<p>Please. NYU has no campus. </p>
<p>Take UVA and don’t look back. UVA has just as much respect with Grad/Prof’l schools at Wash U. With UVA you’ll still have most of that 150 grand to use for Harvard Law School.</p>
<p>I also agree with other here that say take UVA and never look back. UVA has a similar cache to Wash U at about 25% of the price. No question about it in my mind unless you have so much money that it is almost meaningless.</p>
<p>UVA and American are both intimately connected with DC. UVA has a better rep. Both would get him out in four years with some money left over (or available to spend on grad school, extra travel, internship expenses, the next kid in college, your retirement :), etc.). Agree that getting out in 2-3 years is not worth it (though one semester early is not unusual and is a good way to save $$)-- he could double major at UVA or do the MA at American.</p>
<p>If your S is funding law school, having to raise $75k in work/loans to cover the amount >$150k for WashU is daunting.</p>
<p>Congrats to your S for some fine options!</p>
<p>It may seem expensive right this minute, but a plane ticket and a day visiting any of the campuses he hasn’t yet seen could save you thousands of dollars over the next few years. Tulane has its own culture – kids either love it or feel lost. Your guy would know which one he is by spending three hours on campus. The intangibles make a huge difference and you just can’t get a feel for the feel of a place through a website or brochure.
Go see!</p>
<p>DeirdreTours,</p>
<p>I also agree with oldfort. My daughter had WashU and UVA in her final choices for undergrad several years ago and ultimately chose WashU because it was the best fit for her. The area around WashU is wonderful with lots of great things to do within walking distance. They do not have the big sports teams like some of the other schools but you said that was not important to him. If you have the 150K to spend, sounds like he should choose the school where he feels he will be happiest. </p>
<p>There is not as great a difference in cost of attendance between schools like WashU and UVA as some have said here. UVA is a great deal if you are in state but looks like you are in KY. For out of state, UVA is about 40K for tuition, room board and fees. Practically the cost of some privates. WashU I am guessing is about 10K higher for total cost of attendance so UVA is not 25% the cost of WashU but more like 80%.</p>
<p>UVA is in beautiful Charlottesville, and while not the big city life there are many things to do in that area as well as long as you don’t need to be living in a big city. My daughter just fell in love with the area and ironically, will be moving to Charlottesville in a couple of months to attend UVA for grad school.</p>
<p>UVA is not close enough to DC to permit students to do part-time internships during the academic year. </p>
<p>But UVA is a terrific place. My daughter had both UVA and WashU on her list and would have chosen UVA if the choice had come down to those two.</p>
<p>If doing internships in DC during the school year is a high priority, then American is really the only option. But bluntly speaking, it’s not as highly regarded academically as Wash U or UVA.</p>
<p>In my opinion, nobody should try to complete their undergraduate education in 2 years. Three years, maybe.</p>
<p>Congratulations to you and your son! I remember when the worry was what options he would have this spring due to a lowish gpa for the upper end schools because of a very heavy hs course load, etc. Isn’t this a nice dilemma to have?</p>
<p>I don’t have a senior this year, but if it were my son I would probably be uncomfortable with American if he wasn’t absolutely sure (if that’s even possible!) that he wanted govt, IR or something along those lines. Sounds like he has many interests at this point. I agree that NYU just doesn’t make sense with all of the other choices. Tulane could be a fun place to go to school if you were very disciplined and if you had visited and were sure about the fit. You said he had not visited…would he be able to stay on task in New Orleans?</p>
<p>I think the first three choices would leave him the most options down the road. He’s worked hard and deserves a great school with strong peers and many paths to choose from in the future. I would be concerned about where the extra 50k would come from at Wash U. Here, we feel that our kids should not graduate with more than 20k in debt for undergrad and that is still a lot…especially with grad school looming.</p>
<p>Looking back, I see that your son had mixed feelings about UVA and possible segregation. From our visits, I would say that some self-segregation seems to be the norm at southern schools. That has been a concern for our kids as well. I do know there have been documented incidents at UVA, but no place is perfect. He will just have to figure out as best he can, what he can and can’t or does not want to deal with…just like everyone else! </p>
<p>Washington U and UVA are both beautiful colleges with happy students, as you know. It’s too bad he did not visit USC as it is great too, if the city location is not an issue. Didn’t he think it was too far away? I see you say that Wash U is close to home. Is that a positive or a negative?</p>
