Would you send your DC to Univ. of Alabama or South Carolina on a free ride over UVA full pay?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really think that it depends on your financial situation and your value system. My DC was offered a free ride to UMD and we are paying full freight for him to go to MIT. My mother who lived through the depression thinks that we are completely nuts.

I went to UMD and it is an excellent school. But MIT is better for my DC and I think it's worth it. If I were to compare Alabama to UVA, I would consider your DC's area of interest and how strong is that department at Alabama before I made a blanket decision about a particular school.

If you turned down B/K scholarship for MIT undergrad, I think you are completely nuts. It's the grad school that matters, not undergrad. My DC is getting a phd from MIT but he took B/K money at UMD. Free undergrad, free grad/phd.

How do you know this kid will be going to grad school? And even if he does, most people don't go straight to grad school from undergrad. They end up working first and attending grad school close to the location that they've settled down in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Alabama for free > UVA full pay
Alabama for free > Michigan OOS full pay
Ivys, Stanford, Duke, Chicago > Alabama for free

I'm inclined to think this way too

[Anonymous]

Having made that choice, my answer is yes. Noboday really cares out in the real world about the USNWR rankings. Thy mean nothing with regard to career success or educational quality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:paying $100k for something you could have for free is complete idiocy

not all colleges are fungible, so your comment is complete idiocy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Having made that choice, my answer is yes. Noboday really cares out in the real world about the USNWR rankings. Thy mean nothing with regard to career success or educational quality.

Oh, I think they do. Do you really want U. Alabama or U. South Carolina on your resume. You're going to have to be constantly defensive: "oh, because I got a full ride."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really think that it depends on your financial situation and your value system. My DC was offered a free ride to UMD and we are paying full freight for him to go to MIT. My mother who lived through the depression thinks that we are completely nuts.

I went to UMD and it is an excellent school. But MIT is better for my DC and I think it's worth it. If I were to compare Alabama to UVA, I would consider your DC's area of interest and how strong is that department at Alabama before I made a blanket decision about a particular school.

If you turned down B/K scholarship for MIT undergrad, I think you are completely nuts. It's the grad school that matters, not undergrad. My DC is getting a phd from MIT but he took B/K money at UMD. Free undergrad, free grad/phd.

How do you know this kid will be going to grad school? And even if he does, most people don't go straight to grad school from undergrad. They end up working first and attending grad school close to the location that they've settled down in.

That is not true for high performing kids (i.e., kids good enough for MIT or a full ride at UMD). Most of them usually go to graduate school or professional schools straight out of undergrad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't send any of my kids to any of those three places, for reasons beyond finances. Southern Universities are not appealing to us for a number of reasons, not least the attitude of most of the attendees and the lack of intellectual rigor.[/quote

One of the most obnoxious prejudicial posts of all time. Please get a life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really think that it depends on your financial situation and your value system. My DC was offered a free ride to UMD and we are paying full freight for him to go to MIT. My mother who lived through the depression thinks that we are completely nuts.

I went to UMD and it is an excellent school. But MIT is better for my DC and I think it's worth it. If I were to compare Alabama to UVA, I would consider your DC's area of interest and how strong is that department at Alabama before I made a blanket decision about a particular school.

The guy that started Goigle turned down MIT and went to UMD.

He's an outlier.

[Anonymous]

I've never had anyone ask me why I chose my undergraduate or for that matter graduate school in my 30 year career. So, I've never had to be "defensive." But you know, a "full ride" is a very valid argument for choosing a school, as is the strength of its program in your particular academic major

I looked at the list of Tide alumni and was surprised at some of the people who've graduated from or taught at Alabama. Its quite a distinguished list that include Supreme Court justices, noted scientist like E.O. Wilson, writer like Gay Talese and Harper Lee, ad infinatum. I'm sure if I looked up USC's list, I would find something similar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. My nephew just graduated from Alabama on a free ride. Turned down Univ of Michigan. Best decision ever.

You can take a Michigan degree anywhere in the US and have it respected. Can't say that about Bama so why is this such a great decision?

