<p>I think that is better advice than Suze Orman is likely to give!</p>
<p>yabeyabe - thank you! I learned a tremendous amount the hard way with S1.</p>
<p>The Suze Orman promo that I saw touted a “little-known” way to pay for college - can’t imagine what she is referring to - but will DVR it just in case she has something of value to say.</p>
<p>I agree with Rockvillemom. Additionally, I can tell you that my son applied to more schools than are traditionally suggested because we needed to compare packages. The cost to us was very important to our family.</p>
<p>Rockville mom…I agree with you in theory and agree that sometimes the most expensive school can be the most generous, but I think people have to go into the process realistically. Too many times they hear from colleges or guidance counselors that financial concerns should not stop one from appying because “you never know.”</p>
<p>However, that is not really true. People need to know what their EFC’s are, and if they do not have need, they will NOT get a cent unless the school gives out pure merit aid.</p>
<p>If a school does give out merit aid, very often it is described on the college’s web site and you need to be realistic about that, too. Often “good merit aid” is in the range of $5,000 to $15,000/ year. Subtract that from the total full fare price and the school may still be more pricey than you’d like. Don’t go in expecting that you will get a full ride when it just doesn’t exist for anyone.</p>
<p>Also, if you do qualify for financial aid, you will often be expected to take out loans and have work study. Don’t expect schools to have you pay LESS than your EFC and most times you or your child will be paying more than your EFC. Very few schools meet full need, and even then, it is often “met” with a loan component in addition to the payment of your EFC.</p>
<p>Occassionally a school will meet your financial need and give additional merit money to students who get some financial aid. But in order to fall into this category, a school will really have to like your academics, talent, leadership or athleticism. Expect to fall above the 75th percentile for stats.</p>
<p>I can’t tell you how many kids and their parents believe they have the stuff to get merit aid from the ivies or schools that never give merit aid. If you decide to apply to these kinds of schools, you know what you will have to pay, and you should only have a child apply if it is a real possibility that you ARE willing to pay.</p>
<p>We were lucky that D1 got a lot of merit aid offers (no financial need according to our EFC.) But every package that she got was the most we could have expected going in, not a penny more. There were no surprises. We were lucky she did as well as she did, but nothing would have moved those numbers any higher. (Unless she got a full tuition merit aid package at Brandeis, but that was unrealistic.) In many schools she rec’d the max merit aid that they “advertised” on their web site.</p>
<p>She chose her list based on realistic expectatiions after a lot of research on merit aid. It would have been a shame if she did not have these options because we were not realistic and let her apply anywhere, hoping for the best.</p>
<p>Uskool, I think many GCs in affluent towns assume the parents do not care about cost–and don’t take the time to look up costs and aid data, as well as trying to push kids into the reach schools because it makes the HS look good, even if theparent cannot afford it.</p>
<p>I think folks in states with reasonable in state tuition (not NJ) start off in a better position. Otherwise, the search for financial fit is as difficult as the search for social/academic fit–and often harder to discern.</p>
<p>I think the most important piece of college saving advice is one which many 529 plans ignored–given the possible volatility of the stock market, you are much safer having your college fund out of stocks by the time your child is an HS freshman or sophomore through the end of their education. The folks with money in the stock market in 2008 will not recover that portion of their savings for years, if ever.</p>
<p>Like senior citizens living off CDs, college savers seeking to avoid savings account/money market/CD rates of near zero and risky stock moves are scrambling for alternatives and hoping that bonds are not headed for a downturn.</p>
<p>With Suze, Cramer, etc I think the louder and more often the guru speaks or writes, the more important it is to ignore them.</p>
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<p>uskoolfish-this is exactly the approach I am taking with my D! Based on advice I have received from folks here on CC!!</p>
