kb2133

S is struggling with which school to accept too. Likes both and will play sports and I think he is leaning more towards W based on what he feels may be stronger academics\intern opportunies. Highly involved in sports. For as a high EFC family but struggling with todays costs of education, W will cost 5k\per yr. more than L. So is W at 20k worth it? Again I thin S will be happy at either. Also does anyone have kids who went to W that could talk about job opportunities on campus? W did not offer work employment where as L did> We look for S to work while in school to help college expenses. Need to make decision "very" soon so all input is greatly appriciated.

CalAlum

Willamette does offer federal work-study as part of its financial aid program: Financial Aid: Student Employment | Willamette University. If you son was not offered work-study, and you believe he fits the requirements, you might contact financial aid.

There are jobs on the Willamette campus. My son went to Willamette with a good friend from the same school. That young man walked up to the maintenance building within a day of arriving on campus and asked if there were any jobs working in the gardens. He did get an 8-hour per week position taking care of plants in a campus greenhouse, and it pays over $10 per hour. This year, he is a sophomore, and he applied for an RA position mid-year when there weren't enough applicants to fill the position. He worked as an RA during spring semester and received thousands of dollars off his housing bill --- I think it' s something like $5,000 off per year. He will also work as an RA next year. There are paid tutoring positions in the academy Willamette runs and in Tokyo International University just next door, there are jobs in the Bistro, etc. -- none of these are work-study specifically; anyone can apply.

But just because there are jobs on campus doesn't mean that every student lands one.

idahomom

You may have already done this-- but 4 years ago DD was in similar situation deciding between Willamette and Pacific U (in OR) Pacific would have been about 4k less per year. We called Willamette and asked if they could match Pacific offer-- they did and DD went to Willamette. She graduates in 2 weeks!

CalAlum

Congratulations to your daughter, idahomom!

Time flies by like a rushing river. I can hardly believe my son will have reached the halfway mark, two weeks from now.
:-)

kb2133

well S and us discussed decision today and he is now picking Linfield. we feel he may be only picking L due to his desire to play football on such a good team. he had been say allalong he was leaning towards willamette to now pick L. We need to send deposit in monday so nothing is official yet. His mom and I are a little bummed as we think W is the better education choice but we don't no. Really liked W. Any body out there that could providefeedback on Linfield or W at this last minute hour would be appriciated.

CalAlum

Congratulations to every family with a newly matriculated college student! Wherever your child has chosen to go, whether Willamette or elsewhere, you should feel proud and happy.

Because of the discussion about Linfield and other colleges, I became curious and started looking online at all the liberal arts colleges in Oregon. I'm a Californian, and apart from the Catholic schools, our only liberal arts colleges are clustered around the San Francisco Bay and the Los Angeles areas. In contrast, Oregon has many classic-looking little liberal arts colleges, with charming historic brick buildings, expansive grassy areas, and large trees. Many of these schools were established in the nineteenth century along the Oregon Trail. Oregon's liberal arts colleges, which offer small classes in lovely settings, have been overlooked for years by Californians confident in their ability to secure a relatively inexpensive, high-quality education in the state's public universities. As things change in California, I think more prospective students will look to Oregon.