Anyone regret sending their dc to an OOS college and paying $$$ prices for a state school?

[Anonymous]

Curious if there are any regrets or second thoughts- eg why not just send dc to your instate option at a fraction of the price?

In most cases, is that OOS school really that much ‘better’ to justify the price?

I know people will tend to be defensive here, but I’m curious if anyone has anything to share

[Anonymous]

Well, DC parents don’t have much choice. If I lived in VA, I would send the kids in state. You have great options! I was faculty at one of the big VA universities and dealt extensively with another big VA university; there is little difference between the undergraduates at both schools despite what DCUM says.

[Anonymous]

I would but DD did not get accepted so sending to a nearby state and they’re offering merit that comes in at instate rate. Don’t forget instates are very competitive and not everyone gets in.

[Anonymous]

No regrets sending mine OOS to William and Mary. Wanted a smaller campus with smart peers, low Greek presence. Very beautiful place to spend four years. Didn't have a similar school in NC. Mine didn't like the size or feel of Chapel Hill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No regrets sending mine OOS to William and Mary. Wanted a smaller campus with smart peers, low Greek presence. Very beautiful place to spend four years. Didn't have a similar school in NC. Mine didn't like the size or feel of Chapel Hill.

+ My kid had a similar decision with OOS William and Mary (ultimately chose somewhere else but it was a hard decision!). Our state doesn’t have an equivalent of W & M

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would but DD did not get accepted so sending to a nearby state and they’re offering merit that comes in at instate rate. Don’t forget instates are very competitive and not everyone gets in.

But did your DD only apply to one? MD has many state schools and it’s hard to imagine getting rejected at all of them and still being accepted at an OOS.

We’re new to this but our DD is going to an in state over the pricier OOS options. Even with merit aid the price over four years was about $35k more for OOS. We visited and then made a list of pros and cons for all of them and couldn’t figure out a good reason to spend that extra $35k. So she chose one of her in state options.

[Anonymous]

We only have UMD, good school but not great so not much of a choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We only have UMD, good school but not great so not much of a choice.

So you’d choose a state school OOS over UMD?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We only have UMD, good school but not great so not much of a choice.

MD has many more than just UMD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would but DD did not get accepted so sending to a nearby state and they’re offering merit that comes in at instate rate. Don’t forget instates are very competitive and not everyone gets in.

But did your DD only apply to one? MD has many state schools and it’s hard to imagine getting rejected at all of them and still being accepted at an OOS.

We’re new to this but our DD is going to an in state over the pricier OOS options. Even with merit aid the price over four years was about $35k more for OOS. We visited and then made a list of pros and cons for all of them and couldn’t figure out a good reason to spend that extra $35k. So she chose one of her in state options.

This seems wise. I feel like many parents and kids get caught up in things that don’t matter. There was a funny post in other chat about why college is so $$ and the poster lambasted parents for focusing on the a/c in dorms and whether there’s an on campus Taco Bell, and driving up costs over things that have nothing to do with education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would but DD did not get accepted so sending to a nearby state and they’re offering merit that comes in at instate rate. Don’t forget instates are very competitive and not everyone gets in.

But did your DD only apply to one? MD has many state schools and it’s hard to imagine getting rejected at all of them and still being accepted at an OOS.

We’re new to this but our DD is going to an in state over the pricier OOS options. Even with merit aid the price over four years was about $35k more for OOS. We visited and then made a list of pros and cons for all of them and couldn’t figure out a good reason to spend that extra $35k. So she chose one of her in state options.

Everyone’s financial situation is different and I’m not here to comment on yours. But for a lot of people an extra $35k in total spread across four years isn’t a dealbreaker.

[Anonymous]

There are a lot of states where going OOS is a big upgrade over the in-state schools. It just depends what your options are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would but DD did not get accepted so sending to a nearby state and they’re offering merit that comes in at instate rate. Don’t forget instates are very competitive and not everyone gets in.

But did your DD only apply to one? MD has many state schools and it’s hard to imagine getting rejected at all of them and still being accepted at an OOS.

We’re new to this but our DD is going to an in state over the pricier OOS options. Even with merit aid the price over four years was about $35k more for OOS. We visited and then made a list of pros and cons for all of them and couldn’t figure out a good reason to spend that extra $35k. So she chose one of her in state options.

Everyone’s financial situation is different and I’m not here to comment on yours. But for a lot of people an extra $35k in total spread across four years isn’t a dealbreaker.

Lol I love how someone always has to come in sniffing, letting everyone know they have money.

But I think for some of us it’s not just the question of whether we have the money, but why it would make sense to spend it on another states schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would but DD did not get accepted so sending to a nearby state and they’re offering merit that comes in at instate rate. Don’t forget instates are very competitive and not everyone gets in.

But did your DD only apply to one? MD has many state schools and it’s hard to imagine getting rejected at all of them and still being accepted at an OOS.

We’re new to this but our DD is going to an in state over the pricier OOS options. Even with merit aid the price over four years was about $35k more for OOS. We visited and then made a list of pros and cons for all of them and couldn’t figure out a good reason to spend that extra $35k. So she chose one of her in state options.

This seems wise. I feel like many parents and kids get caught up in things that don’t matter. There was a funny post in other chat about why college is so $$ and the poster lambasted parents for focusing on the a/c in dorms and whether there’s an on campus Taco Bell, and driving up costs over things that have nothing to do with education.

PP here. The thing that really stood out to my DD was the internship programs. She was really surprised at the lack of options for undergrads at some schools. And some of the schools seemed to be preparing kids more for grad school than the work force. While grad school is a great plan (and I have multiple post bachelor’s degrees), she wasn’t ready to commit to that path yet, which also impacted her choice.

[Anonymous]

The other thing to consider is your child’s intended major. For some careers, they may have to attend graduate school, so going to an in-state may be a better/cheaper option. My best friend attended UMD on a full ride and went to Harvard for law school, even though he was accepted to much higher prestige undergrads. He’s a BigLaw partner now.