<p>uskoolfish - what surprised me the most with S1 was the range of packages we rcvd. S1 was accepted at 2 very well-regarded OOS publics. One gave him virtually nothing - the other gave him a very generous pkg. But again, it was the most expensive private they gave the best pkg - hence my comment that you just never know how it will play out.</p>
<p>I agree with you that people should know their EFC and be prepared to pay it. And yes, those without financial need will have fewer surprises to look forward to!</p>
<p>
Yep less selective than those you mentioned. It is a safe pick for a B student. Honestly, I would not classify Muhlenberg or Juniata for a B students. The kids I know who went to Muhlenberg, Juniata and Susquehanna are not B students. A- maybe. While a B student may gain acceptance they most likely won’t get merit money and those are expensive colleges.</p>
<p>I am very familiar with the Albright neighborhood. Like any urban school it has plusses and negatives. I know that area of Reading is fairly Jewish and the synagogue is right up the street from Albright. I know of quite a few success stories coming out of Albright. If anyone wants any other info - feel free to PM me.</p>
<p>My son was accepted to Juniata and he was a B+ student. He was offered merit aid, and a very good financial package from them. If my son did not pick the school that he currently attends, he would have been a freshman there this year. My son did submit his standardized test scores, and he interviewed and visited the campus. They offered my son one of his best packages. Editing to say that my son’s standardized test scores were, at best, in line with his grades.</p>
<p>Justamom, my son received a very generous merit package at Susquehanna despite being similar to Northeastmom’s’ applying ED; and not asking for FA. I do not know as much about Muhlenberg’s aid, but they certainly take a lot of B+ kids ED I and ED II, although RD is harder.</p>
<p>I liked Albright’s brochure and website, plus the admissions person I met. I think it suffers because PA has so many good small schools.</p>
<p>So I sat down with S2 this afternoon to have a discussion of what we have seen so far and to try to get some feedback on what he liked the most and what he disliked. S2, as it turns out, has very little to say. James Madison, Susquehanna, and Towson have all earned the distinguished rating of “ok”. Visiting Elon in a few weeks was also “ok” and visiting Muhlenberg, College of Charleston and Delaware in the spring is also - you guessed it - “ok”. Not exactly an illuminating conversation. But, I guess his flexibility could be viewed as a good thing - at least he doesn’t have his heart set on a reach school!</p>
<p>rvm- it may very well be a good thing that he is not setting his heart on one school! May make him more flexible when it is time to make the final decision. I wish my D was a little more flexible. We have a very small list of schools she really wants to go to (two!), with 6 more that she is applying to-3 SUNY schools as financial safeties- and a couple other privates!</p>
<p>This is where parents earn their dental degrees, because it is like pulling teeth! Sometimes, the “oks” --or the text equivalent of “aight” means they just don’t feel like talking about it.</p>
<p>Sometimes, you learn something by asking them to rank them, or give the 3 best things and worst things about each. If the ranking seems too annoying, ask them which school they think had kids most like them, or seemed the friendliest.</p>
<p>Granted, there are some kids who will pore over course offerings and department rankings, but most won’t.</p>
<p>I believe with S1 there was only one school that merited, “this is it”, and everything else was okay on the pre application college visit circuit. His commentary and discussion became much more interesting and animated after the overnight visits. In his case those didn’t happen until after the acceptances came, that was when the reality became tangible, also at that point it was safer to love a school since he knew he was in (dollars permitting)…I will say that his passion motivated us to pursue FA and that motivation made attendance possible.</p>
<p>Rockville Mom: Your S1 had a lot going for him when applying-APs, high test scores, high GPA, etc. so it is understandable that he received some great merit aid packages. Unless you have a child with great academics, sports, awards, and/or other hooks, not likely you will see merit aid from a good school.</p>
<p>Remember too, everyone here should be looking for scholarships, as hard as they are to find, outside of the colleges. Perhaps your employer has scholarships, Fast Web, etc.</p>
<p>With college endowments reduced from the economic crisis, fewer donations, etc. I think it unrealistic to expect great merit aid unless your child really has something outstanding to offer to the schools discussed on this thread.</p>
