<p>Before you make the final decision - look hard, and listen.</p>
<p>When my son and I visited a free ride plus stipend-offering university (total cost 0, plus $12K to the good over the four years), although the honors program had an excellent reputation, it was clear that 65% of his classes would have been in the greater (large) university. The program would have alleviated the huge-ness of the university somewhat, but it still reminded me of Mammy in Gone with the Wind “nuthin’ but a mule in horse harness!”</p>
<p>There are great programs out there, definitely (posters have described them) but none of the schools offering full tuition, even the very good ones, stacked up against my son’s first choice. We ended up paying full retail price and signing up for a minimum of three round trip airfares across the Atlantic every year. He’s in his second year now and for us, it was absolutely the right decision - high cost, but demonstrating an even greater value - I like to put it this way, he’s receiving MORE than we’re paying for.</p>
<p>Believe me, I really agonized over this decision - but have no regrets. Please feel free to PM me, any parent who is sufffering with the mental torment of a similar choice.</p>