<p>No not at all, although I must confess, we lived in the SF Bay Area until he was almost 8. Northern CA is very different than Southern CA though. There is another boy from the Charlotte area who started the same time as my DS. The boys aren’t friends, but his mom and I have become FB friends. Both boys are very happy with their choice. Keep in mind that the majority of students come from outside of CA. It is truly a melting pot!</p>
<p>Thanks NCmom, nice to finally get a post from this side. I felt like everyone on here was deciding whether to take or abandon their giant scholarships…I’m thinking if they aren’t going with all that money thrown at them am I crazy to consider paying full freight, regardless of the ease or pain of that. Sometimes too much CC isn’t healthy! We are norcal as well, and you know the cars people “invest” in here, I am thinking I would rather see him get a cheap car someday and use this borrowing for education, meaning we are asking him to carry some of it, since he has a lower cost alternative. We have loved private high school and enjoy the benefits you mentioned. Ironically he has one of those giant scholarships at another private, but engineering too small there. Anyway, 8 days left, just want this behind us. Will be over soon! Thanks again, much appreciated.</p>
<p>I feel your pain, CADREAMIN, alamemom said it best up above, the question is whether it is an insurmountable amount or a painful sacrifice and how well USC programs match your DS’s educational plans. For DS, it was a perfect match so the choice was an easy one. We were afraid he wouldn’t be committed enough to fund part of his education himself, but he was. And so far he is having no trouble living within limited means. We estimated that he would have to take all the federal loans each year. So far he just took the $3500 subsidized loan his freshman year! The rest of his portion he funds by buying cheaper books, cutting back on living and meal expenses, and using his summer earnings. I couldn’t be happier with the way it has turned out.</p>
<p>One plug to for study abroad. DS did a program abroad last fall and our expenses that semester were a lot less. His Presidential Scholarship covered his tuition for that program so we just had to pay room and board and misc. expenses. His small scholarships covered most of that. I think my total out of pocket was less than $3000 for that semester!</p>
<p>CADREAMIN, I truly get your concerns and I’m sending hugs as your family makes its decision. Our second son is at USC without a top merit scholarship to help and it was his decision to take on some debt and work to repay it that convinced us he really knew this was the right school for him. It has turned out amazingly well, so we are grateful. He has received some continuing student scholarships and his experiences at USC are, we feel, more than worth the costs. But that is because we can, with difficulty, make this work financially. Each family has to be realistic and that is sometimes painful.</p>
<p>When students/parents post about their decisions to take USC with the top scholarships or attend a dream ivy school, I wouldn’t let that sway your decision. For many of these students I imagine their parents can, indeed, afford the quarter million dollars tuition. If they have aimed for a particular college all their lives, achieved the grades to be admitted, and their parents can afford it, then the decision to change direction and attend USC may take some good hard thought. I find that understandable. Even when they choose full-pay at Yale or Stanford over USC for free, it is may be individual tastes and fit. However, if the family in question will be going into deep debt to afford that other dream school, I always try to point out the folly. I truly believe the education and advantages of attending USC are simply as good or better than any of these other top ranked colleges, especially for certain majors/Schools. I realize that is not always the view of everyone else in the country–especially in the East Coast–but through very thoughtful review, I believe it to be true. That is why our second student is attending USC and we see more advantages every year.</p>
<p>Hope your decision goes smoothly.</p>
<p>Thanks for the support madbean and NCmom, I’d love to say this is fun, but not quite! It is just an individual decision and what seems outrageous to one is not a big deal to another. We have done the private HS and have one at USC so we are more than familiar with the benefits that are hard to put a price tag on and misunderstood if haven’t been through it. S would carry debt that to some would be horrendous, but we think it is manageable over a long term career, and our intention would be to help/pay it off. With 2 more to go we just have to be smart about uncertainty which is why he has to be willing to carry some of the burden if needed at payback time. He is coming in with a 4.4 and 2300 SAT so he’s no slacker, are there any other scholarships that can be worked toward once in or do you only get them at entrance? Or jobs on campus that aren’t need based at entrance?</p>
