How to decide when the “fancy private� school is worth it vs the “good enough� public

[Hilltopmom]

Wow- how’s that for a loaded question??

 

Just musing aloud here cause ds asked me to talk this out with him for perspective.

He had his interview last night with a private school and came home raving about them.

So... How do you decide when the “fancy private†school is worth it vs the “good enough†public?

Financial aid packages will ultimately make this decision for him I think, so it may be a moot point anyways.

But I do think that sometimes the private bigger name school with great internship & co op opportunities and great placement rate after graduation IS a better choice than the cheaper state school with the same major, but not as many options.. even if it costs more.

Aahhhh, all this college stuff is Hurting my brain & making me feel like I know nothing

I was all set to continue to encourage him mainly about the state schools he liked and now he’s asking good questions about the possible pluses of the private I hadn’t considered.

Like, is the private really better after all?

Edited October 6, 2017 by Hilltopmom

[prim*rose]

I have absolutely no idea, but wanted to let you know you are not alone. This college stuff is hard!  :grouphug:

[Chanley]

Yes very hard. I am not sure I have ever experienced so much anxiety about anything in my life and I have been in some pretty tricky situations. 

[Hilltopmom]

Seriously, choosing where I went to college was so much easier than advising ds. This feels like Such. A. Big. Decision.

[OrganicJen]

Wow- how’s that for a loaded question??

 

Just musing aloud here cause ds asked me to talk this out with him for perspective.

He had his interview last night with a private school and came home raving about them.

So... How do you decide when the “fancy private†school is worth it vs the “good enough†public?

Financial aid packages will ultimately make this decision for him I think, so it may be a moot point anyways.

But I do think that sometimes the private bigger name school with great internship & co op opportunities and great placement rate after graduation IS a better choice than the cheaper state school with the same major, but not as many options.. even if it costs more.

Aahhhh, all this college stuff is Hurting my brain & making me feel like I know nothing

I was all set to continue to encourage him mainly about the state schools he liked and now he’s asking good questions about the possible pluses of the private I hadn’t considered.

Like, is the private really better after all?

I can just tell you my own experience. I was accepted to a bunch of large universities but chose to go to a small, private, liberal arts college for undergrad and I don't regret my decision. For me it was important that my instructors could get to know me and that I wouldn't just be a number to them. I didn't want to be lost in a sea of faces. I'm more of an introvert and I felt more comfortable at a small private college. I think it really helped me get into the graduate schools of my choice because I had so much experience that would have been hard to get at a large university.

[Arch at Home]

It is a tough question. Because finances worked for both though State was considerably less, DD did overnight visits to both the public and private LACs to determine which was a better fit. She attended classes, talked to numerous students, and asked pointed questions. For DD the more expensive private was a better fit. For a less Type A student wanting a more traditional college experience more a stronger sport presence, the public LAC was a better choice. We encouraged DD to make the best decision for the person she is today knowing that she could make the necessary connections where ever she was.

[Guest]

My first two are at "fancy private" schools, but my next two are at "good enough public" schools.

 

For us, it came down to money.

[Guest]

Elaborating a little more:

 

My first two NEEDED small, more intimate settings that held their hands and will assist with post college employment.

 

My next two kids are more independent go-getters and much more extroverted. They don't have the same needs as the first two. Large public unis fit them just fine.

[OrganicJen]

Another factor for me in choosing the small fancy private school was that even though the tuition was higher, they offered me a much better scholarship and grant package that actually made it less expensive than the larger universities I was considering.

[8filltheheart]

Wow- how’s that for a loaded question??

 

Just musing aloud here cause ds asked me to talk this out with him for perspective.

He had his interview last night with a private school and came home raving about them.

So... How do you decide when the “fancy private†school is worth it vs the “good enough†public?

Financial aid packages will ultimately make this decision for him I think, so it may be a moot point anyways.

But I do think that sometimes the private bigger name school with great internship & co op opportunities and great placement rate after graduation IS a better choice than the cheaper state school with the same major, but not as many options.. even if it costs more.

Aahhhh, all this college stuff is Hurting my brain & making me feel like I know nothing

I was all set to continue to encourage him mainly about the state schools he liked and now he’s asking good questions about the possible pluses of the private I hadn’t considered.

Like, is the private really better after all?

I think those are stereotypes and that the only way to know to sure is investigating each individual school.

