Mine didn’t get into an Ivy and was waitlisted at UVA instate but will be attending a T30 private that is perfect for him rather than attend VA Tech. No regrets.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you just go to your state flagship, especially if it’s ranked in , say, the top 50? Tell me it makes no sense to pay all of that money for a private university that isn’t ranked in the top 15 or 20 when you could go to UVA, Michigan, North Carolina, maybe Florida, and obviously the UC schools?

Because we are rich.

I know you’re trying to be cool, but just because you’re rich doesn’t mean you’re smart. The second tier schools, private, and not, are just not as good as the top state flagships. So you’re throwing your money away. Maybe you have the money to throw, but that doesn’t make it smart.

Your opinion. My kid is on a highly competitive finance track after a private mid ranked to low ranked college.

Soon WUSTL and Vandy parents will be arrested by the state school police and placed in spendthrift prison. Seriously, what is you people's problem?

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you just go to your state flagship, especially if it’s ranked in , say, the top 50? Tell me it makes no sense to pay all of that money for a private university that isn’t ranked in the top 15 or 20 when you could go to UVA, Michigan, North Carolina, maybe Florida, and obviously the UC schools?

Some students (and families) prefer more community oriented environment of privates, smaller class sizes, and more networking with elite families.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you just go to your state flagship, especially if it’s ranked in , say, the top 50? Tell me it makes no sense to pay all of that money for a private university that isn’t ranked in the top 15 or 20 when you could go to UVA, Michigan, North Carolina, maybe Florida, and obviously the UC schools?

Because we are rich.

I know you’re trying to be cool, but just because you’re rich doesn’t mean you’re smart. The second tier schools, private, and not, are just not as good as the top state flagships. So you’re throwing your money away. Maybe you have the money to throw, but that doesn’t make it smart.

Not PP and I agree with you but second tier privates are those outside the top 50. Inside the top 50 they are pretty much better than most of the flagships.

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you just go to your state flagship, especially if it’s ranked in , say, the top 50? Tell me it makes no sense to pay all of that money for a private university that isn’t ranked in the top 15 or 20 when you could go to UVA, Michigan, North Carolina, maybe Florida, and obviously the UC schools?

This is a good plan. But I would extend your top 15-20 to most of top 30ish plus top LACs. Unless money is an issue. For many looking at top schools money is not an issue either because their is aid or people have the cash.

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you just go to your state flagship, especially if it’s ranked in , say, the top 50? Tell me it makes no sense to pay all of that money for a private university that isn’t ranked in the top 15 or 20 when you could go to UVA, Michigan, North Carolina, maybe Florida, and obviously the UC schools?

UVA is just as hard as an Ivy + --- whatever an Ivy + is. So no our kids can't "just" go to our state flagship, but thanks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you just go to your state flagship, especially if it’s ranked in , say, the top 50? Tell me it makes no sense to pay all of that money for a private university that isn’t ranked in the top 15 or 20 when you could go to UVA, Michigan, North Carolina, maybe Florida, and obviously the UC schools?

Because we are rich.

I know you’re trying to be cool, but just because you’re rich doesn’t mean you’re smart. The second tier schools, private, and not, are just not as good as the top state flagships. So you’re throwing your money away. Maybe you have the money to throw, but that doesn’t make it smart.

I also drive a Mercedes, which is not “smart”. Sometimes it’s about quality of life. My kids wanted to go to those schools so we’ll pay for it because we can more than afford it. YOLO.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you don’t get into T15, you probably also didn’t get into UVA. Then there is no much difference tuition wise between UM and Rochester. Both are attractive to many students.

Huh? UVA is nowhere near T15.

yes, but it just as hard to get into OOS as some of the the top15 from some high schools. For example it is quite a bit more difficult than the University of Chicago from my kid's school.

Anonymous wrote:When you don’t get into T15, you probably also didn’t get into UVA. Then there is no much difference tuition wise between UM and Rochester. Both are attractive to many students.

Huh? UVA is nowhere near T15.

We're in NY and don't really have a state flagship. There are good SUNY schools (Binghamton, Stonybrook for STEM) but for many reasons, I would choose a lot of privates that are not Ivy+ over a SUNY (I would not choose a private ranked below T50 over SUNY however).

From our high school it's harder to get into UVA, Texas, UCLA, Berkeley OOS than it to get into Cornell and often Columbia, Brown and Dartmouth.
Michigan is easier.
Weird but true.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you just go to your state flagship, especially if it’s ranked in , say, the top 50? Tell me it makes no sense to pay all of that money for a private university that isn’t ranked in the top 15 or 20 when you could go to UVA, Michigan, North Carolina, maybe Florida, and obviously the UC schools?

Because we are rich.

I know you’re trying to be cool, but just because you’re rich doesn’t mean you’re smart. The second tier schools, private, and not, are just not as good as the top state flagships. So you’re throwing your money away. Maybe you have the money to throw, but that doesn’t make it smart.

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you just go to your state flagship, especially if it’s ranked in , say, the top 50? Tell me it makes no sense to pay all of that money for a private university that isn’t ranked in the top 15 or 20 when you could go to UVA, Michigan, North Carolina, maybe Florida, and obviously the UC schools?

Because we are rich.

1) many many many kids can’t get into Ivys and also can’t get into UVA.

2) so many people talk about only going to state schools, but my kids applied very widely and two of the three are going to out of state schools for cheaper than their financial aid packages from VA tech or JMU. (The third is going to VA tech, so this isn’t a dig at those schools)