Why does anyone go to an out of state public school if they can get in to their in-state flagship?

[Anonymous]

Anecdotally:
I went to Penn State from the Philly suburbs. More kids from my high school went to U Delaware than Penn State, many of them because they wanted to be closer to home. UDel was 90 minutes, PSU was 4 hours.

I applied there as well and got a merit scholarship that would have made the cost the same as PSU (but then I got merit aid there as well.) W&M also offered me merit, not enough to compare but making it a lot closer. So finances are not always as clear as you think.

One of my best friends at PSU was from a town in NJ right next to Rutgers. Half her high school went there and she didn't want to recreate her high school dynamic in college (and she needed some distance from her mother).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is interested in CU Boulder and a bunch of other big publics (Illinois, Wisconsin, Penn State)

But if those places are over 50K, why would any of them ever be a good choice compared to UMD? He's interested in physics, which UMD is highly ranked in.

The only reason to go elsewhere is simply itchy feet, wanting to be further from home, which I can udnerstand. Not sure it's a sentiment that it's worth 100K+ over four years to indulge.

We can easily afford it and the kid wanted out of Maryland.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.
I wrote that off the cuff, and am surprised it offended people. I was in the midst of sticker shock at the cost of some of the state schools.
People who know me would be entertained seeing this directed at me: "I love these posts where the OP is so confident and wants to make sure by making other people prover her wrong." I'm NEVER sure of my choices or that I'm right.

Actually I'd love to be persuaded against pressuring my kid to attend in-state. I get it, Maryland is boring if you grew up here. I was very eager to get away to the east coast for college when I was in high school. But I just can't see how it makes sense if it's double to quadruple the cost for a similar educational option. And it's not because I am (as another PP suggested) broke and bitter. It's because I'm frugal and practical.

I meant to qualify the question by saying this is assuming the kid gets in to their state flagship. Personally, I think every state should prioritize in-state kids more. It sucks that so many kids were getting rejected from UMD despite good stats. Definitely makes me want to make sure my second DS applies to more of the in-state schools.

OP, I'm frugal and practical too. My MoCo kid was accepted to UMD and Pitt as well as some much more expensive private schools (with aid, but still $$ compared to the state schools). One of the main reasons I've been so frugal for many years was so that my kids could attend the best colleges for them-- not necessarily the cheapest ones. And for my current senior, at least "best for them" definitely means NOT local. There's nothing wrong with UMD, and my kid has friends who were thrilled to be accepted and are over the moon to start there next fall. For us, it isn't the best choice (but it would've been foolish not to apply and at least have the option, which is what they did).

This is helpful. It's helpful for me to detach from the financial part of the equation. Yes, we'd like to give them the best college option for them. But no matter how much we investigate, there will never be an absolute sure answer to that question. And I'm confident my DS will make the most of the education offered wherever he is. Even after they graduate, one can't be entirely sure that they picked the best college for them, since they will only have the one experience. But philosophizing aside, I suppose since we can (probably) afford college for them, we should allow them to choose. And then maybe be unable to help with a down payment or whatever in the future. And yes, for the PP who asked, DC got into the colleges I mentioned except Illinois, which hasn't come out yet.

[Anonymous]

1- location. UMD is in College Park

2- many kids want to go away from home, and UMD is too close

3- program of study that UMD does not have

4- receive merit from other OOS flagship to make the costs similar, OR, family is full pay and the extra funds are not a stretch

Is that enough?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because when the parents and/or both sets of grandparents are multi-millionaires, the (grand)kids can go literally anywhere they want. And when you're rich, it's a status thing to send your kids to private or an out-of-state public because it signals you're rich and couldn't care less about the extra $100k or whatever you just blew. And it makes bitter broke middle class people like OP jealous. And of course you'd like your kid to broaden their horizons, social circle and dating (marital) pool versus just hanging out with the same handful of peers from the same exact region they grew up in. And I think rich kids are generally "over" the area they grew up in, they're well traveled and when money is no object, they are more likely to seek out new exciting adventures. I think if you told the average middle class kid they could go anywhere, 90% of them would still choose the in-state school, they're just happy to get out of their parents' house. A rich kid is exponentially more likely to capitalize and head off to Colorado, California, New England, Texas, whatever.