 

My kids have to follow the $$. For us, publics have been very generous with merit $$. They have also offered excellent opportunities for my kids to excel. They have co-op-ed, participated in research, have had professors as mentors, etc.

 

My freshman has 2 appts with the career office, one for resume building and the other specifically for freshman internships.

 

My kids have not been numbers or cogs. They have had fabulous personalized experiences and great success.

 

My caveat would be that they are proactive. They don't just go to class and ignore outside opportunities. They search them out. They know that they are responsible for developing their future.

[Gwen in VA]

There's no "one-size-fits-all" answer.

 

Have your kid visit the campuses.

Have your kids spend time on the campus.

Have your kid interview (if possible).

Have your kid do an overnight visit (if possible).

Have your kid do some SERIOUS poking around on the website of the majors he wants to pursue.

Have your kid poke around the website -- they really do give some feel for the college.

 

This is a decision that depends on the student and what he/she is looking for in a school. Period.

 

Sometimes a private school is worth the money. And sometimes due to generous financial or merit aid a private school costs less that a public school.

 

And sometimes a public school is better -- even when it costs more money! (Our dd is attending an OOS public, but for her it is hands-down worth the extra $$$!)

 

Encourage your kid to develop a real "feel" for each school. Only have him apply to schools that he can actually imagine wanting to attend.  And we discouraged our kids from having a top choice until all the financial data was in......

[Pawz4me]

Define “fancy private.†I have no idea what that means. Maybe it means a top school or maybe it’s like one near us—mediocre academics but gosh are their bathrooms nice and fancy! And they have an ice cream truck.

 

There are very good private schools and very good public schools. And some pretty bad ones of each. And everything in between.

 

DS21 applied to top public schools (public ivies) and top private schools and was accepted at several of both. He went with a public school. He’s had an absolutely wonderful experience, had some great internships and less than a week into his senior year he already had a very good, full time job offer after graduation (which he has accepted).

 

DS18 applied to and was accepted by several middle of the road public and private universities. He chose a public school and is absolutely loving it.

 

Thankfully money didn’t have to be the deciding factor for either of them. But both decided public schools were the best choice for them.

 

So I say choose the right school for the kid (and your budget). Whether it’s public or private is irrelevant.

[MarkT]

Unfortunately these days it usually comes down to economics - if the private school costs 10K more per year and that would be in student loans then that would be a difficult way to go

[Julie of KY]

Yes, I think it is worth paying more for certain things. First how much wiggle room does your family have in the finances - this determines how much more you might be willing to pay.

 

I wouldn't pay more just for "fancy private", but I would pay more for a better fit. What's the atmosphere like, size of school, size of classes, classes within the major, opportunity to double major etc., honors program, job opportunities after college, etc.

 

If a school is a much better fit for my child, I'm more willing to invest more money. I've told my son that is currently looking at schools that finances will play a big role in the decision making, but he can make a case that we should pay more somewhere else and we would consider investing the money.

 

... editted to add that due to generous financial aid, my son's private school cost less than anywhere else he applied.

Edited October 7, 2017 by Julie of KY

[fourisenough]

Great, thought-provoking question. Setting aside personal preferences entirely: I think it largely depends on what major your student plans to study. In the case of my girls who are both planning to go into Nursing, it really doesn't matter where you go to school. As long as you can pass the NCLEX, nobody cares where you earned your BSN (from a job placement standpoint; obviously it matters personally).

 

However, if my kids were going into a field where connections and rankings mattered (for job placement or graduate/professional school admission), obviously the caliber of your undergraduate school makes a huge difference.

 

For DD1, the fancy private school ended up being about the same cost as our in-state public. She opted for the fancy private that suited her personal preferences. I suspect that DD2 will choose one of our huge, well-ranked in-state publics. And it will cost about the same. And both of their job prospects will be about the same.

[8filltheheart]

How do you determine if rankings matter for grad school admissions?

[Hoggirl]

This question is a source of constant debate over on College Confidential. There is definitely not a one-size-fits-all answer.

 

I agree with others that knowing the definition of "fancy" would be helpful in replying.

 

My general thoughts:

 

1) Cost outlay has to be a major determining factor. Cost outlay will depend on:

a) Your personal finances

b) Your level of debt tolerance

c) What type of aid is available - merit, need, or both. NB - Many highly-ranked, national universities (LACS, too) do NOT offer ANY merit aid at all. Many fine private colleges do offer merit aid of various amounts. However, a $20,000 merit scholarship may or may not be enough to make it "worth" it or feasible for your particular familial circumstances. See a) and b) above. Public universities may or may not offer merit aid. I do not think most public universities offer need-based aid, but I am unsure of this.

