<p>I’m with you, FlMathMom. I think it’s easier and just feels cozier to keep it all here.</p>
<p>Also, here’s a tip that can make catching up on threads a little easier if you read them when logged in. If you look at the thread titles on each forum, you will see there is a check mark in a box at the beginning of each thread title. If you click on that check mark it will take you to the last post you read in the thread.</p>
<p>fogfog - I am with you. The COA column in my spreadsheet for all schools D is considering is almost always around 50K, except for the in-state flagship. I would love for her to get a merit scholarship (any amount) to bring down the sticker price somewhat. But some of the reach schools on her list don’t offer merit aid. So, need to be prepared for the worst case scenario - 250K for four years!! Yes, FLMathMom - I do believe we are crazy !! It’s more than we paid for our house!</p>
<p>I have been reading this thread ever since I joined CC. Have been following the 2010 and 2009/2013 threads as well - those threads have been a very warm, welcoming support group. Hope this one continues in that vein.</p>
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<p>The families who will have sad outcomes probably aren’t on CC. Their kids’ list is 53,50,52,52,54,54 and that’s where their kid will apply, while their family budget is maybe $35,000 or $20,000. My D told me early on, “Don’t let me fall in love with a school we can’t afford.” I made sure her list did not include anything over $40,000 that did not give substantial merit aid.</p>
<p>Re: possibly starting a new thread, I really wasn’t trying to limit the content, just to maybe archive the almost 3,400 posts on this one. Threads with more than about 5-10 pages of posts intimidate me a bit. (Some little part of me thinks I have to read all of the old posts on a thread before diving in myself.) Was thinking to keep similar content for the HS class of '11, just start anew.</p>
<p>(We could have an August 1 start date, one that’s already meaningful to everyone who’s posting! 
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<p>Missypie- that is our strategy. D is only looking at privates where her stats make her competitive for significant merit aid. Of course that is not a guarantee she will get it. D knows that cost is a factor and will need to be factored into her final decision. Btw this means she will NOT be applying to any reaches, because even if admitted her stats would not make her competitive for merit sid and we couldn’t afford to send her! I don’t see the point of her getting excited about a school we can’t afford! I am not expecting any needs based aid. She is an only child and our income is probably too high ( though it doesn’t feel so!!! Still paying off my dh’s grad school loans!)</p>
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<p>Glad to find a kindred spirit. Sometimes I doubt our strategy when I read so many posts by families reaching for the top, with top prices and no merit aid. People with whom I work (who make what I do) send their kids to these type of schools, too. But I’m not privy to their entire financial situation and frankly, if they want to go into a lot of debt, that’s their business.</p>
<p>I think it is telling that of the top 20 grads in last year’s class at our HS, 13 are attending the state flagship. Several others are attending small LACs that don’t have a national reputation but which give fantastic merit aid to top students. There are probably only three of the 20 where the families are spending “big money.” In a way it’s sad, because all 20 could have succeeded at the very top schools. But I’m glad that the families are being practical.</p>
<p>FWIW, I like sticking with the thread as it already exists, and letting it be free-ranging. Yes, it’s long (and is going to get a whole lot longer over the next year 
), but truly, no one has to read the entire thing in order to keep up. I like having one place where all of the general admissions slog is leavened by bits of life, both the happy and the frustrating parts. </p>
<p>Take a look at the thread for the Parents of 2010, which is two years old, 2088 pages long, over 31,000 posts and still attracting new “members”. People were really happy with the community they built there, and felt that it was a safe and civil place away from the hurly-burly of much of CC. </p>
<p>Like some other posters said, I like using the 2011 thread as a general “how’s everyone doing?” forum, but when I have a specific question, I’ll post that to the Parents Forum to gather as much advice as possible. Works for me.</p>
<p>COA: gulp, indeed. I haven’t written down the numbers, but D1’s choices will range from maybe a tad under $30k up to $55k. The more expensive choices are do-able, but then D1 will be on her own for graduate or professional school.</p>
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<p>It was over frozen yogurt that I told my little dear that if she went to school X or Y, grad school would be on her. It had actually never occured to her that we wouldn’t pay for school forever. At least I told her the summer before 12th grade, as opposed to senior year in college!</p>
<p>At our house the deal has been that we pay for college, and after that they’re on their own. This means 4 years at the highest cost, if necessary - but not 5. D1 considered a double BA when she was applying; I reminded her that she’d have to finance the 5th year herself, and was that worth it? She didn’t do that program - not so much just because of finances, but it made a point when I said so.</p>
<p>This was the deal when I was growing up, too. But in that case, it was almost definite that my B’s and I would all go to schools that cost about the same, allowing for the more reasonable increases between our ages (not exponential like lately). Two of us got Master’s that we paid for ourselves; the third didn’t.</p>
<p>But my H and I have had to talk seriously about some what ifs: D1 went to a top-dollar school. D2 could do the same. That would be it, as far as we’re concerned. But really, if D2 goes to a school that’s $25K less per year, we would definitely be willing to talk about helping her with grad school, or another year for a second major, or a contribution to her living expenses her first year out, or something. So we’re kind of in reverse - weren’t going to go beyond college as a rule, but may consider it if the sticker price comes in on the low side.</p>
