@hochreichkopf, in case you don’t know, OP means Original Poster…so all these folks with questions for OP are folks with questions for you. 
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This is a tough call, and like others, I am wondering why it comes down to these two schools.
If we were just talking about what’s learned in class, I would say that Lehigh debt-free would be a no-brainer. There’s no super-secret body of knowledge that only MIT teaches in their undergrad STEM classes.
But for “an academically excellent student deeply involved in cutting-edge tech development”… there’s much more to MIT, and college in general, than what’s learned in class. MIT is an incubator where students like your kid meet others like themselves, connect with faculty who are tops in their field, do research with those faculty, secure venture capital, launch startups that become fabulously successful. I actually spent my first two years of college at MIT; it wasn’t for me, but the trajectories of the “cutting edge” type kids I knew there has been impressive.
Is that possible from Lehigh? Sure, but you’re not in the thick of the tech-innovation world, so it’s genuinely not the same. If I were looking for an MIT alternative, there are quite a few other schools I would think of before Lehigh. (Of course, many of them are publics that probably won’t hit your price point unless you’re from that state… Georgia Tech, Berkeley, and so on.)
To be fair, I’m not intimately familiar with Lehigh nowadays - maybe it’s more connected to tech innovation than I’m picturing. But the path that comes to my mind, when I picture your kid going there, is that they power through their undergrad degree, land a spot in a top grad program (MIT, UCB, etc.), and then start making the connections that they would have made years earlier. Maybe that’s an unfair assessment. I would look for examples of Lehigh undergrads who have launched successful tech-innovation ventures while still in undergrad. Maybe admissions can connect you with some. I would want proof of concept.
At the same time, I wouldn’t want my kid out on a debt-limb where fabulous success is the only way to make up the financial deficit from undergrad. That’s way too much pressure, especially in economically and politically uncertain times.
I think you’re asking the right questions here. Suppose your child passed up Lehigh and then, for whatever reason, could not go to MIT. What’s the backup plan?
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Huh?
The kid in question hasn’t applied anywhere yet. Are you suggesting that “one and done” to Lehigh is the right call? We have no idea what the appeal of Lehigh is besides the price (and why the price is low).
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No - I’m just saying sometimes that’s easier. All these kids apply to colleges and are desperate to get in and then they can’t choose when they do get in. That becomes the internal battle.
Most battles aren’t so wide of Lehigh ( a fantastic, not average school) free tuition vs MIT (the creme de la creme) at full cost.
I’m just noting if one option was eliminated, life would be easier. So an MIT rejection might be lucky for a torn student.
Yes it’s a hypothetical but OP noted this up front so I think it’s fair to answer their question, no matter if it’s premature or not.
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That’s correct. The student is likely to be accepted into a special program (with ED requirement) that covers full tuition, leaving only room and board. They have also secured external scholarships (20K) to cover those remaining costs, making it essentially a full ride.
For MIT and other far reach schools price would be around 65K yearly according to net price calculators.
RPI would be around 45K (student is Rensellaer medalist).
From what I can tell, the student is actively learning about Lehigh and is really warming up to the idea of going there—they seem ready to dive in. But I have a feeling they might still be having some quiet, internal debates about if it’s the absolute right path for them.
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How much would need to be taken out in loans for these schools?
That’s awesome! Are these 4-year scholarships? External scholarships are often only for one year.
Lehigh’s room & board is listed as $17,220 for SY24-25 (source). If OP’s kid has managed to rack up external scholarships of approximately $17k/year ($68k for 4 years) by this point in senior year, then the kid’s odds for admission to a high-reach school might be higher than the typical excellent applicants that are applying to them. Not so high as to say it is likely, but perhaps more like a 20% shot rather than a 4% shot. @hebegebe would probably have an even better guess and might have some insight about these types of schools for @hochreichkopf’s family and the impacts for students like OP’s kid might be.
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A $260K net price for MIT over four years means even a $150K investment sacrifice would leave $110K outstanding. I’m not keen to make that $150K sacrifice (nor does the student want me to); my lifelong disability makes this financial buffer crucial for avoiding being a burden for anyone.
The student is eager to work and get more scholarships, but I don’t think they fully grasp how hard it will be to pay off that amount on top of college
They confirmed they are 4-year scholarships. There are a couple of them, each for $10K annually.
The student has a strong background in advanced physics, math, and computer science. During high school, they gained experience working on advanced algorithms for autonomous flight systems, which led to earning about $7K for a summer. The company is open to welcoming them back for summer internships, and I estimate that consistent summer work could add another $10K or more annually to their earnings.
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Yes, I think rejection would play well. So we won’t be torn by all those “what if“ thoughts.
Either way, student is willing to commit to Lehigh with ED, they will have to withdraw and get out of college admissions race if admitted.
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Has the student visited Lehigh and does the social situation appeal?
And has the student also explored their instate flagship U- which in some cases have VERY strong physics, math, engineering programs.
Lehigh is a great school, but some students find the social environment and location not to their liking. There are likely many other options closer to the MIT experience which would come in under budget….
