We just got back from Spring Break at Disney World. While I was really happy that the kids still love going to Disney (although instead of princesses and character meets they now value thrill rides and eating around the world) I got really sad knowing this was likely the last time the four of us go together. We have a summer trip planned and we are discussing a Christmas trip, but that might not include S25 if he decides to do a study abroad.
During the trip and tonight he decided that he has decided to go to Miami. We had plans to do admitted visits to Case, Kenyon, Denison, Cinci and Miami but he said he doesn’t need to go to the others and will still go to Miami’s. I think it’s a smart fit and decision, although like many of you I’m a bit sad to cut some of these schools off the list. I’m a little worried about the party vibe at Miami, but most schools have some version of a party crowd. Now to see how long before he actually comes to me for the credit card to actually commit.
Separate question for the group, or to check my thinking. Miami for our kid will cost around $25k per year. Our deal with him was no matter where he goes he has to take the max unsubsidized student loan, which is $5,500 for the first year, and we would fund what we have in the 529 plus maybe more if he is doing well, but any plus loans we have to take he has to pay us back for. We have enough in the 529 plan to cover about $20k and thus don’t need loans. However … there is some chatter about the government dropping parent plus loans and graduate plus loans. It’s just chatter right now (and I don’t want to discuss politics) but just in case I am thinking to take out parent plus loans for his tuition and saving the 529 plan. If he gets into to Med School we can either use the 529 to pay off the plus loans and get different loans for med school, or use the 529 to help pay for med school. If he does not go to med school, we can just pay off the plus loans from the 529. But, it allows us to have the option in case the plus loans go away.
That seems like a very expensive option, given the upfront cost of advances on the parent plus loan. Couldn’t you just set up a HELOC as a backup funding option, given you’ll be on the hook for repayment either way?
Feeling you here. We are just getting started this week on what I’m calling the great acceptances college tour – five schools/four states/three weeks. We did not visit schools last year due to family illness, so we’re doing all the visiting and choosing in one big push, and so far there are no favorites (they’re all small LACs with very similar cost/aid packages). Woohoo!
My kid has narrowed it down to a final 3 - Georgia Tech, Carnegie Mellon, University of Maryland. Admitted students for UMD on Saturday and then he said he’ll give us his ranking.
GT/UMD more similar in terms of like basic size/feel but GT/CMU have similar opportunities. The money is vastly different.
Whomp whomp, looks like Italy passed a new law (or it’s a proposed law?) and I may not be able to get dual citizenship now. Bummer, but not the end of the world. In other international news, my S22 who is currently in Greece called this morning. I’m clearly doing the wrong thing, and should’ve been a college student who went to a college that had a study abroad program in a cool place with easy access to other cool places.
Here’s his current plans:
First weekend there was move in weekend.
Second weekend he spent in Athens (that’s not where they are located) doing the tourist thing
Third weekend (last weekend) he went to Sofia, Bulgaria.
Fourth weekend - they are spending Friday hiking around the lower levels of Mt. Olympus (this is sponsored by the program, which means they pay for transportation, but the downside is that their leaders “are old people who can’t hike so we aren’t going far up the mountain”); then Sat-Mon he is travelling to Budapest
Fifth weekend - his project site (a pomegranate farm) is hosting a weekend event that sounds like a carnival with free food. He’s expected to hang out, eat all he can, and talk to people about if they are having fun. The other day of the weekend the project group (sponsored in his project fees) is going to Meteora to see the famous monasteries
Sixth weekend - we’ll be visiting him + it’s Easter Weekend. Basically everything is closed so we’ll just plan to hang out, walk around, and eat in his city.
Seventh weekend - he’s going to Rome
Eight and final weekend - TBD, but he’s hoping to go to the Greek Islands
Pretty Darn Awesome. The school gives everyone scholarships of up to $5k to cover housing and program fees (his were appreciably less than that) and you can get whatever is left back as a tuition credit (limited to $1500). So while I had to pay his airfare, we’re getting $1500 off tuition next year, which helps. He busted his behind last summer, working 60 hour weeks to get overtime pay so he’d have money to make this exploring possible. I’m so glad that he gets to do this, it’s a really really awesome adventure for him.
For April Fool’s Day fun, S25 wrote a fake “Class of 2029” profile post for his yet undecided school:
“Hi! My name is X. My hobbies include taxidermy, learning to play the theramin, sneaking up on people, and listening to whale sounds. I love eating raw chicken! Looking for a roommate who doesn’t mind my snoring and is okay with brewing kombucha in our dorm room.”
Um, WOW!!! I want that study abroad life!!! I did a six week summer in Vienna studying German and Austrian literature, snagging cheap tix to the opera and eating waaaaaayyyy to much street vendor ice cream, which seemed great at the time.
But now?? Oh, how it pales in comparison Hope your S22 is having a fabulous time!
He does have to do some actual work for his project client - they have a report to write for their project host on how to improve their business model to gain some efficiencies, some tracking and modeling tools to deliver, and a database to build. But they are 100% using the weekends to get out and explore (or, you know, do that other thing referenced in the article)
What I think helps is that there are 20 kids from his school in his location (four working on his actual project site). They all seem to get along so they can split up in a variety of ways depending on interests and there is one kid in particular who has clearly done a lot of traveling and is super confident and helping the others figure things out. But it’s easy to explore when you know you aren’t on your own. It also helps that they all got their assigned location nearly a year and a half before going - so they all had plenty of time to save up for the splurges they want to take.
I never got to go on study abroad when I was in college. But I did get to lead a study abroad a couple of years ago. Most of it was wonderful and amazing. But part of it was also natural disasters and post-covid students with very, very high needs. I was more babysitter/counselor than I anticipated. I was able to take the whole family and wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. And we were able to take a side trip at the end before we went home. It’s the experience that made D25 decide she wanted to study anthropology or archaeology and go to a college with strong global education.
D25’s top choice gave her $10k merit for her freshman year, we found out on the flight out for spring break!
We have admitted students days on April 13 and 19. I imagine D25 will probably commit the weekend of the 25/26th.
Congrats to everyone on the amazing acceptances! I am bookmarking the packing lists, but am worried because we’re going to have to fly D25 to school regardless. We will probably fly up a few days earlier and hit Costco, Target, etc.
If you fly, it’s definitely got to be easier to buy stuff when you get there. And it could be a nice way to see what’s in the area.
When I was a grad student at a large university, a lot of undergrads would keep the stuff they didn’t need to bring home in pods-like storage containers. There would be a parking lot in town that would be filled with them at the beginning and end of the semester. I don’t know if the university arranged it or if it was a private thing. It seemed like a great idea. I would have loved to have that option in college.
Maybe also worth finding out what the dorms organize. I know at D19’s school, depending on campus, they would do a freshman dorm trip to Bed Bath and Beyond (RIP) or Target for students to stock up. That’s also a nice way for roommates to coordinate decor if that’s what they want.
Definitely easier to buy there than fly with stuff- but the downside to that is the Target, or wherever you go, will be cleaned out of a lot of stuff. Did this with my oldest and it was slim pickings. We got most of what she needed but had to compromise on some of the ‘style’ she wanted. If you can send stuff ahead I would do that, and pack some smaller items in your suitcase if you can. Or preorder and pick up.
Hope your S22 is having a fabulous time!