momof4girls Daughter #2 college search thread

[momof4girls]

Originally Posted by IUHoosiergirl88

Obviously I didn't go to Valpo, but I know a decent amount about the school.

-As a freshman you do take what's called the "Valpo Core" in both the fall and the spring--it's basically the equivalent of a freshman seminar.
-VU is lutheran. You also are required to take 2 full-semester theology courses, so if that's not appealing to your D...might be better to know that now. They're not strictly Bible focused (I know a friend took one on Islam), but that's still not appealing to some students.
-VU is small, only 4500 students including graduate+law. Subsequently, classes are also small and rarely, if ever, taught by grad students.
-65% of students come from Indiana or Illinois, so she should be outgoing enough to find friends that may already have established friend groups.
-Dorms are meh, from what I've seen. Sororities live in Scheele Hall, along with other upperclass women.
-Very welcoming campus, small to medium greek life
-Sports...SEC they are not. Valpo basketball can be OK, their claim to fame is the Bryce Drew sweet 16 shot.

In terms of the surrounding area, Valpo is the more white-collar area of the area colloquially known as 'The Region.' There's a cute little historic downtown with restaurants about a mile from campus, and campus is within walking (although I personally would drive) distance of a shopping area with Target, Kohls, Best Buy, Starbucks, Noodles & Co, etc.. There's more shopping out in Hobart/Merrillville, but you'll definitely need a car to get there. Hobart/Merrillville is more truly 'Region,' but as long as she stays in the US 30 corridor, she'll be fine. Getting to O'Hare or Midway should be pretty easy--she can either get a ride up to the South Shore commuter line into Chicago and navigate Chicago public transportation into either airport, or she can catch a coach bus to either airport for roughly $30 leaving from some of the neighboring towns.

ETA: I forgot to mention the weather. Having grown up here, winters can be BRUTAL. Assume you'll need a winter coat from late October through at least March, usually into April. The weather doesn't truly break until late April, early May. Lots of snow and cold since Valpo is not far from Lake Michigan. It's something she'll get used to, but the first winter might be a really rough transition

Fabulous information!

Since Creighton is on her list, we have had discussions about a biblical education. She was very open and ok with having to take classes in faith.

I will say she is totally not impressed with Valpo school colors.

[IUHoosiergirl88]

Originally Posted by momof4girls

I will say she is totally not impressed with Valpo school colors.

They are definitely hideous, haha. But brown goes with a lot...right?

Personally, I'd rather have brown than green or purple, but that's just me.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by momof4girls

I will say she is totally not impressed with Valpo school colors.

How does she feel about Gamma Phi Beta's colors?

As for the financial aspects- you really have to figure out what's best for your family and what you can afford. Paying a little more for a better fit might be worth it, but only if it won't put a massive hardship on all of you. It's a balance only your family can figure out. I'm paying a little more for my D's "dream" school than we would have paid at the local state flagship, but she is having tremendous experiences in NYC that she would not have had in Ann Arbor.

[momof4girls]

Originally Posted by AGDee

How does she feel about Gamma Phi Beta's colors?

The better question is how does she feel about sorority life? I'm not sure she could even tell me what Gamma Phi Beta's colors are.

Financially we have discussed completely what we can contribute. The short of the story, if she attends a public university she will walk out debt free. If she attends a private university she will have debt when she graduates. This may absolutely play a part in her final decision, especially if she thinks she will continue to grad school. Her father and I will not pay for grad school.

Cheddar's big sister is currently attending the University of Nebraska at Kearney, so we have experience in dealing with travel. Realistically anything further than 12 hrs from home will pose all sorts of logistical challenges (think north of Ames, IA).

We officially have our first college tour set up. October 20th we are OU bound for the day. I really want to hit OU first so she can get a feel for size and the meteorology department. Our list of schools could potentially change dramatically after this visit.

[Pingyang]

Originally Posted by momof4girls

Financially we have discussed completely what we can contribute. The short of the story, if she attends a public university she will walk out debt free. If she attends a private university she will have debt when she graduates. This may absolutely play a part in her final decision, especially if she thinks she will continue to grad school. Her father and I will not pay for grad school.

The bolded is not necessarily true. It might be true if she's attending an in-state public school or somewhere where she is eligible for in-state tuition, but lots of public institutions now see out-of-state students as giant moneymakers. Top private schools with strong endowments and a desire to attract the strongest students can sometimes offer better financial aid packages, especially compared to states where in-state residency is hard to establish. If she becomes a National Merit Semifinalist or better, that might open some doors for scholarships to out-of-state schools, but be wary of front-loaded financial aid and scholarships that require extremely high GPAs to keep. (Even the best students sometimes struggle with the adjustment to college.)

Net price is not sticker price, though both are much too high these days. Don't rule out private institutions early because of high sticker price--every school will have different financial aid opportunities, and it's worthwhile to research them.