Nobody really gives a shit about a Michigan bachelors unless it's engineering or Ross business school. Public U with big time sports vs public U with big time sports. Joe blow has zero idea how much more difficult it is to get into Michigan. If a resume has a line about you being a full ride Presidential Scholar at Alabama, that's somewhat eye catching.

Then why is it so difficult to get into OOS if only those two majors are worth anything?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really think that it depends on your financial situation and your value system. My DC was offered a free ride to UMD and we are paying full freight for him to go to MIT. My mother who lived through the depression thinks that we are completely nuts.

I went to UMD and it is an excellent school. But MIT is better for my DC and I think it's worth it. If I were to compare Alabama to UVA, I would consider your DC's area of interest and how strong is that department at Alabama before I made a blanket decision about a particular school.

If you turned down B/K scholarship for MIT undergrad, I think you are completely nuts. It's the grad school that matters, not undergrad. My DC is getting a phd from MIT but he took B/K money at UMD. Free undergrad, free grad/phd.

How do you know this kid will be going to grad school? And even if he does, most people don't go straight to grad school from undergrad. They end up working first and attending grad school close to the location that they've settled down in.

That is not true for high performing kids (i.e., kids good enough for MIT or a full ride at UMD). Most of them usually go to graduate school or professional schools straight out of undergrad.

Except b-school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't send any of my kids to any of those three places, for reasons beyond finances. Southern Universities are not appealing to us for a number of reasons, not least the attitude of most of the attendees and the lack of intellectual rigor.

Weird, I have a degree from USC and I'm very successful in my career, had no problems getting a great job right out of school, and generally have a pleasant attitude. Have you spent much time around SC or AL residents/students or are you giving advice based off a generalized assumption?

USC was a wonderful school and I'd recommend it to anyone.

My sister taught at USC. I know enough to not send my kid there. Why spend all this money for house in good school district and SAT prep etc to short change at COLLEGE.

+1000

You may have had a good experience there, PP, and yes it's possible to push yourself through and get a good education, but overall, USC is a joke academically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't send any of my kids to any of those three places, for reasons beyond finances. Southern Universities are not appealing to us for a number of reasons, not least the attitude of most of the attendees and the lack of intellectual rigor.

Weird, I have a degree from USC and I'm very successful in my career, had no problems getting a great job right out of school, and generally have a pleasant attitude. Have you spent much time around SC or AL residents/students or are you giving advice based off a generalized assumption?

USC was a wonderful school and I'd recommend it to anyone.

My sister taught at USC. I know enough to not send my kid there. Why spend all this money for house in good school district and SAT prep etc to short change at COLLEGE.

Maybe when you have a decent grasp of basic English I'll respect your opinion. Sounds like you're no better than the Southern-educated people you look down on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really think that it depends on your financial situation and your value system. My DC was offered a free ride to UMD and we are paying full freight for him to go to MIT. My mother who lived through the depression thinks that we are completely nuts.

I went to UMD and it is an excellent school. But MIT is better for my DC and I think it's worth it. If I were to compare Alabama to UVA, I would consider your DC's area of interest and how strong is that department at Alabama before I made a blanket decision about a particular school.

The guy that started Goigle turned down MIT and went to UMD.

He's an outlier.

that's pretty stupid. that's like saying harvard is not a good school because gates and zuckerberg dropped out

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't send any of my kids to any of those three places, for reasons beyond finances. Southern Universities are not appealing to us for a number of reasons, not least the attitude of most of the attendees and the lack of intellectual rigor.

Weird, I have a degree from USC and I'm very successful in my career, had no problems getting a great job right out of school, and generally have a pleasant attitude. Have you spent much time around SC or AL residents/students or are you giving advice based off a generalized assumption?

USC was a wonderful school and I'd recommend it to anyone.

My sister taught at USC. I know enough to not send my kid there. Why spend all this money for house in good school district and SAT prep etc to short change at COLLEGE.

Maybe when you have a decent grasp of basic English I'll respect your opinion. Sounds like you're no better than the Southern-educated people you look down on.

You can disagree but don't be a jerk.

- np