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<p>Do you really want to have to make your S transfer to Rutgers if UT works out in every way except financially because an anticipated income didn’t materialize? I think that would be much, much harder for him (and you) than attending a 2nd choice from the start. Looking in from the outside, it just seems that UT is not an affordable choice. Fortunately, he does have other great options, so please don’t continue to beat yourself up over this.</p>
<p>my-3-sons, that is a very good point. Actually, I have a friend who did have her child transfer to Rutgers (instate) from an OOS flagship after year. Rutgers was just much more affordable. I might add that not all credits taken during that first year transferred over to Rutgers.</p>
<p>I think a good rule of thumb that follows the same vein as “love the kid on the couch”, is to choose a school based on one’s financial position now, not the one you hope to have someday. If finances improve, a student could always decide to transfer to a more expensive school if the desire still exists. Wanting to transfer and having to transfer are 2 very different things.</p>
<p>If UT is $38k and Illinois is $34k for a VERY, VERY strong CS program, and you are willing to spend the $$…I’d take a serious look at UIUC. Is S contributing to the cause to help reduce the debt you’re taking out?</p>
<p>I originated the “love the kid on the couch” mantra so I’ll weigh in here…</p>
<p>How strong is the CS interest? Why not take that off the table (he falls in love with his Freshman humanities seminar and decides to major in Classics or Comparative Lit or Russian History) and see how the choices then play out.</p>
<p>I confess to being biased against Alabama just because it isn’t in the same ballpark reputation wise as the other schools for CS. If your son is somewhat interested in CS but could end up doing something else it’s a low risk option- but I would have a hard time telling a kid that his opportunities there would equal those at UIUC (a world class comp sci program) although I imagine that if he’s at the top of his class and mines the hiring networks aggressively he’d do fine there.</p>
<p>I’m curious why he’s taken Pitt off the table… (I’m sure you posted before but can you refresh my memory?) unless it’s completely unaffordable it seems like a very solid choice given what your son wants.</p>
<p>Rutgers indeed has a strong reputation outside NJ. My son would have gone there happily if MIT hadn’t worked out (for engineering, not CS) and it has a better program all around than some of the second tier privates that people pay big bucks for.</p>
<p>Do not underestimate the cost of travel, especially if you’re going to be nervously watching expenses for four years. In my experience, boys don’t get homesick- so you don’t need to be there for parents weekend or show up in November to watch him in a performance or whatever. But they do experience their own version of emotional trauma (bad break up, didn’t get tapped for the elite level debate team after 4 years of being the top regional debater in HS, not asked to room with his four best friends for sophomore year since the suite only has room for four not five… or whatever) and having the luxury of knowing that you can fly down or fly him in “just because” you’re worried that he sounds off or down is really a very wonderful thing. Not saying it’s make or break- but very wonderful if you can afford the travel. So don’t budget to the bone or you may regret it.</p>
<p>What a great kid you have!!!</p>
<p>Who would take out the loans? You or him? Either way it’s pretty bad. That is just a horrifying amount of money. He should not take on more than $5-7000 a year. If you had it in the bank, I’d say go for UT. But if he’s thinking of going far away anyway, why not try U of Alabama?</p>
<p>JS
I still like option of VTech, which is closer, where he will be a CS program by soph year, and lots of job prospects.
Uof Il is so strong in CS and other sciences, and good chance of well paying internships, but colder climate, and lots more $$$. What matters most to your S? Weather, interest in CS? Is he mixed abt Greek culture? I’d follow cpq’s suggestion, to compare courses at UT and UA. Unless there is a strong differential, then I’d think UA 'cuz of finances. Time to view the college videos, and have S try to imagine himself at these colleges.</p>
<p>I’m so appreciative of the thoughtful and substantive advice, here!</p>
<p>I know UIUC rocks CS, but UT is #9 (UIUC is 4) and in some rankings UT is higher (a comp sci professional CC dad explained that they are about the same and son should go to the one he likes better – & son likes the urban, warm-weather music town of Austin). </p>
<p>Since I voluntarily did not work full-time for 7 years (taking care of D until she reached 1st grade, incl some homeschooling) – I feel like I short-changed son’s college fund & he should not be penalized – thus, I’m trying to work now for the amount I would have saved had I continued w/my job after 2nd kid’s birth. I know there are many more variables than having “$ in the bank” saved, but I can’t seem to, in good conscience, push son to the free school when I did not work hard toward saving, but have a chance to contribute, now. </p>
<p>Re: PSU & U of Pitt – nothing but loans from either, and they are both, OOS, almost as much as UT (mid 30s). If son is going to big, OOS school, figured a warm-weather, higher-ranked one (such as UT) would be better (he wants to go away and go warm, or did initially).</p>
<p>May run up to Rutgers or SUNY Stony Brook (full tuition scholarship there) this weekend as a last-ditch effort. </p>
<p>Again, thanks so very much for the generous and helpful responses.</p>
<p>Jolynne, my understanding is that your son nixed Virginia Tech because he wants an urban environment and Blacksburg is a small town. Rutgers, from my days of living in NJ, had a good academic reputation but didn’t have a great campus–pretty spread out if I remember correctly. All the other schools mentioned sound like they are just about as expensive as the UT option, which is why it has come down to (1) great price/great campus but so/so academics at UAL; (2) great academics/great campus but high price at UT; and (3) good academics, good price but so-so campus at Rutgers.</p>
<p>Even though I’m a UT alum and loved it, I wouldn’t spend the money. I went there because it was affordable ($4 per credit hour at the time). If your son is really set on CS, I would encourage Rutgers. There are lots of advantages to being close to home and he can get his urban fix in NYC. If he isn’t really set on CS, I think UAL might be a great fit since you say he loved it there, the price is better than Rutgers, and he has the experience of going away to school. I just don’t see the cost-benefit of UT over Rutgers.</p>
<p>jolynne, don’t beat yourself up…you did the right thing for your daughter (and for your son…remember you were also home for him!) It’s not exactly the same… i didn’t take time off, but i feel your pain…we didnt manage to save the money to be able to send our son to one fof his dream schools next year and i feel terrible even though we had no control over financial issues that happened… and we have a good income but that means no financial aid. WE we just will not have the funds which is why i am spending my time looking for schools that have good merit that he may qualify for.
