CTCL schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not understand the hate for the CTCL schools. Small colleges where students are known by their professors is a good educational model---that's why the better known and more highly selective schools such as Amherst, Williams, Oberlin, et al. are still going strong. CTCL schools just use that model with the B students. And a lot of those students, were they to go to their local large state university, would not thrive in a more impersonal environment.

Yeah it’s really not that different than, say Field and Madeira vs GDS and Sidwell. If you can afford it you send your kid who needs help with schoolwork to Field, not Wilson.

Good analogy. If only those privates could be obtained at the price of a Wilson (whereby CTCL's compete with state schools for cost).

How many times do people have to explain to you that CTCL schools cost the same or less as state schools for most kids? What part of that do you not understand?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not understand the hate for the CTCL schools. Small colleges where students are known by their professors is a good educational model---that's why the better known and more highly selective schools such as Amherst, Williams, Oberlin, et al. are still going strong. CTCL schools just use that model with the B students. And a lot of those students, were they to go to their local large state university, would not thrive in a more impersonal environment.

Yeah it’s really not that different than, say Field and Madeira vs GDS and Sidwell. If you can afford it you send your kid who needs help with schoolwork to Field, not Wilson.

Good analogy. If only those privates could be obtained at the price of a Wilson (whereby CTCL's compete with state schools for cost).

DP, but the CTCL schools often offer so much merit aid that they end up cheaper than the state school. The one I went to did for me, and I lived in a state with a crappy state school that gave me a full ride (excluding room and board, which were expensive).

And, not everyone lives in Virginia or Illinois or Michigan.

And, not everyone wants to go to a big public school.

Which is why… to use the dreaded ‘f’ word… fit matters.

Did they teach math at your silly CTCL school? How could it have been cheaper than a state school that gave you a full ride, including room and board?

DP. The PP said "excluding room and board, which were expensive." Clearly the CTCL's room and board were inexpensive, making the total cost cheaper than the state school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not understand the hate for the CTCL schools. Small colleges where students are known by their professors is a good educational model---that's why the better known and more highly selective schools such as Amherst, Williams, Oberlin, et al. are still going strong. CTCL schools just use that model with the B students. And a lot of those students, were they to go to their local large state university, would not thrive in a more impersonal environment.

Yeah it’s really not that different than, say Field and Madeira vs GDS and Sidwell. If you can afford it you send your kid who needs help with schoolwork to Field, not Wilson.

Good analogy. If only those privates could be obtained at the price of a Wilson (whereby CTCL's compete with state schools for cost).

How many times do people have to explain to you that CTCL schools cost the same or less as state schools for most kids? What part of that do you not understand?

You are the one who does not understand. This poster was agreeing with you! She is saying it is a shame the private high schools are not like CTCLs.

[Anonymous]

For Pete’s sake, stop spreading the lie that CTCLs are generally cheaper than in state options because of merit aid. That only happens when the applicant is extraordinarily strong - by which point his or her options expand dramatically. For example, my high stats kids was offered a nice merit award by College of Wooster but also got into William & Mary in state and W&M was still cheaper. Yes these schools can be generous but usually not so much that they’re cheaper than in state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For Pete’s sake, stop spreading the lie that CTCLs are generally cheaper than in state options because of merit aid. That only happens when the applicant is extraordinarily strong - by which point his or her options expand dramatically. For example, my high stats kids was offered a nice merit award by College of Wooster but also got into William & Mary in state and W&M was still cheaper. Yes these schools can be generous but usually not so much that they’re cheaper than in state.

Depends on state, merit aid package, etc. CTCLs seem like good matches for a kid who wants small, doesn’t qualify for FA, and didn’t make the cut for W&M.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For Pete’s sake, stop spreading the lie that CTCLs are generally cheaper than in state options because of merit aid. That only happens when the applicant is extraordinarily strong - by which point his or her options expand dramatically. For example, my high stats kids was offered a nice merit award by College of Wooster but also got into William & Mary in state and W&M was still cheaper. Yes these schools can be generous but usually not so much that they’re cheaper than in state.

Not necessarily “extraordinarily strong.” I posted in another thread but my DC had an SAT in the low 1300s and got merit aid to make schools on the CTCL list way cheaper than state schools. At these schools you can look at the percent paying sticker price. You need to pick ones where your kids stats are above average if you want them to be cheaper than instate. W&M is around $40k/yr and my kid applied to all private and OOS schools. None ending up costing anywhere close to that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For Pete’s sake, stop spreading the lie that CTCLs are generally cheaper than in state options because of merit aid. That only happens when the applicant is extraordinarily strong - by which point his or her options expand dramatically. For example, my high stats kids was offered a nice merit award by College of Wooster but also got into William & Mary in state and W&M was still cheaper. Yes these schools can be generous but usually not so much that they’re cheaper than in state.

