Washington Post article on colleges that reduced tuition costs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^ Because nothing is more important than education and who your child marries? So you do what you can to put your kid in a setting they’ll thrive and hopefully meet some nice peers.

Huge public universities are sort of scary. Why would you throw a lamb in a pen with wolves? Ditto top 20 US News are full of pushy strivers, so while your daughter can be smart, maybe she’s not like those sorts of kids, so a small “low ranked” private is where she thrives instead.

Yes, but the type of peers your kid meets at a private school whose average incoming GPA is a 3.8 is the same type of peers that your kid would meet at a state school where the average incoming GPA is a 3.8.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I've never understood why people bother to attend private colleges for schools that are outside of the top 150. Every state has public universities that rank the same or higher. Even families who are not paying the full sticker price of $45,000 are generally paying more than what they would pay for a similarly ranked state school Take Virginia Wesleyan for example. It's a non prestigious private college. Why would anyone choose to pay for that as opposed to schools that attract similarly qualified student such as Longwood or Radford. I just don't get it.

I can’t speak for outside the top 150, specifically, but most of the kids I’ve seen attend small private colleges did so because of wanting to play college sports, they attended private K-12, wanting a small setting, religious reasons, location, and wanting NOTHING to do with a frat boy U huge bureaucratic public experience.

OK maybe you don't get my point. I can understand why families who are well to do would be willing to pay more for these things. But I am talking about the population at large. The majority of middle class families make under $200,000 and have more than one kid. At this income, ANY college, even state schools are a significant expense. To be willing to pay an extra $40,000 for a similar caliber school (as far as admission standards, job prospects), just to play sports, live in a different state, etc. is not something families that earn under $200,000 can reasonably do.

Our HHI is $220K and our DC attends a SLAC in another state. DC was admitted to UMD-CP, which would have cost us $27K/year (or so), but we pay $39K/year (or so) for the SLAC. The schools are ranked similarly and the Common Data Set tells us that the incoming freshmen stats are similar.

The reasons we choose to pay more are: Smaller class sizes, a highly personal experience, strong connections to professors as mentors (which studies show is very important), small class sizes, undergraduate student experience focus (vs. large research university where undergrads are often beside the point), beautiful campus, strong alumni network.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-weinberg/thriving-in-college-the-p_b_8167578.html

The extra money is worth it to us and we will likely also pay more for DC#2 for the same reasons.

[Anonymous]

I'm in the industry. It's indeed an issue for mediocre, small private universities. The reason universities generally have a high list price but then give financial aid to 50-70% of students is that a) international students are not generally eligible for aid and will pay full price b) there are still the students who don't qualify for aid and will pay full price and c) the aid package often includes working a few hours a week in the university, so it's a way to ensure a labor pool for menial jobs.

I like this move by universities like this to lower base tuition -- I think it helps get more applicants who won't even apply due to sticker shock. Also the smaler universities have a lot fewer international students, especially the university is liberal arts-focused, so they're not missing out on much there. There's definitely a niche for value-oriented SLACs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I've never understood why people bother to attend private colleges for schools that are outside of the top 150. Every state has public universities that rank the same or higher. Even families who are not paying the full sticker price of $45,000 are generally paying more than what they would pay for a similarly ranked state school Take Virginia Wesleyan for example. It's a non prestigious private college. Why would anyone choose to pay for that as opposed to schools that attract similarly qualified student such as Longwood or Radford. I just don't get it.

I can’t speak for outside the top 150, specifically, but most of the kids I’ve seen attend small private colleges did so because of wanting to play college sports, they attended private K-12, wanting a small setting, religious reasons, location, and wanting NOTHING to do with a frat boy U huge bureaucratic public experience.

OK maybe you don't get my point. I can understand why families who are well to do would be willing to pay more for these things. But I am talking about the population at large. The majority of middle class families make under $200,000 and have more than one kid. At this income, ANY college, even state schools are a significant expense. To be willing to pay an extra $40,000 for a similar caliber school (as far as admission standards, job prospects), just to play sports, live in a different state, etc. is not something families that earn under $200,000 can reasonably do.