Remember free school doesnt necessarily mean bad…being home doesnt mean you penalized him somehow, he sounds like a great kid, very intelligent etc, so you did alot right!!! BUT only you know what your heart says! Maybe tell him what you are feeling about penalizing him and you may be surprised that he doesnt feel that way at all and then the decision can be made with no guilt?</p>
<p>i think trying U of A is a no lose situation. he can always transfer. and from what i have read here, lots of kids who would have never thought about u of a end up going there and loving it.</p>
<p>up to you, but if it were me, i would push for the free/nearly free option. i suppose he could always go get some kind of masters after undergrad at a more desirable school with all the money you saved, thus putting him in the pool of the elite CS schools and putting him in good graces with the snooty CS firms.</p>
<p>and … it is true … kids often change their minds/majors.</p>
<p>I don’t have any personal knowlege of the U. of Alabama honors program, but I know two absolutely great kids from here that chose to go - one last year and one this year. If they are getting students from as far away as Alaska, I’m sure that they have some stellar students from other places, too. I’ve lived in Texas, and UT is a great school, but my personal feeling is that it’s not so great that it’s worth that much $$ in loans when there are good options elsewhere.</p>
<p>Of course, my preference is for Virginia Tech, since that’s where my S is going! Blacksburg is a great college town.</p>
<p>We have a few CS guys in the family. One of the younger ones has a great job with Boeing and he has only his undergrad degree from U Mizz. Don’t think it is a top CS school, but from what I have been led to believe, CS is a tough major…if you make it through and do well do you really have to be from the very ‘top’ schools to get a good job?</p>
<p>Sounds like a crazy amount of money to be borrowing for Texas or even Illinois. We have told our kids that we don’t want them to have more than 20k in in debt for undergrad and that is a lot to start out with, no doubt! We are looking at #3/5 applying this fall, so we do have some plus loans with the first two, but not 120k worth! Do you have younger siblings down the line that will want to go to college too? I have read often on this site that the best thing you can do for your children is to make sure that you are not a burden on them later in life. Plus, if you are like us, you are probably hoping to retire someday!</p>
<p>Just a few rambling thoughts. I have watched your journey with your son…our D will probably apply to U Alabama next year. We all want what is best for our kids. What makes it tough is figuring out what that really is, right? I believe young people are very flexible, and you obviously have a very talented son that will do well, wherever he chooses to go. Don’t worry, the agonizing will be over soon! Good luck to you both!</p>
<p>I totally feel ya as I quit my job six years ago, but guilt is never a good basis for making a decision.</p>
<p>Jolynne, I have nothing more to add to the conversation about the decision. Paging through CC, you already know that people make all three types of those decisions every day and find a way to justify it. Only you (and the rest of your family) know what makes sense for you personally and financially.</p>
<p>I did want to say that I stayed home for 15 years and I’ve never looked at it as “taking away” from my kids college funds. I was able to volunteer at school, girl scouts, church and spend time being involved with their lives, while (more recently) going back to school so I could get a better job in time to start working when we would need tuition money. Don’t forget: it would have cost you to work during the time when your children were younger: child care costs, commuting etc. Please don’t let some ill placed guilt about not working make you make a decision that will cost you down the line.</p>
<p>Full disclosure: SUNY Stony Brook BS Computer Science 1983. Resident Assistant Douglass College. Executive Board member of Faculty Student Association (FSA). Active member of Polity (Student Government)</p>
<p>That said, </p>
<p>Stony Brook’s CS program is really about getting the UG student ready for a CS Grad program. Early CS100 level classes are to filter / sort out the strong vs weak performers.
IMHO Stony Brook is a trmendous value in that it offers a reasonably priced education (no loans for me) and not that far from NJ (70 miles from NYC).</p>
<p>Yes, there is a social life. College experience is really is what you make of it.</p>
<p>Congratulations to your son and good luck!</p>
<p>Thank you all so much for those wonderful and thoughtful posts.</p>
<p>Time to think. Time to encourage son & tell him we will support him 100 %, whichever he choses.</p>
<p>Wish me luck. :-)</p>
<p>I am really thinking positive thoughts for every single kid on CC & children of CC parents as they make these big decisions and take those first steps into the rest of their lives.</p>
<p>Best wishes!</p>
<p>This should be an easy choice.
UT Austin is terrific but not $100,000-in-debt terrific. (No college on the planet is worth that much debt, actually.) If your son is serious about CS, he will get a fine education at Rutgers. Excellent reputation in the industry. And full tuition scholarship at Stony Brook? That’s an even better option.</p>
<p>BTW, I don’t think CS companies are any snootier than other industries. It’s just that the quality of CS education varies greatly from school to school, and they can only actively recruit on a limited number of campuses. Graduates of Rutger or Stony will have the opportunities.</p>
<p>“BTW, I don’t think CS companies are any snootier than other industries. It’s just that the quality of CS education varies greatly from school to school, and they can only actively recruit on a limited number of campuses. Graduates of Rutger or Stony will have the opportunities.”</p>
<p>That’s not what I have hard about Google, Microsoft, and several others. Not as narrow as some Wall Street and consulting firms but pretty selective.</p>
<p>Where do Google, Microsoft and the others hire from? Is UT on that list?</p>