Public vs Private College

Yes but.... .the right professional school looks at what undergrad school you go too... plus their entrance exams...
 
Yes but.... .the right professional school looks at what undergrad school you go too... plus their entrance exams...
I agree. I meant only that employers who are looking for lawyers and doctors will be much more concerned about the law or medical school than about the undergraduate school. I should have been clearer.
 
QUANDRY:

State College would be U Pittsburgh or Penn State. IF we get into private colleges I feel it'll be full-pay. (My assets means $90k expected pay ability ). Right now, NOT close to sure about future profession.... mild interest in teaching, BUT showing tons of interest in Advanced Biology and Anatomy. (Oh God please why not something with good pay! lol)

Is it better to go all out, do the private 'selective' college for a 4 year degree? OR better to do a state school, then pour on the money for a good master's program - but then have money left for the seedling to a retirement fund, home ownership, etc?

Would love any opinions or experiences.

This is truly the first time I regret having kids and regret not doing the college thing because now, I cannot advise or guide on any of this stuff.
Both Pitt and Penn State (main campuses) are very selective and filled with high-achieving students. I have a degree from both of them, and then went on to eventually become a VP at a small private university after a successful first career in IT. For your DD, I strongly suggest Pitt or Penn State.

And having attended both, I favor Penn State, but that is a personal choice, depending on the environment she'd thrive in (very different campuses) and areas of study she's most interested in.

Additionally, your daughter is too motivated and academically talented to start out at a community college as other(s) have suggested.

Good luck!
 
Additionally, your daughter is too motivated and academically talented to start out at a community college as other(s) have suggested.

Good luck!
I don't understand this statement. The idea of community college is to get the required course w*rk out of the way as inexpensively as possible. If someone is motivated, they will learn what they need to learn at a junior college. They'll save enough money to spend more on the school they plan to graduate from. It may not be for everyone, but it's strategic. YMMV
 
I don't understand this statement. The idea of community college is to get the required course w*rk out of the way as inexpensively as possible. If someone is motivated, they will learn what they need to learn at a junior college. They'll save enough money to spend more on the school they plan to graduate from. It may not be for everyone, but it's strategic. YMMV
I will agree with you to a sense... but a really smart motivated student will more than likely already have a lot of these credit hours from high school... at least my kids did... I think my DD had 27 or so hours credit...

The only thing that got me was that my son's degree had 4 years of required courses so he still had to do 4... and DD is doing 4 for some reason... not sure as I have not asked...
 
Very true. If you lean into heavily regulated and controlled professions, you will have to be credentialed. Then again, this choice likely entails a two or more million dollar hole, and almost a 30 year descent into debt slavery. Which is ever more painful if this is the wrong career choice and part of the cost problem with health care and professional careers. Lifelong commitments at age 17 are very risky, like buying US 30-50 year debt.

That leans into reform needs, which is a different topic.
 
I do not see a two million dollar hole...

I have a nephew who is a Dr... just had the rest of his student loans forgiven as he worked in a charity hospital for 10 years... but his debt was less than $500K...

My DD is planning on going to dental school... she said her debt will be in the $400K to $500K...

So how do you get to $2 mill?
 
I do not see a two million dollar hole...

I have a nephew who is a Dr... just had the rest of his student loans forgiven as he worked in a charity hospital for 10 years... but his debt was less than $500K...

My DD is planning on going to dental school... she said her debt will be in the $400K to $500K...

So how do you get to $2 mill?
There are now a few medical schools that are tuition free thanks to large donations over the past couple years. Most recently Michael Bloomberg giving $1 billion to Johns Hopkins. Expect there to be more in the future as more billionaires look to leave their mark on society.

 
My Megacorp was incredibly "prejudiced" when it came to degree vs no degree and also which degree (BA, MS, PhD) and WHERE you got your degree.

