Reply to What is the appeal of SLACs for non-1%ers?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]SLACs have very low ROI compared to state schools:

https://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-Salaries_for_Colleges_by_Type-sort.html

They seem like a total scam except for the 1%. Much better for your future to go to UMD or Ohio State or Indians or Purdue or VA Tech to study engineering or business while enjoying college sports.

SLACs seem like a waste for all but the wealthy 1%era who don’t have to worry about finding a job after graduation. Many of them don’t have big college sports or Greek Life to generate alumni loyalty. What’s the point of them? 
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You won't win this argument here.  Most parents on here are lawyers or have grad degrees via a liberal arts undergrad route.  A lot of them are SAHMs who vehemently support a SLAC education and have the time and energy to rip you apart on this anonymous forum, lest their choices and decisions be deemed inferior.  Almost like how every car buyer thinks they bought the best car at the best price. Much like sports (where kids typically seem to play a sport one of the parent's played) they 'push' their kids down a path similar to theirs. Most have grad school expectations for their kids and save money accordingly (as is obvious from the various college threads).  BTW, these are the same parents who scoff at Asians for clamoring over TJ (read the AAP threads) and look down on their "prepping" but have no problem "enriching" their kids and shelling out multiple hundreds per hour for SAT prep (even in this test optional era) and college counselor (who pretty much tells the kids where to apply, what to write about, and writes the essay while making the kid and parent believe they came up with the idea and wrote the essays :-)).

Anyhoo.. If you want to study a 'hard' subject that gives you a job after an undergrad, go Public or top large private (non-LAC).  If you want an undergrad education with plans for immediate grad school (law, medicine, etc.) go (S)LAC.  Most are unreasonably expensive for what you get in return but tend to subsidize COA outside the top 10-20, maybe 30.

[/quote]

Wow, you have a LOT of biases built into one response.  Maybe look at the ROI data with a more careful lens (e.g., what majors are kids attracted to/capable in, what is your particular funding situation--for many MC folks SLACS are as cheap as in-state, but the level of ROI data provided masks that) and impose fewer biases and maybe you'll get some insight into why people might reasonably make this choice.[/quote]

Most decent SLACs only give out a small amount of merit aid. Getting the total CoA below $30k/year is very difficult unless you’re low-income.

And no doubt about it — being a CS major at UMD is better than being a CS major at Bates, for example. [/quote]

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