Anonymous wrote:Liberal arts are great for undecided kids but not so good for those knowing what they want to do. If you do stem at a liberal art college, you'll spend your first 2 years learning different broad subjects, so you can later decide what you want to pursue. In the last 2 years you might get deeper into a specific major.
So, following this logic, you actually pay for 2 years of specialization and 2 years of gen ed.
If the question was a cheap liberal arts vs a technical college (like MIT, CMU, GT, etc.) then answer would have been technical college tlbecause it gets you ready for industry in 4 years. But between 2 liberal arts, just go with the cheaper!

You have no idea what you are talking about.

Anonymous wrote:Pay for the higher ranked school. It will help with grad school.

Not really. Everyone in my child's field says that undergrad -also Stem- doesn't matter.

IF your DC likes both the schools and the program equally it is hard to spend $23k on a numerical ranking.

Are there differences in outcomes? I'd do some specific research and think about what you would be paying ~$100k for other than peer group. If your DC is mostly set on grad school, grad school will be more important for professional peer group.

Good luck - it sounds like you have good choices and a great DC.

Anonymous wrote:It is tough. My kid is also STEM and is torn between UIUC in Illinois for $65k or Maryland-College Park at about half that, and also wants to go to grad school. We could pay for UIUC but I'm pretty sure it'll end up being College Park. It took me a while to warm up to it but I will be happy about the close distance.
If there's something special about the lower-ranked school - like the kid got into a special honors program or there's an amazing company down the road that regularly hires interns- I'd save the money for grad school. Otherwise, it's tough and I'd let the kid decide after talking to current students.

No brainer in your case. UMCP for STEM is amazing. Why pay an extra $30K+/year (unless you have it readily available). Save it for grad school. Also, your travel expenses will be much higher for UIUC. It's a great school, but not incrementally that much "better" than UMCP for anything

Anonymous wrote:OP: His major is STEM, but not pre-med. Plans to go to grad school, though.

Which STEM? Because LA STEM can mean BIO/CHEm/etc and most of those starter jobs are lower paying. And getting an MS/PHD doesn't increase it that much.

I'd go where you can afford---your kid likes both schools, they will excel at either. But have a much happier 25-35 years if you don't saddle them with massive debt to pay off (on a likely lower salary to start)

Anonymous wrote:With a merit scholarship, one school costs 55K all-in, which we can just barely afford, and not comfortably. The other came is at 34K after an extremely generous merit scholarship. Both are small private liberal arts colleges and both reportedly good for his chosen major, but the 55K school is ranked in the top #30-40 for liberal arts colleges, while the 32K school is in the #90-100 range. Worth the extra 23k+/year for the more selective school that has a better national recognition and a stronger peer group, or go to the cheaper school and save? DC likes both equally in terms of campus and the specific programs in his major. We visited and were impressed with the faculty at both.

No! If you cannot comfortably afford it, go with the one you can. You are looking at spending $100K extra, that you don't really have.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Liberal arts are great for undecided kids but not so good for those knowing what they want to do. If you do stem at a liberal art college, you'll spend your first 2 years learning different broad subjects, so you can later decide what you want to pursue. In the last 2 years you might get deeper into a specific major.
So, following this logic, you actually pay for 2 years of specialization and 2 years of gen ed.
If the question was a cheap liberal arts vs a technical college (like MIT, CMU, GT, etc.) then answer would have been technical college tlbecause it gets you ready for industry in 4 years. But between 2 liberal arts, just go with the cheaper!

This isn’t true.

Definitely not true. DD goes to a LAC she picked for her specific STEM major. She started major classes in her first semester. Started working on research with a professor in 2nd year. Yes, there are gen eds too but she's taking them throughout the four years. Same as I did at Polytechnic University.

Students who enter the college undecided will take all general ed curriculum until they figure out what they want to do.

Anonymous wrote:Base your decision on the program/department, not the college as a whole. Which program is stronger in his chosen major? Which one is doing more high quality research and work? Which offers better job placement or grad school acceptance?More merit aid isn't worth a program that doesn't buy him much on the end.

+1 with plans for grad school, look at the % of undergrads going to PhD in that major from both schools.

DD picked the lower ranked in a similar choice but the specific department she was looking at was very strong. Has been happy with the experience.

Anonymous wrote:that's a big $ difference over 4 years. With grad school in sight, I would recommend less expensive college. Nobody cares about what school undergrad degree is from, once you get a master's / first job. This is what we did - less expensive undergrad with post-grad in mind.

I went to a no-name for undergrad (basically unranked) and an Ivy for grad school.

1. No-name is a top producer of fantastic grad school outcomes. Surprise! People actually learn stuff and excel. Smart people do well anywhere.

2. In my professional life everyone has focused on the Ivy and not the undergrad school.

3. If you have the money, feel free to pay for a bigger brand name, but if you don’t have the money it seems like a poor investment. A great brand name will not magically make a grad school ignore GRE/MCAT/LSAT results or poor grades.

4. If your kid likes both schools this seems like an obvious choice, stop looking for reasons why a logical choice is the wrong one.

Anonymous wrote:I think the better school will help with grad school admission. I'd pay more.

Definitely spend $80k based on this guys hunch.

Or you could actually compare grad school outcomes between the two schools. I bet there isn’t a drastic difference.

Anonymous wrote:OP: His major is STEM, but not pre-med. Plans to go to grad school, though.

You don't need to be this secretive. Just say the major and intended career.

I think the better school will help with grad school admission. I'd pay more.