Depends on state, merit aid package, etc. CTCLs seem like good matches for a kid who wants small, doesn’t qualify for FA, and didn’t make the cut for W&M.

Exactly. And, although MD and VA residents are spoiled for choice, many other kids in other states don't have such strong in-state options.

Or they want a small college but can't afford a higher ranked LAC. Which is totally fair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For Pete’s sake, stop spreading the lie that CTCLs are generally cheaper than in state options because of merit aid. That only happens when the applicant is extraordinarily strong - by which point his or her options expand dramatically. For example, my high stats kids was offered a nice merit award by College of Wooster but also got into William & Mary in state and W&M was still cheaper. Yes these schools can be generous but usually not so much that they’re cheaper than in state.

Depends on state, merit aid package, etc. CTCLs seem like good matches for a kid who wants small, doesn’t qualify for FA, and didn’t make the cut for W&M.

+1 This is exactly us. DD would like to go to W&M but not sure she'll get in. She's competitive for it but you never know. Her other options are mostly LACs that offer good merit, some on the CTCL list, some not. Not applying to the top-ranked LACs because we can't pay $70k. $40k we can do. There's nothing magic about the CTCL designation but it's one of several lists that have been helpful in identifying schools that she might want to attend.

[Anonymous]

If a school has to discount its tuition for less than extraordinary students to the point where in state public options are more expensive, that means the school has serious problems attracting students. You have to wonder why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For Pete’s sake, stop spreading the lie that CTCLs are generally cheaper than in state options because of merit aid. That only happens when the applicant is extraordinarily strong - by which point his or her options expand dramatically. For example, my high stats kids was offered a nice merit award by College of Wooster but also got into William & Mary in state and W&M was still cheaper. Yes these schools can be generous but usually not so much that they’re cheaper than in state.

Not necessarily “extraordinarily strong.” I posted in another thread but my DC had an SAT in the low 1300s and got merit aid to make schools on the CTCL list way cheaper than state schools. At these schools you can look at the percent paying sticker price. You need to pick ones where your kids stats are above average if you want them to be cheaper than instate. W&M is around $40k/yr and my kid applied to all private and OOS schools. None ending up costing anywhere close to that.

Except your kid didn’t get into Willam & Mary.

[Anonymous]

Okay, so they charge too much and too little. Got it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For Pete’s sake, stop spreading the lie that CTCLs are generally cheaper than in state options because of merit aid. That only happens when the applicant is extraordinarily strong - by which point his or her options expand dramatically. For example, my high stats kids was offered a nice merit award by College of Wooster but also got into William & Mary in state and W&M was still cheaper. Yes these schools can be generous but usually not so much that they’re cheaper than in state.

Not necessarily “extraordinarily strong.” I posted in another thread but my DC had an SAT in the low 1300s and got merit aid to make schools on the CTCL list way cheaper than state schools. At these schools you can look at the percent paying sticker price. You need to pick ones where your kids stats are above average if you want them to be cheaper than instate. W&M is around $40k/yr and my kid applied to all private and OOS schools. None ending up costing anywhere close to that.

Except your kid didn’t get into Willam & Mary.

Never said they did. But my point was don’t whine that schools are too expensive when you picked expensive ones to apply to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Okay, so they charge too much and too little. Got it.

Huh?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If a school has to discount its tuition for less than extraordinary students to the point where in state public options are more expensive, that means the school has serious problems attracting students. You have to wonder why.

Every school discounts tuition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For Pete’s sake, stop spreading the lie that CTCLs are generally cheaper than in state options because of merit aid. That only happens when the applicant is extraordinarily strong - by which point his or her options expand dramatically. For example, my high stats kids was offered a nice merit award by College of Wooster but also got into William & Mary in state and W&M was still cheaper. Yes these schools can be generous but usually not so much that they’re cheaper than in state.

Depends on state, merit aid package, etc. CTCLs seem like good matches for a kid who wants small, doesn’t qualify for FA, and didn’t make the cut for W&M.

+1 This is exactly us. DD would like to go to W&M but not sure she'll get in. She's competitive for it but you never know. Her other options are mostly LACs that offer good merit, some on the CTCL list, some not. Not applying to the top-ranked LACs because we can't pay $70k. $40k we can do. There's nothing magic about the CTCL designation but it's one of several lists that have been helpful in identifying schools that she might want to attend.

Exactly! Thank you, Reasonable PP!