<p>D1 will almost definitely go to grad school, but she’s in the sciences and probably won’t have costs - instead, she’ll get paid for it. Very different from her performing arts sister. I don’t know if D2, when making her final choice, might decide on a less expensive school simply because the money might be there to help her in other ways. </p>
<p>They’re both honorable kids and haven’t liked talking about how much money they’re “costing” us. We’re happy D1 is using her opportunities responsibly and gratefully, and D2 will, too, just maybe in different ways. No easy answers here.</p>
<p>Allocating money among multiple kids can be tricky. I know a family who is telling their younger S, “you have to go to school in-state because your older brother went OOS.” That may be reality, but it’s not fair.</p>
<p>Our state U is in the 20’s, not sure if S will apply or not. Several schools in are in the mid 30’s with others up in the low 50’s, most are somewhere in the 40’s. Wouldn’t you know it the lower priced schools are the ones who will probably give S merit. We won’t qualify for FA but are hoping for some merit and some of the schools are on the list because of the possibility S will qualify for merit. Because our kids have attended private since ps we are used to paying for school, plus we have saved and in general live frugally. We are not restricting where S applies but have had “the money” discussion with him. After acceptances are in, we will evaluate the cost vs quality and make a decision accordingly. There are expensive schools on his list we will probably pay full boat for if S gets accepted, but it will mean cutting back elsewhere in the budget. If that ends up being the case, we will probably make sure S has some loans so he has some skin in the game so to speak. </p>
<p>I have two neices in college right now who are spending way too much money for school. Parents had no savings and now both the parents and kids are taking out way too many loans for my comfort level. My SIL told me, “it’s her dream school, how can we deny?” Um the same way you deny a porche, a trip abroad, etc.</p>
<p>Hi all
I am been lurking for a while…and would 
to introduce myself.
S1 graduated HS 2010, and will be going away OOS in a few weeks -college shopping in process -
S2 will be HS class of 2011… - college tours and info sessions in process - :D</p>
<p>Have a great day everyone 
</p>
<p>I’ve been lurking too and love this thread. I have a son, class of '11. As far as the discussion above about beginning a thread dedicated to apps only, I would like keeping it all here for the same reasons posted above. An easy way to “keep up” w/ this thread is to subscribe to it (click on thread tools at upper right) as a daily email. Each morning I get my coffee, open my mail and look forward to seeing this thread pop up. I don’t even have to “travel” to CC.</p>
<p>Quick question for some of you. Way up-thread, some of you mentioned visiting UPitt. My son is considering applying there as a safety (slitheytove, I think you suggested it to me via a thread I posted in college search.) Does it have an actual campus feel, sort of like Johns Hopkins or Columbia, or is it more like NYU, BU?</p>
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<p>We visited a couple of weeks ago, so I’ll take a stab at it and let others contradict me as they see fit. I’d put it somewhere in the middle of your examples.</p>
<p>Take a lovely college campus with interesting buildings. Then intersect that campus with busy, four lane public streets. Not two lane public roads with little traffic, but busy four lane streets. Then, create a large hill and put lots of dorms and the athletic facilities at the top of the hill. That’s the Pitt campus. </p>
<p>The campus does have things going for it. It is adjacent to a huge public park. There are restaurants and retail in walking distance. As I said, some nice buildings. But D and I were both bothered by the disjointed nature of the campus. With that said, there seemed to be a lot of school spirit and enthusiasm around the place.</p>
<p>@Renaissancemom: I thought about suggesting Pitt to my S, too. A friend told me, though, that it really has the feel of a commuter campus, which is definitely wrong for my kid. If that’s the case, then it’s too bad, because the Honors Program sounds nice.</p>
<p>I may have asked before but in a different thread, so I’ll ask again here. Which school do you think has more value, UMiami or Tulane? For a regular humanities type, that is.</p>
<p>Going back to the issue of cost, D is planning to apply to a few reaches where there’s no merit aid offered. So, it would be the full sticker price. She does have a few match schools on her list that are known to be generous with merit aid. Of course, this is probably going to lead to some interesting discussions in the coming months - is school A without any merit aid worth it when compared to school B that is offering X $? At least, I hope we will be having these discussions - that is, she actually does get offered merit aid.</p>
<p>Finances have been a very open topic at our house - the kids do know what we can and cannot afford. But the kids also know that we are the type that always look for value (have sometimes been called cheap!) - so we will be evaluating all options seriously. We are willing to pay for four years at full-pay, but probably not at all the colleges on D’s list. She does know this and so far, has been pretty good about not “falling in love” with any school.</p>
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Hi college4three - I think they are very similar, and I say that as a big Tulane booster. Tulane is smaller, and its academic stats are a bit higher, (SAT scores of entering class, mostly), but really very much peer schools. I think it would come down to which one feels more “right” to your student, based some other factor like bigger time sports at Miami, or the attraction of New Orleans, or something they notice during a visit. But I think it is just not possible to say one has more value in general, they are just too similar on paper.</p>
<p>missypie is spot on. Pitt has more campus than NYU, but less campus than Columbia. It didn’t feel like a commuter campus to me, which for me means that the campus and surrounding area don’t turn into a ghost town at night. Also, that students are around during the weekends.</p>
<p>^Thanks. You’re an alumna, right?</p>