Our HHI is $220K and our DC attends a SLAC in another state. DC was admitted to UMD-CP, which would have cost us $27K/year (or so), but we pay $39K/year (or so) for the SLAC. The schools are ranked similarly and the Common Data Set tells us that the incoming freshmen stats are similar.

The reasons we choose to pay more are: Smaller class sizes, a highly personal experience, strong connections to professors as mentors (which studies show is very important), small class sizes, undergraduate student experience focus (vs. large research university where undergrads are often beside the point), beautiful campus, strong alumni network.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-weinberg/thriving-in-college-the-p_b_8167578.html

The extra money is worth it to us and we will likely also pay more for DC#2 for the same reasons.

I went to a Slac and I never received special attention from my professors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I've never understood why people bother to attend private colleges for schools that are outside of the top 150. Every state has public universities that rank the same or higher. Even families who are not paying the full sticker price of $45,000 are generally paying more than what they would pay for a similarly ranked state school Take Virginia Wesleyan for example. It's a non prestigious private college. Why would anyone choose to pay for that as opposed to schools that attract similarly qualified student such as Longwood or Radford. I just don't get it.

I can’t speak for outside the top 150, specifically, but most of the kids I’ve seen attend small private colleges did so because of wanting to play college sports, they attended private K-12, wanting a small setting, religious reasons, location, and wanting NOTHING to do with a frat boy U huge bureaucratic public experience.

OK maybe you don't get my point. I can understand why families who are well to do would be willing to pay more for these things. But I am talking about the population at large. The majority of middle class families make under $200,000 and have more than one kid. At this income, ANY college, even state schools are a significant expense. To be willing to pay an extra $40,000 for a similar caliber school (as far as admission standards, job prospects), just to play sports, live in a different state, etc. is not something families that earn under $200,000 can reasonably do.

Our HHI is $220K and our DC attends a SLAC in another state. DC was admitted to UMD-CP, which would have cost us $27K/year (or so), but we pay $39K/year (or so) for the SLAC. The schools are ranked similarly and the Common Data Set tells us that the incoming freshmen stats are similar.

The reasons we choose to pay more are: Smaller class sizes, a highly personal experience, strong connections to professors as mentors (which studies show is very important), small class sizes, undergraduate student experience focus (vs. large research university where undergrads are often beside the point), beautiful campus, strong alumni network.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-weinberg/thriving-in-college-the-p_b_8167578.html

The extra money is worth it to us and we will likely also pay more for DC#2 for the same reasons.

I went to a Slac and I never received special attention from my professors.

PP here. I went to a SLAC and I did - I am still in touch with my advisor (I graduated in 1983). I went to law school years after graduating, and he wrote me a recommendation letter because he remembered and knew me well.

My DC is forming similar such relationships, one of which gave him a connection to someone who helped him find an internship in Europe this summer.

I don't doubt that a student at a large university can form these relationships, but I think it's harder in that environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I've never understood why people bother to attend private colleges for schools that are outside of the top 150. Every state has public universities that rank the same or higher. Even families who are not paying the full sticker price of $45,000 are generally paying more than what they would pay for a similarly ranked state school Take Virginia Wesleyan for example. It's a non prestigious private college. Why would anyone choose to pay for that as opposed to schools that attract similarly qualified student such as Longwood or Radford. I just don't get it.

I can’t speak for outside the top 150, specifically, but most of the kids I’ve seen attend small private colleges did so because of wanting to play college sports, they attended private K-12, wanting a small setting, religious reasons, location, and wanting NOTHING to do with a frat boy U huge bureaucratic public experience.

OK maybe you don't get my point. I can understand why families who are well to do would be willing to pay more for these things. But I am talking about the population at large. The majority of middle class families make under $200,000 and have more than one kid. At this income, ANY college, even state schools are a significant expense. To be willing to pay an extra $40,000 for a similar caliber school (as far as admission standards, job prospects), just to play sports, live in a different state, etc. is not something families that earn under $200,000 can reasonably do.

Our HHI is $220K and our DC attends a SLAC in another state. DC was admitted to UMD-CP, which would have cost us $27K/year (or so), but we pay $39K/year (or so) for the SLAC. The schools are ranked similarly and the Common Data Set tells us that the incoming freshmen stats are similar.

