It looks like its gonna be Tufts. The 2nd option was Rutgers. This should be an exciting time for me, but I just can't get over the $64k per year price tag difference between what appear to be two similarly rated schools. I think this is financial insanity. I've made it clear the alternative options she would have for that $250k between grad school, house, retirement, etc, but she really likes Tufts and doesn't like Rutgers. I'm just keeping my shut at this point, but can't help feeling that this is a mistake. The ffa usually delivers with some wise words during times like these. What do you have for me?
No offense to Rutgers (which my younger daughter might end up going to), but I do think Tufts is generally considered to be a better (and more selective) school, for whatever that's worth.
I'll also say that while Rutgers is well regarded, and we know a ton of really smart kids (1450+ SAT, good grades, etc.) who go there, almost all of those are in either engineering or business. I suspect those two highly ranked areas drive a lot of the strong academic reputation that Rutgers has. Also, anecdotally, it seems as though my older daughter's friends at Rutgers spend a lot more time just kind of hanging out vs. those at the most selective schools who tend to spend more time both studying and DOING stuff.
Ultimately, I think the cost vs. benefits tradeoff is also somewhat dependent on what kind of career path you anticipate. If your kid is going into something with good prospects of a high paying job, the extra cost is a lot easier to stomach, since the incremental cost is a smaller percentage of what they'll ultimately earn. If your kid is going into something where they may not earn a lot, then the cost savings become relatively more critical.
Also, the likelihood of attending grad school impacts things.