Did anyone's kid choose quality of life/social factors over prestige?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC is committed to UVA (out of state and chose over Berkeley, Michigan, Northwestern and a few others) and very excited about it but about 10 days ago got off the waitlists for SEAS at both Penn and Columbia. DC was given roughly 2 weeks to decide by each school because of pending financial aid (we receive(d) a minimal amount as we have 2 older kids in college).
DC really wants to stick with UVA because they believe it will be a more enjoyable, well-rounded. classic college experience.
Major is uncertain but probably statistics/data science or economics. DC applied to different majors at each school and I'm not actually sure what.

What would you do as a parent in this situation? All the schools will end up costing about the same (roughly $75K/year give or take).
Did your kid make a similar choice?

It's a bit confusing why she applied to the engineering schools at Penn and Columbia, but I guess is not pursuing engineering at UVA?

Understand, if she does pursue engineering at UVA (or business), the OOS cost jumps to $90k+.

Wow on that cost!

[Anonymous]

I wonder what their oos yield is at that cost. Most will have other higher ranked options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC is committed to UVA (out of state and chose over Berkeley, Michigan, Northwestern and a few others) and very excited about it but about 10 days ago got off the waitlists for SEAS at both Penn and Columbia. DC was given roughly 2 weeks to decide by each school because of pending financial aid (we receive(d) a minimal amount as we have 2 older kids in college).
DC really wants to stick with UVA because they believe it will be a more enjoyable, well-rounded. classic college experience.
Major is uncertain but probably statistics/data science or economics. DC applied to different majors at each school and I'm not actually sure what.

What would you do as a parent in this situation? All the schools will end up costing about the same (roughly $75K/year give or take).
Did your kid make a similar choice?

It's a bit confusing why she applied to the engineering schools at Penn and Columbia, but I guess is not pursuing engineering at UVA?

Understand, if she does pursue engineering at UVA (or business), the OOS cost jumps to $90k+.

Wow on that cost!

It's total COA just to be clear (tuition, room, board, books, estimated costs for travel and incidentals, etc.).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC is committed to UVA (out of state and chose over Berkeley, Michigan, Northwestern and a few others) and very excited about it but about 10 days ago got off the waitlists for SEAS at both Penn and Columbia. DC was given roughly 2 weeks to decide by each school because of pending financial aid (we receive(d) a minimal amount as we have 2 older kids in college).
DC really wants to stick with UVA because they believe it will be a more enjoyable, well-rounded. classic college experience.
Major is uncertain but probably statistics/data science or economics. DC applied to different majors at each school and I'm not actually sure what.

What would you do as a parent in this situation? All the schools will end up costing about the same (roughly $75K/year give or take).
Did your kid make a similar choice?

It's a bit confusing why she applied to the engineering schools at Penn and Columbia, but I guess is not pursuing engineering at UVA?

Understand, if she does pursue engineering at UVA (or business), the OOS cost jumps to $90k+.

Wow on that cost!

It's total COA just to be clear (tuition, room, board, books, estimated costs for travel and incidentals, etc.).

Yes, just didn’t expect it to be close to Ivy cost.

[Anonymous]

* so close I meant

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder what their oos yield is at that cost. Most will have other higher ranked options.

It’s about 23 percent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC is committed to UVA (out of state and chose over Berkeley, Michigan, Northwestern and a few others) and very excited about it but about 10 days ago got off the waitlists for SEAS at both Penn and Columbia. DC was given roughly 2 weeks to decide by each school because of pending financial aid (we receive(d) a minimal amount as we have 2 older kids in college).
DC really wants to stick with UVA because they believe it will be a more enjoyable, well-rounded. classic college experience.
Major is uncertain but probably statistics/data science or economics. DC applied to different majors at each school and I'm not actually sure what.

What would you do as a parent in this situation? All the schools will end up costing about the same (roughly $75K/year give or take).
Did your kid make a similar choice?

It's a bit confusing why she applied to the engineering schools at Penn and Columbia, but I guess is not pursuing engineering at UVA?

Understand, if she does pursue engineering at UVA (or business), the OOS cost jumps to $90k+.

Wow on that cost!

It's total COA just to be clear (tuition, room, board, books, estimated costs for travel and incidentals, etc.).

Yes, just didn’t expect it to be close to Ivy cost.

The top publics are $$$. Michigan is even more than UVA. Berkely is about the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC is committed to UVA (out of state and chose over Berkeley, Michigan, Northwestern and a few others) and very excited about it but about 10 days ago got off the waitlists for SEAS at both Penn and Columbia. DC was given roughly 2 weeks to decide by each school because of pending financial aid (we receive(d) a minimal amount as we have 2 older kids in college).
DC really wants to stick with UVA because they believe it will be a more enjoyable, well-rounded. classic college experience.
Major is uncertain but probably statistics/data science or economics. DC applied to different majors at each school and I'm not actually sure what.

What would you do as a parent in this situation? All the schools will end up costing about the same (roughly $75K/year give or take).
Did your kid make a similar choice?

It's a bit confusing why she applied to the engineering schools at Penn and Columbia, but I guess is not pursuing engineering at UVA?

Understand, if she does pursue engineering at UVA (or business), the OOS cost jumps to $90k+.

Wow on that cost!

It's total COA just to be clear (tuition, room, board, books, estimated costs for travel and incidentals, etc.).

Yes, just didn’t expect it to be close to Ivy cost.

The top publics are $$$. Michigan is even more than UVA. Berkely is about the same.

Michigan just charges the same tuition to all, so it's more expensive for liberal arts, but less expensive for business and engineering.

