Parent input re college selection

[ucbalumnus]

@thumper1

Whatever a parent choice is…in my opinion, this needs to be clearly conveyed to the student before applications are sent.

Agree.

Don’t wait until April to bring up costs…

Need advice on college choice, $$, etc.

Our family is having a difficult time navigating some great choices. DS has been accepted so far to Princeton and 2 very good in-state schools. He has interviewed for merit scholarships at the in-state schools, but we will not qualify for any need-based aid. He is thrilled about Princeton and would choose to attend in a heartbeat (although he hasn’t visited yet, so maybe that might change when he visits). The problem is the money. We are very frugal, both parents work hard, and we have saved a lot of $ while driving old cars, living in a very small house, etc. We have previously told both of our children that we will pay for their college education if they work hard, which they have done. However now that our first one is about to go to school, the reality of 4 years of Princeton costing $260K is hitting us. We also feel that to be fair we would need to offer our second child the same deal, so now we are talking over half a million dollars. Yes, we could technically afford it. Howeve…

… especially if you previously said that “money is not a factor in the decision”…

Best schools for Math/Comp Sci with undergrad research

My son will apply this fall and we need some help paring down his list of colleges. He loves math, has been invited to take the USAMO every year of high school, has a 4.0 unweighted with 12 AP classes, 2340 on SAT (math was 800), 800's on SAT Math 2, Physics and Chem, plus a decent amount of volunteering and EC's. Goes to a rigorous, very competitive public high school. Probable major is Math and/or Comp Sci, he would like to do both (potentially as double major or major/minor). Has not really decided yet between Applied or Theoretical math. Not very interested in Engineering or Physics. He is really enjoying his research internship this summer so he definitely wants that opportunity in college. Almost certainly will continue to PhD at some point. Money is not a factor in the decision. Location and atmosphere also not very important, although maybe slightly leaning towards a smaller environment. He is an accomplished pianist and would like to keep playing in college, although not nec…