Looking for Colleges (Seattle, Tacoma, Pacific: violent crime, neighborhoods, best schools)

[RVD90277]

just my opinion, but any school not in the top 25 public schools in the country (via us news) isn't worth paying out of state tuition to attend (in the case of WWU, tuition of $20k/year or $33k/year estimated including room/board, etc.).

Top Public Schools | Rankings | Top National Universities | US News

for reference, i paid out of state tuition to attend a public school but it was one of the top 25. outside of that, i don't think it would have been worth it...community college would have been a better option for the money.

[fnh]

Originally Posted by NewbiePoster

Actually, this isn't true. Due to a financial crunch, the UW is favoring out-of-state students, because they pay higher tuition. It's the in-state students who have to have a 4.0 to get in (and even then, some get turned away), but the standards are looser for out-of-state students. The tuition is pricey, but they offer various forms of financial aid, including work-study. And, I don't know how it is now, but you used to be able to qualify for in-state tuition after completing your freshman year, meaning, after being a WA resident for a year.

I have been researching this for my own kids (admittedly a few years off from university) and I've learned that admission standards for out-of-state students at UW are indeed higher. However, since DH and I are both UW alumni, our non-resident children can apply under the lower resident admission standards though we will still have to pay non-resident tuition should they attend, despite owning a home here for almost a decade before attending, grrr.

In my view, it can be worth out-of-state tuition if the university has a strong program in your area of interest and/or it is located in a region where you plan or hope to stay long-term. Don't underestimate the strength of alumni networks.

[NewbiePoster]

Originally Posted by RVD90277

just my opinion, but any school not in the top 25 public schools in the country (via us news) isn't worth paying out of state tuition to attend (in the case of WWU, tuition of $20k/year or $33k/year estimated including room/board, etc.).

Top Public Schools | Rankings | Top National Universities | US News

for reference, i paid out of state tuition to attend a public school but it was one of the top 25. outside of that, i don't think it would have been worth it...community college would have been a better option for the money.

I disagree, especially considering that after the first year, students can get in-state tuition.

[NewbiePoster]

Originally Posted by fnh

I have been researching this for my own kids (admittedly a few years off from university) and I've learned that admission standards for out-of-state students at UW are indeed higher. However, since DH and I are both UW alumni, our non-resident children can apply under the lower resident admission standards though we will still have to pay non-resident tuition should they attend, despite owning a home here for almost a decade before attending, grrr.

In my view, it can be worth out-of-state tuition if the university has a strong program in your area of interest and/or it is located in a region where you plan or hope to stay long-term. Don't underestimate the strength of alumni networks.

Of course, in the past, out-of-state students have always had to have higher grades to get in. But just in the last year or two, there's been a sudden change. I found a website that went into detail about it, including newspaper articles, but can't find it now. This issue is very fluid right now in any case, and it pays to stay on top of it, I agree with you there. Perhaps the prospective student could email the admissions office and find out the latest policy. Good for you for doing the research and finding that alumni-parents loophole, though.

[MmeZeeZee]

Originally Posted by NewbiePoster

WWU in Bellingham is pretty good.

WWU is excellent and nationally ranked in several areas, but you'd have to be sure you wanted to go into those fields before deciding on it. Same with WSU. If you are going into ag, WSU is a great choice. Of course, that is not Seattle suburbs, but then, neither is Bellingham.

And FWIW, I am not a big fan of UW for undergrads. It's a great place to be part of the research but you have to want to live in Seattle. I hated the lack of opportunity for dialogue in the undergrad courses.

It certainly works for some but this is why people talk so much about "good fit" when they talk about universities.

College Confidential is actually a better message board for asking the OP's question.

[NewbiePoster]

Originally Posted by MmeZeeZee

And FWIW, I am not a big fan of UW for undergrads. It's a great place to be part of the research but you have to want to live in Seattle. I hated the lack of opportunity for dialogue in the undergrad courses.

It certainly works for some but this is why people talk so much about "good fit" when they talk about universities.

College Confidential is actually a better message board for asking the OP's question.

The trick to getting a more personal experience as a UW undergrad is to scour the course listings, ask an adviser for new course announcements, really research your options, and take some off-the-wall classes that have small enrollments. Push the envelope. As a Freshman or Sophomore, you can even take classes marked for upperclassmen only, if you get the instructor's signature on your enrollment card. And they'll almost always sign, because they want to boost their enrollment stats.

I had great experiences both in the big classes, and in smaller classes. I liked the UW because of the huge diversity of disciplines--lots to choose from for those basic distribution requirements. And a good number of small, oddball departments I could take classes in for a high level of instructor contact and class discussions, all within the general distribution requirement listings.

You have to put some effort into ferreting out the interesting classes and stretching the system as far as it'll go. And reading the instructor ratings to find the outside-the-box type of professors. If you put in the effort to do all that, you'll reap the rewards. It's definitely possible to have a small-school experience at the UW. It is what you make it. I never heard of anyone being part of research, btw. That sounds more like Cal, Berkeley or UCLA.

[MmeZeeZee]

The trick to getting a more personal experience as a UW undergrad is to scour the course listings, ask an adviser for new course announcements, really research your options, and take some off-the-wall classes that have small enrollments.

Yes, I agree, and that's great for a certain type of undergraduate, which is why I'd suggest looking at fit. I think "small school experience" is not possible, but that's not to say you can't have a very rich experience in smaller classes that are not all totally anonymous.

Particularly if you're in a weed-out major, it can be tough.

But I completely agree that everything is what you make it. It is all about finding the right fit for you.

[Chilkoot]

You're making a decision that is life-long. If the only critieria is being close to a big city than just about any college in the Seattle area will work. Pick the cheapest. I think you should consider what you want to major in and use that as part of your selection process. Although someone bashed WSU in Pullman, they have one of the best vet programs in the US. Also ag as mentioned. I did the same thing coming out of high school and got a degree I've never used although the fact you've posed the question here puts you far ahead of me in planning.

[Chilkoot]

University of Washington Bothell beats out UW Seattle in list of best colleges for your money - Puget Sound Business Journal

[RVD90277]

In general, schools are divided into regional schools that are well known with strong alumni, etc. in a certain area and national schools that are recognition and alumni at a national (and sometimes international) level.

WWU is a decent school but is a regional school. If you plan to stay in WA state for the rest of your life, you will have a good base of alumni and support.

But I can tell you that if you were to move to CA, NY, TX, etc. they will likely have no idea that WWU is good at anything.

The only nationally recognized school in the area is UW (Seattle) which offers you the highest ranked school in the area as well as the flexibility of recognition around the country. Personally, I don't think UW is that good of a school either but for this area, it's the best there is so for someone who really wants to be in the state of WA, I think UW is the best choice.

Most people typically only go to college once and your undergraduate degree follows your career for the rest of your life. It isn't always about finding the best deal. Babson might be a better deal than Harvard but if you can get into Harvard, you go to Harvard.

As for paying in-state tuition after the first year, there is no guarantee of that and many people get denied. Regardless of recent articles, it's harder to get in as an out of state student than an in-state student simply based on SAT scores, GPAs, etc.

RVD.