Need help picking best schools for daughter

SpacemanEd
Tue, 17 Oct 2017 19:56:58 +0000

@AroundHere had excellent suggestions.

1 in her class is fantastic. Out of 150 could be a bit of a drawback. The standardized tests are a leveler but, of course, don't tell the whole story and are a bit dehumanizing. She's not the first, and she won't be the last.

I didn’t really see a desired major (she might not have made her mind up yet, which is the majority) but has an interest in math and computer science. With those interests, grad school also enters the equation. So, to me, getting undergrad done within four years and grad within years is much more important than annual costs. And, if you pick the wrong college, that’s another financial kick-in-the-groin.

Somehow, someway, I’ve found a lot of folks like you who make it work. Kids, once away from home, are enterprising since so many of them are in the same boat and will help each other. So, as financially attractive as the CC or commuting college sounds, it might not be best in the big picture. There’s legal money out there - loans, jobs, work-studies, paid-internships, Americorps, National Guard, non-school scholarships, temp jobs. If a kid wants it and you taught them right, they’ll find a legal way.

In-state public: Add Richard Stockton to your list. Sticker prices on privates look really bad, but often will come up with a lot of money to bring that price down significantly - maybe to $25K, but not likely to $18K.