I didn’t think it was extreme based on your comment - but we all have opinions 
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I shouldn’t have used “aren’t particularly smart” since I know that there are LOTS of smart, articulate great kids who head to southern state schools. Many get full rides, honors colleges…However, there are dozens and dozens of kids from our town who others would describe as “popular cool kids” with ACT scores of 18-24 AND whose parents don’t care what colleges cost, who head south to Alabama or Ole Miss. These kids are savvy enough to know to do fraternity parties in June and what clothes they need for a week of Alabama rush. I had a mother yesterday talk to me for 15 minutes about Georgia Rush and that her stress level was already over the top.
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This is correct - some schools are not hard to get into (i.e. Nebraska, Indiana in the big 10) - and relatively are less expensive even at full pay. than schools further North. Doesn’t mean they are bad schools.
But you also have over 900 NMFs at Bama and have wonderful programs at other schools such as Ole Miss, Miss State, Auburn and more - and yes, some have aid with lower scores.
Nothing sells like sports - today it’s SEC football. When I went to college in the 80s, it was Big East Basketball - it put schools like Syracuse, BC, Gtown, Villanova, etc. on the map. Guys like John Thompson, Jim Boeheim, Lou Carnesecca, Rollie Massimino. There were studies done to prove this…sure they were great schools b4 and after but that helped their prominence.
Anyway, back to your point - just because you get a 20 on the ACT doesn’t mean you’re not smart…but I see your point.
I was just a bit shocked at the word choice - but - I’ve been creamed a thousand times on the CC so I have my moments too 
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Colleges with a high volume of EA or ED applications and which are selective enough that there is no “auto admit by high stats” range that many applicants fall into probably need more time than they used to need to read all of the EA and ED applications.
I probably should have come up with a better term. 
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I think people are paying more than 75K over four years for state schools. If you are out of state and are getting a tiny bit in merit you are paying a lot of money - more like $50K a year. I’ve heard parents say they are paying 60K a year for some southern state schools. It’s all nuts.
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Not the Uber elite stat ones running to Bama, Arizona, UAH and more. At Arizona a 3.9 UW gets you great tuition. A 4.0 unreal.
Same at Bama with a 3.5 + 32 ACT / 1420 SAT.
They’re not the only. You are not wrong. They are easy admits. They’d also blow you away with the # of high caliber kids that can get nearly into any school in the country.
While I preferred my son went to Pursue, his tuition at Bama after 28.5 in merit is about $3k. So I’ll spending under $75k in four years including car payment.
My daughter as well as her scholarship at College of Charleston is $3k larger than tuition but there that’s not the norm.
Since you’re from the MW here’s an article for you …a bit dated but likely accurate.
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Shameless Plug: The Barrett Honors College at ASU is consistently ranked among the top honors colleges in the country. Our son was accepted and, as an in-state, could have attended for almost nothing.
In a piece published in The New York Times, columnist Frank Bruni noted that Barrett Honors College is “widely considered the gold standard” of honors institutions and pointed out that Barrett combines an academically distinguished student body with “the scale, eclecticism and sprawling resources of a huge university. It’s two experiences in one.”
Bruni also wrote about ASU and Barrett Honors College in his book “Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania”.
Even the New England boarding schools have Barrett on their lists.
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That goes for U of SC too - who also claims to be #1.
Funny thing about both of them - they are the “gold standard” but not amongst the hardest honors program to get into.
Wonderful schools!!!
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That is quite a reasonable, high quality education and would be hard to pass up. My husband and I have put one kids through in state public and another out of state public on WUE and we’ve already spent about 250k with two more kids to go.
I understand your rationale that once there’s one or two extremely likely acceptances and another one or two likelies that people might want to then swing for the fences for institutions where admission is unlikely, merely due to the odds. Yet I think that for applicants who apply to 12 (or more) institutions and get 8+ rejections at unlikely schools and are admitted to 2 likelies and 2 extremely likelies, it’s still going to feel like a letdown, as well as a waste of time and funds.
How many times have people mentioned how a student felt one way about college when they were applying and then 5 months later feels a different way, in such a way that there’s a significant difference in their college preferences? If that change can be accommodated by the institution(s) in which they were accepted, then great, but what if it’s not? I guess I prefer to have most of my options remain open and likely, and it does feel great when an institution really shows their love for the applicant, which is rarer in the institutions that have low acceptance and high yield rates.
