<p>I am an instructor pilot in the USAF stationed in southwest Texas. My son goes to a small 1A school where he is a sophomore. He is 1 or 2 in his class (of about 60). All district varsity baseball, varsity football, NHS, FCA Officer, UIL Math (state next weekend), number sense, science, OAP, Duke TIP. Scored 2060 on first attempt at SAT. Taking all the honors classes the school offers. 3.9 something unweighted.
The Post 9/11 GI Bill which goes into effect Aug 1 is a great benefit that I am allowed to pass on to my wife and/or kids in any combination that I choose. Basically, it will pay for all tuition up to the highest state school rate (UT-Austin at $1333/hr), same with fees. Living allowance at the E-5 rate (approx. $13-1500/month depending on cost of living in that part of the state), $1000/yr for books, $100/month for tutor if needed.
He thinks he would like to go into medicine, so I am having him "shadow" a flight surgeon on base this summer for a while. If not medicine, then engineering of some kind.
He went to an engineering shindig at Texas A&M and really liked the school as well as the calculus class he sat in on. I talked to Trinity University in San Antonio and they said he would be a great fit there.
He scored in the 99% on the pre ACT test they gave at school. Got lots of form letters from great schools like Duke, MIT, Penn, Stanford, Cal Tech, etc., but out of state makes a huge difference.
My delima is being that I could send him pretty much anywhere in the state that he could get into on what would equate to a full scholarship, where would you go/send your kid? UT-Austin, A&M, Rice, Trinity, Southwestern, Baylor, Texas Tech, etc. As long as he could get in, the costs would be covered.
Coming from a really small high school would you go small or large?</p>