 

2) Fit is another important determining factor but cannot be weighted as heavily in the decision if there are issues with cost outlay. Fit will depend on:

a) size preference

b) distance from home preference

c) programs/majors offered

d) climate preference

e) desire for big time sports or not

f) desire for Greek life or not

g) quality of dorms

h) quality of campus food

i) ability to live on campus four year or not

j) campus "vibe"

 

^This is NOT an exhaustive list, and what matters most from this list will vary from student to student.

 

Each individual family has to make the determination if fancy private is worth it to them given the above considerations. And probably many more such as size of family, health issues, religious beliefs, etc. This is why, even if we learn OP's definition of "fancy" there still won't be an obvious answer.

 

My personal views are that I do not think that *any* random private is worth extra $$ simply because it's private or has county club-like amenities. I would never co-sign any loans for college but would support a student taking out federal loans. It is sucky to be in the donut-hole of need-based aid. That place where you have a well-qualified student who is academically in range to be accepted to schools that simply cannot be afforded because you don't qualify for the need-based aid (or enough of it) to make such schools financially feasible for you personally. However, if you can afford it, I am of the mindset (not liked by some on this board) that ranking/brand matters.

Edited October 7, 2017 by Hoggirl

[Guest]

Look at your ROI. What is salary level difference for new grad? What skill sets will they develop while at school? How easy is it to get tutoring? Will they be viewed as a future colleague or just a face in the crowd?

[DawnM]

 We are asking ourselves this as well, although he started at our local CC and even though fancy private is more, we are told they will accept more credits towards his graduation, making it comparable overall we *THINK*.  If so, fancy private will be more palatable.  

 

But what is selling us so far is the opportunities that the fancy private offers over what the public offers.

 

We will see.

Edited October 8, 2017 by DawnM

[Hilltopmom]

I’m not sure how to define fancy private.

I guess to me, any private seems fancy.

 

For example, private like RPI,RIT,Clarkson vs say SUNY Oswego.

 

“Name brand†vs state

 

In this case, he had 3 current top choices, one small private with strong engineering/ computer science (That takes pride in their internship/ co op program & is recruited at heavily for interns and post grad jobs) and one small state polytechnic with both majors as well where they encourage but don’t require co ops but you’re on your own to arrange them. Then another private that has other strengths.

The state school is not as well known yet in the field I’d say. But seems to have a strong enough program.

The favorite private has other perks like a robotics team dorm, extracurricular he’s looking for- robotics, engineering design teams, etc That the public’s don’t have as much of.

Both are a good fit for him.

 

He’s going back for visits at them again & overnights where he has not done one yet.

 

Honestly, yes, financial aid packages will decide where he attends, so fingers crossed there.

The new “free tuition†at state schools in NY (Yes, I know there are strings attached) is going to be hard to beat, so the private would need to be really worth it, KWIM?

But I’m not taking out loans for it, we just can’t, so affordable will likely make the final decision

 

Heck, no guarantees he’s even going to be accepted there

Edited October 7, 2017 by Hilltopmom

[GoodGrief]

Well, there is no rush to decide! :-) In the end, he will bloom where he is planted. It does seem like a big deal right now though.

 

My oldest was very certain that she wanted a small private school, but in the end chose a large state school becasue there were more opportunities for her major there. Turned out to be the best choice for lots of reasons that she would have had difficulty discerning during her senior year of high school.

[Corraleno]

In this case, he had 3 current top choices, one small private with strong engineering/ computer science (That takes pride in their internship/ co op program & is recruited at heavily for interns and post grad jobs) and one small state polytechnic with both majors as well where they encourage but don’t require co ops but you’re on your own to arrange them. Then another private that has other strengths.

The state school is not as well known yet in the field I’d say. But seems to have a strong enough program.

The favorite private has other perks like a robotics team dorm, extracurricular he’s looking for- robotics, engineering design teams, etc That the public’s don’t have as much of.

The bolded items are the things I would consider paying more for, because the long-term financial benefits may very well offset the upfront costs. So if it was a choice between the small state poly with no debt, or taking student loans (not parent loans) to attend the private with the great internship/coop program, I'd be inclined to take the loans. 

