@my2greatkids my d19 faced a choice between a school we could easily pay with no loans and one where we could pay our part, she would need student only loans (expected to total about $20k for four years) and she would need to work on campus about 10 hours a week and contribute that money.
She chose the loans. It was a tough choice but she decided it was worth it and a reasonable amount. We wouldn’t not have encouraged her to take loans beyond the $27k total for four years that a student can get themselves. No co-signed loans or parent loans would be considered reasonable for us.
@augie696 - Drew has a good reputation vis a vis theater and NYC; as others have said, it’s not far to the city and there are connections to work/internships. We toured and my D19 did not like it at all. I think this is because they tout this “university in the forest” motto, and we live in actual woods and she scoffed at the manicured setting. She also ended up really love a big state u, so Drew was way too small for her.
BUT, she knows of theater alum who have actual jobs in the industry, so that is a plus.
@augie696 – I would not be concerned about “no one knowing about” a school for theatre majors, because some of the not-so-greatest-overall-knowledge-about schools have fabulous BA programs in theatre. We learned this first-hand because my D was adamant about pursuing a BA in theatre and “no way a BFA”, so we loaded the college list with BA programs. Then, of course, in the midst of the fall interview/portfolio review cycle, she did a 180 and said “yes way a BFA” and no way to a BA, and it was pretty much too late to add more BFA schools to the list. #smh
Both Wooster and Drew have great theatre programs. I suggest printing out the course requirements without including the school name (what others here call a blind compare) and having her review what set of courses seem to “fit right” as she sees it.
That’s a very personal decision. We were faced with it 4 times and it’s hard.
Yes, they can get an education anywhere. Whether school A or B is work a price differential really depends on what the cost differential gets you.
For us some of the items that helped us choose were:
Student making connections with faculty at the school, versus big school that didn’t even offer a faculty meeting
Ability to start direct in major, versus a lot of gen ed
Career outcomes for the major at school B versus A
Peer groups at school B versus A and the fit for the student
At the end of the day, we focused on the academic fit for the student, but also the environmental fit. Where would the student thrive the most?
Debt is not something to be considered lightly. For us, we really put it out to the kids, did “they” feel it was worth the differential and if so, were “they” willing to have skin in the game. A small amount of loans, no more than the federal cap, is not necessarily a bad thing. It shows and investment and commitment to their own education. Our rule has been if they were willing to do that, we would match that extra investment, which then (obviously) increased their total budget. No co-signed or private loans.
So, how much loans, etc are really important things to look at. It is hard to say no, but sometimes it is the right thing.
Just wanted to check in and say hi to all.
DD goes to Ursinus’ accepted student day Friday with my husband/her dad. It is where I attended and I think she is just going to appease me. The merit offered is hard to ignore. I’m 99% certain she will come home and immediately deposit at Lynchburg. So, we should be settled this weekend.
@eandesmom , just wanted to thank you again for the spreadsheet tracking all our kids! Can’t wait to read everyone’s final decisions.
@cakeisgreat. WCU is on my D’s final list. Really nice campus located in a great little college town. Typically thought of as the top of the PASHE schools. Heading to accepted students day next week for a fsecond look an will provide an update after.
Just back from our accepted students day at Manhattan College. We had a beautiful day, and really enjoyed the event. Although no decision yet, I think it will end up as a top contender
@Novacat9191
We are leaving Friday for Manhattan College. Any more thoughts? What did you like/dislike? We have done the research but have never been on campus.
Thanks for any feedback!!
@JBSeattle My D really enjoyed the visit and did not have one negative thing to say. Overall the day was very low key, and not alot of “fluff” All the schools started in the chapel (which was filled) and the president and Director of admissions gave their talk about the school then we split into the different schools and the parents and students split into differnt presentations by the deans teachers and student panels. Then we met for lunch and got to eat with the some of the professors and ask more questions. The afternoon, was open to take tours, learn about some of the clubs, and talk to more of the students. We skipped the tour as we had just done one a month ago.
The strong likes:
The Education School itself, Small classes <20, all taught by professors (no grad students)
The LaSallian values: You really felt the comitment to service and social justice in everyone we spoke with, Students, teachers, club members.
Location: You really do get the “peaceful oasis” on the edge of the city and I got a sense that the students really take advantage of the city. Whether it was built into a requirment for a class or running into just explore. One girl said she went on a Donut Crawl last weekend. We also took a drive around Riverdale and there are some incredible multi million dollar homes just blocks off of campus.
Internship Opportunities, strong alumni network coupled with access to Manhattan gives these students lots of opportunities to graduate with having real work experience.
