brendafromtenn Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Which is more important to you and your family? Findinng the BEST college for your child OR Finding the Best college that is CLOSE TO HOME? Here is why I ask this question: We toured Bryan College this past weekend. Loved it! Looks like it might be a good fit for my ds. But it is close to 7 hours away from our home. And ds is wondering if he can be that far away from our family. Hmmm.... Anyone ever had to ask these questions? Blessings, Brenda:bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 That's going to be a huge issue for my middle dd. She is likely to do her first year at a community college and then transfer so she can be at home one more year unless she ends up going to the university that is 30 minutes away where she could come home every weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 I think this is going to really depend upon the child and the family. In my daughter's case, there were only three colleges in our state that offered her major of interest; this had the net result that she ended up applying to colleges from coast to coast. In her case, staying near home was not something that she felt a need to do nor did we wish to limit her choices. She's currently cross country from us and thriving in a college with a strong program in her major. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 We are military and so for our first two kids, we won't be living in the same place from senior year of high school until they gradaute from college. So, no, we don't care about distance since what is close now can be very far away later. I wouldn't want my kids coming home very often anyway unless they really lived very close. I wouldn't want them wasting travelling time while they are supposed to be studying and I don;t see any reason why they would get more studying home than at school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liza Q Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 This is a big issue for us, because of cost. A good local school to which they can commute can be way less $$ than living at a school, even a state school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yolanda in Mass Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Yes, it really does depend on the student. My older son, who is at a cc, is applying to 2 schools. One school, private, is almost 11 hours away, and the other, public university, a mere 1 1/2 hours away. He's starting to think that he'd rather not be that far from home, especially since he has a great network of friends at home who go to school locally or are graduates already and working. Also, we live in a pretty vibrant area with lots to do (Boston). He did have a taste of being away last semester (was at a Bible school in the boonies of upstate NY) and didn't care for it at all. Of course, he's not constrained by a certain major offered only in a certain school, so that gives him more flexibility as well. So again, it really depends on the student. Yolanda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 We went with best school, which for us, is 11 hours away from home. My son is looking forward to going there. There was a school in state that had his major, but the academics of the two weren't anywhere near the same plus he REALLY likes the philosophy of the Profs in his major at the school he's chosen to attend (Covenant not all that far from Bryan :) ). I don't foresee the distance being a problem at all, though of course, it's not as convenient as the one 2 1/2 hours down the road. He's an independent young man, so being away fits his personality - as it did mine eons ago. Had that college been two hours away we still would have picked it for what he wants to do. As I mentioned before, we went with best college for what he wants to do - nothing else ended up mattering to a large extent. Middle son will also be looking for best college for him. He'll have more choices due to his desired major, so might end up closer to home. Maybe not - who knows? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halftime Hope Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 not just the best school. Like the others have said, you and the student know best what will make him the happiest, and that will be a combo of things. Listen to your heart and if it's not the "best school," so what? Best wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brendafromtenn Posted March 30, 2010 Author Share Posted March 30, 2010 Thank you so much for the helpful advice. All of it really helped me to think about things I hadn't thought of before. Blessings to you all! Brenda:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnitWit Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 Hi Brenda, I don't live too far from you. :) I was wondering if you checked out Belhaven University? It is about 3.5 hours from where you are. Straight down I-55. http://www.belhaven.edu I am from Chattanooga and attended Bryan myself. My dd looked there and at Covenant....REALLY wanted Covenant. Turns out, Belhaven was closer AND turned out to be the absolute BEST fit program wise. Nice surprise and we ended up there at the last minute. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brendafromtenn Posted March 31, 2010 Author Share Posted March 31, 2010 Polly, We ARE close to each other! What does your daughter like about Bellhaven? Brenda:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnitWit Posted April 1, 2010 Share Posted April 1, 2010 I'll pm you :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZooRho Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 I know this is a bit old thread. My son is at Bryan now and we are 10 hours away. There are times it is really really tough and others that it is okay. 7 is more doable in one day, it literally is a 2 day trip for us. We have only visited once as a family to see him. And I went in Feb to see him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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