[BlueCarnation]

Originally Posted by Pingyang

The bolded is not necessarily true. It might be true if she's attending an in-state public school or somewhere where she is eligible for in-state tuition, but lots of public institutions now see out-of-state students as giant moneymakers. Top private schools with strong endowments and a desire to attract the strongest students can sometimes offer better financial aid packages, especially compared to states where in-state residency is hard to establish.

I strongly second this--even though it's going against the schools I've mentioned. Just yesterday I was talking to my dad, who is an administrator at a large public university, about how top students are not going to his school because smaller private schools with big endowments are able to pay full rides and pull kids away. My cousin got into UTexas, but is at small Knox College because it is paying for all 4 years of college. Over $100,000 that my aunt and uncle don't have to pay. Same happened with my ex bf at Union College--full ride. Someone with good grades/scores is going to be coveted by a private school with money to spend, especially if it will add to their geographic diversity. Definitely keep that in mind.

[momof4girls]

Originally Posted by BlueCarnation

I strongly second this--even though it's going against the schools I've mentioned. Just yesterday I was talking to my dad, who is an administrator at a large public university, about how top students are not going to his school because smaller private schools with big endowments are able to pay full rides and pull kids away. My cousin got into UTexas, but is at small Knox College because it is paying for all 4 years of college. Over $100,000 that my aunt and uncle don't have to pay. Same happened with my ex bf at Union College--full ride. Someone with good grades/scores is going to be coveted by a private school with money to spend, especially if it will add to their geographic diversity. Definitely keep that in mind.

Understood. My oldest daughter is currently attending a university out of state. One of my first stops on the websites of the universities that Cheddar is interested in is the financial aid site. I look very closely at the scholarships available to out of state students and the requirements for the honor colleges.

PhoenixAzul, Penn State is out of the running and I don't expect that to change. Our trip to OU next month will be a big indicator to size preference and a meteorology degree path. She may love it or hate it, but I think it's a good starting point to be able to focus on a solid path forward.

[LAblondeGPhi]

Originally Posted by Pingyang

Top private schools with strong endowments and a desire to attract the strongest students can sometimes offer better financial aid packages, especially compared to states where in-state residency is hard to establish. If she becomes a National Merit Semifinalist or better, that might open some doors for scholarships to out-of-state schools, but be wary of front-loaded financial aid and scholarships that require extremely high GPAs to keep. (Even the best students sometimes struggle with the adjustment to college.)

Net price is not sticker price, though both are much too high these days. Don't rule out private institutions early because of high sticker price--every school will have different financial aid opportunities, and it's worthwhile to research them.

Oooh - I'd like to "third" this.

Remember that part of the rising cost of college has to do with the strategy increasingly employed by many universities - "high tuition, high aid".

Universities use merit scholarships to lure in the very top of their applicant pool, because they really want those best candidates for all the metrics that go into rankings. So, regardless of public or private, the real issue should be how desired is that school, and how does Cheddar compare to their typical pool of applicants? Obviously, you'll balance that with fit, reputation and her definition of "good" school.

If you're interested in podcosts, I listened to two interesting ones recently:
Planet Money's "The Real Price of College"
This American Life's "How I Got Into College"



Also keep in mind that the overall pool of high school-aged students is declining with movement of that second baby boom, so many smaller universities are finding it much harder to recruit students than they did 5-7 years ago.

For example:

This is from 2010, where there was a noticeable bulge at the 18-20 year old mark. I'm guessing your daughter was about 11 or 12 in 2010 - placing her right in that nice little valley around the 10-year-old mark. I think your daughter is in the best position (numbers-wise) as any student has been in 15 years.

[momof4girls]

Originally Posted by LAblondeGPhi

Oooh - I'd like to "third" this.

Remember that part of the rising cost of college has to do with the strategy increasingly employed by many universities - "high tuition, high aid".

I'm working very hard to keep this in perspective as I try not to hyperventilate over some of the $45,000 tuition prices.

Intriguing statistics.

[Sciencewoman]

Originally Posted by AGDee

How does she feel about Gamma Phi Beta's colors?

Hey, them's fightin' words!

Actually, the new AOII house next to our new house was decorated by an Alpha Gamma Delta who travels around the country as a sorority decorator (fun job!). She also decorated our new lodge at University of Tennessee-Chattanooga and she told me she was so excited to use pink and brown and mode there!

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by Sciencewoman

Hey, them's fightin' words!

Actually, the new AOII house next to our new house was decorated by an Alpha Gamma Delta who travels around the country as a sorority decorator (fun job!). She also decorated our new lodge at University of Tennessee-Chattanooga and she told me she was so excited to use pink and brown and mode there!

I only asked because she said she wasn't crazy about Brown and Gold for school colors! So, you know, Gamma Phi Beta... Brown and Mode?

Keep in mind from my son's thread- he wanted to go to a very small private school and he's loving every minute (so far) of his HUGE public university (although he's in a residential living/learning community that is small).