What is the appeal of SLACs for non-1%ers?

[Anonymous]

SLACs have very low ROI compared to state schools:

https://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-Salaries_for_Colleges_by_Type-sort.html

They seem like a total scam except for the 1%. Much better for your future to go to UMD or Ohio State or Indians or Purdue or VA Tech to study engineering or business while enjoying college sports.

SLACs seem like a waste for all but the wealthy 1%era who don’t have to worry about finding a job after graduation. Many of them don’t have big college sports or Greek Life to generate alumni loyalty. What’s the point of them?

[Anonymous]

Sorry, that should say Indiana instead of Indians. IU Kelley has great ROI.

[Anonymous]

Indiana University (IU) Party $46,300.00 $84,000.00 $43,600.00 $60,400.00 $119,000.00 $178,000.00
Swarthmore College Liberal Arts $49,700.00 $104,000.00 N/A $67,200.00 $167,000.00 N/A



That's from your link. What exactly is your point, other than you can't or won't pay for a SLAC?

[Anonymous]

Your kid’s ROI depends on your kid’s abilities and hustle, not the college.

[Anonymous]

We are not in the 1% - we aren’t even in the top 10% of HHI and have no wealth beyond HHI - and our kid may choose a SLAC. Why shouldn’t he? As long as he chooses a profession where he can pay his bills he’ll be fine. And you can choose a career that pays the bills either by earning a lot so you can spend a lot, or spending very little so you can earn very little. Either way has pluses and minuses, and a kid who goes to and thrives at a SLAC won’t be earning very little because they are working at Starbucks, but because they are a field biologist or an environmental journalist or a social worker. Hopefully those careers come with meaning and purpose, which to some of us is a higher priority than money.

I don’t think you actually want to understand, though. I think you want to mock.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are not in the 1% - we aren’t even in the top 10% of HHI and have no wealth beyond HHI - and our kid may choose a SLAC. Why shouldn’t he? As long as he chooses a profession where he can pay his bills he’ll be fine. And you can choose a career that pays the bills either by earning a lot so you can spend a lot, or spending very little so you can earn very little. Either way has pluses and minuses, and a kid who goes to and thrives at a SLAC won’t be earning very little because they are working at Starbucks, but because they are a field biologist or an environmental journalist or a social worker. Hopefully those careers come with meaning and purpose, which to some of us is a higher priority than money.

I don’t think you actually want to understand, though. I think you want to mock.

Bullseye.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are not in the 1% - we aren’t even in the top 10% of HHI and have no wealth beyond HHI - and our kid may choose a SLAC. Why shouldn’t he? As long as he chooses a profession where he can pay his bills he’ll be fine. And you can choose a career that pays the bills either by earning a lot so you can spend a lot, or spending very little so you can earn very little. Either way has pluses and minuses, and a kid who goes to and thrives at a SLAC won’t be earning very little because they are working at Starbucks, but because they are a field biologist or an environmental journalist or a social worker. Hopefully those careers come with meaning and purpose, which to some of us is a higher priority than money.

I don’t think you actually want to understand, though. I think you want to mock.

I agree. I have one who (funny enough) just graduated from Kelley and one who is looking at SLACs. There's a lot to be said about both of them. It's not as if the state unis are a bargain unless you stay in your own state.

[Anonymous]

I think the SLACs offer a smaller environment and a more personalized education, don't they? You're not jostling with 100s for the attention of a professor. This is just going to suit some students better than others.

[Anonymous]

Depends on what you major in at the SLAC or at the Big State University. Looks like that chart is just averaging every single major across the entire school, which is useless. It should do an apples to apples comparison of majors across the schools.

Also - it lists Maryland, Penn State, and UGA as "party" schools. WTF? You can major in engineering or business at those schools and do very well.

[Anonymous]

Three points:
1) hard to compare financials at a public instate school vs a private school, large or small.
2) Not all students are into big college sports or Greek Life
3) I agree with some of the above posts. Seems to me OP is closed-minded and will dig heels in no matter what others say

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SLACs have very low ROI compared to state schools:

https://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-Salaries_for_Colleges_by_Type-sort.html

They seem like a total scam except for the 1%. Much better for your future to go to UMD or Ohio State or Indians or Purdue or VA Tech to study engineering or business while enjoying college sports.

SLACs seem like a waste for all but the wealthy 1%era who don’t have to worry about finding a job after graduation. Many of them don’t have big college sports or Greek Life to generate alumni loyalty. What’s the point of them?

Ironically, one argument raised in favor of the creation of state schools was that it would provide a place for the great unwashed masses and keep the SLACs for the elite, so class distinctions would be preserved. You just unintentionally reinforced that old argument!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SLACs have very low ROI compared to state schools:

https://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-Salaries_for_Colleges_by_Type-sort.html

They seem like a total scam except for the 1%. Much better for your future to go to UMD or Ohio State or Indians or Purdue or VA Tech to study engineering or business while enjoying college sports.

SLACs seem like a waste for all but the wealthy 1%era who don’t have to worry about finding a job after graduation. Many of them don’t have big college sports or Greek Life to generate alumni loyalty. What’s the point of them?

You won't win this argument here. Most parents on here are lawyers or have grad degrees via a liberal arts undergrad route. A lot of them are SAHMs who vehemently support a SLAC education and have the time and energy to rip you apart on this anonymous forum, lest their choices and decisions be deemed inferior. Almost like how every car buyer thinks they bought the best car at the best price. Much like sports (where kids typically seem to play a sport one of the parent's played) they 'push' their kids down a path similar to theirs. Most have grad school expectations for their kids and save money accordingly (as is obvious from the various college threads). BTW, these are the same parents who scoff at Asians for clamoring over TJ (read the AAP threads) and look down on their "prepping" but have no problem "enriching" their kids and shelling out multiple hundreds per hour for SAT prep (even in this test optional era) and college counselor (who pretty much tells the kids where to apply, what to write about, and writes the essay while making the kid and parent believe they came up with the idea and wrote the essays ).

Anyhoo.. If you want to study a 'hard' subject that gives you a job after an undergrad, go Public or top large private (non-LAC). If you want an undergrad education with plans for immediate grad school (law, medicine, etc.) go (S)LAC. Most are unreasonably expensive for what you get in return but tend to subsidize COA outside the top 10-20, maybe 30.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your kid’s ROI depends on your kid’s abilities and hustle, not the college.

+1

Also, what they major in and what graduate education they have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SLACs have very low ROI compared to state schools:

https://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-Salaries_for_Colleges_by_Type-sort.html

They seem like a total scam except for the 1%. Much better for your future to go to UMD or Ohio State or Indians or Purdue or VA Tech to study engineering or business while enjoying college sports.

SLACs seem like a waste for all but the wealthy 1%era who don’t have to worry about finding a job after graduation. Many of them don’t have big college sports or Greek Life to generate alumni loyalty. What’s the point of them?

Anyhoo.. If you want to study a 'hard' subject that gives you a job after an undergrad, go Public or top large private (non-LAC). If you want an undergrad education with plans for immediate grad school (law, medicine, etc.) go (S)LAC. Most are unreasonably expensive for what you get in return but tend to subsidize COA outside the top 10-20, maybe 30.

Simplistic advice reflective of ignorance.

My DC graduated from a LAC last year and is making six figures working on data analysis. DC plans to go to grad school for applied math eventually.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Depends on what you major in at the SLAC or at the Big State University. Looks like that chart is just averaging every single major across the entire school, which is useless. It should do an apples to apples comparison of majors across the schools.

Also - it lists Maryland, Penn State, and UGA as "party" schools. WTF? You can major in engineering or business at those schools and do very well.

+1