned his Dad being highly dissatisfied with the financial aid. It's a common issue, though. My apologies. Anyway, that kid is 100% set on Caltech.</p>
<p>Of course, I firmly stand by the rest of what I said. It's your "right" -- in that nobody will stop you -- to decide where your son will go based on money issues. But if in the end he would have preferred Caltech and ends up at a factory like Berkeley or a clone of a good high school like UIUC, he'll be the worse off for it. Maybe he'll agree that in the end that one of those large, impersonal, overall low-ranked schools (as far as the general undergraduate program) is the best for him. I'm just saying it's wrong to let money make the decision and not push as hard as you can to let him do what he wants.</p>
<p>Anyway, I'm not trying to offend you. It does make me justifiably sad for your son that you are being so pessimistic so early in the process. <em>whispers</em> The big secret is that Caltech has enough money to make sure your son can come here if you just initiate a dialogue and work with them to explain why you cannot pay the amount they suggest. It looks like you're on your way to doing that. I'm just saying, don't lose hope.</p>
<p>This thread makes me feel so sad. My S is paying full fare at Caltech. It was much less than MIT and other top schools. He will exhaust his inheritance. He could have gone many places for free. I took that route, rather than pay full fare (I didn't have much choice), and never loved college. I use to say "smarter kids in HS". I wanted S to surrounded by peers who live and breath sci/math, to be challenged and inspired by classes and meterials, to fulfill his potential to be a creator.</p>
<p>In my day, people chose grad school because we got grants. Medical school seemed so expensive. Yet talk to the MDs years later, and not one had any problem paying off their loans. </p>
<p>Happiness in life will include 2 key elements: your profession (being satisfying and financially allowing a decent life style) and choice of mate. As a parent, I have little if any influence over the latter, but I can try to steer my children to fulfill intellectual potential.</p>
<p>Anyway, just another parents' opinion.</p>
<p>I can appreciate that. It is totally my son's decision as to where he'll go in the end but I'll be along side him all the way digging for info and opportunities. He understands the concept of debt and that will play into his decision, I'm sure.</p>
<p>The kids accepted into engineering colleges within large public universities are several cuts above the norm for undergrads, btw, as is the curriculum. There are also some honors programs that facilitate closer student to professor relationships and research opportunites. Don't be so quick to condemn them. </p>
<p>Being at a large university with higher faculty/student ratios is not all bad, especially for very focused, talented students who are able to work in a system and not succumb to distractions. Developing social skills is every bit as important as academics, if not more so. I have every confidence he can work through a public system and gain necessary credentials to get accepted for graduate studies at such places as MIT, Stanford, and UCB if he so chooses. I'd include Caltech in that mix but his inclination is towards mechanical engineering which I don't beleive is Caltech's forte.</p>
<p>Colorado -- You're absolutely right that Caltech is not exceptionally strong in MechE. If your son is pretty sure he wants to pursue that (esp. as a grad student), he should go to MIT, or Berkeley, or the others you mentioned. See, no bullcrap from me on that.</p>