Unfortunately, my pocket agrees with this list. I will be paying for Penn State for the next 100 years. Now, ask me if it was worth it? It sure was!

I'm SO at a loss at what I would suggest or NOT suggest for my hypothetical kids.

I don't think I'd suggest my alma mater. It's way better for graduate/professional study. I wouldn't be OK with commuting to school either - residental all the way. If I could do school over, I would've wanted a more traditional experience (locally, a SUNY or, out-of-state, a Big Ten?) so maybe I'd recommend that.

*lights match* maybe not over my dead body per se, but I am very on the fence about my kid going to an HBCU. I've met some great people from those schools, but...meh. Not 100% sold.

I was avoiding this but since you went there....

My daughter or son will not be attending CERTAIN HBCUs. I have about 5 HBCUs that I appreciate academically, professionally, and socially. I won't specify which ones. My child will know. :)

^^^^^^
tld221 and DrPhil brought me out of lurking retirement on this one. I feel 100% the opposite.

Although I definietly have my "5 favorites", my child can NOT attend a non-HBCU for undergrad. Go to graduate/professional school (almost) anywhere you want, but for undergrad HBCU or bust!

Yeah, but your team broke my heart a few years back in Commonwealth and well, we aren't at LSU either. Therefore, no LSU! :D

I'd be thrilled to send a child to my alma mater's rival (both are highly selective private schools and very generous with need-based aid). But I admit that I'd have a little sadness to go along with my bursting pride if she got into both and chose the rival.

Oh the good ole days for both of those!:(

UNCC, JCSU, JWU, Belmont Abbey or Queens. If either insist on staying in town 2 years is my limit, and they can spend them at CPCC, which has been in the Top 3 Community Colleges on several lists for years.

Plus there's a trend at UNCC of kids who are Charlotte/Metrolina natives having apartments in the University Area or living in the dorms. That's just crazy to be a college student living in the same city as your parents and paying for separate housing. If you want to cut the apron strings, cut them both and go away...don't keep hold of one for dear life after cutting the other.

Oh, and don't get me started on the siblings both going to UNCC and the in-town parents paying for separate apartments for BOTH girls.

My universities were 5-10 minutes from my parents' house. My family almost never saw me. :D

I was having a gooooooooooooooood time living in dorms (in undergrad) and in apartments (in grad school). Hanging out, roadtripping, being awaaaaaay from parents and family stuff. A goooooooooooooooooood time. :)

At my undergrad, it was required to live on-campus, so the local kids all lived in the dorms. They didn't go home all that often. Of the ones I knew, most of them ended up spending their whole junior year abroad (as opposed to the semesters that most of us did).

I guess it's different in the case of a major university. I can't justify letting my kid have an off-campus apartment when they're going to the community college around the corner.

Yeah. My oldest step-son was a college freshman last year and we made him live in the dorms eventhough it was 5-10 minutes from our house. We never saw him either unless he was out of money, university break where the dorms/campus are closed, or needed an extension of his meal plan.

If he had stayed home he would have stayed here the entire time and gone to class, rather than meeting people and learning how to take care of himself/being responsible and doing his own thing.

Agreed!

This is why I did not go to LSU. My parents wouldn't have been able to butt out if I was in the same town. I always wanted to go to LSU, but it was more important to be 180 miles away.