 

That choice doesn't really have anything to do with "private vs "public" though — you could have a similar situation where the most expensive option with the best program for a certain major was an OOS public, versus a local private with low stats offering tons of merit aid.

 

The question is really "Are these specific extra benefits of this particular school worth this amount of extra money for this individual kid?"

[Hilltopmom]

The bolded items are the things I would consider paying more for, because the long-term financial benefits may very well offset the upfront costs. So if it was a choice between the small state poly with no debt, or taking student loans (not parent loans) to attend the private with the great internship/coop program, I'd be inclined to take the loans.

 

That choice doesn't really have anything to do with "private vs "public" though — you could have a similar situation where the most expensive option with the best program for a certain major was an OOS public, versus a local private with low stats offering tons of merit aid.

 

The question is really "Are these specific extra benefits of this particular school worth this amount of extra money for this individual kid?"

Yes, you’re right! That’s the real question here.

It just happens those are the differences between the private vs the public on his list.

[JanetC]

Things like robotics where the college gives students money to pursue their ECs rather than requiring the students to fundraise for themselves is an area where a wealthy private school will really shine.

 

I was at an info nite for some very wealthy schools. The stuff they buy for their kids is amazing.

[daijobu]

Tough questions for fancy private:

 

How is their job placement or grad school placement?

What is the reputation of the school and their students?

Is money an issue for you, will you need financial aid, if so, how generous are they?  

Is your student raving about the school because of fancy marketing and heavy sales pitch?  Or are there legitimate benefits?

 

Tough questions for public state:

 

Do students have difficulty graduating in 4 years due to lack of open sections?

Is the university budget supported by the state or have their been cutbacks?  

How much hand-holding does your student need in terms of advising?  Can he distinguish himself from a crowd of thousands of other students to his professors?  

 

Not an easy decision!  There are no hard and fast rules here.  

[creekland]

We went with what was best for each of our boys within our affordability range.  No regrets. All were private, but two of those were less expensive than our public schools.  Sometimes paying more is worth it - just like with any other purchase one makes.  The key to us was staying in our affordability range.  We will pay extra not to have a beater car for our long distance travels, but we simply can't afford a Lamborghini no matter how cool it looks.

[MarkT]

I’m not sure how to define fancy private.

I guess to me, any private seems fancy.

 

For example, private like RPI,RIT,Clarkson vs say SUNY Oswego.

 

“Name brand” vs state

 

For Northeast US, SUNY Oswego is a "name brand" for Computer Science and has been for decades.

 

The private schools listed are also good but maybe more for Engineering than CS.

(I am from upstate NY)

 

You may want to apply to at least 6 or 7 schools and look at bottom line cost after you get your aid packages.

 

Good luck

 

take these with a grain of salt:

https://www.niche.com/colleges/search/best-colleges-for-computer-science/s/new-york/

https://www.niche.com/colleges/search/best-colleges-for-engineering/s/new-york/

 

because I think their weightings favor larger programs.

[FaithManor]

Don't assume the cheaper public school does not have the same opportunities. My son has an internship right now as a junior, my next oldest son is a research assistant for one of his professors and is only a sophomore, both have tons of study abroad options, clubs - one is president of his philosophy club and the other is Vice President of the Shakespeare club - and the list of what they can access is huge. They work as paid tutors as well.

 

Youngest toured Northen Michigan University a week ago. He wants to major in Electrical Engineering Technology. Last year this small, public university graduated eight in this major and they all had summer internships before their senior year and the total number of job offers between them by graduation was 121 companies. They all had signed employment contracts by the end of the first semester of their senior year. All of this from the efforts of the chair of the department who is championing his students. Their resumes were impressive. There were tons of opportunities on campus. Tons. And this was a mid ranked, regional university in the upper peninsula no where near an urban center or some well known pocket of culture and vibrant society.

 

It is very individual by school so you need to thoroughly check out your financial safety. It might very well be a true gem. I always tell my kids to pick a safety that has everything they want because knowing ahead of time that we would eventually have three in college at once, our motto has been "Love Thy Safety!"

Edited October 9, 2017 by FaithManor

[Hilltopmom]

Don't assume the cheaper public school does not have the same opportunities. My son has an internship right now as a junior, my next oldest son is a research assistant for one of his professors and is only a sophomore, both have tons of study abroad options, clubs - one is president of his philosophy club and the other is Vice President of the Shakespeare club - and the list of what they can access is huge. They work as paid tutors as well.

