Anonymous wrote:BYU is $30,000 all in (tuition, room and board, books, etc.) per year for non-LDS students. The Wall Street Journal ranks BYU at #20, Forbes has it at 36 overall, and #1 best value. BYU has a strong network for new graduates in IB. The only downside is that your kid has to abide by the honor code.

I can't imagine being a non Mormon at BYU or that that amazing network extends to non LDS. It's pretty culturally out there far beyond the honor code.

Anonymous wrote:State schools. Most of them are < $35K. Or T100 down private. They will give merit aid for B average students.

Maybe for tuition only

What about NC State? Not crazy for out of state tuition, they have a well-regarded Engineering program and about a 30% OOS acceptance rate.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about UMW?

https://www.umw.edu/admissions/in-state-merit-scholarship/

OP here..thanks. added to the list. I am gathering as much info now.

UMW is better for liberal arts though. No engineering program.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:what state are you in?

OP here. We are in VA.

I would definitely look at ODU, which has a well-regarded, ABET-accredited civil engineering program, and reasonable in-state tuition.

Go to an affordable school, end of problem.

In addition to in-state 4-year options, consider a school to which he can commute instead of living on campus.

Two years of community college and a transfer to a 4-year in-state school is a viable and inexpensive option. https://www.vccs.edu/transfer-programs/

Your son can work part-time during the academic year, and full-time in the summers to contribute to the cost of his education.

Enlisting can provide later government benefits towards higher education. ROTC can also help defray some costs while enrolled in a college or university with such a program.

There are many ways to afford higher education, they just require some adjustment in approach.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:State schools. Most of them are < $35K. Or T100 down private. They will give merit aid for B average students.

Is that schools like Wake, Case, Lehigh, Northeastern, Villanova, GW, Santa Clara, Syracuse?

Or more like Drexel, Marquette, WPI, Baylor, Fordham, LMU, RIT, SMU, Temple, TCU, BYU, Chapman, Elon, Clark, Farfield, Miami-OH?

Full pay private probably START out at $60k for COA. The ones you've heard of, $75k+ Top 100, $85k.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:State schools. Most of them are < $35K. Or T100 down private. They will give merit aid for B average students.

Is that schools like Wake, Case, Lehigh, Northeastern, Villanova, GW, Santa Clara, Syracuse?

Or more like Drexel, Marquette, WPI, Baylor, Fordham, LMU, RIT, SMU, Temple, TCU, BYU, Chapman, Elon, Clark, Farfield, Miami-OH?

Some hate this list, but it's a good starting point

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities?_sort=rank&_sortDirection=asc

lol. that's where that 2nd list came from (drexel on...) they are in order.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:State schools. Most of them are < $35K. Or T100 down private. They will give merit aid for B average students.

Is that schools like Wake, Case, Lehigh, Northeastern, Villanova, GW, Santa Clara, Syracuse?

Or more like Drexel, Marquette, WPI, Baylor, Fordham, LMU, RIT, SMU, Temple, TCU, BYU, Chapman, Elon, Clark, Farfield, Miami-OH?

Some hate this list, but it's a good starting point

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities?_sort=rank&_sortDirection=asc

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:State schools. Most of them are < $35K. Or T100 down private. They will give merit aid for B average students.

Is that schools like Wake, Case, Lehigh, Northeastern, Villanova, GW, Santa Clara, Syracuse?

Or more like Drexel, Marquette, WPI, Baylor, Fordham, LMU, RIT, SMU, Temple, TCU, BYU, Chapman, Elon, Clark, Farfield, Miami-OH?

These schools all give merit for B students. Don't know if it will enough though.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:what state are you in?

OP here. We are in VA.

He just needs to focus on getting GPA as high as possible. You'll have good in-state public options. Depending on where he is at the end of junior year, other places like Purdue may be an option but too soon to say and a waste to pre-worry. Grades, grades, grades.

This. He needs to do everything he can to show upward trajectory (all As or close) for junior year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:State schools. Most of them are < $35K. Or T100 down private. They will give merit aid for B average students.

Is that schools like Wake, Case, Lehigh, Northeastern, Villanova, GW, Santa Clara, Syracuse?

Or more like Drexel, Marquette, WPI, Baylor, Fordham, LMU, RIT, SMU, Temple, TCU, BYU, Chapman, Elon, Clark, Farfield, Miami-OH?

hmm.. def not for wake etc list. and probably not for other list. you need to be a A- kid w good test scores at least

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For engineering at a good value, any of the Academies, but if that doesn't work out, look at Georgia Tech, the University of Illinois, North Carolina, Purdue, and Virginia Tech.

Unlikely with the grades cited.

What is the kid doing this summer? Hopefully he has some kind of a job. Even minimum wage for a full summer will put a small dent in things. And maybe do some babysitting or something else during the school year or over breaks?

+1 My 1580, 4.92/4.0 kid was rejected at GAtech, albeit a CS major, but Eng there is pretty competitive, too.

Purdue OOS is the cheapest option at like $45k, but that's still above OP's threshold. With those grades, they won't get any merit aid.

Stay in state or to a lower tiered private that kids merit aid.

I know a very bright kid who got waitlisted at Purdue for engineering. And I know a kid with weak grades and tests who got into their for business.

Purdue AE grad here. Purdue never used to be this competitive. If I applied today no way I would get in. Yes its a great engineering school, but for the kind of credentials you guys are talking about I am shocked your kids are getting rejected by Purdue.

It's a whole new world.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:what state are you in?

OP here. We are in VA.

He just needs to focus on getting GPA as high as possible. You'll have good in-state public options. Depending on where he is at the end of junior year, other places like Purdue may be an option but too soon to say and a waste to pre-worry. Grades, grades, grades.

Anonymous wrote:State schools. Most of them are < $35K. Or T100 down private. They will give merit aid for B average students.

Is that schools like Wake, Case, Lehigh, Northeastern, Villanova, GW, Santa Clara, Syracuse?

Or more like Drexel, Marquette, WPI, Baylor, Fordham, LMU, RIT, SMU, Temple, TCU, BYU, Chapman, Elon, Clark, Farfield, Miami-OH?