struggling with 50% athletic scholarship vs full pay better school..

[Anonymous]

It depends on the Ivy and the other school. I’d pick the Ivy only if Harvard, Yale or Princeton. Otherwise there isn’t $200,000 more in prestige than a T50, especially one with a strong undergrad business school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:how do most people evaluate the “value” comparison in situations like this? We can afford the full pay, but we aren’t rich. full pay is an ivy, 50% scholarship at a school in T25-50 range

I was in the same position in the late 90s. I took the academic full ride instead of the athletic partial at a better school. I’m female so there’s almost no point in pursuing athletics since we can’t make a living with it in most sports, including mine (soccer). I went full ride undergrad, masters and phd. I landed at one of the largest companies in the world and rose the ranks. I look at soccer in my past and am more a runner/skiier/yoga now. My kids do competitive swimming but I don’t expect them to get scholarships - my income is top 2% and DH’s is high too. I never ever think I would have done better on a different track or at the better school. I do still have to compete with people from ivys but at this stage it doesn’t matter. I also don’t care where my staff graduated. I care that they are motivated to do the job well.

If were male with NFL, NBA, or major league potential- yeah I totally would have made a different choice. Still no money for men in the MLS, so even if I were male - no real money in soccer.

Not OP's situation. Huge difference between full-ride scholarship and full-pay student (at a very expensive school nonetheless).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - we will be full pay at ivy. We are looking at the question will ivy brand and connections be worth more over a lifetime than the nearly $200k that will be saved over 4 years at lesser school. DC is pretty laid back, so probably equally happy at either. Econ major at ivy vs business major at other school, which really does place well with their grads. So trying to boil it down to is the ivy name and experience worth the full price tag

Again, depends upon the specific schools.

[Anonymous]

We’re in a similar boat. DC decided to ED to his (very expensive) top academic choice (D1) school and just try out for the club team. As soon as he submits his ED application he gets contacted by a coach from a D3 SLAC inviting him to an official visit with a very generous merit scholarship, based on his academic stats, that would essentially bring the cost down to in-state tuition range. Now we’re trying to decide if it’s worth the visit before ED decisions come out and change to RD or wait and see if he gets in ED and let that decide for him, at the risk of the offer from the D3 school getting pulled.

We’re also going through the “broken leg” scenarios, as a PP mentioned. I don’t think there is a wrong answer. And there’s always the transfer portal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If they got hurt at the athletic sport school, would they still be happy there?

This is important. Happened to two kids I know, one as a freshman, one as a junior.

[Anonymous]

Ivies aren’t what they used to be. Go the athlete route.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:how do most people evaluate the “value” comparison in situations like this? We can afford the full pay, but we aren’t rich. full pay is an ivy, 50% scholarship at a school in T25-50 range

It depends what kid wants to study. An engineering degree at a school like UMD will open a lot of doors. I would considered intended major when figuring out the value of the Ivy brand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:how do most people evaluate the “value” comparison in situations like this? We can afford the full pay, but we aren’t rich. full pay is an ivy, 50% scholarship at a school in T25-50 range

Back in the day, I had a choice between full pay at a T5 law school and a full ride at my state flagship law school. I chose the T5 school, even though the cost wasn't going to be easy. While one never knows for sure how life will turn out, I am quite certain I would never have had the same career opportunities or career earnings that I've enjoyed if I had chosen the state school. So if this were my kid, I'd say go with the Ivy.

OP again, this is how we are thinking about it

Consider if your child is top of a mediocre school vs mediocre in a top school. I had plenty opportunities as summa cum laude of a mediocre school - more than I could take.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they got hurt at the athletic sport school, would they still be happy there?

This is important. Happened to two kids I know, one as a freshman, one as a junior.

You are more likely these days to be cut from the team than injured. It feels 1000x worse to remain at a school where the coach basically said they no longer wanted you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - we will be full pay at ivy. We are looking at the question will ivy brand and connections be worth more over a lifetime than the nearly $200k that will be saved over 4 years at lesser school. DC is pretty laid back, so probably equally happy at either. Econ major at ivy vs business major at other school, which really does place well with their grads. So trying to boil it down to is the ivy name and experience worth the full price tag

Which ivy? And what other school? Hard to answer without that info.

[Anonymous]

Playing sports at the Ivy likely gives you better networking opportunities than not playing sports there. Would he play?

[Anonymous]

The answer seems clear unless the Ivy is Brown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:how do most people evaluate the “value” comparison in situations like this? We can afford the full pay, but we aren’t rich. full pay is an ivy, 50% scholarship at a school in T25-50 range

Back in the day, I had a choice between full pay at a T5 law school and a full ride at my state flagship law school. I chose the T5 school, even though the cost wasn't going to be easy. While one never knows for sure how life will turn out, I am quite certain I would never have had the same career opportunities or career earnings that I've enjoyed if I had chosen the state school. So if this were my kid, I'd say go with the Ivy.

OP again, this is how we are thinking about it

Consider if your child is top of a mediocre school vs mediocre in a top school. I had plenty opportunities as summa cum laude of a mediocre school - more than I could take.

There are plenty of top students who choose T50's. I wouldn't go in expecting a middle IVY kid to end up at the very top of a large B-school class.

[Anonymous]

Given that the major is economics, I would say the Ivy at full price is not worth it. There are lots and lots of econ majors out there - hard to differentiate yourself. The Ivy is worth it maybe only if the student is gunning for investment banking or top-tier management consulting, and then it depends on which school is the other school.

[Anonymous]

Ivy is worth the cost in the long run, for the connections your child will make and the doors that will be open to them in the future. Just do it