 

Youngest toured Northen Michigan University a week ago. He wants to major in Electrical Engineering Technology. Last year this small, public university graduated eight in this major and they all had summer internships before their senior year and the total number of job offers between them by graduation was 121 companies. They all had signed employment contracts by theme of the first semester of their senior year. All of this from the efforts of the chair of the department who is championing his students. Their resumes were impressive. There were tons of opportunities on campus. Tons. And this was a mid ranked, regional university in the upper peninsula no where near an urban center or some well known pocket of culture and vibrant society.

 

It is very individual by school so you need to thoroughly check out your financial safety. It might very well be a true gem. I always tell my kids to pick a safety that has everything they want because knowing ahead of time that we would eventually have three in college at once, our motto has been "Love Thy Safety!"

[Hilltopmom]

Lol, I was born in the UP. We got some mail from NMU but “I†crossed it off his list cause of winter depression concerns & distance from our home now.

 

Thanks for your input, I agree, both of his safeties really are great schools, I was telling him yesterday, anything on his list would wind up great for him. They have different pros, but no huge cons.

[TravelingChris]

For my youngest, the best thing about being in a private good college is that she is getting a much better education than she would get in our state schools or also in New Zealand.  She is always flabbergasted by how much less is required for learning similar material in the state school (and even less in New Zealand).  Also, she really enjoys the atmosphere there.  

 

For both dh and I, we also learned a lot more in our private college than we would have learned in a state or for dh military school.  (And yes he does know that since he was in the military, attended grad school with graduates of Academies and got to take more advanced classes than any of his classmates because he had already studied things in undergraduate that they had to study in graduate school.

 

That being said, there were a lot of different ways that state schools can be very good such as getting to do research (other dd started in freshman year), special programs, etc. that can make state schools be worthy too. 

[Guest]

For Northeast US, SUNY Oswego is a "name brand" for Computer Science and has been for decades.

 

The private schools listed are also good but maybe more for Engineering than CS.

(I am from upstate NY)

 

You may want to apply to at least 6 or 7 schools and look at bottom line cost after you get your aid packages.

 

Good luck

 

take these with a grain of salt:

https://www.niche.com/colleges/search/best-colleges-for-computer-science/s/new-york/

https://www.niche.com/colleges/search/best-colleges-for-engineering/s/new-york/

 

because I think their weightings favor larger programs.

 

Would you also suggest Lafayette in PA for CS?

Or SUNY Geneseo and transfer?

[Hilltopmom]

 

Interesting, I did just mention the possibility of starting at the small state then transferring to private if he really wants private after trying state.

At this point, I think he’s being swayed mainly by the private’s promise of having an excellent job placement rate and internship placement rate.

But it’s gonna come down to the $, regardless.

We’ll see

[Arcadia]

At this point, I think he’s being swayed mainly by the private’s promise of having an excellent job placement rate and internship placement rate.

Where do they place? I’m a cynic and my husband does internships interviews as part of his job including universities in the East Coast and in Canada. I would want to see their list of regular internships employers and also want to know what do they mean by excellent job placement rate.

 

Does the private puts in effort to run job fairs and create opportunities for their students to meet future employers thus getting a high employment placement rate?

 

Is the private’s reputation so high in that field of study that employers tend to interview based on reputation of school? So the private didn’t really need to do anything but employers will come a knocking for names. One of my husband’s previous employer does that, just ask the lecturers to recommend their research students who would be interested.

[creekland]

Where do they place? I’m a cynic and my husband does internships interviews as part of his job including universities in the East Coast and in Canada. I would want to see their list of regular internships employers and also want to know what do they mean by excellent job placement rate.

 

Does the private puts in effort to run job fairs and create opportunities for their students to meet future employers thus getting a high employment placement rate?

 

Is the private’s reputation so high in that field of study that employers tend to interview based on reputation of school? So the private didn’t really need to do anything but employers will come a knocking for names. One of my husband’s previous employer does that, just ask the lecturers to recommend their research students who would be interested.

 

A few other things we've come across are alumni connections (though this can be state or private) - some schools are just better at networking this way and connected professors - those with connections who advocate for their students even if being an alumni isn't part of it.

 

Checking grad school and employment options of recent grads is an excellent way of looking at schools.  Some schools do next to nothing.  Students can still "succeed" from these schools, of course, but they need to do a bit of the job hunting on their own.  With the "advice" middle son got from his pre-med advisors,  :cursing: , this is one area I wish I had paid more attention to when we were looking at schools.  However, my lad still loves his undergrad institution (all but that part), so not all was lost.  I've just noted it as a thought to tell others coming behind (here and at school).

