cheap vs. expensive universities
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Anonymous
| If she wants to be an accountant then go to GMU. The cheapest/easiest and fastest route to a CPA. Accounting is a field where you decide how much money you want to make. Once you have a CPA nobody cares what school you went to. |
Anonymous
I agree. The only downside is that going to GMU and then being an accountant is a pretty depressing way to spend your life. |
Anonymous
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OP, if you saved all that money for her college, why don't you want to spend it on her college?
She's an adult-she chooses where to go. And where to work someday. This is so weird. |
Anonymous
| This is a no-brainer to me - Columbia for sure. It's not like the choice is between Columbia and UVA, where I think it would be higher. There is a huge differential between the quality of education at Columbia and GMU. Also, your child can go in thinking she knows what she wants to do after and then change her mind; that happens a lot in college. And having a very strong liberal arts education is key. You have the money saved, and I would use it. |
Anonymous
+1 Although if the choice was between uva and Columbia I'd say the parent would be very justified in pushing uva. But as others have said you cannot, at the acceptance phase, say you won't pay for Columbia. If you won't pay, don't apply. |
Anonymous
OK, now I'm kicking myself for answering earlier because you are obviously a troll OP. |
Anonymous
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I encourage you to take the long view. Will GM help you DD get to her long term goals, or not really? Part of growing up is giving up short term fun for long term goals. Or, are you having a hard time letting DD go? Not being snarky -ask yourself this seriously. Someday you will not be here and your DD will still have a life to live. How will you best equip her?
That said, I went to school on scholarship and received the college savings from my parents for investment. I eventually bought a condo and then sold it which helped my DH and I buy a house. No college loans + home down payment has given us a start in our own families life For which we are grateful. This post-graduate money puts a person at least 10 years ahead in savings opportunities than most without that advantage, prestigious college or not. If GM is fine and you have contacts then I would seriously consider that option. She can always attend a great grad school. I do agree that living at least the last two years on her own is a valuable experience / even if she just rents near you |
Anonymous
Ahhhh...most CPAs I know may about $60k per year so you statement in false. Some will take a temp job just to get a foot in the door. CPAs used to allow you to make as much as you wanted...but that was back in the 70s and 80s. |
Anonymous
This. First he said, "I want her to go to a good school but I just can not justify spending 320k for a 4 year degree." Then he said what is bolded above. Then he said, she'll have access to whatever is left over (first post) and now again he said she can decide what to do with what is left over. But then he says also now, he'll donate it to charity if she doesn't need it. How would you know if and when she'd need it? Troll. |
Anonymous
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Op - I was going to root for you - what a huge financial head start to give her over $200k in cash. Plus you can get her the Wall Street type internships and connections (which would be the advantage of an Ivy). Plus she can intern in NYC (and get the full experience of living there).
But then you said if she does not need the money you will give it to charity. So now I think you are a weird troll. |
Anonymous
I am much like OPs daughter and even went to GMU and lived at home. I have absolutely no regrets. Guess what I did at age 23 in 2000? I purchased a SFH in Vienna woods as soon as I got my first professional job. I immediately got roommates and loved for free. I have no regrets. At age 41 I have a home that is paid off and a job that pays just shy of 300k and have invested heavily in real estate. I know people my same age still paying college loans! I'd much rather of not had a college "experience" and have what I do today. |
Anonymous
+1 Surely a budget minded student with strong scores would apply to and get accepted at schools from the UVA, W and M, Virginia Tech list. |
Anonymous
| How much a year are these if va resident? |
Anonymous
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Why no other choices? I find this extremely odd. It's almost like you set her up to attend Mason. I think you did. Or this is a troll.
There is still time to find other options. Keep an eye on the NACA Space Available Survey, comes out in early May. Have her go to her HS counselor now, and express an interest in what else may be available. |
Anonymous
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OP, this has nothing to do with the price of the universities.
She has to decide if she wants to be an Artist, a Pianist, a Financial wizard or an accountant. To this point she has been all 4. She might be able to mix two like Art or Pianist and accountant. Now she has to decide what to do NEXT year. She doesn't have to stick with it forever but she has to decide what to try first. We can't help with that. My guess is that in asking you, she is looking to get out of the Financial wizard/Columbia track. At this point, it seems to me that for either Art or Piano exposure to the world would help her determine where she stands. I don't know if her teacher and mentor are better to deal with that exposure or Columbia. But I would guess that at Columbia she would be around people with similar interests that are going through a similar process. |