I believe OP received some financial aid at Penn and Columbia, so in fact it will be a good $17k cheaper at those schools if OP's kid opts for business or engineering. UVA puts total COA at $91.5k to $92.8k.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got into UVA out of state, but chose the Ivy. They did not value Greek or rah rah experience though. If yours does, then maybe UVA is the better fit.

Good GOD. Majority of UVA students are non-Greek.

+1
My DD didn’t even know Greek life existed at the school before she applied, and she got through just fine without ever getting involved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got into UVA out of state, but chose the Ivy. They did not value Greek or rah rah experience though. If yours does, then maybe UVA is the better fit.

Good GOD. Majority of UVA students are non-Greek.

+1
My DD didn’t even know Greek life existed at the school before she applied, and she got through just fine without ever getting involved.

I mean the poster with no first hand knowledge of UVA who is dissuading OP‘s daughter from attending simply because she probably can’t get into the top sorority is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got into UVA out of state, but chose the Ivy. They did not value Greek or rah rah experience though. If yours does, then maybe UVA is the better fit.

Good GOD. Majority of UVA students are non-Greek.

+1
My DD didn’t even know Greek life existed at the school before she applied, and she got through just fine without ever getting involved.

I mean the poster with no first hand knowledge of UVA who is dissuading OP‘s daughter from attending simply because she probably can’t get into the top sorority is ridiculous.

I don’t know why you keep saying this, I know a number of kids attending UVA currently, all of whom, like op, are from Maryland. That’s about as “first hand” as your knowledge based on in state kids who graduated at some unknown point in time . I know kids currently at UVA unhappy with how rush went, there was a 33 plus page thread on this site where parents expressed their child’s unhappiness with rush at UVA. Clearly, for some kids, rush at UVA falls short of their expectations. I don’t doubt there are also kids for whom it goes well. Op should consider both possibilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got into UVA out of state, but chose the Ivy. They did not value Greek or rah rah experience though. If yours does, then maybe UVA is the better fit.

Good GOD. Majority of UVA students are non-Greek.

+1
My DD didn’t even know Greek life existed at the school before she applied, and she got through just fine without ever getting involved.

I mean the poster with no first hand knowledge of UVA who is dissuading OP‘s daughter from attending simply because she probably can’t get into the top sorority is ridiculous.

I don’t know why you keep saying this, I know a number of kids attending UVA currently, all of whom, like op, are from Maryland. That’s about as “first hand” as your knowledge based on in state kids who graduated at some unknown point in time . I know kids currently at UVA unhappy with how rush went, there was a 33 plus page thread on this site where parents expressed their child’s unhappiness with rush at UVA. Clearly, for some kids, rush at UVA falls short of their expectations. I don’t doubt there are also kids for whom it goes well. Op should consider both possibilities.

How many kids at UVA do you actually know who are “unhappy with how rush went“ and why are they talking to you about it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got into UVA out of state, but chose the Ivy. They did not value Greek or rah rah experience though. If yours does, then maybe UVA is the better fit.

Good GOD. Majority of UVA students are non-Greek.

+1
My DD didn’t even know Greek life existed at the school before she applied, and she got through just fine without ever getting involved.

I mean the poster with no first hand knowledge of UVA who is dissuading OP‘s daughter from attending simply because she probably can’t get into the top sorority is ridiculous.

I don’t know why you keep saying this, I know a number of kids attending UVA currently, all of whom, like op, are from Maryland. That’s about as “first hand” as your knowledge based on in state kids who graduated at some unknown point in time . I know kids currently at UVA unhappy with how rush went, there was a 33 plus page thread on this site where parents expressed their child’s unhappiness with rush at UVA. Clearly, for some kids, rush at UVA falls short of their expectations. I don’t doubt there are also kids for whom it goes well. Op should consider both possibilities.

How many kids at UVA do you actually know who are “unhappy with how rush went“ and why are they talking to you about it?

Friends of my dd who is college age. They told her, and she told me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
In the past few years I’ve known people who chose the following, so yes it happens. Usually financial reasons but don’t discount following your child’s gut. Sounds like your child will be successful wherever they go. No doubt Ivies have the prestige advantage but good for her for not focusing on just prestige.

-UVA over Penn (OOS sports recruit, they could afford full pay but liked UVA better and scholarship)
-UVA (OOS) over Northwestern
-UMich over Penn (semi-local to Penn and wanted out of PA)
-Pitt over Penn (basically full scholarship to Pitt)
-Georgia Tech over 2 T20s, again scholarship
-UNC (OOS) over Harvard (sport scholarship)
-UMich (in-state) over CMU

Hold up if engineering then Georgia Tech is Top 4 overall and in the top 2 or 4 for all engineering disciplines. Unless the other 2 were MIT or Stanford this is not a good example.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
In the past few years I’ve known people who chose the following, so yes it happens. Usually financial reasons but don’t discount following your child’s gut. Sounds like your child will be successful wherever they go. No doubt Ivies have the prestige advantage but good for her for not focusing on just prestige.

-UVA over Penn (OOS sports recruit, they could afford full pay but liked UVA better and scholarship)
-UVA (OOS) over Northwestern
-UMich over Penn (semi-local to Penn and wanted out of PA)
-Pitt over Penn (basically full scholarship to Pitt)
-Georgia Tech over 2 T20s, again scholarship
-UNC (OOS) over Harvard (sport scholarship)
-UMich (in-state) over CMU

Hold up if engineering then Georgia Tech is Top 4 overall and in the top 2 or 4 for all engineering disciplines. Unless the other 2 were MIT or Stanford this is not a good example.

Yes it was for engineering. And yes I know it’s a top engineering school. But those that don’t know or realize that the sometimes the program is more important than the overall school scoff of this person’s choice. They also got into an Ivy for engineering but excellent merit from GT compared to almost full pay elsewhere.