College road trip/tour planning

[Anonymous]

Virginians have a very strong case to send their kids to VA colleges -- there are lots of colleges, several of them are excellent, and the rest are really very good. And they all have tuition around $10k per year which is tough to beat. If you have the college savings or otherwise enough money to pay $35, $50 or $65k per year per kid for out of state college, then there may be better choices available for your kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Decide beforehand what you as a family can afford. My old SLAC is not $65K a year not including airfare and definitely not worth it. How many kids do you have? What can you afford after taxes? A lot of these smaller liberal colleges, IMHO, are just not worth the excessive fees. Please don't dangle a carrot in front of DC if you can't afford full freight for 4-5 years (a lot of kids are now taking 5 years to comoplete).

Curious what SLAC are you referencing? Which did you attend? We are interested in the SLACs but we are hearing what you said from others as well Perhaps we just go Virginia and let the chips fall where they may.

West coast but after having toured many on the east coast, I have to say many SLACs or LACs just aren't worth the $65K a year. Period. We're aiming for VA universities since we live there. $9500 for tuition for multiple kids can allow for savings for grad school later. $65K a year for multiple kids won't.

How do you define "worth it"? What convinced you that the schools you visited didn't meet that standard? What convinces you that "many" other SLACs don't meet that standard? What kind of research have you done besides touring campuses?

Obviously, there are some great schools in Virginia, including Wm & Mary, but is there any basis at all for your rather broad and unsubstantiated conclusion other than your family's financial situation?

[Anonymous]

It all really comes down to your family financial situation.

[Anonymous]

My friends' kid, a VA resident, went to a very good LAC on a sports scholarship. His interest was in continuing with his sport in the appropriate division, not just academics. It costs more than VA in-state.
Unless there is a scholarship in the offing or the kid wants to go into a very specific program/specialty not offered in VA or SREB member states, a VA resident family with budget restrictions should, in my opinion, focus on VA schools and guide their child to make it work. They can always go out of state for graduate school, which may be partially paid for with the savings on undergrad.

[Anonymous]

I would warn against touring too many schools in a week. We did a Spring Break tour of 4 colleges, and while we enjoyed it, by the end we all thought that it was too much at once. Taking notes after each tour will be important, as by the end, it becomes hard to remember if it was school #1 or #3 which recommended particular things.

[Anonymous]

Our daughter asked that we not take her to visit any school that we could not afford. She didn't want to be tempted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Decide beforehand what you as a family can afford. My old SLAC is not $65K a year not including airfare and definitely not worth it. How many kids do you have? What can you afford after taxes? A lot of these smaller liberal colleges, IMHO, are just not worth the excessive fees. Please don't dangle a carrot in front of DC if you can't afford full freight for 4-5 years (a lot of kids are now taking 5 years to comoplete).

Curious what SLAC are you referencing? Which did you attend? We are interested in the SLACs but we are hearing what you said from others as well Perhaps we just go Virginia and let the chips fall where they may.

West coast but after having toured many on the east coast, I have to say many SLACs or LACs just aren't worth the $65K a year. Period. We're aiming for VA universities since we live there. $9500 for tuition for multiple kids can allow for savings for grad school later. $65K a year for multiple kids won't.

How do you define "worth it"? What convinced you that the schools you visited didn't meet that standard? What convinces you that "many" other SLACs don't meet that standard? What kind of research have you done besides touring campuses?

Obviously, there are some great schools in Virginia, including Wm & Mary, but is there any basis at all for your rather broad and unsubstantiated conclusion other than your family's financial situation?

Yes, I am an educator and on many college boards. Read Andy Ferguson's "Crazy U".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Decide beforehand what you as a family can afford. My old SLAC is not $65K a year not including airfare and definitely not worth it. How many kids do you have? What can you afford after taxes? A lot of these smaller liberal colleges, IMHO, are just not worth the excessive fees. Please don't dangle a carrot in front of DC if you can't afford full freight for 4-5 years (a lot of kids are now taking 5 years to comoplete).

Curious what SLAC are you referencing? Which did you attend? We are interested in the SLACs but we are hearing what you said from others as well Perhaps we just go Virginia and let the chips fall where they may.

