Saturday 5 July 2008

Where do we go for college??

As of this week, Dakota's college status is as follows:

1. Accepted into Rutgers, aid available only in student loans
Pros: close to home, great research opportunities
Cons: large class sizes, unwilling to try to help us match scholarship funds

2. Accepted into NJIT (New Jersey Insitute of Technology)
Acceptance to the Albert Dorman Honors College pending...

Pros: math program #10 in the nation, small campus and class sizes, intimate teacher/student relationships, good research programs. very willing to help with scholasrship aid (still pending)

Cons: travel to Newark by train, name recognition not as prominent as Rutgers for grad school applications.

On Monday June 30th, Dakota had an interview with an undergrad admissions director from MIT in Boston. He wants Dakota to apply for spring or fall of 2009. Yikes???

Pros: IT'S MIT!!! He can't get any better school than that, and he could find some same age peers.

Cons: What in the world would we do IF he even got accepted? Acceptance rate is better than Harvard (7.4%) or Princeton (7.6%) as MIT is around 12%.... he'l only be 15 turning 16.
PRICEY...is an understatement. Worst nightmare is he gets in and we can't afford to send him after any aid he may get.

I always thought I had more time when it came to making decisions like Dakota living away from home, or the family moving again. I would like to stay in NJ for awhile longer. For some reason time is slipping away quickly and the challenges are back full swing. I don't know if I have any more boxing gloves left, I have used them all up....

gratitude thought: grateful for the opportunity to pray and receive insights and answers.

3 comments:

Tricia said...

Wow, those are all AMAZING choices and I'm sure you will make the right decision for Dakota and your family.

Patricia said...

Wow, you are fast Tricia. How are you doing? What's life like after graduation?? Thanks for your vote of confidence! I sure could use it now as I'm trying not to panic.

Tony Lai said...

I don't know if this helps, but MIT had a press announcement saying that it would be tuition-free for families that make under $75,000. Here is the link.
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/tuition-0307.html