[Guest]

Geneseo hasn't had a CS major for years. No engineering, either. They have one or two CS classes, and my son started their CS club last year, which had a lot of members. I don't know their reasons for deactivating that major, tho.

I was asking about starting at Geneseo and transferring elsewhere for the CS. SUNY Geneseo has a formal transfer program with a few Us.

[creekland]

I was asking about starting at Geneseo and transferring elsewhere for the CS. SUNY Geneseo has a formal transfer program with a few Us.

 

I suspect this would be tough to do if Geneseo only has a couple of CS classes.  It's common to need several CS courses for a major.  You wouldn't be able to knock many out freshman and sophomore year leaving a ton to do junior and senior year.  If any have pre-reqs, it could be impossible.

 

If even contemplating this route at all (based upon the thought of Geneseo only having one or two classes in CS), I'd be at the academic advising office and asking to see a workable "course plan" in writing to be sure it were possible.

 

Here's a very quick look at what Penn St requires for comparison:

 

https://turing.cs.hbg.psu.edu/cs/csdegree.html

 

Gen Eds are 55 credits.  Core requirements are 65, but can all of those 65 be taken in just two years if you pack the Gen Eds into the first two?  That would be the question to ask using the two universities you have in mind (coupled with being sure they have the Gen Ed required CS courses).

[Hilltopmom]

OP here- I’d be wary of that plan unless kiddo had a lot of CS in high school... what if they don’t wind up even liking that major?

 

We had tossed around staying at the CC he’s DEing at to finish up gen Ed’s then transferring but he’s already out of CS classes to take there.

 

(And he’s so ready to get outta here, lol)

Edited October 11, 2017 by Hilltopmom

[Guest]

I suspect this would be tough to do if Geneseo only has a couple of CS classes.  It's common to need several CS courses for a major.  You wouldn't be able to knock many out freshman and sophomore year leaving a ton to do junior and senior year.  If any have pre-reqs, it could be impossible.

 

If even contemplating this route at all (based upon the thought of Geneseo only having one or two classes in CS), I'd be at the academic advising office and asking to see a workable "course plan" in writing to be sure it were possible.

 

Here's a very quick look at what Penn St requires for comparison:

 

https://turing.cs.hbg.psu.edu/cs/csdegree.html

 

Gen Eds are 55 credits.  Core requirements are 65, but can all of those 65 be taken in just two years if you pack the Gen Eds into the first two?  That would be the question to ask using the two universities you have in mind (coupled with being sure they have the Gen Ed required CS courses).

The transfer program is a 2-3, so the sophomore CS courses wouldn't be lost.

I'm wondering because I've known people to successfully transfer to partner Us via SUNY Geneseo's plan, but in eng, not CS. CS seems doable because of the level of skill many students are bringing in from their accel/independent study high school years....but one would have to really want/need the back door in to a partner school and the cost savings as well as the gen eds to take those two years. I could see it if one wanted to run a side business at the same time or improve one's writing skills.  And with the gov's new SUNY scholarship, if one had a relative to live with, it would be a very very attractive option.

Edited October 11, 2017 by Heigh Ho

[MarkT]

Geneseo hasn't had a CS major for years. No engineering, either. They have one or two CS classes, and my son started their CS club last year, which had a lot of members. I don't know their reasons for deactivating that major, tho.

Geneseo has had a 3/2 Engineering program for many decades.

https://www.geneseo.edu/admissions/cooperative-engineering-program

 

I believe there Physics program has a good rep.

 

They want to be/are the premier SUNY liberal arts school.

 

In this particular case I would not recommend Geneseo.

[Mom22ns]

I can just tell you my own experience. I was accepted to a bunch of large universities but chose to go to a small, private, liberal arts college for undergrad and I don't regret my decision. For me it was important that my instructors could get to know me and that I wouldn't just be a number to them. I didn't want to be lost in a sea of faces. I'm more of an introvert and I felt more comfortable at a small private college. I think it really helped me get into the graduate schools of my choice because I had so much experience that would have been hard to get at a large university.