West coast but after having toured many on the east coast, I have to say many SLACs or LACs just aren't worth the $65K a year. Period. We're aiming for VA universities since we live there. $9500 for tuition for multiple kids can allow for savings for grad school later. $65K a year for multiple kids won't.

How do you define "worth it"? What convinced you that the schools you visited didn't meet that standard? What convinces you that "many" other SLACs don't meet that standard? What kind of research have you done besides touring campuses?

Obviously, there are some great schools in Virginia, including Wm & Mary, but is there any basis at all for your rather broad and unsubstantiated conclusion other than your family's financial situation?

Yes, I am an educator and on many college boards. Read Andy Ferguson's "Crazy U".

Those are your credentials, but what is your reasoning? And, BTW, I loved "Crazy U", but don't know why you'd cite it as evidence for your conclusion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Decide beforehand what you as a family can afford. My old SLAC is not $65K a year not including airfare and definitely not worth it. How many kids do you have? What can you afford after taxes? A lot of these smaller liberal colleges, IMHO, are just not worth the excessive fees. Please don't dangle a carrot in front of DC if you can't afford full freight for 4-5 years (a lot of kids are now taking 5 years to comoplete).

Curious what SLAC are you referencing? Which did you attend? We are interested in the SLACs but we are hearing what you said from others as well Perhaps we just go Virginia and let the chips fall where they may.

West coast but after having toured many on the east coast, I have to say many SLACs or LACs just aren't worth the $65K a year. Period. We're aiming for VA universities since we live there. $9500 for tuition for multiple kids can allow for savings for grad school later. $65K a year for multiple kids won't.

How do you define "worth it"? What convinced you that the schools you visited didn't meet that standard? What convinces you that "many" other SLACs don't meet that standard? What kind of research have you done besides touring campuses?

Obviously, there are some great schools in Virginia, including Wm & Mary, but is there any basis at all for your rather broad and unsubstantiated conclusion other than your family's financial situation?

Yes, I am an educator and on many college boards. Read Andy Ferguson's "Crazy U".

Those are your credentials, but what is your reasoning? And, BTW, I loved "Crazy U", but don't know why you'd cite it as evidence for your conclusion.

No, I'm not going to respond because you came on here with a nasty attitude problem and I would like people like you to stay off the college forum. So neither you nor other readers will get the benefit of what I could tell you. And there's no way you read the entirety of Andy's book if you don't know what I am talking about. You read just the funny sections.

[Anonymous]

^ odd post

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would warn against touring too many schools in a week. We did a Spring Break tour of 4 colleges, and while we enjoyed it, by the end we all thought that it was too much at once. Taking notes after each tour will be important, as by the end, it becomes hard to remember if it was school #1 or #3 which recommended particular things.

I'm 17:53 and the one who laid out the VA colleges we toured. I agree with this ^^. I found that trying to hit two colleges in one day was just too much for us. Maybe it was because it was spring break and hot, but I agree with the PP above to try and reduce the stress. With the exception of VMI and Washington & Lee, we did one school a day. That was more than enough for mom, dad and DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^ odd post

Not odd at all. Many on the college forum have noticed new trolls on the College Forum who do nothing but stir the pot and make fun of posters (like you). On booster from U. Md. is particularly noisome. We would like to declutter the College Forum and try to limit it to those who really want to help other parents, as in the Special Needs Forum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Decide beforehand what you as a family can afford. My old SLAC is not $65K a year not including airfare and definitely not worth it. How many kids do you have? What can you afford after taxes? A lot of these smaller liberal colleges, IMHO, are just not worth the excessive fees. Please don't dangle a carrot in front of DC if you can't afford full freight for 4-5 years (a lot of kids are now taking 5 years to comoplete).

Curious what SLAC are you referencing? Which did you attend? We are interested in the SLACs but we are hearing what you said from others as well Perhaps we just go Virginia and let the chips fall where they may.