The reasons we choose to pay more are: Smaller class sizes, a highly personal experience, strong connections to professors as mentors (which studies show is very important), small class sizes, undergraduate student experience focus (vs. large research university where undergrads are often beside the point), beautiful campus, strong alumni network.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-weinberg/thriving-in-college-the-p_b_8167578.html

The extra money is worth it to us and we will likely also pay more for DC#2 for the same reasons.

Ok but at $220,000 you are above the income that I specified, families making under $200,000. It just doesn’t seem like there are enough families making over $200,000 to keep these mediocre privates in business

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I've never understood why people bother to attend private colleges for schools that are outside of the top 150. Every state has public universities that rank the same or higher. Even families who are not paying the full sticker price of $45,000 are generally paying more than what they would pay for a similarly ranked state school Take Virginia Wesleyan for example. It's a non prestigious private college. Why would anyone choose to pay for that as opposed to schools that attract similarly qualified student such as Longwood or Radford. I just don't get it.

I can’t speak for outside the top 150, specifically, but most of the kids I’ve seen attend small private colleges did so because of wanting to play college sports, they attended private K-12, wanting a small setting, religious reasons, location, and wanting NOTHING to do with a frat boy U huge bureaucratic public experience.

OK maybe you don't get my point. I can understand why families who are well to do would be willing to pay more for these things. But I am talking about the population at large. The majority of middle class families make under $200,000 and have more than one kid. At this income, ANY college, even state schools are a significant expense. To be willing to pay an extra $40,000 for a similar caliber school (as far as admission standards, job prospects), just to play sports, live in a different state, etc. is not something families that earn under $200,000 can reasonably do.

Our HHI is $220K and our DC attends a SLAC in another state. DC was admitted to UMD-CP, which would have cost us $27K/year (or so), but we pay $39K/year (or so) for the SLAC. The schools are ranked similarly and the Common Data Set tells us that the incoming freshmen stats are similar.

The reasons we choose to pay more are: Smaller class sizes, a highly personal experience, strong connections to professors as mentors (which studies show is very important), small class sizes, undergraduate student experience focus (vs. large research university where undergrads are often beside the point), beautiful campus, strong alumni network.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-weinberg/thriving-in-college-the-p_b_8167578.html

The extra money is worth it to us and we will likely also pay more for DC#2 for the same reasons.

I went to a Slac and I never received special attention from my professors.

PP here. I went to a SLAC and I did - I am still in touch with my advisor (I graduated in 1983). I went to law school years after graduating, and he wrote me a recommendation letter because he remembered and knew me well.

My DC is forming similar such relationships, one of which gave him a connection to someone who helped him find an internship in Europe this summer.

I don't doubt that a student at a large university can form these relationships, but I think it's harder in that environment.

You were probably a stand out student. Do you really think it’s typical for professors at SLAC’s to remember most of their students this well?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I've never understood why people bother to attend private colleges for schools that are outside of the top 150. Every state has public universities that rank the same or higher. Even families who are not paying the full sticker price of $45,000 are generally paying more than what they would pay for a similarly ranked state school Take Virginia Wesleyan for example. It's a non prestigious private college. Why would anyone choose to pay for that as opposed to schools that attract similarly qualified student such as Longwood or Radford. I just don't get it.

I can’t speak for outside the top 150, specifically, but most of the kids I’ve seen attend small private colleges did so because of wanting to play college sports, they attended private K-12, wanting a small setting, religious reasons, location, and wanting NOTHING to do with a frat boy U huge bureaucratic public experience.

OK maybe you don't get my point. I can understand why families who are well to do would be willing to pay more for these things. But I am talking about the population at large. The majority of middle class families make under $200,000 and have more than one kid. At this income, ANY college, even state schools are a significant expense. To be willing to pay an extra $40,000 for a similar caliber school (as far as admission standards, job prospects), just to play sports, live in a different state, etc. is not something families that earn under $200,000 can reasonably do.

Our HHI is $220K and our DC attends a SLAC in another state. DC was admitted to UMD-CP, which would have cost us $27K/year (or so), but we pay $39K/year (or so) for the SLAC. The schools are ranked similarly and the Common Data Set tells us that the incoming freshmen stats are similar.