I definitely understand your perspective, though.
I can tell you that Florida residents are not paying over 75k for the Florida state schools. I bought my older daughter a prepaid program with 4 years of tuition and Freshman dorm for $8,000 when she was 4 years old (Valued at 32k upon matriculation), then she got Bright Futures which covers 4 years of tuition (Valued at 24K at matriculation). The cost of 4 years of college at UF was 80k including tuition, fees, books, room and board. So, UF stacked the prepaid and bright futures into a general bank account (56k) that she could draw upon. At the end of the day, we paid 24K for her entire education. We had saved over 75K on top of the prepaid, so we bought her a new car and gave her the other 25K to start her adult life. She studied Civil Engineering had 3 summer internships and graduated Magna Cum Laude. Her starting salary was 70K after receiving a 10K signing bonus. Btw, she was accepted at Georgia Tech, NC State, etc. She works side by side with GT and Purdue grads. They all make the same money, but she has no college debt, a paid for car and a nice savings account.
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But I bet kids from Ohio are paying a lot more for Florida! Florida is certainly a hot school right now! Fantastic deal for in state kids. Lots of recent chatter on CC about Florida resident kids who were deferred this year, kids with really good stats. I would love to have that kind of college bill next year. I’m bracing for COA of about 50K after merit. Ugh.
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UF is still cheap - relative - about $44K full price (no merit).
But even better - FSU - also a strong school - if you get the OOS waiver - not sure what was needed this year but in year’s past a 31 ACT…it’s about $20-22K-ish.
Florida schools are a bargain at any measure.
I imagine they retain more “top” students as a percentage than any other state…or at least most other states.
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We have to be careful to not overstate the quality of the student population at places like UA. Sure there is a small population of high quality students that are chasing money. However, the vast majority of students are what you expect. My DS did a summer on campus to check out the school. He was completely underwhelmed at the quality of students. Most just didn’t care. This was further reinforced when we talked to faculty in 3 departments after his 6 weeks on campus. There answer was that he would quickly be in classes with graduate students.
Like any school, depends on the major. In math, in engineering you won’t find this - or you’ll find kids who won’t make it.
In hospitality, yes you will
Again, there is no question it’s easier to get into, there’s lesser kids statistically, etc. No question - but they have a sizable chunk that’s legit.
The last class had 281 National Merit Scholars (over 900 on campus).
They have majors like PR that are tops in the country. The B school is also highly rated as is the law school (post grad).
I did not say their student profile equaled a Michigan or Florida or UVA or even an Ohio State or Penn State.
38% of kids had a 4.0 in HS - I know, that’s not much with weighting. 35% had a 30 ACT.
I’m not trying to equivalate it to higher ranked schools because Bama is cake to get into. I’m simply saying - they have a sizable chunk of smart kids.
And hard core classes.
My son got $10k Merit to Purdue (few get any $ in engineering( - and he’s getting all he could handle.
So again - I’d say they’d blow you away with the # of really smart kids. I’m not saying that as a basis that they are UVA or UCLA.
I’m saying this becaise many think schools like Bama or UTK or Iowa or Utah or Oregon or WVU or South Carolina or Texas Tech are “joke” schools - and I think if you dug deep under the surface, you’d find plenty of brilliance at each and every one of them.
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University of South Florida USF is the bargain for OOS in Florida
Ranked 103 by US News
OOS Tuition $17300 Last Year
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Sorry- my 20-22K included tuition, room and board - FSU with the OOS waiver which would be under $7K tuition.
USF is a wonderful school and I believe the fastest grower in the rankings. I’m sure they have merit too. Their COA is $35K but can get $12K in merit. Solid choice.
Most talk about UCF when they talk about the third Florida school but I know USF is “higher” in ranking - if that’s your thing.
But you are making my point. The next tier of schools below T10 are not safeties and shouldn’t be treated as such. The ones on my son’s list he would be thrilled to attend. But our counselor says he may be yield protected out because his academic record and stats are too strong and they will suspect he isn’t going there because he has a chance of admission at a T10. But no one can ever assume admission to T10. So what the heck are we supposed to do in that case other than apply to many schools in the next tier, since they are not safeties, and he wants to go to college next year.
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This is a common issue. In particular for students with very high stats and maybe a national standing in something. Where do these kids apply if the <10% are reaches and the tier down is going to yield protect. I think this is becoming a real issue esp with test optional.
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