Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 12:53     Subject: Anyone regret sending their dc to an OOS college and paying $$$ prices for a state school?
Anonymous wrote:We sent our kid from Connecticut to Virginia Tech. Felt that VT had a better engineering school. Also that it was good for him to see another part of the country, and he loved the campus. At the time the price difference versus instate UConn was something like $10K per year. No regrets. It worked out well.

Same but from the opposite side of the country; DC wanted an OOS school for the experience, culture, weather. Loves VT and the price was actually not too bad.
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 12:48     Subject: Anyone regret sending their dc to an OOS college and paying $$$ prices for a state school?
Kid got into WM in state. Got significant merit from mid-tier Big Ten flagship that brought price lower than WM. Attended that one.
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 12:43     Subject: Anyone regret sending their dc to an OOS college and paying $$$ prices for a state school?
Anonymous wrote:Also, I don't believe you aren't going to get many people who will actually admit they paid crazy amounts of money so their kids didn't have to go to their in-state school. People gotta justify the money spent and won't admit they made a mistake.


This comment shows why this thread has been silly from the start. There are clearly a lot of people just fishing for validation of their in-state only approach and whose priors are “OOS=dumb and wrong.”
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 12:42     Subject: Anyone regret sending their dc to an OOS college and paying $$$ prices for a state school?
If you go to a school that doesn’t offer engineering then you have a 100% chance of not majoring in engineering. That’s why.
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 12:39     Subject: Anyone regret sending their dc to an OOS college and paying $$$ prices for a state school?
Anonymous wrote:About 40-80% of college students change their major at least once - given that type of statistic how can people say 'choice of major' matters when choosing a school?


Because this statistic, which is wildly unspecific, means that 20-60% of kids don’t change their major.
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 12:28     Subject: Anyone regret sending their dc to an OOS college and paying $$$ prices for a state school?
Anonymous wrote:About 40-80% of college students change their major at least once - given that type of statistic how can people say 'choice of major' matters when choosing a school?

Thats a big delta. Less than half or almost all?
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 12:26     Subject: Anyone regret sending their dc to an OOS college and paying $$$ prices for a state school?
Anonymous wrote:About 40-80% of college students change their major at least once - given that type of statistic how can people say 'choice of major' matters when choosing a school?


Because my kid has very narrow interests and would never change his major. It depends on your kid, of course.
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 12:24     Subject: Anyone regret sending their dc to an OOS college and paying $$$ prices for a state school?
Also, I don't believe you aren't going to get many people who will actually admit they paid crazy amounts of money so their kids didn't have to go to their in-state school. People gotta justify the money spent and won't admit they made a mistake.
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 12:23     Subject: Anyone regret sending their dc to an OOS college and paying $$$ prices for a state school?
About 40-80% of college students change their major at least once - given that type of statistic how can people say 'choice of major' matters when choosing a school?
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 12:18     Subject: Anyone regret sending their dc to an OOS college and paying $$$ prices for a state school?
Anonymous wrote:Curious if there are any regrets or second thoughts- eg why not just send dc to your instate option at a fraction of the price?

In most cases, is that OOS school really that much ‘better’ to justify the price?

I know people will tend to be defensive here, but I’m curious if anyone has anything to share


No regrets. DC attended Purdue as OOS. it was not much more expensive than Tech. While he was there, they never increased tuition. He had a fantastic experience and is well employed now.
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 12:16     Subject: Anyone regret sending their dc to an OOS college and paying $$$ prices for a state school?
All three my kids wanted to go away to college to have the college experience. Going in state is not going away to school. It is 13th grade.

But I live in MoCo and UMD is a very short drive away and a large amount of HS goes so it really is like 13th graded. A lot ok kids room with HS buddies.
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 12:01     Subject: Anyone regret sending their dc to an OOS college and paying $$$ prices for a state school?
I’m Virginia, there is a huge drop off after UVA and W&M. Some would argue Tech too, but if you don’t want a STEM major or a huge school it’s not appealing. I have a rising junior, and she is applying to several OOS options as backups to UVA/WM. But those are still preferred. But something like Pitt or Delaware is preferable to JMU or CNU.
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 11:41     Subject: Anyone regret sending their dc to an OOS college and paying $$$ prices for a state school?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I would but DD did not get accepted so sending to a nearby state and they’re offering merit that comes in at instate rate. Don’t forget instates are very competitive and not everyone gets in.


But did your DD only apply to one? MD has many state schools and it’s hard to imagine getting rejected at all of them and still being accepted at an OOS.

We’re new to this but our DD is going to an in state over the pricier OOS options. Even with merit aid the price over four years was about $35k more for OOS. We visited and then made a list of pros and cons for all of them and couldn’t figure out a good reason to spend that extra $35k. So she chose one of her in state options.


I’m a different poster, but my child was admitted to UMD but not direct-admit to the program of his choice. Got into the program of his choice at one other Maryland in-state school but not one that was regarded too highly. Got into an out-of-state school for his program of choice, and merit brought it down to within $10k to UMD, and we did that.
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 11:38     Subject: Anyone regret sending their dc to an OOS college and paying $$$ prices for a state school?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Reputation of major is what matters.

I am paying for GW's Elliott School of International Affairs because it's ranked in the top 10 worldwide. Kid was accepted at UMD Honors (it was his safety), but there's just no comparison for that specific major.



Isn’t GW private? I’m confused


It is. I pay 65K for it (merit aid) instead of 30K instate, which is why I thought it merited inclusion in this discussion. The broader question isn’t OOS vs in state. It’s what are parents prepared to pay for if not the instate option, and why?

I say, major quality is an important factor.



Hmmm, I think that’s a different topic. The in-state v OOS public is more hotly debated because you’re paying $70k-$80k for a public university with large classes, potential underfunding, lots of red tape and bureaucracy, facilities that may need TLC, and so on.

Other than MICH, Cal system, UVA and WM, think you are overestimating the cost of OOS public. Most run $40-60k full pay.
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 11:35     Subject: Anyone regret sending their dc to an OOS college and paying $$$ prices for a state school?
Nope. I live in DC, so may be moot. One tuition $80k the other $50k (because cheaper and merit). Both public.