Oldest DD discovered early in her high school years that pursuing profs and opportunities at our downtown uni opened up many doors. There's a lot of opportunities for students who take the initiative, reaching out to profs and people in industry. :)

:iagree: Constructing a strategic list is crucial when you're EFC is high and you are trying to defray the cost of attendance. DD did this, applying to schools with guaranteed scholarships as well as highly competitive large ones (like Vandy, OSU and others). She cast a wide net because you just never know what will happen. Specific to Michigan, she did apply to and get early admission to UMichigan along with honors but no substantial merit money. It is a fabulous school that's very expensive for OOS unless financial need is high.

Absolutely agree with this. In fact, my daughter is the one who has stated to me and her dad what she thinks it's "worth" given her options. We told her we want what's best for her and wanted her to choose. Perception really does factor in here because some high stats students want certain schools regardless of cost (whether out of pocket or through loans). My oldest DD emphatically voiced her view on what she believed it should cost and what she was willing for us to spend (may sound crazy, but true :) ) ... so it all depends again on the person involved. Now she's thrilled with the two options she's seriously considering now, but just saying she didn't personally think certain schools were worth the cost to us for undergrad. Everybody's different. :)

LOL! "Big fish in a big pond" is precisely what someone told my daughter recently at a weekend meetup. :)

Same here. Huge state university where a student is one of 25-30 fellows out of 8000 entering freshman class with every opportunity offered at undergrad level including grad level course work is pretty appealing... along with a full ride. In addition, high rankings within daughter's field of interest as others have said, mean a lot along with mentorship and appropriate introductions to forge relationships as they prepare for the next level whether industry or academia. My daughter finds the opportunity to complete a double major in 4 years with a full ride plus summer stipend pretty appealing. :)

Same experience here.

Attolia, I so hear what you are saying and love what everyone else has already said here. Oldest DD had everything going for her to apply to the "prestigious" schools, and after a lot of thought and discussion as a family, SHE passed on applying to them because of the financial burden on our family. We would have to pay pretty much full price anywhere she went, so she didn't pursue applying anywhere that didn't offer merit aid. To this day, she gets some snarky remarks about her accomplishments and WTH would she attend a state school. I don't even get that, by the way. :confused1: What I can say is she is debating between two very different schools size wise and rank wise and will be thrilled at either choice. Rankings wise, I think you and I are in the same "dilemma" but I know through discussions with the schools, I don't think there is any substitute for the personal mentorship, undergrad research and individualized attention your daughter can get at a school regardless of rank. Personal connections, relationship building, and individualized attention are so invaluable for the future. When you add grad school to the mix, I know from personal experience forging connections and graduating at the top of your class are often far more important than where your undergrad is from. Lots of different paths and options are out there for all of our students here on the boards, and it totally depends on each person's goals and how they look at life, I have discovered. I sincerely wish the best for you and your daughter and everyone else here on the boards as we make the best decisions for each of our unique circumstances. :)

I am so happy for both of you!!!

She has several great offers, and the final set of interviews is approaching. So we don't know quite yet. :) DH and I, like so many others here, feel so grateful and blessed for the opportunities and so blessed since merit is essential for us. DD was stupefied to received the Vandy scholarship, and I have to say she really does love that school (so do we). She's just waiting for the last set of competitive interviews. I will be glad when it is over. Thanks so much for asking! :)

I am so excited that your daughter has so many awesome choices !!!! Congratulations to you both. :)

DD was just notified she received the Cornelius Vanderbilt scholarship with full tuition and a stipend to Vanderbilt. We were so not expecting this.

That is so wonderful!!! Congratulations! :party:

Please don't quote. I can only speak to my oldest DD's experience, but her safeties all accepted her. We didn't experience this problem, and every score on every test she submitted with 10 APs, PSAT, SAT, ACT, and 4 SAT subject tests were perfect along with substantial research experience and 6+ years of study in her main areas of interest. She encountered no issues whatsoever with admissions.

As DD and I have visited different schools, our sentiments largely echo what 8Fill said here. My daughter has not been impressed with classes she attended at certain "elite" schools and has been surprisingly impressed with all that large state flagships have to offer top tier students. The personal mentorship, research opportunities, ability to double major as well as take graduate level courses from the outset is amazing. Of all the schools, she is really drawn to those that afford her a lot of freedom and foster collaboration. It really depends on the individual student, but visiting really helps them to get at least some sense of the community and how classes operate so that they can see if the school, professors, dept heads are a good fit based on what they are looking for.

My daughter just received confirmation she was selected as a finalist for the Ohio State University Eminence program. :) She was also awarded full ride to University of Kentucky.

This was our experience too. DD liked the class and the teacher, and it didn't require too much time. I think a lot depends on the student. It met her requirements, and there was no requirement of posting on boards etc. It was excellent prep for AP exam as well.

This is something we are facing with oldest DD, who will attend college this fall. We brought home three little kiddos in November (through International Adoption). They are 4,4, and 6 and are attaching very closely with all of my young adult biological children. It is a real concern for the little ones because they too look to her as a third parent of sorts, particularly the 6 year old. We have begun discussing how to support them through this as well. It is also one of the reasons DD will likely attend a school closer to home. There is no way around the fact that it is a difficult (yet wonderful) transitional time in a family.

Good to know. Thanks everyone!

That sounds perfect!

Quark, I just want to say from our private messages and all you have posted you are such a beautiful person and highly talented! I can't speak directly to your struggles, but I completely understand how hard life can be due to things beyond our control. All that you have accomplished despite obstacles speaks to just how amazing and strong you are!!! :grouphug:

I agree about the struggling students' comment. I have a family member in this situation, and it is quickly turning into a disaster. That said, Attolia, It just sounds like your son got a little behind due to illness--- totally different story. One option is to hit PSAT out of the park, compete for NMF and select school with automatic $$$. There are some really good ones. Some schools that are not "selective" can offer phenomenal mentorship of students. One other possibility is a minor in Comp Sci/Engineering paired with something in humanities or business if he is interested in going that direction. It can be a great segue to advanced degrees, like law, or MBA for business leadership. I don't know if any of that is of interest, but just throwing it out there. DH is IT executive, and I can say (at least from his personal experience) that a combination like that is far more powerful long term in the business world. It does depend on what career trajectory someone ultimately chooses, though.

That is so wonderful, especially since it is your daughter's first choice.. right? That is just fabulous!!! Happy for you both. :)

DD received hers as well. Congrats to everyone! :)

YAY for you both!!!! :party:

OMG. My daughter got her letter of acceptance to Honors and to the Research Scholars program too in the mail while we were gone! She was really surprised that she was awarded both along with some merit scholarship.