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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reputation of major is what matters.

I am paying for GW's Elliott School of International Affairs because it's ranked in the top 10 worldwide. Kid was accepted at UMD Honors (it was his safety), but there's just no comparison for that specific major.

Isn’t GW private? I’m confused

It is. I pay 65K for it (merit aid) instead of 30K instate, which is why I thought it merited inclusion in this discussion. The broader question isn’t OOS vs in state. It’s what are parents prepared to pay for if not the instate option, and why?

I say, major quality is an important factor.

Hmmm, I think that’s a different topic. The in-state v OOS public is more hotly debated because you’re paying $70k-$80k for a public university with large classes, potential underfunding, lots of red tape and bureaucracy, facilities that may need TLC, and so on.

You’re making a lot of worst-case assumptions about OOS publics.

In my experience with some Big 10 schools & an SEC school, the merit aid made them very affordable, the buildings were clean & well-maintained, there wasn’t any more red tape than at privates, & only a couple intro classes were large. And they were generous with the AP credit, have a huge alumni network, & enjoy a national reputation.

So it’s not all overcrowding & porridge as you seem to think it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reputation of major is what matters.

I am paying for GW's Elliott School of International Affairs because it's ranked in the top 10 worldwide. Kid was accepted at UMD Honors (it was his safety), but there's just no comparison for that specific major.

Isn’t GW private? I’m confused

It is. I pay 65K for it (merit aid) instead of 30K instate, which is why I thought it merited inclusion in this discussion. The broader question isn’t OOS vs in state. It’s what are parents prepared to pay for if not the instate option, and why?

I say, major quality is an important factor.

Hmmm, I think that’s a different topic. The in-state v OOS public is more hotly debated because you’re paying $70k-$80k for a public university with large classes, potential underfunding, lots of red tape and bureaucracy, facilities that may need TLC, and so on.

You’re making a lot of worst-case assumptions about OOS publics.

In my experience with some Big 10 schools & an SEC school, the merit aid made them very affordable, the buildings were clean & well-maintained, there wasn’t any more red tape than at privates, & only a couple intro classes were large. And they were generous with the AP credit, have a huge alumni network, & enjoy a national reputation.

So it’s not all overcrowding & porridge as you seem to think it is.

This. The narratives that take hold on this forum are so out of line with reality that I wonder if there is any value to the place at all.

[Anonymous]

i loved sending my kids to an OOS school. they covered her tuition!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

My three kids and I live in Maryland, all three did not want to go to UMD as wanted to "go away to school" I only live 21 miles from UMD so not really going away to school. There is deep drop to number two in Maryland so not an option.

They all went OOS Flagships in other states.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:$240K+ for four years is a lot to spend on something if you won't get a decent ROI, unless you have a ton of money.

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Except kids are not paying so they have not much sense of the cost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

This!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reputation of major is what matters.

I am paying for GW's Elliott School of International Affairs because it's ranked in the top 10 worldwide. Kid was accepted at UMD Honors (it was his safety), but there's just no comparison for that specific major.

Isn’t GW private? I’m confused

It is. I pay 65K for it (merit aid) instead of 30K instate, which is why I thought it merited inclusion in this discussion. The broader question isn’t OOS vs in state. It’s what are parents prepared to pay for if not the instate option, and why?

I say, major quality is an important factor.

Hmmm, I think that’s a different topic. The in-state v OOS public is more hotly debated because you’re paying $70k-$80k for a public university with large classes, potential underfunding, lots of red tape and bureaucracy, facilities that may need TLC, and so on.

You’re making a lot of worst-case assumptions about OOS publics.

In my experience with some Big 10 schools & an SEC school, the merit aid made them very affordable, the buildings were clean & well-maintained, there wasn’t any more red tape than at privates, & only a couple intro classes were large. And they were generous with the AP credit, have a huge alumni network, & enjoy a national reputation.

So it’s not all overcrowding & porridge as you seem to think it is.

This. The narratives that take hold on this forum are so out of line with reality that I wonder if there is any value to the place at all.

Exactly. I think some of these posters have never set foot on a public college’s campus.

[Anonymous]

We approached the cost of college similarly to another major life purchase: the cost of a home. We chose a home inside the beltway, with access to great public schools, in a safe neighborhood, close to kids’ ECs, jobs, and our friends - and we paid a premium for it. Was it worth it to us? Absolutely. Similarly, we could have paid less in-state for a college that wouldn’t deliver nearly the same experience or quality of education. We have the money, so our question was whether it was worth the additional expense to send our kid to the school she loved, with the right programs and supports (she has LDs), in a smaller environment where she would thrive. Absolutely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

My three kids and I live in Maryland, all three did not want to go to UMD as wanted to "go away to school" I only live 21 miles from UMD so not really going away to school. There is deep drop to number two in Maryland so not an option.

They all went OOS Flagships in other states.

Which schools did they attend?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

Is that perception or reality?

For some states it is perception, but for some it is absolutely reality. There are plenty of states with middling flagships and plenty of other states with great ones which would be an upgrade.

Well most of us posting here are probably from coastal states which arguably all have good publics

I’m not sure how I would ‘absolutely’ know that UVA or U Michigan, lets say bc those are trendy OOS schools where I live, would be so much better than UMD or Rutgers in NJ.

Is that ‘absolutely reality’? On what basis?

+1. THIS. Kid got into “ better ranked” OOS schools but went to our instate UMD. Difficult to justify the additional cost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

Is that perception or reality?

For some states it is perception, but for some it is absolutely reality. There are plenty of states with middling flagships and plenty of other states with great ones which would be an upgrade.

Well most of us posting here are probably from coastal states which arguably all have good publics

I’m not sure how I would ‘absolutely’ know that UVA or U Michigan, lets say bc those are trendy OOS schools where I live, would be so much better than UMD or Rutgers in NJ.

Is that ‘absolutely reality’? On what basis?

+1. THIS. Kid got into “ better ranked” OOS schools but went to our instate UMD. Difficult to justify the additional cost.

Of course, but it’s harder to get into UMD than many other flagships. The question for many Marylanders is not UMD versus UVA or Michigan but Towson or UMBC versus a MUCH better ranked OOS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reputation of major is what matters.

I am paying for GW's Elliott School of International Affairs because it's ranked in the top 10 worldwide. Kid was accepted at UMD Honors (it was his safety), but there's just no comparison for that specific major.

Isn’t GW private? I’m confused

It is. I pay 65K for it (merit aid) instead of 30K instate, which is why I thought it merited inclusion in this discussion. The broader question isn’t OOS vs in state. It’s what are parents prepared to pay for if not the instate option, and why?

I say, major quality is an important factor.

DP: I disagree. The point is does it make more sense to pay more than is typical for the regular (in state) students for an OOS public school.

[Anonymous]

This experience is about making your kid happy, not yourself.

(You are not buying a couch!)

Your job is to sign the check.

[Anonymous]

IMO, only UMich, UVA, UCLA, and UCB are worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:IMO, only UMich, UVA, UCLA, and UCB are worth it.

$85K-90k/yr for each of these schools.

How about $65k for UNC, WISC or UMD?