<p>Sorry if this is only muddying the waters. I guess the bottom line for me would be to send him to a great school, with strong peers and wide open choices where he thinks he could have a happy 4 years. Judging by my older ones, I am sure he has a ton of growing and changing left to do, both socially and academically. As a family, you have all worked hard to earn the right to enjoy the process! I think that would most likely be possible at Wash U, UVA or USC, with the caveat that Wash U may give him too much debt, pre-grad school. Of course, in the end, only he can make the final choice. If he chooses thoughtfully, (and hopefully all of this advice is helpful, not overwhelming) and then chooses to be happy with his choice, I’m sure he will do well.</p>
<p>By the way…UVA is great for poly sci/prelaw, and I can see that it would be very hard to turn down Wash U as well. Again, congratulations on a tough decision!</p>
<p>Critter-- you have a great memory! And,you pretty much summarized our whole thinking process…
Son has ruled out USC for superficial reasons-- “too far”, “full of Californians”. I thin UVA is the best balance of presige, cost and opportunities, but he was really struck by the racial self segregation on campus and feels uncomfortable there. So, I think UVA and USC are out. </p>
<p>He is still stuck between WashU and American…Several posters have mentioned that American is not as highly regarded academically as WashU, on the other hand, several posters have said that this won’t matter when in comes to law school or grad school admissions…</p>
<p>Further muddying the waters is the fact that he has been waitlisted at University of Chicago and Harvard–And, would rather attend either of those than any of the schools that have actually accepted him.</p>
<p>I am just going to throw this out there… your opinion about match doesn’t count. Sorry. You’re not going. Money on the other hand, you do.</p>
<p>I have no real value in this discussion but… </p>
<p>Husband went to Tulane. LOVED it but you have to be a rather disciplined sort especially if you like to party. 
</p>
<p>Great friends are alum of UVA and daughter’s both attend… both HUGELY happy and loving it.</p>
<p>So there’s my two cents. :)</p>
<p>Pug?</p>
<p>Is there a school NOT on that list? :)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Is this a guaranteed thing (MA auto-admit), or are you just assuming that he’ll get into the MA program?</p>
<p>A friend’s son got rejected from dream school (a HYP) where his FA was an alumni. He now attends American, in Honor’s program. He is absolutely loving it. He too is interested in poli sci. He speaks of all the opportunities he has to get involved.</p>
<p>Its hard when there are several WL opportunities. Still, important for your S to make best choice now, be it A or UW. I think its almost impossible for adolescent mind to think thru all the contingencies. Too bad he’s ruling out UVA.</p>
<p>I think that extra $50,000 is too much of a burden. More than $20,000-$30,000 in loans is a big problem. So I would discourage Wash U. NYU also–not worth it. The other choices all look appealing. Tulane sounds fascinating. American is in a fabulous location.</p>
<p>To me, UVA is the choice. WashU is a little bit more prestigious, but not by much, and it costs more. American, although a fine school, is not in the same league as those two.</p>
<p>I have 2 good friends with kids at AU. These are 2 of the smartest, most motivated kids I know. I’m sure they will be able to go anywhere they want to go from American. Big debt is bad.</p>
<p>Reading this thread is like listening to the voices in my head!</p>
<p>WashU is great!
But too much money!
UVA would be perfect! If only he liked it!
American isn’t as prestigous!
American is plenty prestigous enough!</p>
<p>Ack! I was hoping for more lopsided vote…</p>
<p>American. Save the cash for grad school. Plus he’ll get all that DC has to offer.
Sounds like a better fit for him based on what you’ve said.
(That said, Tulane is awesome. S goes there, a Pol Sci minor. THey have a terrific department but it’s not DC)</p>
<p>You are not going to get lopsided vote. Everyone is voicing what is right for them. College process brings out your core believes. I don’t think anyone can really tell you what to do. I still stand by what I posted, but it’s based on my value of money, education…which is probably pretty different than many people on this board. </p>
<p>I would always give my kids the best education money could buy. It would be my legacy to them.</p>
<p>After much agonizing…he asked me to pay a deposit to American. He loved the location, loved the thought of meaningful political internships, loved knowing he would have some money left for grad/law/whatever. I think if WashU had been located in Washington or New York, that would have been his choice. He just couldn’t imagine himself at UVA.</p>
<p>So, unless he clears the waitlist, it is American come August!</p>
<p>Thanks all-- Without this community, I do not think my son would have had the opportunity to choose from such great choices.</p>
<p>I know it was eliminated but one think USC really has going for it is a sense of community and service. Very strong in that areaa.</p>
<p>Hope he does well at American</p>