<p>CADREAMIN, please PM me as I can’t seem to PM you.</p>
<p>CADREAMIN, I feel for you! I know some kids get offered small scholarships in this last week before D Day. Fingers crossed that your son is one! I will be thinking about you all over the next week. Please let us know what decision you all make! Hugs!</p>
<p>We are right there along with many of you… stressed by fabulous but diverse options. DS has a generous Presidential scholarship and would do just wonderfully at USC. It has everything he could want academically and in the arts. But… alas… he is not into the “scene”, not a partier, and wants the intellectual environment that he thinks he would find at his other top choice, Northwestern. He loves NU and the evironment and is not excited about LA at all. However, I think from all the great advice and input I have read on CC and elsewhere (recent former students and current faculty), the intellectual environment, the arts, the cool kids, the diversity etc are all there at USC. There just are a lot of other things too. </p>
<p>I also think there is something to be said for USC making such an effort over the years to improve its curriculum, faculty and caliber of students. It feels like there is upward momentum there.</p>
<p>Madbean - thanks for the link to Visions and Voices - how cool!</p>
<p>JoliCoeur:
Our child was also offered a Mork Family Scholarship and has the same exact concerns as you, except the decision is between USC and Yale. Our child is an East Asian Languages and Cultures Major and has been accepted to TO. Child would also seek being a Renaissance Scholar, Discovery Scholar, and Global Scholar. Child intends to spend one year abroad in East Asia during college. Child intends to get Ph.D. </p>
<p>Child loves Yale, but it would require student/family debt of ~125K+. </p>
<p>So, you are not alone in the decision you face or the factors in your decision. Good luck.</p>
<p>Georgia Girl:
As indicated above, our child intends to go to grad school. Do you have any data to support your statement “Graduate schools are aware of the selectivity of the Mork Scholarship.”</p>
<p>MmDad1965, DS is a EALC minor and just spent the fall semester in Japan. Not sure what language your child plans to focus in, but I can definitely vouch for the Study Abroad office. They were fantastic throughout the whole process.</p>
<p>Hi all,</p>
<p>Thank you so much for providing your feedback. I am excited to say that I’ll be joining the Class of 2017 at USC next fall!! :)</p>
<p>Even though my family would not need to take out any loans to afford any of the other schools, I still cannot justify spending upwards of $220,000 on an Ivy education (that may or may not be more fulfilling than the one I hope to pursue at USC.) My decision ultimately came down to the weight of an Ivy pedigree + social fit versus cost + academic fit, the latter of which won out because USC is much more affordable and offers an undergrad business degree. And what USC may lack in Ivy prestige, it does make up for in the strength of its alumni network and the internship programs it provides.</p>
<p>Thanks for aiding me with the information to make this decision. esteemom, mmDad, CADREAMIN, and others - hope to meet your kids this fall!</p>
<p>Congrats on the decision - what a great day for you! Best to you at USC and beyond!</p>
<p>Big Congrats JoliCoeur! You have demonstrated a huge amount of maturity and wisdom, and I am certain you will be VERY happy with your decision! And you sound like the kind of student I know my DS would want to meet at USC :)</p>
<p>Congrats! My child will be making the final decision this weekend.</p>
<p>Congrats! Fight On!</p>
<p>After spending a wonderful day at USC last weekend, followed by a trip to Santa Monica beach and an evening of comedy at Groundlings in Hollywood, our DS committed to USC! It was a hard call for the reasons discussed above - deciding between great options - but I am thrilled. Fight on!</p>
<p>Esteemom, congrats! And welcome to the Trojan family! Fight on!!</p>
<p>Good job! Your parents must be very proud of you. </p>
<p>Here is a little tip
[The</a> Rising Cost of College - YouTube](<a href=“The Rising Cost of College - YouTube”>The Rising Cost of College - YouTube)</p>
<p>Is our daughter nuts to be choosing USC over Wash U (no scholarships here but very strong student with lots $ and acceptances elsewhere), so she can get a little of everything - weather, sports, spirit? We are from Maryland</p>
<p>Are you talking USC versus Wash U St. Louis for business? And are you asking if it is crazy to walk away from money to pay full freight or simply more somewhere else? You are not alone in walking away from money elsewhere if that is part of your question…many many do.</p>