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There’s a parent here - maybe someone can remember their name - but their student is doing ROTC at Lehigh, chosen over Chicago - and I remember she said he loves it there. It’s not MIT but Chicago may be closer to MIT than Lehigh, especially for physics.
Yes, Lehigh has a party rep - at the same time, it has a crap ton of smart kids - and no different than Penn State or other places, you’ll find both - there are kids at many schools taking special offers for financial gain vs. going to the more known name at a higher cost.
I think they live near me but can’t remember the name.
For $110K in loans, i’m not sure how the parent plus ($20K one year but $65K over 4) and the $5500 a year student subsidized loans) would work - is it even possible to borrow $110K??
I suppose there will be a predatory lender who may.
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If you have a lifelong disability and contributing $150k would be endangering your financial buffer, then I think you are wise to be conservative here. I would suggest that you might reach out to MIT (or whatever school is of greatest interest) to see if you can have a professional opinion due to your circumstances. Then, knowing what the number would be (beyond the NPC) would allow your family to move forward without what-ifs and regrets.
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That’s likely more valuable than the school name.
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There are numerous other strong universities. While the student would qualify for in-state tuition at UCs, the net price, including boarding, would still be upwards of $40K+. This could potentially be brought down to a more manageable $20K+ with scholarships. The challenge is that the Early Decision (ED) deadline for Lehigh is imminent, and other university decisions won’t be released in time.
No, they haven’t visited. They’ve had numerous interactions with Lehigh admissions and it feels like the school will be a good fit.
Initially, I was considering options like a HELOC or 401K loans. However, after our discussions—which I greatly appreciate—MIT no longer seems as appealing. It’s now out of the question.
My focus has shifted to weighing Lehigh against the UCs (Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD, UCSC, etc.), but the Early Decision (ED) commitment leaves little room to maneuver
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I would have your son ask to be connected with students in his prospective majors, and he may want to reach out on his own to students in clubs of interest and have some Zoom conversations or something to try and make sure that the school feels like the right fit. I say this not because it’s Lehigh, but because it’s ED. The ideal situation is for a student not to apply ED anywhere without visiting the campus when school is in session, but if the ideal cannot happen, I think it’s valuable to have as many touchpoints with the school as possible, and not just with the admissions team (who are people doing their best to market to potential students).
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This is great advice.
In my neck of the woods (urban, Northeast) Lehigh is a great option for kids who want a fratty/sporty vibe with solid academics. It is very popular with the prep school/boarding school families in the region; it has a “bro” vibe which is a turnoff for some and appealing to others. There are smart kids everywhere- but it does not attract the “intellectual types” from this cohort– depending on their academic interests, those kids tend to end up at Wesleyan, Brandeis, Haverford, and for physics- JHU or U Chicago.
So as long as the kid is confident that he’ll find his peeps- fantastic.
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I am 100% in agreement about avoiding HELOC or 401k loans. I am also in 100% agreement about avoiding any loans where you (the parent) would have to sign.
Before eliminating MIT, though, I would urge you to reach out to them and ask for a professional judgment on your family’s situation. NPCs are accurate for the majority of families, but they can’t take special circumstances into account. That is why the professional opinion from a human is needed.
Since your focus has shifted to the UCs, are you looking for other schools where your son could receive a full ride or very near to it?
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) has relatively low costs (a little under $50k/year) but it also offers the STAMPS scholarship which is a full ride. There is no guarantee your son would get in or get the STAMPS, but it seems worth mentioning: https://stampsps.gatech.edu/.
There are other options that can be mentioned, but I’ll wait until we know whether you are interested before sharing.
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Can you clarify which scholarships you’re referring to? MIT does not provide scholarships (which you probably know), and neither do the UCs to OOS students. And outside scholarships usually don’t add up to much.
I agree that endangering your savings is not worth it.
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This is a concern.
Obviously, not everyone visits a college. I went without visiting. Today, if you have the chance, it’s worth the expense - even at $2K, etc. because you are talking four years day after day.
I see @AustenNut has suggested a student ambassador to speak with…or if the student has an interest in certain clubs, reach out to the leaders. My daughter spoke to Hillel students or staff at several schools. You can also set up a meeting with the academic departments of interest to let them know your interest and see how they can support it (the student, not you)
There are also YouTube campus tours.
I found Lehigh to be very pretty - but it’s hilly and sort of - I don’t know if it’s the right word - goth. Like they could film a horror movie there.
Admsissions is a sales department. Their job is to sell you, to get butts in seat.
You hear of some schools where admissions stinks - and that’s sad - as they are the face to the public so it’s great to hear of positive interactions.
But I wouldn’t bank on my four year experience based on interactions with admissions.
So it’s worth the trip…or at least worth talking to someone and taking some youtube tours worst case.
I was worried about the state by state demographics but it looks like CA, while not a ton of students, is 4th after NY/NJ/PA. So that’s good.
Geographic Distribution of Domestic Students | Institutional Data @ Lehigh
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