The reasons we choose to pay more are: Smaller class sizes, a highly personal experience, strong connections to professors as mentors (which studies show is very important), small class sizes, undergraduate student experience focus (vs. large research university where undergrads are often beside the point), beautiful campus, strong alumni network.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-weinberg/thriving-in-college-the-p_b_8167578.html

The extra money is worth it to us and we will likely also pay more for DC#2 for the same reasons.

I went to a Slac and I never received special attention from my professors.

PP here. I went to a SLAC and I did - I am still in touch with my advisor (I graduated in 1983). I went to law school years after graduating, and he wrote me a recommendation letter because he remembered and knew me well.

My DC is forming similar such relationships, one of which gave him a connection to someone who helped him find an internship in Europe this summer.

I don't doubt that a student at a large university can form these relationships, but I think it's harder in that environment.

You were probably a stand out student. Do you really think it’s typical for professors at SLAC’s to remember most of their students this well?

The majority of people are average. The cream of the crop probably stands to benefit more from small classes where professors have the ability to get to know them and possibly pull strings for them. But average students (which are the majority) aren’t impressing their professors anyways, so their professors probably aren’t going to be valuable connections for them anyways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hardly anyone pays sticker price.

That’s just not accurate. At top 20 schools typically 50-60% of students are not receiving aid. And at the next tier it’s 40-50% (more merit aid comes into play).

I've never understood why people bother to attend private colleges for schools that are outside of the top 150. Every state has public universities that rank the same or higher. Even families who are not paying the full sticker price of $45,000 are generally paying more than what they would pay for a similarly ranked state school Take Virginia Wesleyan for example. It's a non prestigious private college. Why would anyone choose to pay for that as opposed to schools that attract similarly qualified student such as Longwood or Radford. I just don't get it.

Because decent state schools are usually much more difficult to get into than mediocre private schools. [/quote]


But why spend $40,000 more to attend a mediocre private school than a mediocre state school?

I get where you're going with this, and I agree.

Part of it is about perceived prestige. Some people are embarrassed to send their kids to Direction State University, so they save face by sending them to a vaguely-respectable, but not-too-selective private. Mediocre privates are notorious for bending admission standards for full-pay students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I've never understood why people bother to attend private colleges for schools that are outside of the top 150. Every state has public universities that rank the same or higher. Even families who are not paying the full sticker price of $45,000 are generally paying more than what they would pay for a similarly ranked state school Take Virginia Wesleyan for example. It's a non prestigious private college. Why would anyone choose to pay for that as opposed to schools that attract similarly qualified student such as Longwood or Radford. I just don't get it.

I can’t speak for outside the top 150, specifically, but most of the kids I’ve seen attend small private colleges did so because of wanting to play college sports, they attended private K-12, wanting a small setting, religious reasons, location, and wanting NOTHING to do with a frat boy U huge bureaucratic public experience.

OK maybe you don't get my point. I can understand why families who are well to do would be willing to pay more for these things. But I am talking about the population at large. The majority of middle class families make under $200,000 and have more than one kid. At this income, ANY college, even state schools are a significant expense. To be willing to pay an extra $40,000 for a similar caliber school (as far as admission standards, job prospects), just to play sports, live in a different state, etc. is not something families that earn under $200,000 can reasonably do.

Our HHI is $220K and our DC attends a SLAC in another state. DC was admitted to UMD-CP, which would have cost us $27K/year (or so), but we pay $39K/year (or so) for the SLAC. The schools are ranked similarly and the Common Data Set tells us that the incoming freshmen stats are similar.

The reasons we choose to pay more are: Smaller class sizes, a highly personal experience, strong connections to professors as mentors (which studies show is very important), small class sizes, undergraduate student experience focus (vs. large research university where undergrads are often beside the point), beautiful campus, strong alumni network.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-weinberg/thriving-in-college-the-p_b_8167578.html

The extra money is worth it to us and we will likely also pay more for DC#2 for the same reasons.

