I don't think it's productive to slag off private schools. They are fine. They fill a niche. But if you've go a kid who would do well at a big state school, it's absolutely worth looking into.

Nothing.

Anonymous wrote:The top SLACs will do fine, but there's a broad range of small private LACs that are expensive and increasingly uncompetitive with state schools.

I agree -- I'm trying to figure out which ones those are so we can stay away.

The top SLACs will do fine, but there's a broad range of small private LACs that are expensive and increasingly uncompetitive with state schools.

Anonymous wrote:It's not "bad" per se, it's just different than privates. Privates have more resources and more hand-holdings. Public schools are "sink or swim" mode which forces kids to go out and actively look for what they need to survive.

To me, that's a great reason to go to a state school. It sounds like it prepares you more for the real world that a college graduate will be quickly entering.

It's not "bad" per se, it's just different than privates. Privates have more resources and more hand-holdings. Public schools are "sink or swim" mode which forces kids to go out and actively look for what they need to survive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think I'm an outlier but I think state colleges are a fine choice. I think a lot of 'top' colleges are a huge waste of money for most people but yet they think they need to go to the ' right' college or else their future is going to be ruined forever, when in reality, does it even matter that much?

Agree. I think the only people concerned about this kind of thing live in areas like DC and NY. The rest of the country is just fine with sending their kids to state schools. There are some excellent ones out there.

+1

The big state schools often have strong alumni networks, as good as if not better than the "top" colleges, and allow a student to be debt-free starting their career.

I went to a big SEC state school with a great football team and academics. Best 4 years of my life and I've never looked back. People's memories of their small, private schools just sound boring to me. I don't ever voice that thought though.

Anonymous wrote:I think I'm an outlier but I think state colleges are a fine choice. I think a lot of 'top' colleges are a huge waste of money for most people but yet they think they need to go to the ' right' college or else their future is going to be ruined forever, when in reality, does it even matter that much?

Agree. I think the only people concerned about this kind of thing live in areas like DC and NY. The rest of the country is just fine with sending their kids to state schools. There are some excellent ones out there.

The college search process has been interesting for me because I've seen that both DC and I have seen flagship state schools (the Berkeleys and the Michigans) as being more interesting than SLACs -- a POV that, apparently, goes against the grain of DC private school culture.

In HS, I took some courses at a lesser UC and one of them was as good as or better than anything I took as an HYPS undergrad.

Agree that the top kids at good state schools are as good as the top kids at other schools (economics and, in some cases, lack of info still keep some great students close to home). But, outside of the flagships, the absolute number of such kids may be smaller (though not necessarily, if the comparison is to a SLAC) and the average level of ability/preparation is probably lower. I also have the sense that some faculty at state schools really take the mentorship of bright undergrads seriously.

There is nothing wrong with it. You can get a solid education and a strong alumni network to draw on. I think the treason issue is that there are a lot of insecure people who need to believe that someone else's decision was wrong so that their decision was right. In reality, both can be right.

This is 100% dependent on the student. I went to Big State School and had a great experience. I learned a ton, developed close relationships with my professors, and graduated without debt. This allowed me the freedom to apply to my (top-ranked) graduate program of choice without worrying about my debt load.

But...some kids need more hand-holding or help finding their peer group. Or they need to have their peer group curated for them and need small class to avoid being overlooked. SLACs are great for that.

I TA'd at a highly competitive liberal arts college and their was absolutely more support. But the best kids were no better than the best kids at my Big State School.

If you feel like your kid will find the other smart, motivated, kids and has the personality to avoid getting lost in a crowd, I think it's a fine choice. Even a great choice, because it leaves some other options open.

Depends on the school, the kid and the family finacial constraints/priorities. Coming from northern VA, our fine B/B+ kids wouldn't be accepted to UVA or W&M. Va Tech would be a stretch. At that point, we decided to look at privates and out of state.

I think I'm an outlier but I think state colleges are a fine choice. I think a lot of 'top' colleges are a huge waste of money for most people but yet they think they need to go to the ' right' college or else their future is going to be ruined forever, when in reality, does it even matter that much?

I'm not talking about the Berkelys and Michigans of the world but whatever your state school may be -- UConn, SUNY, etc. v going to a smaller colleges with but that charge the same as the very top universities but offering far fewer resources. This is also assuming you are not interested in going into field like finance where "pedigree" matters. This is not meant to start an ugly debate -- I'm just trying to figure out where my own family draws the line in decidin what is worth paying for and how crazy to go in the college application process.