Sure, but to each their own. Some students absolutely thrive in an Ivy league environment of one kind or other (and there are significant differences between Ivy League schools, and among majors at various Ivy League schools, so it’s a bit odd to lump them together in this way). Others don’t. Why roll your eyes? Do what’s right for you and your student and if that’s not Ivy, great. It wasn’t Ivy for us, either (my D attends a state school). But I’m not sure if your blanket disdain for Ivy League schools is any more justified than blanket worship of Ivy League schools. Both are overly simplistic, imo. Different students thrive in different environments. The key is finding the right environment at a school that is both affordable and will accept you (and has solid offering in your intended major). There are multiple ways to do this and multiple factors to weigh and one student’s perfect fit won’t be another student’s. And for some students the perfect fit will fall under the Ivy category and for some students it won’t.
And I have known brilliant people who hold degrees from Ivy League schools. And I have known brilliant people who hold degrees from state schools. So I agree with you that an Ivy League graduate is in no way inherently superior to anyone else simply by virtue of their alma mater. But I disagree that they are also somehow more likely to be “useless” (to use your word) than anyone else. That seems a bit unfair to say, although your experience is your experience.
Umm, you do realize you have Amherst College on your list, right?
One of those highly elite, highly expensive schools you dislike? Or did you mean UMass Amherst, which you did not like?
In any event, that won’t be happening in the current context, so you need to determine 1. If you qualify for need based aid, run the npc everywhere; 2. If you will need merit aid too and your overall budget and 3. What schools are possible given financial constraints and the student’s academic profile. I wouldnt worry about what she wants quite yet. You need to see what is possible
It’s not on MY list, I told the kid she could see it since we’ll be going that way. I don’t think it will be a match anyway. Amherst is in the middle of a literal cornfield.
In most parts of the world, the income gap between college educated and everyone else is substantial. And in the US, the gap is big enough so that IF a kid is motivated and interested in a college education AND can attend a place without huge loans (which in most cases, means just avoiding for-profit scam colleges), higher education does pay out.
You do you, but I find your post inconsistent. Amherst is fine to visit but Harvard isn’t? Taking kids to visit highly rejective schools is bad but you are going with kid to visit the top LAC with a sub 3.0 gpa?
Where in the US can a kid attend a school without taking out huge loans?
There was just a big NYTM piece about this. Oh, and something like 50% of Americans are in more debt than they were when they took out their student loans initially.
Some absurd number of people are going to be unable to resume paying back their student loan debt when the USDOE resumes collections in October.
The biggest drivers of the student loan crisis are grad school loans and for-profit diploma mills. The kids attending Macauley or Baruch and making it work with their Pell and federal loans are NOT part of the crisis.
OP, cornfield digression aside- if you can post the actual budget in actual dollars- X per year-- we can be a lot more helpful than just spitballing.
What colleges are within commuting distance and what would the price tag look like for you? That’s what most kids around the world do- live at home and commute.
Second- are the CUNY/SUNY options coming in under budget?
Third- how far afield (you knew I’d get in a corn joke) is your D willing to go to find affordable/in or near a city, with the kind of campus life she’s looking for?
I live near Bard – on a farm! – and while one can certainly go into NYC you end up having to allow 2 1/2 hours (at least) for the trip. So 5-6 hours round trip. Because of this students don’t go into NYC frequently. And Annandale on Hudson isn’t even a town. Tivoli, the closest village has a population of 1,000 spread out over 2 square miles. Tivoli is within Red Hook, population just under 10,000 spread out over 40 square miles. The Bard student’s every day experience is going to be overwhelmingly rural, with not even a college town in walking distance.
I believe people, myself included, are trying to be helpful.
SUNY was def affordable - I like the idea of 20K per year roughly for all in costs which most of the SUNYs seem to offer.
We remain in the dark if my MIL will cough up any dough to help cover college costs. She can, just not sure if she will.
If she would, then we could expand into looking at some slightly more expensive schools.
Kiddo loved Syracuse & UVM (I personally do NOT understand the draw of Syracuse, the school seemed well funded-as it should be- and well maintained, lots of programs, research opps, student/teacher ratio, but my god, Syracuse was grim, maybe I missed something?) but UVM seems WILDLY expensive for what you get. Although Burlington is very fun & I have always loved it up there.
They can start at their local community college and commute from home. If possible, get a two year degree in some employable field. Work, save money, and complete bachelors degree. Lots,of students do this.