<p>Right now, my son wants Towson, He is going a head with the Binghamton application. I checked some of the schools mentioned and they are pricey (Bentley, Bryant etc.). I think my son only wants to apply to schools which offer actuary science so U. of Delaware is out.</p>
<p>Forgot to mention: We are going to check out UMBC and go on a tour. I doubt that UMBC is the right school (my son does not like the location and does not offer actuary science), but as long as it is local, might as well see if the tour tells us something extra special about this school that we are not aware of.</p>
<p>Binghamton housing: i inquired about housing at Binghamton. Unless I misunderstood, I understand that Binghamton housing does not send out detailed questionnaire to try to place you with a student with similar lifestyle and interests. I compare this with USC where older son is a student. USC offers quiet floors, similar interest housing (for example, all the cinema students can live together, international housing, kosher apartment housing, quiet floor in regular dorm, students fill out info. sheets so that housing tries to place them with students of similar interests). </p>
<p>What is your experience with housing at these schools? Do they try to place with similar students or is it just pot luck? Binghamton said if you want a single, then you have to apply for a medicl single. i wonder if you even try to qualify for a medical single (my son must have a quiet floor because of sound sensitivity), doesn’t this mark you as different to other students? I understand making singles available for serious needs (ex. wheelchair), but am wondering about this whole housing matter. I do like the fact, that on the Binghamton web site, they say that there are professors assigned to the dorms so you have the feeling of faculty helping to support kids in the dorms (similar to Stanford).</p>
<p>My friend whose son is at Bing mentioned tonight (unfortunately prior to your post) that there was a roommate survey.</p>
<p>In addition, see if there was a Facebook page for the Bing or Towson class of 2014. At many schools, kids post a roomie survey on those pages, which is more detailed than the official college survey–drinking, partying and smoking preferences, favorite music, etc. Many kids first try to match up through such surveys, prior to the official survey.</p>
<p>In addition, at some schools, the school labels the dorms–for example, at SU, there are 4 dorms, which the school ranks in order of liveliness, with the most quiet dorm having strict noise rules. There are also dorms with single sex floors and dorms with coed floors. This also helps reduce the pot luck factor.</p>
<p>Towson seems like a fine choice for your son, given your desire for proximity, low cost, access to restaurants and actuary science. If you think a single is needed, but might labelhim, consider looking into offcampus apartments–he will miss out on some socializing and it may be less convenient, but it will be quiete and without a label of medical necessity.</p>
<p>At our parents weekend, I briefly met someone from Salisbury, MD. They were not Jewish, so I did not get a chance to ask your questions about the school.</p>
<p>Rockvillemom: I think it’s still a little early for your son to really see college as a reality. He’s probably way ahead of his friends in the process. His interest may increase later this year when other kids start their visits. My daughter was more interested than her friends were last year, but this fall it’s the major topic of discussion at school. I think you have a good list so far, and I’m sure he’s find other schools he likes. You’ll also have a better idea of his options at the end of Junior year, and may add some schools then.</p>
<p>Mdcissp: I think that visiting UMBC is a very good idea. I know that you have some reservations about the location and course selection, but I think that it would be a good social fit for your son. UMBC seems to attract bright, studious kids who aren’t big partiers. The school offers small classes and academic support. I’m not sure how easy it would be for a freshman to get a single room, but they do have very nice suite style dorms. I know some kids who attend and really love it. It certainly sounds like it’s worth a visit.</p>
<p>re binghamton housing assignments – </p>
<p>
[Binghamton</a> University - Residential Life - Future Students - Roommates](<a href=“http://reslife.binghamton.edu/future-students/roommates.html]Binghamton”>http://reslife.binghamton.edu/future-students/roommates.html)</p>
<p>has your son ever tried noise canceling headphones? could they help?</p>