Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We chose private because after merit aid, it was the cheapest option. If public had been the cheapest, we would have sent our kids to public. It was ALL about the $$.

good for you but most parents reading this will not receive merit offers. You are not gping to get merit frim the top schools. You must drop down in the rankings to get merit.

We didn't care about a "top" school. We were happy for a run of the mill private where our kids could attend for cheap. We couldn't afford more and weren't going to do loans. Again, for us, price was the top factor. Same reason why we bought a house for half the mortgage we qualified for, why we drive a 15 year old car and why we don't do a lot of vacations.
The OP seemed to look down on publics cause they are less expensive. I was making the point that many private schools are even less expensive than publics after merit. The reality is that MOST people attend the school they can afford and there's nothing wrong with that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP-you made $$ in IB, went to great schools. Are you really that dim? You can’t comprehend that a) most people will never make IB type of money and therefore 1) can’t pay off student debt quickly and 2) can’t shell out $$ for their kids to attend $$$ private schools? That’s why the whole debate of private vs public school results is not accurate. “Results” (where kids actually end up vs where they get in) are a product of parental SES more than anything.

We live in an affluent area in the DMV. I’m just genuinely surprised at the number of students who go private when I know they were perfect students. I also know it is not easy to get into UVA and that UVA is a respectable school. Like I said, I’m sure it is geographic, just the way other posters said most people went to UC or UNC. SUNY, Rutgers and UConn are not the same caliber.

Clearly you didn't get that great of an education if you think that all private schools are magically better than all public schools.

By the way some kids love sports so much they want that big college sports experience, not some rinky-dink half-assed Ivy-league "football" or "basketball" conference.

Anonymous wrote:My parents did not pay for my college or grad school. I never considered any public universities in state or out of state. I am from NY. I applied to schools I was interested in, got financial aid and graduated grad school with loans and paid it off pretty quickly. I worked in investment banking and private equity in NYC so it was fast.

I’m surprised at how many people choose state schools in VA and MD.

Are students that afraid of debt?

All these families are better off financially than my family was when I was going to college. The cost of college was not a factor for me. I just knew I would pay it back.

Anonymous wrote:YES.

30K/yr for UMD in-state.
40-ishK/yr for UVA in-state, depending on program.
My oldest goes to a private university, sticker price 85K/yr, actual price 65K, due to merit.

This is because his chosen major has a much better reputation there than at UMD, which would be in-state for us. He turned down UMD Honors.

But if my younger kids want to major in STEM, I'd be happy for them to attend UMD. We're wealthy, but have conserved assets in part by enrolling our kids in good public schools and not throwing too much money out of windows

I do not blindly buy into the hype of college branding, even though I agree with you that name recognition/course rigor/access to top-notch programs has its place in decision-making.

This is because building generational wealth, which I assume is the goal of most middle class families, isn't solely dependant on the name on a college diploma. You can set up your kids to do very well in life if wealth is funneled into your kids' downpayments on homes, etc, so they live debt-free and can stretch in their investments at an early age.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We chose private because after merit aid, it was the cheapest option. If public had been the cheapest, we would have sent our kids to public. It was ALL about the $$.

good for you but most parents reading this will not receive merit offers. You are not gping to get merit frim the top schools. You must drop down in the rankings to get merit.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Virginia has some fantastic state schools. Why pay for private when you can get a better education, with a larger alumni network, at a public?

VA state schools are good at some things but overall mediocre in STEM.

Virginia has schools that are among the tops among public schools in top pay in STEM fields, top feeders on a percentage basis to STEM PhD programs, and are among the best in admissions to medical schools and other medical programs.

I agree and I'm a product of VA in-state public colleges. It was all my parents could afford for the 3 of us on one Fed salary and part-time nurse.

I had the stats for much higher. I got a solid education, but it was a big state school which I compare to McDonald's. In and out and fast--but not particularly memorable in regards to professor relations or courses. My husband was a poor public k-12 product - but did get a Pell grant and was able to afford a T10 that way.

We always were very big public school proponents. Our kids received a great elementary school education, middle school middling--not challenged at all. No accountability. No hard deadlines. Grade adjustments/re-takes for everyone. We put them in a private HS and I was floored at the differences and the quality of education. The facilities and smaller class sizes with very dedicated teachers that had graduate degrees in the subjects they teach. My kids came alive academically and engaged so much with their teachers. There was none of the nonsense that comes with a big public HS--resources, fights, teaching to the lower denominator, unqualified teachers, crowding, large class sizes, much better HS college counselor and prep for college.

We can afford it so we are sending our kids to private college. Firstborn to a T10. Smaller in size than our state schools. Many more resources devoted to the student. Network and such. I lived the difference. If it were a struggle I would happily send my kid to a VA public university--but given the choice with the $, it's a no-brainer for me to give my kid that opportunity. I don't care about the 'outcomes'.

Not all VA public universities are comparable to one another.

No--but UVA, VT, JMU are like that. WM is more like a SLAC.

