Depends on how great the grades are and whether student has a hook.

Assuming we are talking about true poverty (and not DCUM poverty), for an actually great student or a hooked one, the state flagship is probably not the best bet. That student should apply everywhere (they'll get application fee waivers) and see where they get the best scholarships and financial aid. The best bet likely will not be a school in their state.

Anonymous wrote:UT- Most of the kids will be coming from the 5% top of their class from all over the state.

But OOS is les than 10%. Veey difficult to get in if OOS

Anonymous wrote:State flagships. Filled with donut hole families.

The OP is asking about a kid "in poverty," not donut hole families.

Most of the responses on here are about state schools for "donut hole families," NOT "families in poverty."

If you are legitimately "in poverty," you are going to get significant financial aid at privates with large endowments, to the point where you get a BETTER deal by going to the private with deep pockets compared to your state university.

A bright kid "in poverty" actually pays less and actually fits in better (as there are more other first-gen, financial aid kids) at a private school with a big endowment compared to a school like UVA.

Anonymous wrote:We are MC around 140k. Mine are both at Ivy League schools. Sure they have some rich and entitled friends, but also middle class and QB friends too. Great FA and similar to state school cost. Cheaper at the moment because I have 2 attending college at the same time. They (and many other private schools) still consider that.

#1 kid had been interested in some LACs. Wondering if the disparity would have been more of an issue on a smaller campus. Have a friend doing QB at a Maine LAC. Also have an UMC friend with very down to earth kid at that LAC, so that concern might be more at some than others.

OP described the student's situation as POVERTY. $140k is not poverty. OP is describing a situation where the student regularly had to skip meals and probably only owned one pair of shoes, likely donated.

UT- Most of the kids will be coming from the 5% top of their class from all over the state.

We are MC around 140k. Mine are both at Ivy League schools. Sure they have some rich and entitled friends, but also middle class and QB friends too. Great FA and similar to state school cost. Cheaper at the moment because I have 2 attending college at the same time. They (and many other private schools) still consider that.

#1 kid had been interested in some LACs. Wondering if the disparity would have been more of an issue on a smaller campus. Have a friend doing QB at a Maine LAC. Also have an UMC friend with very down to earth kid at that LAC, so that concern might be more at some than others.

State universities.

Anonymous wrote:State flagships. Filled with donut hole families.

+1

Anywhere they can get in.

Your state’s public universities

State flagships. Filled with donut hole families.

Princeton. 70 percent on financial aid, 22 percent Pell Grant-eligible (very needy).

This is what financial aid is for. Ivies and T20 have 30-50% kids on financial aid. That’s where you go. No you probably won’t hang with the kids at the college who have access to a private jet. But you make the best of the experience to get an elite education.

Where do kids with great grades who are also very social and sporty go where they don't stand out for having parents in poverty? It might be awkward to go to a school that's almost entirely full of rich kids.