^^ Wow. I believe last’s year’s acceptance rate was 25%, so this is a fairly steep decline in one year. Head is pretty cool over here though. My D2 went to her safety school because at the end of the day, the fit was way better for her, and she loves it. It’s funny how SMU keeps getting back on top for so, so many reasons. I think D3 will certainly try for Tulane. We know about the demonstrated interest, and will be well aware come application time. Tulane will now probably be a reach for her, vs. many others which will be a safety, and I know Tulane takes that into account as well.
IDK, I am just a numbers guy and don’t put value in the current cost “upper tier” schools! If my children were truly exceptional, driven, and aspired to be a world changers maybe I could get behind it. (28-31 ACT kids currently)
All I think of is “Hmmm 90k UG and 150k+ in a trust” or “260k for UG”? What makes sense?
Simple calculator shows cheap college kid making 75/yr, 6% 401k contribution , has 833k@40 yrs old.
Simple calculator shows expensive college kid making 100k/yr, 20% 401k contribution , has 644k@40 yrs old.
You can keep going, but in the end the expensive education rarely pays off the ROI is not there for normal careers for most kids. I always tell the story: (MIT engineer worked right next to all the rest of the engineers all paid about the same.) Fortune 25 company 2012.
Of course it is more than just money, but at the same time is it more than money, or are we just paying for a cool experience and some memories? College is far too expensive from what my parents paid, what I paid, the trend is not sustainable.
SMU or Tulane with AID would be my pick good luck!
@hannuhylu Yup - that’s exactly what I am thinking as well. Certainly striving for it. I told D3 that it would be very, very, very helpful if she was in the running for a scholarship at SMU. But SMU seems to be getting more difficult to get into these days too.
Wow! Tulane is getting ridiculous to get into. This is the first year they are doing ED. Up until now they were doing EA only. I wonder if that is making it more competitive. Since we live in an over subscribed state and my child is a female, she would probably need close to a 1500, and I don’t see that happening. It’s all so daunting. Schools lower down on the tiers like Elon are going to be matches for many when they were once safeties. All I can suggest is to apply broadly.
Thank you @citymama9. I think we will look at Elon as well. I don’t know much about it, but better start cracking.
just saw this thread and there is a lot of back and forth. Are there any particular questions i may be able to speak to on SMU? I am a current student here and I applied to vanderbilt back in the day. Many of my friends have also looked or even chose between usc, tulan, and usc.
@jamesk2014 The SMU community is pretty quite on CC, so I have a lot of questions. Why did you choose SMU over Vanderbilt and how would you compare the schools in regards to the student body? How hard are the academics at SMU? Do you know hard it is to double major? What is it like being in Dallas? Have you found any internships and research opportunities through SMU? How prevalent is Greek culture? Does the school have a lot of school spirit? Last question: what are the dorms like? Thank you!
^^ @buttercup2018 I asked @jamesk2014 on a different thread if he could potentially start a new thread so that we can ask a current SMU student questions. I have a lot of the same questions you do!
@3mamagirls can you tag me in the SMU thread? Thanks!
@jamesk2014 We live in NY and wonder whether the students stick with people from their area or does every mix and mingle. Do you think it would be hard for a girl wanting to be in a sorority if she doesn’t know anyone or have any connections to the school? Would you describe the school environment as warm or intense or something else? Thanks so much
@citymama9 i would check out a long post i made on @3mamagirls post on another thread. I would generally consider it a pretty warm environment and because of the delayed recruitment process it allows you to find people you enjoy. I came here knowing no one and was able to get plugged in in a number of places. Currently i live with a guy from the area, a guy from atlanta, and im from columbus ohio. People have always been friendly, and warm in my opinion and we actually do have a fair amount of people from the northeast, so it wouldn’t be out of place for your daughter, but people dont click much by region. For instace my high school friends at ohio state kept the same friend group and are split not just by region but by high school. That doesnt happen here that ive seen.
Thank you so much @jamesk2014 Much appreciated.