<p>For instance, let's say you live in Texas and made it to UT. Does it make any sense to go to UCLA, UMich, UWash instead for math/engineering undergrad?</p>
<p>If you can afford it and you really prefer one of those schools, you have a family connection to one of them, or they have a specific program UT for whatever reason doesn’t have.</p>
<p>Many people live in states where there isn’t a good option like UT.</p>
<p>If there are no colleges in your state that have a certain major, then going to an out of state college wouldn’t be too bad, because your going for your major. I have had experience with this because I want to major in human services and there are only 3 colleges in my state that offer it, and the closest one to where I live is 3 hours away.</p>
<p>Well, I’d rather go to University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (UMNTC) over University of Florida (UF), even though I’m a FL resident because there are several factors that draw me to UMNTC more than UF (oh, and some schools, like UMNTC, have pretty cheap out-of-state tuition ;)).</p>
<p>But yeah, I understand that in many cases, paying out-of-state tuition is a big pain.</p>
<p>I live in PA, but my safety is UAlabama…I won’t be applying in state. </p>
<p>I have better chances for money OOS</p>
<p>im from illinois, and with my gpa and test scores, i will get an automatic scholarship from indiana that will make their overall cost very competitive compared to uiuc’s in-state cost… so it’s as if both are in-state to me. i imagine that can happen with other states too.</p>
<p>Out-of-state tuition at Minnesota costs only $14,806 and it isn’t allowed to be more than $4,000 dollars than in state tuition. That’s not bad at all for out-of state students.</p>
<p>Good question. Except in cases like Rocketlouise’s where schools offer good merit aid to OOS students, it does not usually make sense. There are only a few programs at a few state schools that would be worth it IMO. Film at UCLA, maybe business at Michigan or Haas.</p>
<p>There are only 2 state schools in my state (RI) and both are tier 3’s with very specialized programs. (URI is really only good for oceanography and pharmacy, and RIC is really only good for teaching and nursing. Of course, other students go in other programs, but it’s like going to MIT for cooking.) I envy those with awesome in state schools- North Carolina (Chapel Hill), UT, UCLA, UMich, Bloomington, even UMass Amherst. If you live in a state with good publics, go!</p>
<p>sorry…i didn’t finish my thought on my post</p>
<p>Like UAlabama offers ALOT of money to OOS, whereas PSU doesn’t give money even to jesus…so…it’s worth it to gamble</p>
<p>Gotta eat - Exactly my point. :D</p>
<p>I’d gladly pay OOS tuition for my D to attend UC Berkeley or Michigan because they have some of the world’s best faculties in a number of fields that she’s keenly interested in and will excel in, and with a little initiative on her part she could get as good an education there as anyplace on the planet. And because we’re a full-pay family, they’re cheaper for us than the top privates, by a not insubstantial margin. But she doesn’t want to consider them because she thinks they’re too big. (Sigh . . . )</p>
<p>Well personally, I had the choice to go to UT and turned it down. (Believe me, so many people from my HS still don’t understand why I’d go all the way to Nashville when Austin’s only 4 hours away…) But when I visited, I just didn’t feel the “fit” factor that’s hard to explain but very easy to distinguish. On the other hand, I literally felt at home the second I stepped on campus at OU and Vanderbilt. Luckily enough for me, Vandy’s BME program is pretty close to UT’s, so I’m getting a comparable education at somewhere where I feel much more comfortable. I’m sure the same goes for people go to OOS publics.</p>
<p>If I got into UCLA, UVA or UNC, I would be happy to pay out of state tuition haha</p>
<p>The OOS COA for Pitt is barely $30,000. That’s tuition, room, AND board. Heck, the TUITION at most of the other colleges I’m looking at is more than that.</p>
<p>applicannot, including room/board, books, transportation costs, Pitt looks more around $37,000 total</p>
<p>Generally speaking, I would not look at state schools OOS. The exceptions would be the top 5 (UVa, UNC, Michigan, Wisconsin, etc.) and specific programs such as engineering…IF your state flagship does not provide the better answer.</p>
<p>Just yesterday I read an article about a family whose son got into Northwestern but turned it down to go to KU, his home flagship, because Northwestern did not provide any financial aid. Cost IS a factor in selecting a college and should not be regarded as a shameful thing or denigrated/sullied. Its a perfectly legitimate and rational selection choice.</p>
<p>For some people, going out of state is a social/developmental decision: wanting to get away from home to grow up, get away from the high school groupies and make new friends and just experience another part of the country. That is also perfectly legitimate. But if cost is a factor, it does not make sense to pay double to an OOS state school, when your state flagship is perfectly acceptable. </p>
<p>Some schools not on most people’s radars that have really good programs and provide a really good education are: Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, Ole Miss, Alabama (roll Tide!), Georgia, LSU, USC-Columbia, Florida, UWashington, UMass, Oregon, Minnesota, Iowa, Mizzou, Temple, Clemson, UNH, Ohio State, Michigan State, Maine, several of the SUNY campuses, Utah, Colorado…I could go on and on.</p>
<p>If I lived in North or South Dakota, and had high scores and stats, I might look outside the state, like Minnesota or Iowa for example.</p>
<p>If I lived in Nevada, I might look outside the state, at Wyoming or Colorado or Utah.</p>
<p>Prestige is often highly overrated and most definitely overpriced.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I don’t include non-billed expenses. I have to worry about paying for other means first. If you take into account the most expensive meal plan and the most expensive room, it costs $33,940 (including billed fees). At GW, tuition alone is over $41,000. At Rice, it’s over $31,000. At WashU, it’s over $37,000.</p>
<p>some things may be worth the extra money.</p>
<p>i’d rather go into debt paying out of state tuition at a school i loved than go through the motions at an in state school</p>
<p>what kind of a life is that</p>