marist, smith or trinity in ct?

[krsmom]

in reading your reply's I feel comforted in knowing that the reason's I feel that this is a complicated decision for us are real. My husband went to a state school like SteveMA's h, and did very well in his career. Many people that work under him have superior academic credentials than he and unfortunately they do not always perform up to his standards. He believes that Smith would be worth the cost due to the quality of education and networking. In fact, dd was accepted to other school's that we are not willing to pay for, including one with a large scholarship that would end up costing less than our in state public school.

The reason that we're fine with passing our state school is that the culture doesn't fit for our dd. She really wants to be on the east coast and since my husband is from CT and has all of his family still there we feel comfortable knowing that she has family nearby.

As far as cost, it is a lot for us. Besides books, travel and pocket money, Are there other expenses I should consider?

Thank you all for your opinions and insights!

[kinderny]

Most schools have yearly fees, such as mandatory health insurance ($1200 per year or so) and other student fees in the $200-500 range.

[SteveMA]

kinderny--that health insurance fee isn't mandatory at any schools we have looked at as long as the student has coverage elsewhere. What schools require that even if you have coverage elsewhere?

[kinderny]

It has to do with whether your coverage can be used locally, I think. So right, if someone has health insurance that can be used locally (near the school) the family may not have to pay. We still have to pay a health center fee ($200 I think) but not the health insurance. The tricky part is that our health insurance is accepted as a substitute, but the doctors local to the school are "out of network" so it is actually cheaper for D to go to the ER instead of an urgent care clinic or local dr for tests, consults, etc. or just come home (90 minutes away).

[archiemom]

SteveMA: while that is technically true, parents need to confirm that their current insurance provides coverage in the college location. For instance, my older son attended college in Arizona and my MA based BCBS HMO-type coverage would not cover him in AZ. We bought the school-mandated insurance for him. But my younger son is covered in Pennsylvania (and he's also close enough to get home if he needs to see his regular drs) and so we opted out of the school's insurance.

X-posted with kinderny...same situation.

[archiemom]

And for the OP...travel may be a big issue outside of the cost. The closest airport to Marist would likely be Westchester, and you should check on the local transportation options (maybe school shuttle?). Trinity would use Bradley International in South Windsor CT, as would Smith. Again, what are the options to get to and from the airport? And how long will the travel between home and school take? How often does your D plan on coming home?

[Consolation]

I haven't read the entire thread, but if I had a choice between a CA state school and Marist, I would go to the CA school. I really do not think that Marist is worth flying across the country for, especially for a student who is good enough to get into Smith. Of the three privates, I'd say it is Smith hands down, based on education and location.

[SteveMA]

krsmom--my Dh went to a private school, at a very low cost after merit aid-and paid nothing for the last 2 years of his schooling. He was able to graduate with very little loan debt (paid for all the costs himself, parents were not able to help). The alumni network is HUGE, especially for how big the school is, under 2000 students. I still can't imagine that any school is worth $120K more than another.

[krsmom]

I know this is going to sound strange but...At Marist she would basically have the credits of a sophomore going in, so she could potentially be there for only a year and a half if she studied abroad for a year and took part in their summer trip to asia (it counts as a semester)for school of management students. She would most likely have a better gpa to qualify for some of the same programs that would be more competitive to get into from a more rigorous school. Also, because you pay the same amount of tuition that you would to your home school it sounds like a good value. A friend of mine whose daughter is considering a school in Texas would be able to go to the same program from her home school and be charged $10K more.

She does know that her education wouldn't be comparable to Smith/Trinity if she chooses Marist. But she also knows that funds for grad school would be available to her.

[mythmom]

I'm not sure Marist would grant the degree under those circumstances. Most schools have residency requirements. And there is no guarantee that all her college credits would be accepted. And if they were, what would be the point of coming at all. Further, are you sure she'd be adequately prepared for grad school? My Swent to a school with a lot of grade deflation, but he learned five times the amount per class than he did when he got A's in the classes he took at our well respected local UNO. There is a point to a good college education.

[martharap]

Unless this changed last year, WUSTL requires student health insurance, even if your insurance covers you there. No way to opt out.

[krsmom]

I agree with all you said especially about not being prepared for grad school. Yes, they do accept the credits as do most schools that accept transfer students. And yes you can study abroad that much at Marist and scholarships can be used. Her college courses were taken at a cc that is considered one of the best in CA and is a feeder to Cal which is what we call UC Berkeley. In fact during the summer it is filled with UC students and the first class my d took there also had a Stanford student in her class. She also took a couple courses at Harvard and they were regular H classes. My daughter goes to a school that has excellent teaching so that is a concern. By the way, what is UNO?

[mythmom]

Typo for uni. Actually the phone made that correction itself. Knowing the kids who go to Marist they don't sound like peers for your D. However, if you are happy with your plan, I'm sure it can work if Marist is that flexible. Many schools do not consider college courses transfer credits when taken by an undergrad. Bout you have obviously done your homework. I wish your daughter the best of luck.

[krsmom]

mythmom, the sad thing is that the plan is only a back up to what you said as far as my d not fitting in with her peers if she attends Marist. And I think I did too much homework, making the decision more complicated than it should be. I am very relaxed and can roll with whatever i'm dealt in some regards and totally obsessive about others. This obviously falls in the latter. I'm going to tell myself I did as much as I could in obtaining info...for crying out loud, I'm on cc Thanks to all for helping me experience the helpful, smart, caring community of cc.

[Consolation]

krsmom, I think the difference can be stated this way: Smith is the kind of place where people go to have a transforming educational experience. Marist is the kind of place people go to to get a job credential. (Yes, of course, there are some of each at both schools. But in general...)