I can’t speak for VT and JMU because I do not have kids there; however, comparing UVA to fast food is absurd.

+1. and woefully ignorant

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP-you made $$ in IB, went to great schools. Are you really that dim? You can’t comprehend that a) most people will never make IB type of money and therefore 1) can’t pay off student debt quickly and 2) can’t shell out $$ for their kids to attend $$$ private schools? That’s why the whole debate of private vs public school results is not accurate. “Results” (where kids actually end up vs where they get in) are a product of parental SES more than anything.

We live in an affluent area in the DMV. I’m just genuinely surprised at the number of students who go private when I know they were perfect students. I also know it is not easy to get into UVA and that UVA is a respectable school. Like I said, I’m sure it is geographic, just the way other posters said most people went to UC or UNC. SUNY, Rutgers and UConn are not the same caliber.

Anonymous wrote:My parents did not pay for my college or grad school. I never considered any public universities in state or out of state. I am from NY. I applied to schools I was interested in, got financial aid and graduated grad school with loans and paid it off pretty quickly. I worked in investment banking and private equity in NYC so it was fast.

I’m surprised at how many people choose state schools in VA and MD.

Are students that afraid of debt?

All these families are better off financially than my family was when I was going to college. The cost of college was not a factor for me. I just knew I would pay it back.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Virginia has some fantastic state schools. Why pay for private when you can get a better education, with a larger alumni network, at a public?

VA state schools are good at some things but overall mediocre in STEM.

Virginia has schools that are among the tops among public schools in top pay in STEM fields, top feeders on a percentage basis to STEM PhD programs, and are among the best in admissions to medical schools and other medical programs.

I agree and I'm a product of VA in-state public colleges. It was all my parents could afford for the 3 of us on one Fed salary and part-time nurse.

I had the stats for much higher. I got a solid education, but it was a big state school which I compare to McDonald's. In and out and fast--but not particularly memorable in regards to professor relations or courses. My husband was a poor public k-12 product - but did get a Pell grant and was able to afford a T10 that way.

We always were very big public school proponents. Our kids received a great elementary school education, middle school middling--not challenged at all. No accountability. No hard deadlines. Grade adjustments/re-takes for everyone. We put them in a private HS and I was floored at the differences and the quality of education. The facilities and smaller class sizes with very dedicated teachers that had graduate degrees in the subjects they teach. My kids came alive academically and engaged so much with their teachers. There was none of the nonsense that comes with a big public HS--resources, fights, teaching to the lower denominator, unqualified teachers, crowding, large class sizes, much better HS college counselor and prep for college.

We can afford it so we are sending our kids to private college. Firstborn to a T10. Smaller in size than our state schools. Many more resources devoted to the student. Network and such. I lived the difference. If it were a struggle I would happily send my kid to a VA public university--but given the choice with the $, it's a no-brainer for me to give my kid that opportunity. I don't care about the 'outcomes'.

Not all VA public universities are comparable to one another.

No--but UVA, VT, JMU are like that. WM is more like a SLAC.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We chose private because after merit aid, it was the cheapest option. If public had been the cheapest, we would have sent our kids to public. It was ALL about the $$.

Smart decision.

Anonymous wrote:We chose private because after merit aid, it was the cheapest option. If public had been the cheapest, we would have sent our kids to public. It was ALL about the $$.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Virginia has some fantastic state schools. Why pay for private when you can get a better education, with a larger alumni network, at a public?

VA state schools are good at some things but overall mediocre in STEM.

Virginia has schools that are among the tops among public schools in top pay in STEM fields, top feeders on a percentage basis to STEM PhD programs, and are among the best in admissions to medical schools and other medical programs.

I agree and I'm a product of VA in-state public colleges. It was all my parents could afford for the 3 of us on one Fed salary and part-time nurse.

I had the stats for much higher. I got a solid education, but it was a big state school which I compare to McDonald's. In and out and fast--but not particularly memorable in regards to professor relations or courses. My husband was a poor public k-12 product - but did get a Pell grant and was able to afford a T10 that way.

We always were very big public school proponents. Our kids received a great elementary school education, middle school middling--not challenged at all. No accountability. No hard deadlines. Grade adjustments/re-takes for everyone. We put them in a private HS and I was floored at the differences and the quality of education. The facilities and smaller class sizes with very dedicated teachers that had graduate degrees in the subjects they teach. My kids came alive academically and engaged so much with their teachers. There was none of the nonsense that comes with a big public HS--resources, fights, teaching to the lower denominator, unqualified teachers, crowding, large class sizes, much better HS college counselor and prep for college.

We can afford it so we are sending our kids to private college. Firstborn to a T10. Smaller in size than our state schools. Many more resources devoted to the student. Network and such. I lived the difference. If it were a struggle I would happily send my kid to a VA public university--but given the choice with the $, it's a no-brainer for me to give my kid that opportunity. I don't care about the 'outcomes'.