This is a great list. And Jana's comment is important, too, and honestly something I didn't think too much about with my first kid, but definitely am with my 2nd, who is waiting on a few college acceptance/rejections to come through. He has applied to some schools in high cost areas that the other didn't. The whole thing stresses me out! I am looking forward to the financial aid comparison post. Thanks, Wendy!
This is a GREAT list! In addition, I always advise families to look at guaranteed housing, required on-campus housing (especially if it's more than one year), and off-campus housing availability as part of the decision process. I've worked at places that had guaranteed on-campus housing for all years of full-time enrollment and places that required one year in the residence halls and then really hoped you'd rent an apartment or live in a Greek house so that they didn't have to make room for you. I've also worked for institutions in expensive cities where there is a serious rental housing crunch in general (Boston) and where the lease cycle means you are without a place for yourself or your stuff for 2-3 weeks in the summer before school starts up again in the fall. Some college towns have a lot of new construction with furnished apartments and individual leases for shared units; some have slummy houses where 16 people sign a lease together. It is all madness, but knowing what is required and what is available has to be part of the decision for anyone who can't solve those problems by throwing piles of money at them.
YES - this is such a good point. There are some wonderful schools that I sometimes hesitate to recommend to families because housing availability and cost are so challenging... it can really make a $10,000 a year difference in some of the HCOL areas.
This is a great list. And Jana's comment is important, too, and honestly something I didn't think too much about with my first kid, but definitely am with my 2nd, who is waiting on a few college acceptance/rejections to come through. He has applied to some schools in high cost areas that the other didn't. The whole thing stresses me out! I am looking forward to the financial aid comparison post. Thanks, Wendy!
This is a GREAT list! In addition, I always advise families to look at guaranteed housing, required on-campus housing (especially if it's more than one year), and off-campus housing availability as part of the decision process. I've worked at places that had guaranteed on-campus housing for all years of full-time enrollment and places that required one year in the residence halls and then really hoped you'd rent an apartment or live in a Greek house so that they didn't have to make room for you. I've also worked for institutions in expensive cities where there is a serious rental housing crunch in general (Boston) and where the lease cycle means you are without a place for yourself or your stuff for 2-3 weeks in the summer before school starts up again in the fall. Some college towns have a lot of new construction with furnished apartments and individual leases for shared units; some have slummy houses where 16 people sign a lease together. It is all madness, but knowing what is required and what is available has to be part of the decision for anyone who can't solve those problems by throwing piles of money at them.
YES - this is such a good point. There are some wonderful schools that I sometimes hesitate to recommend to families because housing availability and cost are so challenging... it can really make a $10,000 a year difference in some of the HCOL areas.