With no degree, it was virtually impossible to be designated as a "professional" (we called it "exempt.") Now, it WAS possible to earn a good living by moving up in the non-exempt c@reer track BUT, without a degree, you weren't going to be asked to professional meetings or travel, etc.
Brings back bad memories of my start in accounting. I was an accounting "clerk" at a Fortune 50 oil company full time while attending college at night. To be a "professional" you had to have a degree. Only "professionals" got chairs with arms and got to sit next to a window. I was doing the exact same job as them, but was a low-life clerk. After 7 years of night school at a private college, I finally took my last class (Speech). I was immediately given a raise, a chair with arms, and moved 10 feet closer to the window. I told my boss they must think very highly of my Speech class.
 
Brings back bad memories of my start in accounting. I was an accounting "clerk" at a Fortune 50 oil company full time while attending college at night. To be a "professional" you had to have a degree. Only "professionals" got chairs with arms and got to sit next to a window. I was doing the exact same job as them, but was a low-life clerk. After 7 years of night school at a private college, I finally took my last class (Speech). I was immediately given a raise, a chair with arms, and moved 10 feet closer to the window. I told my boss they must think very highly of my Speech class.
I will say that accounting is slightly different but I remember way back when a manager was talking about the requirements for doing a job... one was a college degree... ANY college degree...

He said that getting one showed the person is able to do what is necessary to get one... (not talking the mail order ones)... it takes 4 or more years... so that is looked upon as being good by the employer...

I remember when I had a clerk working for me and also going to school... she wanted to get the professional job like I had... I told her that she had spent too long of time in her position (like 15 years) and that upper management would never see her as a 'professional'... when she graduated she found out I was right..

She did move on and got a good job somewhere else... good for her!!
 
Brings back bad memories of my start in accounting. I was an accounting "clerk" at a Fortune 50 oil company full time while attending college at night. To be a "professional" you had to have a degree. Only "professionals" got chairs with arms and got to sit next to a window. I was doing the exact same job as them, but was a low-life clerk. After 7 years of night school at a private college, I finally took my last class (Speech). I was immediately given a raise, a chair with arms, and moved 10 feet closer to the window. I told my boss they must think very highly of my Speech class.
Megacrop was "worse." They began to renege on promises of raises and advancement for those who took advantage of the company's education plan. Megacorp paid the cost of course w*rk if you were degree seeking in one of our scientific specialties. Of course, books, transportation, make-up w*rk time were all on the student. From experience, I can affirm that the "benefit" was about 1/3 the cost of obtaining the next degree (MS in my case.)

I w*rked with a technician that we had hired to wash dishes originally. He was so smart and so educated already (but no degree) that we quickly moved him to technician duties in the lab. We had just purchased half a dozen micro-computer controlled instruments and he programmed all of them (from sample injection to data reduction - using basic language - ca 1985 IIRC.)

Eventually, he got a chance to go w*rk in the "computer department" which automated the plant site at that time. He moved up rapidly in the non-exempt line and got nice raises and advancement.

When he finally graduated and got his degree in computer science, Megacorp only offered to "make him exempt" (which meant he would no longer get over-time pay.) They said he already made more than a new exempt hire would make so (in theory) they would have needed to cut his salary - they agreed NOT to do that - but he would never have gotten another raise for perhaps another 7 to 10 years!)

So, guess what? He left for a Megacorp that appreciated his skills, his education, his "to whom it may concern" letters and he almost doubled his salary.

Megacorp was sort of "Meh!" and never countered with another offer. The management of his department (and the staff he had w*rked with) were incensed at losing him because of Megacorp's unwillingness to bend on this subject.

From that day forward, EVERY member of the department began w*rking toward leaving as fast as possible. Some retired and others found positions within Megacorp under different divisions. Still others simply left the company for greener pastures.

Megacorp won the battle and lost the war on that deal. They also lost me as a "loyal believer" in Megacrop.
 
Typically i think the $2m hole is from lost opportunity cost of being in debt and then not making income. But there are many jobs even after 4 years where it might not be worth getting a degree. But then sometimes the degree checks the box to make it possible to go to a different field, career, etc.
 
Oh yea... no need to get a degree for some fields... one of my nieces is married to a guy who does oil and gas stuff... highly skilled but without a high school degree... companies pay to send him all over the world to do what he does...

