Average Random costs for the dallas area...

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by TX75007

2. $10-$15+ per hour.

Wow...domestics around here charge $20-$25 per hour.

[RonnieinDallas]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

Wow...domestics around here charge $20-$25 per hour.

Yeah I thought that sounded low as well. My apartment has one avaiable. I have her come once a month to dust and clean my bathroom and wash my sheets and that costs $30. My moms comes once a week for 4 hours and I think she pays close to a $100

[ChristieP]

Mine just cleans, no food prep or laundry, for 3 hours every other week and she charges $75.

[mom2gurls]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

I think it's closer to $15k per year now for tuition & fees. UT went to a flat-rate tuition a few years back and the website shows tuition for most degrees at / just above $5k per semester. Fees & books probably run another $2.5k per semester, depending on the program. Cost of living in Austin varies widely - depending on camps dorm, Greek life housing, private dorm, apartment, etc.

OP, the $10k degree is something our looney governor is trying to push through. I think you will likely see it implemented in satellite campuses vs the flagship schools (A&M, UT-Austin).

Also, be forewarned that about 10 years ago the state put a program into effect to diversify the college campuses that grants automatic admission to any state school for all students graduating in the top 10% of their class. At UT & A&M, there are more students applying from the top 10% than there are spots in the freshman class. This has led UT to implement a top 7% rule effective this year (was previously 8%). If your child is serious about getting into UT, he/she needs to find out what the GPA cut-off is at his new high school and place a high priority on getting grades at those high levels. In a competitive high school (Plano, Highland Park, Flower Mound, Coppell, top private schools), it is going to take an A/ A+average in a mix of AP / Honors and some "regular" classes. Making all A's in regular classes won't be enough to make the cut-off due to the extra GPA weighting of Honors and especially AP classes (often worth .5-1.0 GPA point more than the same grade in a regular class). Just want to set the Texas college admissions landscape for you.

Perfect information. Cost isnt going to deter us if they get in to a great place, but I wanted to know what the advantage is of being a resident of the state. its all coming back to me now...AP classes, extra weighting. Hmmnnn lots to think of, because from what I am gathering..its better to go to "the next best school OTHER than plano,flomo, coppell)..so you have a better chance of being in that elite 7%..say frisco, mckinney, prosper". Better to be a big fish in a little sea..then a little fish in a big sea?

[mom2gurls]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

And while we're talking about college, please keep in mind that Texas has many smaller state universities that also provide excellent educations, and are lower cost and do not have the ultra-competitive admissions process that the Division 1 schools have. Angelo State University, Sam Houston State, Stephen F Austin, Lamar, the satellite campuses of the Texas A&M system (Commerce, Canyon, Kingsville), Sul Ross, etc. All of these schools do a great job of educating, have beautiful campuses, and are much lower cost than the bigger schools.

Totally correct, I have to start researching because we are only with only have 8th grade, but if memory serves me correctly, everything starts "counting" in 9th. We are going to keep all options in state and out of state open. I remember in the cali system the big advantages was the name brand to propel you in into futher study of the sciences, law or getting your MBA. I have a gut feeling my oldest will prefer a smaller college as well....

[stan4]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

Wow...domestics around here charge $20-$25 per hour.

I agree. Mine are around 20 bucks an hour (per person).
Go with a 'company' and it's 25.

[stan4]

I agree with UT being cutthroat sink or swim (as is life).
I disagree with the lack of guidance. You just have to have the initiative to go get it.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

Mine just cleans, no food prep or laundry, for 3 hours every other week and she charges $75.

I don't ask mine to do food prep and I keep telling her NOT to do laundry but if there's anything in the washing machine, she runs it.

[carroll4628]

Originally Posted by mom2gurls

..its better to go to "the next best school OTHER than plano,flomo, coppell)..so you have a better chance of being in that elite 7%..say frisco, mckinney, prosper". Better to be a big fish in a little sea..then a little fish in a big sea?

Not really...

7% of 2000 kids in the graduating class (Plano) is 140 kids. And 30% are lower income (working poor), so only 10% of them would even make it to the top tier...(you can do the math)

7% of 800 kids is 56 kids - not so much wiggling.

Southlake would be horrible in the sense that NONE of the kids are "disadvantage" and all the parents are highly educated, so there's no 'weeding out' of the "competition".

My theory is that when you're in the higher socio-economic suburbs/districts/schools, your child is competing against all the other well-educated families (everyone has a PhD or Masters and I believe genetics plays a roll as does parental involvement).

So, an option would be to head off into the "country" (or into an urban environment) and find a school where few of the parents have graduate degrees (and some don't even have degrees), then you're child will 'likely' rise to the top 7%. BUT...you'll have to live in that environment.

Also, frisco, mckinney, and prosper are not "little seas" by any stretch of the imagination. Remember this is Texas and they have 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A and 5A schools. IMO a "little sea" would be a 1A or 2A school (maybe some of the smaller 3A schools would qualify).