Potential negatives
Campus is compact, but very vertical as it sits on a hill, with different entrances and exits makes it seem bigger than it is. PLans for new Engineering buildng and renovations to south campus bulidings look great.
Party scene: Not a big greek life, I din’t get a sense that it is a big weeknight party school.
The student popoulation seemed smaller than it is. With 3500 undergrads and a compact campus you would expect it to feel very hectic and rushed but it was all very laid back. Thinking about it now there are ~1000 of those students in the engineerings school which is a few blocks away.
I hope you enjoy your visit, let me know if you have any questions.
Dear B Parents,
What is the general thinking on SAT subject tests for this demographic?
DS20 is a B+ student. Strong in math, usually has A’s in math and mostly B’s in everything else. Not sure what he wants to study yet, but definitely not engineering.
He has rather abruptly decided that he wants to take the SAT math II subject test. I think because his friends in Honors math are taking it (but most in that crowd are looking at a different level of schools than he is). He is not looking at any schools that absolutely require the subject tests.
Is there any point taking only one subject test? Is it a waste of time/money? There is no second subject test where he could score decently enough to be worth the trouble, I believe.
Thanks!
So the problem with the math2 subject test is that a great number of good math students take it. A very large number get perfect scores-it puts you in around the 75th percentile, I think. So I think it is hard to distinguish oneself in taking it,and a very good/perfect score is expected.
@Novacat9191
Thanks for your comments. I read them to my wife as well! We are looking forward to our visit. Sounds like your Daughter might attend!
@TimeFlies2 , this is my third go around. IMO, SAT subject tests are a waste if the student isn’t applying to tippy top schools.
Better to spend the money on CLEP exams.
@gallentjill, @tkoparent, @Gatormama, @OrangeFish –
Thank you all so much for your insights and observations about Drew! D applied because of the Theater Dept and we visited last summer and last week over Spring Break. We both thought the campus was very pretty and D especially liked that, for a small school, the campus felt large. Madison seems like a nice town and it felt safe. Love the proximity to NYC and the opportunities that offers, and the school’s emphasis on applied experiences. Overall, we had a very favorable impression (D is fine with the smaller schools), but as I said, their past financial and enrollment issues gave me real pause and, not being from the area, I didn’t have anything to go by other than the website, what admission staff says at visits, and combing through reviews and such on the internet. It is so helpful to hear from others who have also applied/visited or know it personally.
@Gatormama, nice to get firsthand confirmation that people from the program are actually employed in the industry!
@OrangeFish , thanks for the blind compare suggestion—really think that will help a quite a lot in D’s final decision.
@eandesmom, I don’t have enough posts to PM you, but I’d really like to add D’s info to the spreadsheet. Is my post count also to low for you to be able to PM me?
@OrangeFish, I also thank you for the blind compare suggestion - I tried it out on myself this morning and have suggested to S that he take a look and also share with his current teacher. So far, I’ve been thinking we would eventually be down to the coin toss, where your kid is supposed to suss out which school they prefer by their reaction to the flip. Since we got back from our marathon cross-country tour last weekend, S has gone back into silent mode. He’s got the list down to two, but it’s hard to tell whether he’s actually thinking about a decision. He’s currently playing two varsity sports and getting ready for IB exams next month, as well as going into final semester bonding mode with his classmates, so I’m not sure where he would find the time to think about the apparently less interesting matter of his choice of college. No doubt somehow we will get there.
@augie696 no idea! I will try.
@JBSeattle, safe travels out and enjoy your visit. Can’t wait to hear what your impression was. Right now I think it sits as a top 2-3 across the board on her wish list of criteria. We will see what the next two weeks reveals as we will attend some schools that present a mix of contrasting elements that I think will help her think about what is reall important to her
@Novacat9191 Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on ASD for WCU. Definitely going to visit in the summer!
@TimeFlies2 Both my kids were B+ students. My oldest took the SAT 2s. My youngest did not. My oldest did because they were required for one of his reach schools. My youngest has anxiety it was much better to keep those off the table - so his list ONLY included schools that didn’t require them. For us it was a good decision.
So I would say take a look at schools you “think” will be on the list. That can help with your decision. Good luck!
@TimeFlies2 JMO but if you can afford the SAT2 (IIRC they aren’t super pricey) then I would let him do it. They aren’t going to hurt his applications. They may not help them either, directly. But there is enough about the process that these kids don’t have a lot of control over, and there are a lot of ways a B+ kid could end up feeling a bit left out in comparison to higher stat friends. If he would like to be part of taking this test like his friends are, it might help him with those issues. If he’s a strong math student with up through PreCalc, he will probably do well on it.