Choosing between colleges and the warm and fuzzy factor

[Tiramisu]

Dd has been accepted into the program of her choice at her top pick college. She has a decent scholarship and has been invited to be a "fellow" of some kind in a program they offer. She loves this school. The professors and students are unusually welcoming and friendly. And it's rural. Dd has always wanted to live rurally.

 

Another school, which is a little closer, has also accepted her into their program and has given her multiple scholarships bringing the total amount of aid to a bit more than her top pick. On top of that, this school has a fixed tuition guarantee so the cost won't increase over four years. Calculating that out, there's a big difference. Unfortunately, dd has never had warm and fuzzy feelings about this school. However, she's worried about the money and has decided, after all, to go to an accepted students day.

 

Both schools are small and are solid in her field, although the second one is a university and has a Ph.D. in her field, for whatever that's worth.

 

I'm concerned about the money, more for what it will mean over time than what it will mean next year, but I think she needs to be where she really wants to be. She has an LD and other processing weaknesses being happy and relaxed is really important for her optimal functioning.

 

Any thoughts? We're visiting tomorrow so a final decision will probably be made soon.

[justasque]

I would just advise going to Accepted Students Day at both schools and kicking the tires some more. We found that AS days gave us a more specific look that helped a lot. In one case a favorite school got moved to last place, and a "whatever" school got moved to first, after looking closer on AS day. Going to both will help you to filter out the generic stuff that most schools say and focus on the specific differences - both tangible and intangible.

[JennW in SoCal]

That is a tough one. I agree with visiting both again, though we specifically avoided the accepted student days because they are such a big rah-rah sales pitch. My ds spent a regular day on each of the final two campuses, attending classes, eating a meal with students, chatting with professors. A school he had loved at first glance wasn't so fabulous after spending a day there, but the second school -- the back up choice, was perfect. The decision was then an easy one.

 

So yes, fit -- the warm and fuzzies -- was ultimately the final factor for us. The friendly, welcoming students and staff were the real selling point, but the living arrangements and campus setting, and the opportunities for research positions were important too. My son's final two choices were about equal in terms of merit and financial aid packages, the main difference in price is distance -- and he chose the school much farther away. I have to remind myself when booking airline tickets that the cost is worthwhile when he is so very happy and successful.

 

Btw, my ds is at a small LAC where he has wound up in a paid research position with a faculty member -- it is minimal during the school year, but he enjoys it. The professor got funding to hire him and another rising sophomore to work full time in her lab over the summer. I bring this up to illustrate that these kinds of opportunities are moe available at schools without grad students, and to illustrate that unexpected sources of income may crop up once your dd is at college.

 

Good luck with that decision!

[JFSinIL]

I echo Jenny - my ds also has been hired by a faculty member in his field to do research during the past two school years (sophomore and junior) and now full-time over the summer :-) at a small LAC. At a university, these opportunities would go to the grad students.

 

He was selected as a lab proctor, too, spring of his FRESHMAN year, since he was an Honors student and did very well in chem. from the start of the year.

[creekland]

I'd go to accepted students days - then let her pick the school she likes the best since the cost doesn't seem to be terribly different. Students do better when they are where they like to be. Good opportunities can be found at most places.

[Tiramisu]

Very interesting point about the opportunities that might become available if there are no graduate students around to snatch them up. That's something I hadn't thought about at all.

[Tiramisu]

I'd go to accepted students days - then let her pick the school she likes the best since the cost doesn't seem to be terribly different. Students do better when they are where they like to be. Good opportunities can be found at most places.

 

We've visited each school twice and tomorrw will be a third time for the less warm and fuzzy one.

 

 

Creekland, BTW, you're the one who gave me such good feedback about the warm and fuzzy school when I hadn't heard of it before and thought it might not be too far from you and you might know something about it.. Your good review pushed me to have dd take a look, and then she fell in love with it! So, basically, this is all your fault. :tongue_smilie:

[creekland]

We've visited each school twice and tomorrw will be a third time for the less warm and fuzzy one.

 

 

Creekland, BTW, you're the one who gave me such good feedback about the warm and fuzzy school when I hadn't heard of it before and thought it might not be too far from you and you might know something about it.. Your good review pushed me to have dd take a look, and then she fell in love with it! So, basically, this is all your fault. :tongue_smilie:

 

Kids from here love it there... ;) Of course, they may also like your #2 school. Since I don't know that one I don't know for sure.

 

When the fit is right and the debt isn't super high, most kids love where they go.

[Kimm in WA]

Did your son decide? I thought I would throw in my two cents. My oldest son goes to a large state university, but still was able to get a research position in his 2nd quarter there, as a junior (he had 2 yrs. of college courses through dual-enrollment). This gave him great experience to land an electrical engineering internship the next summer. Anyway, thought I would let you know that undergrad research IS out there at large universities.

[Candid]

Ummm, I don't think this has been suggested but go to the school she wants to go to and show them the offer for the other school. Tell the $ difference and ask if they can match the other school. Tell them she really loves them bit the $ difference may make it that she has to go to the other school.

[Tiramisu]

Did your son decide? I thought I would throw in my two cents. My oldest son goes to a large state university, but still was able to get a research position in his 2nd quarter there, as a junior (he had 2 yrs. of college courses through dual-enrollment). This gave him great experience to land an electrical engineering internship the next summer. Anyway, thought I would let you know that undergrad research IS out there at large universities.

 

 

Yes, she decided. It was a somewhat tough choice for her, but I think she made the right one. She chose the small LAC. We just sent in the deposit last week. :)

[Tiramisu]

Ummm, I don't think this has been suggested but go to the school she wants to go to and show them the offer for the other school. Tell the $ difference and ask if they can match the other school. Tell them she really loves them bit the $ difference may make it that she has to go to the other school.

 

 

We tried that, and it didn't work. For the first year, the two schools are comparable in price, but that won't be the case in four years since there's a tuition freeze at the other school. As the tuition increases, I'll keep trying to request a little more aid to close the gap.

[Barbara H]

Great that she's made a choice - this is such a tough time of the year for everybody. At many schools there are often smaller scholarships open to upper level students in particular departments. Sometimes they are established by a family or a retiring professor and they are designed to help those really strong juniors and seniors who end up needing a bit more in the way of scholarships. So, if she can keep her grades up and be known in her major, there may open up other opportunities down the road.