DP here. PP, I don't think you're going to be able to convince that poster about the merit of small liberal arts schools, but I'm with you! My daughter is looking for a small liberal arts school for just the reasons you cited below - small classes, interaction with professors, etc. But, I do wonder how you got down to $39K/year. Is that all through financial aid or is there merit involved?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I've never understood why people bother to attend private colleges for schools that are outside of the top 150. Every state has public universities that rank the same or higher. Even families who are not paying the full sticker price of $45,000 are generally paying more than what they would pay for a similarly ranked state school Take Virginia Wesleyan for example. It's a non prestigious private college. Why would anyone choose to pay for that as opposed to schools that attract similarly qualified student such as Longwood or Radford. I just don't get it.

I can’t speak for outside the top 150, specifically, but most of the kids I’ve seen attend small private colleges did so because of wanting to play college sports, they attended private K-12, wanting a small setting, religious reasons, location, and wanting NOTHING to do with a frat boy U huge bureaucratic public experience.

OK maybe you don't get my point. I can understand why families who are well to do would be willing to pay more for these things. But I am talking about the population at large. The majority of middle class families make under $200,000 and have more than one kid. At this income, ANY college, even state schools are a significant expense. To be willing to pay an extra $40,000 for a similar caliber school (as far as admission standards, job prospects), just to play sports, live in a different state, etc. is not something families that earn under $200,000 can reasonably do.

Our HHI is $220K and our DC attends a SLAC in another state. DC was admitted to UMD-CP, which would have cost us $27K/year (or so), but we pay $39K/year (or so) for the SLAC. The schools are ranked similarly and the Common Data Set tells us that the incoming freshmen stats are similar.

The reasons we choose to pay more are: Smaller class sizes, a highly personal experience, strong connections to professors as mentors (which studies show is very important), small class sizes, undergraduate student experience focus (vs. large research university where undergrads are often beside the point), beautiful campus, strong alumni network.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-weinberg/thriving-in-college-the-p_b_8167578.html

The extra money is worth it to us and we will likely also pay more for DC#2 for the same reasons.

Ok but at $220,000 you are above the income that I specified, families making under $200,000. It just doesn’t seem like there are enough families making over $200,000 to keep these mediocre privates in business

They give both merit and need-based aid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I've never understood why people bother to attend private colleges for schools that are outside of the top 150. Every state has public universities that rank the same or higher. Even families who are not paying the full sticker price of $45,000 are generally paying more than what they would pay for a similarly ranked state school Take Virginia Wesleyan for example. It's a non prestigious private college. Why would anyone choose to pay for that as opposed to schools that attract similarly qualified student such as Longwood or Radford. I just don't get it.

I can’t speak for outside the top 150, specifically, but most of the kids I’ve seen attend small private colleges did so because of wanting to play college sports, they attended private K-12, wanting a small setting, religious reasons, location, and wanting NOTHING to do with a frat boy U huge bureaucratic public experience.

OK maybe you don't get my point. I can understand why families who are well to do would be willing to pay more for these things. But I am talking about the population at large. The majority of middle class families make under $200,000 and have more than one kid. At this income, ANY college, even state schools are a significant expense. To be willing to pay an extra $40,000 for a similar caliber school (as far as admission standards, job prospects), just to play sports, live in a different state, etc. is not something families that earn under $200,000 can reasonably do.

Our HHI is $220K and our DC attends a SLAC in another state. DC was admitted to UMD-CP, which would have cost us $27K/year (or so), but we pay $39K/year (or so) for the SLAC. The schools are ranked similarly and the Common Data Set tells us that the incoming freshmen stats are similar.

The reasons we choose to pay more are: Smaller class sizes, a highly personal experience, strong connections to professors as mentors (which studies show is very important), small class sizes, undergraduate student experience focus (vs. large research university where undergrads are often beside the point), beautiful campus, strong alumni network.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-weinberg/thriving-in-college-the-p_b_8167578.html

The extra money is worth it to us and we will likely also pay more for DC#2 for the same reasons.

DP here. PP, I don't think you're going to be able to convince that poster about the merit of small liberal arts schools, but I'm with you! My daughter is looking for a small liberal arts school for just the reasons you cited below - small classes, interaction with professors, etc. But, I do wonder how you got down to $39K/year. Is that all through financial aid or is there merit involved?

My DC has a $26,000/year merit scholarship, contingent on maintaining a 3.0 GPA or higher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I've never understood why people bother to attend private colleges for schools that are outside of the top 150. Every state has public universities that rank the same or higher. Even families who are not paying the full sticker price of $45,000 are generally paying more than what they would pay for a similarly ranked state school Take Virginia Wesleyan for example. It's a non prestigious private college. Why would anyone choose to pay for that as opposed to schools that attract similarly qualified student such as Longwood or Radford. I just don't get it.

