What affordable [<$20k] colleges are possible for my 2.8 student? [NY resident]

College Search & Selection
1

MOD NOTE: This post and replies were split from another thread.

First time poster. I read a lot of comments and wonder - really? Everyone is taking their kids to tour Harvard, NYU, MIT, Brown, Yale, and Princeton?

Not to be a Debbie downer - but realistically barely anyone gets into elite schools. It’s statistically nearly impossible.

My kid is just a regular scholar and has a learning processing IEP so her grades have never been high despite her IQ being off the charts. So she’s got 2.8 GPA and we’ll see how she fares on the SAT. So far it’s been hard for her to master it. She gets super overwhelmed while taking tests and needs a lot of extra time.

I would never take her to an ivy nor would I be able to pay for an ivy. I don’t even know if I’d want her to GO to an ivy. My mother went to 2 - Harvard & Princeton - on full ride scholarships and teaches at Northwestern currently as a tenured professor. Even she thinks this whole charade of the ivy elitism is nonsensical.

Are there any parents who evaluate schools based on reality and realistic financial situations that most of America is in? We live in NYC and send our kids to public schools- always have. We make a decent income but don’t have savings for college and don’t expect to be able to afford to pay for college without D23 taking out loans or having MIL who is very wealthy subsidizing her college tuition.

So anyway - I read all these posts about touring $80K a year super elite private schools and roll my eyes.

Are there any parents out there taking your kids to decent schools and state schools without evaluating the college on what brand name it is and actually trying to match it to the reality of your child and your financial situation?

That being said- I am a firm believer in the state schools although even those have gotten wildly expensive!! So far we’ve seen several SUNY(new Paltz, Plattsburgh, Potsdam, Oneonta) URI, UVM, UNewHamp, and have also gone to Syracuse (wow, nice campus, depressing city!!) St. Lawerence in Canton NY, Lake Forest (Illinois), UNewHaven, Suffolk & Simmons in Boston which were both meh. Overall all the non ivy schools in Boston were grim. Umass Amherst was overwhelmingly too big and too ugly for her.

We’re also going to go look at and/or revisit:
URI
Connecticut College
University of Maine
Amherst
Rhode Island College
Bard

Kiddo really wants to be in or near a lively city or big town. Wants to not be in debt eternally. Doesn’t care passionately about sports but likes the idea of a campus where people are actively engaged in sports or outdoorsy activities, good food on or near campus, liberal culture & values, diversity of thought and not 100% white. Although the NE colleges suffer here obviously outside of NY State schools.

2 Likes
2

I think you might find the Parents of Class of 2024 3.0-3.4 thread to be very helpful and supportive.

This thread is for parents with students who just started their freshmen year at college. Lots to read here as well (and much you might find helpful).

13 Likes
3

Thank you! Will def check them out!

4

Three’s lots of value shoppers on here!! You won’t be alone.

Is the 2.8 weighted or unweighted? How is her rigor.

Conn College wont’ work nor will Amherst - or UMASS Amherst.

RIC will.

What’s your budget - that will impact debt.

What’s your home state?

You’re not alone.

4 Likes
5

This post almost scared me. Like no we are not doing that again. We dropped the kid off at school and are done with that whole process. I did it twice and never want to do it again.

1 Like
6

Agree! The whole process was so painful with my second. Happy that I won’t have to do it anymore.

7

What is your annual budget for college for your daughter. A few thoughts as you look at schools…

  1. It sounds like you need a supportive disability office at the college. So make sure you check that out.

  2. If your child has an IEP, they should also have a transition plan for post high school. What’s in that, and how is the high school helping you with your post high school plans!

  3. Your SUNY schools are such a great deal for instate students. Please don’t dismiss them as options.

10 Likes
9

Oh I’m not. They’re VERY high on our lists!

I love SUNY. AND they’ll likely be where she gets in.

4 Likes
10

What is your budget and what area of the country are you willing to look at? My son graduated with a low 3 point something, ended up at about 35th percentile rank in a small rural public. Just FYI he did not get in to Bard but did get in to Knox, Lawrence, and Ithaca with substantial merit aid. Also got in to Roanoke and Centre. Hope that helps!

