Thanks. That’s very helpful to know.
That was the impression my daughter got too when we visited.
I was referencing the surrounds. Going into DC etc where Tech is more isolated.
But got it.
Basically it seems like it comes down to what the extra $80K means to you. It’s a lot of money, but being comfortable and happy in your college is important. But I think you’re right to let your daughter decide since they are all in budget and won’t put a strain on your family.
UMD will announce some scholarships in a couple of weeks.
Also, have you signed up for an admitted students day at both schools?
Thats good news on scholarships. Thanks for letting me know.
We haven’t seen any information on admitted students days. But we’ll keep an eye out for that too.
These will probably help with the decision process.
I get what you are saying. We allowed our D22
apply wherever she wanted but we didn’t totally understand the nuances of that decision until the results started coming in. There were, in fact, subtle preferences in my own mind about where that money was “best” spent, based on my biases about what kind of college experiences were worth paying for.
I was romanced by big names and tiny liberal arts experiences. Full pay at Yale? Yes (she didn’t get in). Full pay at Smith? Yep (she did get in). Full pay at UMich or Wisconsin? Not so fast. This came to a head when she got into UCLA. Paying for a OOS public suddenly didn’t seem like an exciting way to spend my money. That said, she was free to choose and I too went through the feelings you are having now.
We now feel fortunate that D22 preferred UCLA over UMichigan in many ways—campus, programs, dorms, food, entertainment, etc. But for your daughter, I can see why paying for UMD might be something you become pleased to be able to do for her—the diversity factor is important. And she prefers it a great deal. Yes, it costs more, but it seems like her experience will be well worth it.
3 Likes
That’s exactly it! I didn’t realize the mental roller coaster this was going to be for me. I think the part that makes it difficult for me is that I see parents around me making their kids choose the cheaper option, and giving me shocked looks for considering paying out-of-state. But its hard for me to make may daughter choose the cheaper option when she’s worked so hard in school (without me even pushing her to do it). I’m thinking she’s really earned the right to make this decision. And she really wants to go to a school closer to the city. So I just need to make peace with that. We’re going to go to admitted student day to make sure she’s excited about her decision.
4 Likes
This could be based on perceived value (some are just unwilling to spend more when a like substitute is avail) and some may not be able to afford.
$80K is real money. Stroking a check 2x a year for any amount isn’t easy.
In the end, it’s your money - and you get to decide how to spend it.
In fact, others won’t know what you’re spending because they don’t know your financial need or your student’s scholarships, etc.
In the end, what brings you comfort is what matters - not what friends, neighbors, or strangers on the CC think.
Admitted students days were announced last week. I would sign up ASAP.
Thank you. We signed up last night to UMD, and we’re waiting on VT to post a registration link. I appreciate everyone’s help. Im getting so much great info and heads up.
1 Like
The reality is that most students’ college lives are entirely focused on campus life. I went to a college that was located in a desirable major city. Almost ALL the students NEVER set foot off campus! I looked at another school with a self-contained campus, a short train ride from a desirable major city. I asked a student where the train stop was, and the reply was, “It’s over there, but the fact is that most students never leave campus.” So if the desire to attend U Md over VT is access to DC, the reality is that most students won’t be leaving campus, and unless your child is hell-bent on a career in national political life, and plans on interning in a politician’s office all during the school year all through college, your child won’t be heading into DC much either. Plus 20K/yr buys a lot of trips to any city they would want!
I do get it about the diversity issue. U Md, about 1/10 are black (if that’s what race she is), and at VT, it’s only just over 1/20. That alone might make it worth the extra 20K/yr.
4 Likes
Probably most college undergraduates commute to college while living where they lived before college. You may be referring to “almost ALL” students at highly self contained residential colleges where students live on campus all four years, which make up only a small percentage of colleges in the US. Even many residential colleges (particularly public flagships) have most students living off campus after frosh year.
Hence the concern about things to do in the local community and/or concern about negative aspects in the local community (crime and hostility to minority group(s) that the student may be a member of) that sometimes comes up in these forums.
1 Like
My family had a different experience. My S took full advantage of NYC during his college years. And many moons ago my college experience included spending time in Phila. So YMMV.
I think it’s campus dependent.
An urban school will obviously be utilized differently than a school in the boonies.
1 Like
You are so right. How could I have missed that obvious fact? Students from largely commuter colleges, who themselves commute to college, who don’t live on campus, DO tend to set foot off campus! Even on a daily basis! Thank you so much for having pointed that out.
Obviously, for this student, who is considering two schools, both of which are largely residential, non-commuter campuses, the fact that most students at residential colleges do not tend to leave campus often, would be a consideration, when weighing their desire for proximity to a major metropolitan area. The reality is that students who are moving away to college, who will be residing at that largely residential college, often overweigh proximity to a major metropolitan area, when the simple fact is that most students tend to find campus life so absorbing, that they rarely get on that commuter train or metro ride into the major metropolitan area.
4 Likes
Agree…reply was to poster who suggested that college students on urban campuses do not take advantage of their city.
1 Like
I could understand it, when considering a student at NYU or Columbia/Barnard, or BU or Northeastern, where the schools are literally right inside the city, some without even really having a campus. But my experience of an inner city school which did have a fairly self-contained campus (albeit open to the surrounding community) was that most students tended not to leave campus. Sure, some went to the symphony, to museums and restaurants and shopping areas far from campuses, but the reality was that most did not, or if they did, it was a very rare occasion.
We will have to agree to disagree. Different people will have different experiences.
1 Like
The thing is, OP is looking at UMd vs VT, and thinking that UMd has an advantage because one can reach DC by spending an hour on public transportation. And that’s true - you cannot reach DC or any other major metropolitan area within one hour on public transportation from VT, which is in a rather isolated rural location.
The reality is that although U Md is within striking distance of DC, most students aren’t going to be frequently taking advantage of that. Most students are going to find their social life on campus. So the advantage probably won’t be as great as that perceived, decreases its weight when evaluating whether or not it’s worth an extra 20K/yr in tuition.
OTOH, being on a campus where 1/10 are of the same race, as opposed to 1/20, to me seems as if it might be worth that extra 20K/yr.