What are reasons not to go to your state flagship?

Parents Forum
61

OP: just an observation from a recent college visit:

At Miami U (OH public) they do a 4 year where you are certified to teach in Ohio when you graduate. Plus they give lots of merit money.
Not sure if OH interests you. There is also a thread at the top listing schools with good merit aid you should check out.

62

Why not go to state flagship? While it might be a great school/practical financial choice, you might not like the feel of the flagship. It may be way too big–just getting across campus is a pain. Housing may be in short supply, crowded/old/terrible. Half of your high school class goes there and you might want to leave that behind/try something different. You prefer smaller classes taught by professors. You prefer being treated like a person, not a number. These are some of the most common reasons I’ve heard.

Fwiw, teaching jobs are out there if you really want to teach and are willing to go to inner-city or rural schools. If you can teach multiple subjects and coach a sport/sponsor clubs or activities, that’s even better. Many private schools do not require teaching certificates.

63

“I guess I want to know if kids who could get into a more highly ranked school would end up unhappy at a state flagship.”

  • My D. did not check rankings, it was not important, she did not apply to any Ivy / Elites despite all the push from GC. She did not care for state flagship college either. She simply opted to attend the in-state public that she choose ever so carefully as one that matched her personality and very wide range of interests. She attended there on full tuition Merit scholarship, had experiences there that far exceeded our expectations and had a great selection of Med. Schools to attend at the end. What did she miss? I guess, paying tuition, as some of her Medical School classmates who attended Ivy / Elite colleges pointed to her with great regrets…
    No regrets in D’s heart, just great memories of time well spent…
    We do not know if D. would have been accepted at some Ivy / Elite. But we could only guess that she would as the one who graduated #1 from the #2 private HS in our state.