<p>Understand where you are coming from eadad - and as yet we don’t have to make that choice. It would be hard to imagine my D getting admitted to Penn, without a pretty good scholarship offer from USC - but stranger things have happened in the Alice in Wonderland world of college admissions.</p>
<p>Still, if the strangest of strange happens - Wharton on one hand, and Moore on the other without a scholarship, I would rather suck up the extra burden for Wharton. I would certainly try and use a Wharton acceptance (or our in-state U) as a bargaining chip for USC to sweeten to pot.</p>
<p>I am certainly willing to forego Carolina (without a scholarship) for our in-state U. I would also be willing to pay the difference to Wharton as well. Since my only other child is graduating from the Air Force Academy this year I would chalk the difference up to that.</p>
<p>Let’s face it, as parents we want to do the best we can for our kids higher education. It’s great to have kids who themselves have put in the effort to excel in academics/SAT/ECs/Community service/Essays/etc. Scholarship rewards are a result of their hard work - but as with the recent McNair Scholars notice told us, only 40 finalists out of 1600 eligible - for only 20 awards. Most of us will have to absorb a chunk of costs for a college education for our kids (cross-country transportation alone for us will be somewhere between $1500-$2000 if she goes to Carolina). And for those of us in the middle class (squeezed between the endowments/legacies of the wealthy and the need based/diversity issues of the poor) it’s hard enough to even get into a decent public college much less one of the Ivies (or Stanford, or Duke). </p>
<p>Again my main point is at some point a decision has to be made regarding how much we are willing to pay out-of-pocket - going to USC with an OOS tuition ain’t gonna make it with us - as regards my tongue-in-cheek about having to “suck it up” for Wharton. If I have to suck it up anyway for Carolina, Wharton would seem like a bargain.</p>
<p>I guess I am still asking if there is any experience out there dealing with USC FinAid, where you came away with a better deal.</p>