<p>I have to agree with SDMom56. </p>
<p>Anne2014, I’m not sure how much your daughter got at the private schools, but if a family is middle income and owns their home (with equity), the CSS Profile takes this into account, hence not making the grant as high as someone with a much lower income or no assets. It’s discouraging to be able to realize the dream of owning a home and making enough money to enjoy a reasonbly comfortable life (but by no means affluent)…only to have it held against you when applying for aid, particularly at an expensive private school. And not everyone gets a merit scholarship. My daughter missed it by a couple of score points.</p>
<p>My daughter got into USC as well as Cal Poly and other publics. Her only other private school is University of the Pacific. She has narrowed it down to USC and CPSLO. However, I think she understands that if she were to choose USC it would mean coming out of undergraduate school with student loans. And this is even before going to grad school which she plans to do. It was also put more of a burden on our family as a whole. One thing about grants is they’re not always renewable at the same rate the next year and beyond. In fact, the loans increase for the next 2 years until senior year, decreasing the grant amount. As does work/study. So even if we were able to swing it her freshman year, there’s always that worry about what’s going to happen in subsequent years. I hate living on the edge like that. Also, we would prefer our daughter doesn’t have to spend her early days as a new freshman hustling around for a job on campus. I hear it can become competitive because so many students are on work/study. At Cal Poly she can take her time and settle in with her class schedule and social life before she begins working.</p>
<p>I believe that an undergraduate education at Cal Poly will be an excellent experience at the fraction of the price we would be paying at USC. My daughter doesn’t need the Trojan family for connections in the career she wishes to pursue. And, even for those who do, they’re probably better off getting a less expensive education elsewhere and then going back to USC for their Master’s or PhD. THAT is what will stand out on a resume. I know some very important people who didn’t even begin their education at a 4 year school and still ended up with an advanced degree from a top rated university in the end.</p>
<p>Bottom line: Cal Poly is an excellent value. Also, I know they’re making a big effort to get kids on track to graduate in 4 years. I realize that some majors (particularly in engineering) will take longer, especially if they choose a minor. CPSLO would still be cheaper than USC even if she took 5 years.</p>