@“Snowball City” I guess just smaller classes within the bigger university. I like Wooster when I visited, but I could still save more money with the U. I guess that is the main reason why I am leaning toward the U.
My advice on this issue comes from the experience of having two very different students, one kid at a public flagship and one at a LAC. Each of them knew pretty quickly they could not flourish in their sibling’s environment. The flagship kid likes to be anonymous sometimes, did not want to feel like he was in a fishbowl in a community of 1600-3000 students. He has had a phenomenal experience at in the UW Honors program, which has allowed him to take Honors discussion sections of large lecture classes with the prof, rather than TA, and also to take Honors classes and seminars with similarly engaged students. This is a student who is comfortable being self-directed and does not want to be “on” all the time. On the other hand, the LAC kid took one look at the lecture hall holding hundreds of kids, and backed away shaking (well, not quite) – he knew that he needed a seminar setting for all his classes, faculty who will know him etc. He could no more fathom being successful at a public university than he could picture living on the moon. Each one chose appropriately for themselves.
A long way of saying – if you are a LAC kid like mine, then Grinnell with $50k debt could be an appropriate choice, though there are also considerations about whether there may be changes in your EFC so that the debt load could increase, and whether that estimate is putting you and your family right at the edge of financial stability. Of course, you, as the student cannot borrow that much on your own, your parents would need to be involved.
However, if you are more in the middle – you like the idea of a smaller school but don’t get sick thinking about a large lecture hall – then U MN Honors can be a great solution. Or maybe revisit the question about Wooster – if it is affordable, but just not quite as cheap as U MN, then it could be a middle ground.
@Midwestmomofboys thank you! I could probably finish at Wooster with minimal debt, but definitely would not have any left for grad school. Is the College of Wooster worth paying that much money for?
What kind of grad school? If you are thinking about a PhD, they are funded so you shouldn’t need to borrow again.
Wooster’s senior capstone project is great training for grad school.
edited because I am a poor typist
While there may be many students who could only flourish in one or the other kind of environment, there are many students who can flourish in both. I went to a small liberal arts college and I loved it - loved the small classes and contact with professors, loved to be “on” all the time, loved the discussion and the fishbowl atmosphere. But I’m also very outgoing and self-directed and a self-starter, and I would’ve thrived in a large public university setting, too. There are lots of students who can adjust to either situation. One may have some downsides - everything has downsides - but I don’t necessarily believe that all or even most students are either an “LAC person” or a “big university person.” People are more adaptable and complex than that.
Besides, the choice is between “no debt” and “a lot of debt.” So I think the OP can make herself comfortable in a competitive, tight-knit honors program at an excellent public university and come out with no debt.
@“Snowball City” that is the hard part. I don’t really know what I want to do yet. I may go to law school, but I could see myself getting a PhD.
Do you have a friend at the U? Have you stayed overnight and attended classes?
How much debt would Wooster or Beloit entail?
@“Snowball City” I have a couple friends there. I have not stayed overnight at any of my options or attended classes. I would have little to no debt from either school, just no money left over.
If you were my kid I would say to go somewhere with the next couple of years in mind. Where do you think you would settle in and thrive the best? Any way you can squeeze visits in during the next 2 weekends? I know it is a busy time. My daughter missed prom for college visits.
@“Snowball City” I’ll probably visit two separate ones this weekend for sure.
@julliet – I agree that many kids can flourish in both, though I happen to have two kids who are each at the opposite extreme. My suggestion to the OP was that only they can know whether they are a “middle” kid, in which case, go to U MN, or an extreme kid, in which case, perhaps Grinnell or even Wooster with minimal debt, would be the better choice.
@Midwestmomofboys @julliet Personally, I feel like I could be a ‘both’ student. It would push me more outside of my comfort zone to attend the U, but I am certainly not shy or timid. It could be a good experience forcing me to grow up and become more independent.
In that case, the opportunities at U MN will be phenomenal, and without the worry of money and debt hanging over your head, you will be able to take the unpaid internship which you couldn’t have afforded if you went elsewhere, do the study abroad program AND travel without panicking about money. Minnesota is an excellent school, and the Twin Cities are amazing. Don’t look back – look forward, is my advice!
If you plan to go to law school, I would take on as little debt as possible for undergrad.
Update us after your visits. I am interested in your opinions.
So I went back to the U, and I decided that it’s not as big as I originally thought. Many of the classes are 50-60 students rather than 300. I love to watch sports, so I could take advantage of watching the D1 programs at the university. I also think I would benefit going to college in a city because of the internship opportunities. I am going to push myself to use college as an opportunity to break out of my shell. Saving money is also a big plus as well. I want to choose a school that I genuinely would enjoy attending, and I think I may have unexpectedly found it in the University of Minnesota.
Sounds wonderful, congrats!
I hope you took a slow walk down the mall from Coffman to Northrup. Doesn’t get much better. Congrats.
Ding ding, we have a winner! Great job thinking it through
The other benefit to being at the U of M is easy access to employers both in the summer, and after you graduate, whenever that might be. There is no substitute for being able to hop on public transit for 20-30 minutes( or less), and see a prospective employer vs. doing it all online. A " campus visit" can be very revealing of an employer.