I can’t speak for outside the top 150, specifically, but most of the kids I’ve seen attend small private colleges did so because of wanting to play college sports, they attended private K-12, wanting a small setting, religious reasons, location, and wanting NOTHING to do with a frat boy U huge bureaucratic public experience.

OK maybe you don't get my point. I can understand why families who are well to do would be willing to pay more for these things. But I am talking about the population at large. The majority of middle class families make under $200,000 and have more than one kid. At this income, ANY college, even state schools are a significant expense. To be willing to pay an extra $40,000 for a similar caliber school (as far as admission standards, job prospects), just to play sports, live in a different state, etc. is not something families that earn under $200,000 can reasonably do.

Our HHI is $220K and our DC attends a SLAC in another state. DC was admitted to UMD-CP, which would have cost us $27K/year (or so), but we pay $39K/year (or so) for the SLAC. The schools are ranked similarly and the Common Data Set tells us that the incoming freshmen stats are similar.

The reasons we choose to pay more are: Smaller class sizes, a highly personal experience, strong connections to professors as mentors (which studies show is very important), small class sizes, undergraduate student experience focus (vs. large research university where undergrads are often beside the point), beautiful campus, strong alumni network.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-weinberg/thriving-in-college-the-p_b_8167578.html

The extra money is worth it to us and we will likely also pay more for DC#2 for the same reasons.

I went to a Slac and I never received special attention from my professors.

PP here. I went to a SLAC and I did - I am still in touch with my advisor (I graduated in 1983). I went to law school years after graduating, and he wrote me a recommendation letter because he remembered and knew me well.

My DC is forming similar such relationships, one of which gave him a connection to someone who helped him find an internship in Europe this summer.

I don't doubt that a student at a large university can form these relationships, but I think it's harder in that environment.

You were probably a stand out student. Do you really think it’s typical for professors at SLAC’s to remember most of their students this well?

I do, if they formed the relationships that I did (and that my DC is as well).

Most people are average. Or more accurately, most students at a given school are "average" for that school. Professors understand that part of the mission of the school is to provide personal attention and mentoring, and often they are at that school because of that - they want to work with students directly, day in and day out.

I am so glad for my DC that he is having this experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I've never understood why people bother to attend private colleges for schools that are outside of the top 150. Every state has public universities that rank the same or higher. Even families who are not paying the full sticker price of $45,000 are generally paying more than what they would pay for a similarly ranked state school Take Virginia Wesleyan for example. It's a non prestigious private college. Why would anyone choose to pay for that as opposed to schools that attract similarly qualified student such as Longwood or Radford. I just don't get it.

I can’t speak for outside the top 150, specifically, but most of the kids I’ve seen attend small private colleges did so because of wanting to play college sports, they attended private K-12, wanting a small setting, religious reasons, location, and wanting NOTHING to do with a frat boy U huge bureaucratic public experience.

OK maybe you don't get my point. I can understand why families who are well to do would be willing to pay more for these things. But I am talking about the population at large. The majority of middle class families make under $200,000 and have more than one kid. At this income, ANY college, even state schools are a significant expense. To be willing to pay an extra $40,000 for a similar caliber school (as far as admission standards, job prospects), just to play sports, live in a different state, etc. is not something families that earn under $200,000 can reasonably do.

Our HHI is $220K and our DC attends a SLAC in another state. DC was admitted to UMD-CP, which would have cost us $27K/year (or so), but we pay $39K/year (or so) for the SLAC. The schools are ranked similarly and the Common Data Set tells us that the incoming freshmen stats are similar.

The reasons we choose to pay more are: Smaller class sizes, a highly personal experience, strong connections to professors as mentors (which studies show is very important), small class sizes, undergraduate student experience focus (vs. large research university where undergrads are often beside the point), beautiful campus, strong alumni network.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-weinberg/thriving-in-college-the-p_b_8167578.html

The extra money is worth it to us and we will likely also pay more for DC#2 for the same reasons.

