My D got into Stanford, Princeton and Columbia with no financial aid at all. She is also admitted into USC with Mork scholarship (50K/yr). She is majoring in Biology, planning for medical school later on. She really like USC but also very excited at the possibility of getting top education at either S, P or C. The question is if Stanford or top Ivy undergrad education is worth $200k more than USC? Especially since she will go, hopefully, to medical school one day which makes undergrad school become less significant in the over all picture. I will pretty much drain all of my saving to send her to either S, P or C. We also have a younger D that is planning to go to UOP next year which will cost a lot too. My plan is if she is going to USC, I will help paying for part of medical school cost too since I only have to pay $10K/yr for USC. Anyway, really appreciate your inputs and I will show D all of your comments to help her making final decision...
Since she is hardworking, I honestly think that she would succeed anywhere, and that being said I would think it would be better if you chose USC. SC is also reputable and it being paid off will take a huge burdern off when she applies to med school. Plus, having a scholarship such as that will make her stand out from the other students being admitted and that's always a plus. Her comfort level at being at each campus should affect decisions too; if she like being in a humongous campus then it is a perfect choice for her.
I happen to know a classmate with very similar circumstances, and I would say that your D would flourish at Stanford. It is worth the investment, and she deserves it.
Congrats to your daughter, she has some great choices. I would suggest that you explain your predicament to the admissions offices at the schools not offering financial aid and see if you can negotiate for a better deal. I know several parents who have done this successfully. The worst they can do is say no.
Your D is better off at Stanford or Princeton or Columbia. USC has a bad reputation. It is too much of a party school. Also my son got a scholarship there but we were not impressed with the way the host students behaved when we were there. Bad things they did that I cannot say on this forum. We are giving back their scholarship. But if your D is comfortable there may she should go but myself I would not turn down those three schools for USC.
Agreed with gateway2517 that you should talk to the financial aid office.
This is one of those really hard decisions. I want to say that Stanford is worth the $200k, and it most certainly is, but it's hard to say that it's worth it in the face of a $200k scholarship at another very good school. Which does your daughter like the most? Does she feel that she would genuinely like to attend USC?
Since you mention your other D may go to UOP next year, keep in mind that Stanford takes into account whether you have other children in college when determining financial aid. So once your other D starts college, assuming that such does have a significant impact on your finances, Stanford may give you significant financial aid. It might even be a good idea - whether she goes to S, P, or C - to defer enrollment for a year. By the time she starts, her sister will be in college as well and that could mean lots more aid from S, P, or C.
for med school and biology major USC with Mork is great deal. take it.
s, p, and c, don't do much more for getting into med school that usc can't. she is guaranteed admission as long as she does well at school and mcat, whichm she's destined to, given her credentials. so take $ and the pride of usc network and all the fun that goes with being at usc. she may even go to s or c for med school. so take the $$.
Save your money and go to USC. As a physician, no one cares where you attended medical school, let alone your undergraduate college! Your residency and fellowship are far more important. Save your $ for med school!!!!
@beyond Are you a Mormon by chance?
You sound shocked that college kids drink and hook up. I can almost guarantee that whatever you witnessed happens at nearly every other school in the nation.
pinkbubbletea, itsme123, mets1962:
Thanks for some greats inputs.
gateway2517, phantasmagoric:
Great suggestion, we are planning on talking to the FA people early next week.
Beyond:
I believe the incident you mentioned did happen but I am not sure how common it is at USC. At the Explore, it seems to me the USC students were pretty well behave and they look happy with their college life.
S2 is in exactly the same boat. Trustee Scholaship at USC and admitted to Stanford yesterday. He loved USC on Explore visit. He was waitlisted by Harvard, and rejected by Yale, so up until yesterday USC was it. Now Stanford has confused this issue. No need based aid for us, so Stanford will be full-pay, meaning loans, loans, loans. USC offering full-tuition for 4 years. How does a family objectively evaluate this choice? Money not being an issue, it would be Stanford.
I have this same problem, except WashU offered me full tuition and I also got into Stanford. I literally am confused and would feel bad turning Stanford down, but we are middle class and 60k a year would hurt my family
I'd go to USC. (Actually, I did go to USC.) It's not Stanford, Princeton or Columbia, but for an undergraduate education, it's not that far below them.
Being $200K in debt after graduation, and then adding medical school tuition on top of that...ouch.
The best advice anyone can give the above posters is just to contact the financial aid office, explain circumstances, and discuss the drastically more generous offers from other universities. Stanford has adjusted financial aid many times in the past to make up for the gap, or at least part of the gap, in order to make the decision easier for you. I wish everyone the best of luck in their negotations with the financial aid office.
Yeah, I would talk to financial aid office and see if they enhance their offer. Otherwise, I'd take the SC scholarship. $200k can go a long way for other goals.
