@Britmom5 Congratulations on S2’s decision! I understand your commitment 
@me29034 Congrats on your son’s decision!
No bad choices on that list. Very different schools and I can understand the plus/minus aspect and maybe not being excited/enthralled. The reality is staying local just doesn’t sound as exciting as something exactly at the same level academically, socially that is “away”. I’m a massive Seattle U fan, but have bias.
WSU seems the outlier on your list.
@JBSeattle does she want an MBA? Just because it can be done in 5, if they aren’t interested it doesn’t really mean much.
@rfm512 I can’t speak to FA. UPS, in my experience, weights test scores highly for merit. S19’s BF is headed there next year. Similar gpa to my S17 (3.47 ish)
, slightly higher rigor. Similar EC’s overall. Very good test scores for the BF (1520 SAT) versus a 24 ACT for my S17. S17 was offered 14k in merit, plus a 1k theater tech scholarship. BF was offered 24k in merit plus some FA. What is the students EFC?
I love UPS, would have been thrilled if that’s wheee any of our kids ended up.
@eandesmom
That is part of why she will probably end up at Western. We had a tough discussion about Manhattan, finances etc. I told her getting that 5 year would be one of the best reasons to go to Manhattan. She said it was a good idea but kind of wavered saying she didn’t know, could change her mind etc.
I think setting her up with $40k when she graduates would be huge as it is the reverse of many of these kids who graduate with massive debt plus I trust her to not do something stupid (albeit she did do something stupid this weekend)!
@JBSeattle , from what I’ve seen in the work world, I’m not convinced an MBA that’s tacked on the end of an undergrad without any decent work experience behind it will be much of an advantage. So while it may sound attractive I’m not really sure it should be a significant factor in a college decision.
@SJ2727
I would have agreed with you about a month ago as that has been my experience.
I spoke with several different people in Marketing (including my cousin, his wife and my brother in law) who all said that an MBA easily adds another $20k per year in salary (at least in expensive places like NY, SF and Seattle). I think it has value and it pencils out. Problem is that my daughter is not certain so it could all be for nothing and that would be an expensive change of mind.
@eandesmom Thank you as always for your help!
I’ve PM’ed you with a little more info about the student in question.
@JBSeattle - I still think the better type of MBA is the one you get after a few years’ experience, that your employer pays for, even if you start at a lower salary level… just my experience/opinion. (Everyone I know who has done an MBA has had it completely subsume their life while they are doing it, for a much bigger jump than $20k per year after - admittedly that’s not on a new entrant salary, but everyone I know has had theirs employer funded so costless other than time/energy.) Especially if she doesn’t know for certain she wants to do it - I still have the opinion that it’s not the same type of game changer that another type of add-on masters might be.
Wouldn’t it depend on what you want the MBA for? If it’s to make more money or especially if one’s after advancement at the place where one currently works, then yeah, having work experience before getting the MBA is almost certainly much better.
For a different possibility, though, my D19 has plotted out a myriad of different life paths, and one of them involves getting a degree in industrial engineering followed immediately by a MBA. This would be the path that leads directly into independent consulting (a not uncommon use of an IE degree)—in that case the MBA would be to develop useful business knowledge for the consulting world, not for career advancement in the sense of moving into a management position.
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One of S’s choices is Eckerd…anyone know anything about Eckerd?
@natty1988 feel free to PM me if you would like. We have a son and a daughter who graduated from Eckerd.
For marketing I would rather see someone with work experience for a few years, and then the mba. You would get so much more out of it with some practical experience to apply.
It would not add 20k to an entry level spot at my company, it may at others. It might put them at the top of my hiring range but likely not, not without experience.
MBA. My oldest started undergrad doing a STEM MBA program. Although the MBA was to be fully paid by scholarship, he dropped the program.
His friends who remained had difficulties finding entry level jobs with the MBA and no work experience.
At least in Engineering, from the small sample of folks we know, it has not gotten a starting salary higher than BS degree only.
I think she is now probably going to go to Western. She is going to meet with an Admissions Counselor again, do another walk around and meet with the head of the Business Dept. I unfortunately cannot go with her this time but pretty sure that is the decision unless something horrible happens.
My S is really torn…NAU, Western Wash, Sonoma, Colorado State…
He also really likes Linfield and Eckerd…choices choices!
This is a little off topic but my D lives in Nevada and we’ve had the chance to see the campus of University of Nevada-Reno. It’s an amazing campus and they’ve really done a lot. It’s a great choice for kids in this GPA range and it’s becoming a popular school for kids from California. And they’ve done quite well in basketball lately, if you watch March Madness! Something to keep in mind for 2020 kids! University of Idaho is a school our college counselor recommended for S. We kind of forgot about it and S didn’t end up applying (darn!), but it is a solid choice for kids in this GPA range and the former co worker of mine who went there still raves about it!
My nephew and his girlfriend both went to UNR and did well there. His girlfriend graduated with honors. Both are from Nevada, Carson City and Gardnerville which are about 40 mins south of Reno. My nephew could’ve gone anywhere for college, but stayed so he could ski. He did drop out for a while, but went back to UNR and graduated. Both were very happy with the education they received. I also have other family members who went to UNR and have done well.
@rfm512 re: your inquiry about UPS merit for this range…My S19 was offered $29K merit. GPA ~3.5, not especially hard rigor, ACT 30, with good EC.
He turned it down. I am still getting over it. He wants big, school spirit, and I think he feels like there will be less pressure, less fishbowl, at WSU. While it wasn’t my preference, I think he has to ultimately embrace his choice, or when things get tough (which they will, anywhere) he will frame it internally as “this wasn’t my choice anyway”.
@daisychayn Thank you so much for the info! Its nice to hear the merit money can be as significant as that. They were also generous with my D19, but I had thought $24K was about the highest they offered. My daughter has yet to make her final decision but I am hopeful it will be UPS. I’VE bonded with that place and I’m doing my damndest to re-live my college years thru her! 
I love the strong PNW representation!
As do I!!
@eandesmom and @JBSeattle Its funny how it worked out for us. My husband and I grew up on the east coast and attended college there. Once we moved to the SW, we just assumed our kids would return to the east coast for college and our son did go to boarding school there. However, we visited Seattle and Portland on vacation last summer and decided to look at some colleges while we were in the area - just out of curiosity. We were so impressed by many of the campuses and our research revealed well run, respected institutions in beautiful environments! We feel so lucky to have these schools as viable options for our kids!
Well, there are a lot of great colleges in the Pacific Northwest and in the Western part of the United States!