West coast but after having toured many on the east coast, I have to say many SLACs or LACs just aren't worth the $65K a year. Period. We're aiming for VA universities since we live there. $9500 for tuition for multiple kids can allow for savings for grad school later. $65K a year for multiple kids won't.

How do you define "worth it"? What convinced you that the schools you visited didn't meet that standard? What convinces you that "many" other SLACs don't meet that standard? What kind of research have you done besides touring campuses?

Obviously, there are some great schools in Virginia, including Wm & Mary, but is there any basis at all for your rather broad and unsubstantiated conclusion other than your family's financial situation?

Yes, I am an educator and on many college boards. Read Andy Ferguson's "Crazy U".

Those are your credentials, but what is your reasoning? And, BTW, I loved "Crazy U", but don't know why you'd cite it as evidence for your conclusion.

No, I'm not going to respond because you came on here with a nasty attitude problem and I would like people like you to stay off the college forum. So neither you nor other readers will get the benefit of what I could tell you. And there's no way you read the entirety of Andy's book if you don't know what I am talking about. You read just the funny sections.

I'm surprised that you think that asking about the reasons you reached your conclusion demonstrates a "nasty attitude". I find advice more helpful when the advice-giver explains his/her thinking.

Well, at least, we agree that Ferguson's book (I'm not on a first-name basis with him as you are) is funny, For the record, I did read the whole book, and I still don't recall him arguing that no SLAC is ever worth the tuition.

[Anonymous]

You two are being silly. But the pp charging, guns-blazing, demanding to see credentials was unnecessarily offensive, condescending and picking a fight, IMO. (Even though I generally agree that "worth it" is intertwined with personal finance and choices and Andy Ferguson doesn't change my mind.).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Decide beforehand what you as a family can afford. My old SLAC is not $65K a year not including airfare and definitely not worth it. How many kids do you have? What can you afford after taxes? A lot of these smaller liberal colleges, IMHO, are just not worth the excessive fees. Please don't dangle a carrot in front of DC if you can't afford full freight for 4-5 years (a lot of kids are now taking 5 years to comoplete).

Curious what SLAC are you referencing? Which did you attend? We are interested in the SLACs but we are hearing what you said from others as well Perhaps we just go Virginia and let the chips fall where they may.

West coast but after having toured many on the east coast, I have to say many SLACs or LACs just aren't worth the $65K a year. Period. We're aiming for VA universities since we live there. $9500 for tuition for multiple kids can allow for savings for grad school later. $65K a year for multiple kids won't.

How do you define "worth it"? What convinced you that the schools you visited didn't meet that standard? What convinces you that "many" other SLACs don't meet that standard? What kind of research have you done besides touring campuses?

Obviously, there are some great schools in Virginia, including Wm & Mary, but is there any basis at all for your rather broad and unsubstantiated conclusion other than your family's financial situation?

Yes, I am an educator and on many college boards. Read Andy Ferguson's "Crazy U".

Those are your credentials, but what is your reasoning? And, BTW, I loved "Crazy U", but don't know why you'd cite it as evidence for your conclusion.

No, I'm not going to respond because you came on here with a nasty attitude problem and I would like people like you to stay off the college forum. So neither you nor other readers will get the benefit of what I could tell you. And there's no way you read the entirety of Andy's book if you don't know what I am talking about. You read just the funny sections.

I'm surprised that you think that asking about the reasons you reached your conclusion demonstrates a "nasty attitude". I find advice more helpful when the advice-giver explains his/her thinking.

Well, at least, we agree that Ferguson's book (I'm not on a first-name basis with him as you are) is funny, For the record, I did read the whole book, and I still don't recall him arguing that no SLAC is ever worth the tuition.

T too read the book and it is indeed funny. But, there is a ring of truth about whether/if paying $65,000 to attend some "lesser" SLAC is really worth it. For that answer, simply look to see the X-missons from those schools into grad/law/medical school. Yes it is true that "some" of their graduates are indeed getting into grad schools but no way are they top notch grad/law/med schools. On the other hand, perhaps for a particular student that is the best the student can do in which case it may be worth the investment. Ultimately, it comes down to the individual student and family budgets something one cannot decipher on the DCMUM boards!