@blossom “So academic rigor was more or less our breaking point on the finances. I wasn’t paying full freight for a four year party.” I took the same tact with my oldest. Mrs. Gluttonforstress had dreams of sending him off to a nice LAC of any particular level so he could live out the dream she didn’t get to enjoy during her own college experience. I grinded out a BA in four years from an intensely competitive state U while holding down a full time job and never getting a penny from my upper middle class parents. $300k for UG in mind numbing but I told DS that if he found a program that was particularly well suited for his interests, and it was at a top school, I was willing to pay. We’re in CA so it’s hard to turn down a UC education. He found a program though and convinced me that he really wants to spend the next 4 years at the place where fun goes to die. I feel better knowing my $300k isn’t going to fund a lot of beer pong though:)