Your rant sounds so ignorant. LOL.

She sounds like she is projecting. Calling OP jealous? Ha! Me thinks you are the jealous one.

[Anonymous]

….perhaps because their state flagship isn’t very good. Not all public universities are equal. Newsflash? Top public universities compare favorably to most top private schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In VA, we've got state schools that are "away" from home (DC area). But UMD is right here at home (DC area). I think your son just wants to not be right here at home!

This. Most kids want a new experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1- location. UMD is in College Park

2- many kids want to go away from home, and UMD is too close

3- program of study that UMD does not have

4- receive merit from other OOS flagship to make the costs similar, OR, family is full pay and the extra funds are not a stretch

Is that enough?

That was my reason for not going to my state flagship (UVA) — not only was it not renown for what I wanted to major in, it didn’t even have the major. The out of state public I went to was known for that program and even had a graduate school for it, where I took classes with grad students as an undergrad and made connections in my chosen field.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is interested in CU Boulder and a bunch of other big publics (Illinois, Wisconsin, Penn State)

But if those places are over 50K, why would any of them ever be a good choice compared to UMD? He's interested in physics, which UMD is highly ranked in.

The only reason to go elsewhere is simply itchy feet, wanting to be further from home, which I can udnerstand. Not sure it's a sentiment that it's worth 100K+ over four years to indulge.

Location, internship opportunities, athletics, certain programs. Being able to get in. There are a myriad of reasons.

[Anonymous]

They have more money than you so their priorities are different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Each DC is different.

We live in VA, and I would love for my DCs to go to UVA. Unfortunately, NOVA applicants have a hard time getting into UVA or W&M. So no, my DCs can't get into the in-state flagship(s).

I've visited UMD, and I don't like it for the many reasons put forward in other threads. However, for a MD resident, I can sympathize with you, trying to explain to DC why lower cost should outweigh the perceived and real deficiencies of UMD.

You will make the right choice for your DC.

Hahaha!

My kids all hated UVA. We thought it was pretentious and full of itself. They ended up at private universities but I loved my time at Maryland. It has some amazing majors and opportunities. It's big but I was in a limited enrollment major and, honestly, it was a good school for me. I wish I would have pushed my youngest to attend instead of the private university where he attended.

Me too. Best six years of my life!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They have more money than you so their priorities are different.

Many of the richest people I know are also the most cost-conscious.

[Anonymous]

As others have said, some offer merit aid that make the cost equal to or cheaper than in state options. Some kids may want a change of scenery. Some may go for a specific program. For example, we are Virginia residents but in researching colleges we learned some neighboring states offer specialties in areas such as forensics (West Virginia) and deaf studies (Tennessee) which might be of particular interest to the right kid.

Also worth looking into whether there are in state tuition offers available at certain schools for certain majors not offered in state. I learned about this recently and it’s fascinating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1- location. UMD is in College Park

2- many kids want to go away from home, and UMD is too close

3- program of study that UMD does not have

4- receive merit from other OOS flagship to make the costs similar, OR, family is full pay and the extra funds are not a stretch

Is that enough?

My kid went to UMD.

1- location. UMD is in College Park which is 45 minutes from home. The college campus was great and he got dorm for all 4 years. All the benefits of having home close by remained, at the same time he had the freedom and responsibility of staying on his own.

2- many friends from school, MCPS, DMV hat he knew from various programs, ECs, Hackathon etc also went to UMD and since it is a large school, his social circle became huge. He was also not trying to maintain distance from a toxic home enviornment.

3- program of study. CS honors college and UMD is known for it. DC went entirely by ranking of the major and decided not to go to any college that was ranked less than UMD in CS. What would have been the point?

4- received merit scholarship from UMD, and that was an added bonus for my DC. He bought a brand new car for transportation to jobs, trips and internships. We are full pay. Money saved is money earned.

5- Was able to continue with internships in renowned organizations in DMV, where he had interned in HS and left a good impression on PI.

6 - Got a wonderful job out of college in DMV. There was no dearth of jobs in this area Went to west coast for masters.

7 - Ikea College Park. Need I say more?

[Anonymous]

Op, some get merit aid and it doesn't cost more. Some students suspect they will have a brighter future elsewhere.