 

This was my ds. Add to that autistic spectrum disorder and a few other issues, and the small private LAC has been amazing! I'm pretty sure he'd have dropped out of a state U his freshman year. In three years, his largest class has been 25 or 30 students and his smallest around 5—Studio (TV) production. The professors at his school got to know him, kept him motivated, and worked with him when he needed it. It has been a terrific experience and absolutely worth every penny. I will note that he couldn't have gone without the significant academic scholarship that he received and has maintained there. 

 

Dd is at a State U and it is working just fine for her. She didn't want to have as much pressure on maintaining scholarships (she is a nursing student and as a fantastic GPA so that really wouldn't have been an issue anyway). The nursing program she is in has a high NCLEX pass rate and a 100% job placement rate, so that isn't an issue. She isn't an intellectual. She didn't want great intellectual conversations or whatever, she just wanted the degree and certification to do the job. The State U is a great fit for that.

[8filltheheart]

This was my ds. Add to that autistic spectrum disorder and a few other issues, and the small private LAC has been amazing! I'm pretty sure he'd have dropped out of a state U his freshman year. In three years, his largest class has been 25 or 30 students and his smallest around 5—Studio (TV) production. The professors at his school got to know him, kept him motivated, and worked with him when he needed it. It has been a terrific experience and absolutely worth every penny. I will note that he couldn't have gone without the significant academic scholarship that he received and has maintained there. 

 

Dd is at a State U and it is working just fine for her. She didn't want to have as much pressure on maintaining scholarships (she is a nursing student and as a fantastic GPA so that really wouldn't have been an issue anyway). The nursing program she is in has a high NCLEX pass rate and a 100% job placement rate, so that isn't an issue. She isn't an intellectual. She didn't want great intellectual conversations or whatever, she just wanted the degree and certification to do the job. The State U is a great fit for that.

 

I am sure you didn't intend your post to come across this way, but to be sure, there are plenty of intellectual students at state u's.  My dd called me this morning and told me that last night she went to the French club's dinner table and they were debating the Catalonia referendum (obviously in French.)  

 

She is surrounded by professors who know her by name.  She was even approached by one of her professors whose dd has young kids and asked if she would be at all interested in babysitting.

 

My older kids had very similar personal/intellectual experiences on their respective large public U campuses.  I suspect the difference is that kids who want to be wallflowers and simply attend class and not get involved can do so more easily on a large campus. But kids who want to engage and seek out those opportunities can find them and find "intellectual peers."

Edited October 12, 2017 by 8FillTheHeart

[Mom22ns]

I am sure you didn't intend your post to come across this way, but to be sure, there are plenty of intellectual students at state u's.  My dd called me this morning and told me that last night she went to the French club's dinner table and they were debating the Catalonia referendum (obviously in French.)  

 

She is surrounded by professors who know her by name.  She was even approached by one of her professors whose dd has young kids and asked if she would be at all interested in babysitting.

 

My older kids had very similar personal/intellectual experiences on their respective large public U campuses.  I suspect the difference is that kids who want to be wallflowers and simply attend class and not get involved can do so more easily on a large campus. But kids who want to engage and seek out those opportunities can find them and find "intellectual peers."

 

Sorry, 8, no I didn't mean to imply that. I just hear from many people that they want or their kids want elite schools to be with elite intellectual students. I think all of the highest IQ kids that I knew through my kids are now in public U's. 

 

What I was saying is simply that it wasn't a concern for dd, so we weren't looking, not that we couldn't have found it there if we did :).

[anne1456]

Another thing I wanted to mention is it depends on what he wants to do after graduation also. If he plans to stay in the Northeast and especially in upstate NY then a private school like Clarkson isn't going to get him places he can't get from SUNY Oswego. If his dream is to work in some place like Silicon Valley then the name recognition of RPI or RIT maybe could help, just because I doubt Silicon Valley firms recruit much at Oswego. 

 

My husband works at an engineering company in Syracuse, and he recruits from Oswego all the time, it is one of their top schools for CS. And the kids that are hired get paid the same, whether they graduated from RIT or Oswego.

[Hilltopmom]

Another thing I wanted to mention is it depends on what he wants to do after graduation also. If he plans to stay in the Northeast and especially in upstate NY then a private school like Clarkson isn't going to get him places he can't get from SUNY Oswego. If his dream is to work in some place like Silicon Valley then the name recognition of RPI or RIT maybe could help, just because I doubt Silicon Valley firms recruit much at Oswego.

 

My husband works at an engineering company in Syracuse, and he recruits from Oswego all the time, it is one of their top schools for CS. And the kids that are hired get paid the same, whether they graduated from RIT or Oswego.

