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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]This is a tough thread to read - i can sense the frustration in many of the responses.  
We could not afford $80k per year (we saved enough to swing $60k per year) but still encouraged our child to apply wherever their stats might lead to a good chance of admission (sat 1560 gpa 4/4.8 etc). We did however insist that he apply in state and to several lower tier universities that offer merit aid. 
He got into three schools we couldn’t afford without any FA (one with very modest merit) and all the lower tier schools with merit aid   
One reason we allowed him to apply to the more expensive schools is because we weren’t sure what to expect wrt financial aid - turns out nothing.  
We were open with him from the outset but it was difficult to watch him at the college visits and then working on the “why I belong here” universities, knowing that he was working so hard for a ticket we might not be able to afford.  In the end he decided on the instate option and has not really looked back and I am also more sanguine about how things worked out.  Like many people here I thought he would have the same opportunities we had at his age. It is what it is.  
Maybe we should start thinking of top 30 universities the way we think about private high schools.  It never occurred to me to want my child to attend Sidwell or St Albans or GDS.  We couldn’t afford them and our high performing public school was just fine. The top private schools in the DMV provide their students with an excellent education, interesting experiences and wonderful opportunities for future advancement   However, you can’t get in unless you meet their standards and can pay their tuition.  Otoh they will make exceptions for students with hooks (legacies, talents etc).  I wonder whether when my child is planning for his own children, whether we will think of top 30 schools  in a similar way.  [/quote]

When did people quit thinking of top private colleges this way?[/quote]

The costs relative to HHI didn't use to be so high.[/quote]

DP. I went to in-state college and my parents went to in-state college. It’s eye-opening to me that people think their kids need to go to Top 30 private schools. [/quote]

You don’t know what you’re missing out on, to be blunt. There are job opportunities available coming out of a T30 that are simply not available if you’re not. Investment banking, management consulting (MBB, EY-Parthenon, Strategy&, Oliver Wyman), asset management, venture capital or top nonprofits.[/quote]

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