DP here. PP, I don't think you're going to be able to convince that poster about the merit of small liberal arts schools, but I'm with you! My daughter is looking for a small liberal arts school for just the reasons you cited below - small classes, interaction with professors, etc. But, I do wonder how you got down to $39K/year. Is that all through financial aid or is there merit involved?

My DC has a $26,000/year merit scholarship, contingent on maintaining a 3.0 GPA or higher.

Thanks, PP. I really appreciate your sharing. Do you have any advice on how you narrowed down your list of schools re affordability and fit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I've never understood why people bother to attend private colleges for schools that are outside of the top 150. Every state has public universities that rank the same or higher. Even families who are not paying the full sticker price of $45,000 are generally paying more than what they would pay for a similarly ranked state school Take Virginia Wesleyan for example. It's a non prestigious private college. Why would anyone choose to pay for that as opposed to schools that attract similarly qualified student such as Longwood or Radford. I just don't get it.

I can’t speak for outside the top 150, specifically, but most of the kids I’ve seen attend small private colleges did so because of wanting to play college sports, they attended private K-12, wanting a small setting, religious reasons, location, and wanting NOTHING to do with a frat boy U huge bureaucratic public experience.

OK maybe you don't get my point. I can understand why families who are well to do would be willing to pay more for these things. But I am talking about the population at large. The majority of middle class families make under $200,000 and have more than one kid. At this income, ANY college, even state schools are a significant expense. To be willing to pay an extra $40,000 for a similar caliber school (as far as admission standards, job prospects), just to play sports, live in a different state, etc. is not something families that earn under $200,000 can reasonably do.

Our HHI is $220K and our DC attends a SLAC in another state. DC was admitted to UMD-CP, which would have cost us $27K/year (or so), but we pay $39K/year (or so) for the SLAC. The schools are ranked similarly and the Common Data Set tells us that the incoming freshmen stats are similar.

The reasons we choose to pay more are: Smaller class sizes, a highly personal experience, strong connections to professors as mentors (which studies show is very important), small class sizes, undergraduate student experience focus (vs. large research university where undergrads are often beside the point), beautiful campus, strong alumni network.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-weinberg/thriving-in-college-the-p_b_8167578.html

The extra money is worth it to us and we will likely also pay more for DC#2 for the same reasons.

DP here. PP, I don't think you're going to be able to convince that poster about the merit of small liberal arts schools, but I'm with you! My daughter is looking for a small liberal arts school for just the reasons you cited below - small classes, interaction with professors, etc. But, I do wonder how you got down to $39K/year. Is that all through financial aid or is there merit involved?

My DC has a $26,000/year merit scholarship, contingent on maintaining a 3.0 GPA or higher.

Thanks, PP. I really appreciate your sharing. Do you have any advice on how you narrowed down your list of schools re affordability and fit?

PP here. I should add to the above, we do not qualify for need-based aid.

I started with the Colleges That Change Lives book, and a book called The College Solution.

The CTCL book is dated but contains descriptions of lots of small colleges that I thought might be of interest to DC. I added more schools which aren't in the book but which I thought DC might be interested in, e.g. Muhlenberg, Lafayette, U. Mary Washington, and some others.

We established geographic parameters and other parameters, e.g. the schools under consideration had to graduate at least 75% of their students in four years, freshmen retention rate, good departments in his potential major(s), etc.

I read The College Solution all the way through and then created a table of possible schools under consideration, including columns for e.g. 75th percentile of GPA and SAT/ACT scores for each school, strongest academic departments, location, cost information, merit aid information (average merit award), etc.

We made it clear that our maximum budget for college was $X and that we had to stay at or below that number in order for him to attend.

We worked from that list to look at schools online and create maps (literally) for a few road trips.

Those trips narrowed the field and DC identified 8 or 9 schools of interest - a couple of safeties and the rest matches - and applied to them. (If you are looking for merit aid, in general, "reach" schools are off the table because elite schools don't award merit aid, and schools that do award merit aid will give it to students who are highly qualified/in the highest tiers of applicants and not students who are reaching.)

In the end, he had a lot of schools to choose from and re-revisited his top two or three after acceptances and merit packages came in. All of them were at or under budget.

I hope this helps. There is a method to the madness!