It was a few years ago but he was making $400K plus at that time... I think he has now bought the company..
 
I don't think there is a one size fits all answer to your question. We took our daughter to visit all types of schools to see where she would feel most comfortable. We did big and small private and public, religiously affiliated, in-state, out of state. We told her what we budgeted for school and said she could keep whatever she didn't spend or take out loans if it exceeded our budget. Then she settled on acting as a major and decided to apply to one safety school and then only to the best of the best programs since that gave her the best chance of success in such a competitive field. She was talented and got in to NYU. Is she now an actress? No. She decided it wasn't the career for her. Did she have an amazing experience? Yes. Is she working in the industry? Yes. Is she considering grad school? Yes, but here's the point. There is so much more to the college experience than the major. How many of us can say we got a degree that led us straight to a lifelong career? I surely can't. About 30% of college freshman change their majors in their freshman year. So maybe you help her pick a school with a good program in what she thinks she wants to study now (it might change) and that has other good programs if she does change majors. If she picks a cheaper school there will be more money left for grad school (if she decides to do that) or a down payment on a house. If she spends more, she can take out loans. What a great life lesson to teach setting goals, budgeting, and compromising.
 
I don't think there is a one size fits all answer to your question. We took our daughter to visit all types of schools to see where she would feel most comfortable. We did big and small private and public, religiously affiliated, in-state, out of state. We told her what we budgeted for school and said she could keep whatever she didn't spend or take out loans if it exceeded our budget. Then she settled on acting as a major and decided to apply to one safety school and then only to the best of the best programs since that gave her the best chance of success in such a competitive field. She was talented and got in to NYU. Is she now an actress? No. She decided it wasn't the career for her. Did she have an amazing experience? Yes. Is she working in the industry? Yes. Is she considering grad school? Yes, but here's the point. There is so much more to the college experience than the major. How many of us can say we got a degree that led us straight to a lifelong career? I surely can't. About 30% of college freshman change their majors in their freshman year. So maybe you help her pick a school with a good program in what she thinks she wants to study now (it might change) and that has other good programs if she does change majors. If she picks a cheaper school there will be more money left for grad school (if she decides to do that) or a down payment on a house. If she spends more, she can take out loans. What a great life lesson to teach setting goals, budgeting, and compromising.
I see what you are saying. Having said that, a school known for turning out actors must have a very limited set of alternative majors compared to a STEM school. (My STEM university DID have a "Drama department" in the English major school.) It even had two entire theaters to w*rk in.

My DW went to the same university I went to. She started out in Computer Science, switched to Nursing school, then to (for want of the proper term now, it was referred to as "Home economics" but her actual degree was in Interior Design.) Full disclosure, she never actually made a living AT interior design. She managed the family business.

My point is, some schools are MUCH more "inclusive" when it comes to majors with a wide range of fields of study than are others. SO if a young student isn't very certain what they want, a school with lots of options may be more appropriate than say, a small liberal arts college with a great reputation within a very circumscribed set of majors. Clearly, YMMV.
 
Having said that, a school known for turning out actors must have a very limited set of alternative majors compared to a STEM school.

This is absolutely not the case.

NYU is a good example. USC is another. Possibly the one that does fall in to your view is Julliard, which is obviously focused on the arts.
 
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An average public university with a good, useful, marketable degree is worth much more than a great private university with a useless degree.
 
It really depends on what is best for your daughter's learning style and ability -- my experience is that five years after you graduate it in most cases does not make much difference what school you went to (with the minor weight to maybe some contacts you made there). I have known just as many that went to two year community college and then transferred to public school and turned out tot be superstars as those who went to Ivy Leagues and turned out to be mediocre. The key is what is the best environment for her to thrive and grow.
 
This is absolutely not the case.

NYU is a good example. USC is another. Possibly the one that does fall in to your view is Julliard, which is obviously focused on the arts.
Yeah, I'm sure it varies, school to school. My STEM school had something like 30,000 students with a huge range of majors and individual classes. There was something for almost everyone there - even Drama.
 
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