Thank you for that! Good points.

Out of curiosity how does your husbands company feel about SUNY polytechnics CS grads? Any experience? Thanks

[anne1456]

Thank you for that! Good points.

Out of curiosity how does your husbands company feel about SUNY polytechnics CS grads? Any experience? Thanks

 

Well my husband is a CS graduate from SUNY Poly so obviously they hire them.  :001_smile:  They interview and hire more from Oswego though, although I don't why, it could just be a numbers thing. Or the fact that living is Syracuse is less of a hard sell after a few winters in Oswego.

[Hilltopmom]

Well my husband is a CS graduate from SUNY Poly so obviously they hire them. :001_smile: They interview and hire more from Oswego though, although I don't why, it could just be a numbers thing. Or the fact that living is Syracuse is less of a hard sell after a few winters in Oswego.

:) lol, thanks. Those are his two SUNYs that he’s really considering & im guessing he’ll wind up at one of them. You don’t hear about Poly as much (rarely) so that’s just making me nervous

[MarkT]

Another thing I wanted to mention is it depends on what he wants to do after graduation also. If he plans to stay in the Northeast and especially in upstate NY then a private school like Clarkson isn't going to get him places he can't get from SUNY Oswego. If his dream is to work in some place like Silicon Valley then the name recognition of RPI or RIT maybe could help, just because I doubt Silicon Valley firms recruit much at Oswego. 

 

My husband works at an engineering company in Syracuse, and he recruits from Oswego all the time, it is one of their top schools for CS. And the kids that are hired get paid the same, whether they graduated from RIT or Oswego.

all are very good points and I will add after 5 years or so of work experience, companies (like mine) do not focus much on where the candidate went to undergrad 

 

at that time in your career what you did for work and any grad courses would be more important

[Hilltopmom]

Thanks everyone. I know it’ll turn out fine wherever he winds up, I’m more nervous about it than him, I think.

His first acceptance & merit award is in so he’s getting excited for the rest of them now :)

And he’s at an open house right now with dh taking a second look at one of the privates.

[katilac]

One thing we did was to list, very specifically, the advantages of each more expensive college. Then we asked, can I duplicate this? If so, at what cost?

 

Actually, the first question was, how important is this advantage? A decent dorm was an important advantage. A fancy dorm with housekeeping service was not. 

 

Frequently mentioned advantages we saw were travel abroad included, internships and job placement, research, small classes, and the ever-popular "excellent education."

 

If we didn't think a school was capable of providing an excellent education and intellectual stimulation, it was off the list. That wasn't very many, because most of the schools we looked at had good honors programs and such, provided lots of great speakers and experiences, had profs from big name schools and profs who are high achievers in their field. We did find some schools, both public and private, where it would be difficult to obtain an excellent education, because they didn't have a critical mass of high achieving students and professors. Good students who really wanted to learn would be swimming against the tide. It was easy to cross those off of the list.

 

Travel abroad: When we ran the numbers for all four years, we could easily pay for travel abroad ourselves and still come out well ahead by going to the less expensive school. There are tons of high-quality options. 

 

Internships and job placement: Not something we could duplicate on our own, but we found some state schools who do a very good job. Specific majors that require a specific type of networking were not a concern. 

 

Dorms: all over the place! Price was often not an indicator of dorm quality. We held the line firm at requiring a dorm in decent shape. Furniture could be somewhat dirty, because we can clean that, but no bugs or internet issues, because those we can't fix. Other kids would handle a less optimal dorm with no problems, but we knew dd would not. 

 

Small classes: This is a plus but a few lecture hall classes are not a deal breaker. The majority of classes they had for DE at public uni were 25 people or less. They've both had classes, at two different publics, that were less than 10 people, not honors. Youngest is current in a big (100+) science class that she loves, so we're open to some bigger classes. Just about every school we looked at had decent sized classes for the most part, with honors programs and higher levels offering more small classes. So this could be majority duplicated, with the remainder not being worth a lot more money for us. 

 

Research: Opportunities readily available at several schools for the dd who was interested. If not available at schools they are interested in, can't be duplicated. 

 

Like almost anything else, I think pricey private vs affordable public can be broken down into facts and figures to be compared. Then consider the relative importance of each item and the money available. Okay, Expensive University wins on points, it is "better," but is it $10,000 a year better? Sometimes it is, sometimes not, but staring those numbers in the face is a good exercise either way.