9 Likes
11

@Notyouraveragemama there are a lot of us who have completed this process with our own kids and stay on this forum to pay it forward.

6 Likes
12

I don’t want to put words into @gpo613 's mouth but I think they may be on the Parents of 2023 thread still because their child is a freshman in college and those of us who shared the journey over the past couple of years got to know one another and support and cheer for one another’s children’s successes. We are still updating each other and providing support and encouragement as needed (as well as cheers!).

Many posters stay on CC past their children’s application seasons to help new parents find their way as they navigate the process. If everyone bailed after their children got into college - there wouldn’t be any kind of institutional knowledge for new parents and students to access on a board like this.

And, to be frank, your post on the Class of 2023 almost sounded like a “wake up at the end of the semester on final’s day realizing you never went to class” kind of post. We’ve all just finished the process and your post on the thread gave everyone a bit of a PTSD flashback. :wink: :joy:

3 Likes
14

Hi, @Notyouraveragemama , I see you are a new poster here. Welcome! Please check your messages.

Reminder to all that this post was split from another thread because the OP is looking for answers to specific questions about her child. Thanks!

1 Like
15

A post was merged into an existing topic: Parents of the HS Class of 2023 (Part 2)

16

I think we need to know what “affordable” means to this poster to provide any sort of decent answers.

2 Likes
17

If she liked UVM and Burlington, check out St. Michael’s. Seems like a very happy and supportive campus, and they make some good merit offers even to kids with lower GPA’s.

Salve Regina could be another to look at in RI.

(Of course, both of these are Catholic, which may or may not work for your family - looks like you’re only considering secular schools so far.)

I agree that she’ll have good options in the SUNY system. What is she interested in studying?

2 Likes
18

Yes, and for this precise reason, every time a student (or parent) posts a chance me thread where all of the listed schools are either reaches or high targets, almost everyone responds by telling them to find a solid safety or two. It’s one of the very few things that pretty much everyone on CC actually agrees about :wink:

So, yes, you are right about the odds. Although there is nothing wrong with high stats students shooting their shot at a reach or two (or three or four). As long as they have a solid plan B in their back pocket.

Some of them give excellent need-based aid. And some families are fortunate enough to be willing and able to pay that without great sacriice. So it is not necessarily financially unrealistic, whether a family is high or low income. It depends greatly on the school.

So every situation is different. I don’t think there’s reason to roll your eyes. I do, however, very much agree that every student should have at least one school that is 100% academically and financially a safety. And you will hear MANY people on here say that.

9 Likes
19

In my opinion, Rhode Island College could meet your criteria. If you reside in one of the designated counties in NY state, your annual tuition is about $15,000. Room and board add another $14,000. So…$29,000 or so total.

Is that affordable for you?

1 Like
20

Ethically we can’t/won’t do Catholic schools.

She changes her mind once a day it seems re: majors. I think biopsychology is what she’s currently interested in…we’ll see what she says tomorrow! Ha.

21

I roll my eyes because I am a hiring manager in an “elite” white collar industry and know from years of experience that elite ivy educations do not mean anything.

Some of the most useless people I’ve ever worked for, or had on my team of direct reports came from elite universities and could not do anything: write a compelling brief, understand basic foundational concepts, use proper grammar, tell an interesting story or hold a high level conversation with clients. Some of the brightest people I have ever known went to community college or unknown schools and came to work with unparalleled ambition, creativity, passion, and intellect.

I’ve hired over 150 people of varying backgrounds. There was no “obvious” edge that I can see from hiring ivy leaguers vs. everyone else. I’ve worked with closely CEOs, CFOs, CSOs etc. and almost all of them graduated from an elite school and most of them were…not impressive.

So for me, I roll my eyes because I think college is not at all a useful tool in gauging whether someone will be good at a lot of roles or jobs. Nor do I think it’s particularly a good use of money. For the first time ever in history, people who went to college are no better off than those who didn’t.

Even if my kid was a 4.5/1600 scholar and we were billionaires, I think I would still steer them away from expensive/elite colleges. You can find academic rigor elsewhere.

2 Likes
22

It is, I definitely think we’re gonna check it out! I love Rhode Island, full stop and really thought URI was lovely. So I am game to check out RIC.