OP, send her to W&M. Have you seen this? She could get a full ride into the program.

https://news.wm.edu/2025/02/06/50m-historic-gift-fuels-scholarships-in-coastal-and-marine-sciences/

FWIW I work at a pretty wellknown environmental NGO and we do internships with GW students often. I don’t know an ton about the environmental program there but have been pretty impressed with the programs they have for getting their students real world experience. I don’t know much about W&M’s reputation.

If your kid wants to pursue a Masters of Environmental management at any of the top programs (Duke, Yale, MI) she’s likely to be able to get in which strong grades/resume from any of those schools, but it’s going to be $$$ to attend and most environmental careers aren’t going to pay that back easily. All that to say, if she’s pretty confident she wants a career in the environmental field, it may be worth choosing the cheaper option.

MS and pHDs can be a less expensive grad school option but most desirable enviro careers require grad school.

Op here and her top choices that offered talent scholarships are GWU, Connecticut College, and JMU (OOS). She wants to major in environmental science. W&M is a better fit for her academically and socially. Her scholarships are tied to her double majoring in dance. W&M offers a dance minor and performance opportunities without the pressure of a double major. But no merit. When I said that it would hurt to turn down the scholarships, it’s more the principal than the money. We can afford W&M if it’s the best choice.

Anonymous wrote:DD is fortunate to have good options to consider and feels very grateful but conflicted. She was accepted to six schools, five of which offered generous merit and/or talent scholarships. The sixth school offered nothing but acceptance, which was a reach. She’s feeling guilty about wanting the more prestigious school she loves when the other schools seem to love her more. We have the money to pay for the sixth school (OOS public), but it will hurt. Thoughts? Advice?

Easy call. If you can afford it, you tell her to go where she wants.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS had a huge Merit offer to both Tulane and Pepperdine but was accepted to his reach (Cornell) last year full pay.

He is finishing up his first year full pay at Cornell….

Congrats! In OP's case, W&M is nowhere near comparable to Cornell though.

We had the opposite….DD had basically a full ride to Tulane and was accepted off the waitlist at Dartmouth. She graduates from Tulane in May and is going to Cornell for Law School.

I would’ve sent my kid to Dartmouth. If she’s interested in big law at all, there’s still an advantage to having attended an ivy undergrad, including it is easier to get into a top law school from undergrad too.

OP, depends what the choices are.

We wanted to and offered to pay. But that time she already had her roommate set and she didnt like coming off the waitlist….worked out so far.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS had a huge Merit offer to both Tulane and Pepperdine but was accepted to his reach (Cornell) last year full pay.

He is finishing up his first year full pay at Cornell….

Congrats! In OP's case, W&M is nowhere near comparable to Cornell though.

We had the opposite….DD had basically a full ride to Tulane and was accepted off the waitlist at Dartmouth. She graduates from Tulane in May and is going to Cornell for Law School.

I would’ve sent my kid to Dartmouth. If she’s interested in big law at all, there’s still an advantage to having attended an ivy undergrad, including it is easier to get into a top law school from undergrad too.

OP, depends what the choices are.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS had a huge Merit offer to both Tulane and Pepperdine but was accepted to his reach (Cornell) last year full pay.

He is finishing up his first year full pay at Cornell….

Congrats! In OP's case, W&M is nowhere near comparable to Cornell though.

We had the opposite….DD had basically a full ride to Tulane and was accepted off the waitlist at Dartmouth. She graduates from Tulane in May and is going to Cornell for Law School.

Anonymous wrote:Can you comfortably afford it?

This. Only if it truly makes no material difference do you go w the more expensive option.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had a full scholarship and a 1/2 tuition scholarship when I graduated from high school (years ago). We certainly weren’t wealthy and I had other siblings. It never crossed my mind to ask my parents to pay tuition when I had a free ride somewhere.

Np. I had a full scholarship at my state schools (two of those schools are considered fairly desirable by kids now) and opted for a SLAC. I have always regretted it.

Why did you opt to go to the slac, and why do you regret it?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are also thinking about. DC got into Michigan for a program where they are always top 3. Even if they switch to their 2nd choice major, the department is still great. But, they also got merit at UGA for major #2. The cost difference is a lot. We can handle it. The question is if we should handle it.

IMO, most schools don't warrant oos pricetag, but I would for Mich, especially if they are top #3 for that major.

We are seriously considering taking up UMich's OOS offer for their CS and ROSS, with a full ride offer from another top 30 school.

Go Blue!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are also thinking about. DC got into Michigan for a program where they are always top 3. Even if they switch to their 2nd choice major, the department is still great. But, they also got merit at UGA for major #2. The cost difference is a lot. We can handle it. The question is if we should handle it.

IMO, most schools don't warrant oos pricetag, but I would for Mich, especially if they are top #3 for that major.

We are seriously considering taking up UMich's OOS offer for their CS and ROSS, with a full ride offer from another top 30 school.

Anonymous wrote:DS had a huge Merit offer to both Tulane and Pepperdine but was accepted to his reach (Cornell) last year full pay.

He is finishing up his first year full pay at Cornell….

Congrats! In OP's case, W&M is nowhere near comparable to Cornell though.

DS had a huge Merit offer to both Tulane and Pepperdine but was accepted to his reach (Cornell) last year full pay.

He is finishing up his first year full pay at Cornell….

Anonymous wrote:We are also thinking about. DC got into Michigan for a program where they are always top 3. Even if they switch to their 2nd choice major, the department is still great. But, they also got merit at UGA for major #2. The cost difference is a lot. We can handle it. The question is if we should handle it.

IMO, most schools don't warrant oos pricetag, but I would for Mich, especially if they are top #3 for that major.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:W&M

What are the other schools?

Yeah, I think it depends on what the other schools are - the ones that offered scholarships. W&M is a good school, but I don't know if it is worth the money.

I think it also depends on the intended major.