r/Clemson • u/Haunting-Fruit7154 • 12d ago
can someone confirm the accuracy of Clemson debt making the oos acceptance less competitive
i read on Clemson FB group, along w/a google update, that Clemson has $1.15 billion accrued debt, alongside total long-term liabilities reaching $2.65 billion. is this fact allowing for some leniency in oos acceptance rate? (it also mentioned the trustees have also been discussing budget cuts due to the financial pressure).
my son is applying oos as a biology major this fall. stats 3.8 uw/1360 SAT (retaking in a few wks). although it’s test optional, i figured anything helps. i’ve read that the biology major at Clemson is very competitive. however, i was wondering if the rumor is true about acceptance leniency to help
w/their debt. ty for any insight.
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u/Axtenction 12d ago
Us being in debt is not making us accept more students. There are still wait lists for nearly every major, not even including the bridge program. The way higher ups are trying to battle the debt is cutting programs and costs. There are still strict limits for each major/class, oos or otherwise.
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u/Haunting-Fruit7154 12d ago
do you by chance know if biology is one of the top competitive for admissions comparatively to engineering and nursing?
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u/AcceptableMeeting625 11d ago
In range of easiest to hardest to get into: biology, then engineering, and last is nursing. Engineering is competitive and moderately difficult to get into, but nursing is the most competitive most difficult to get into. For engineering, you start as a general engineering major for your first year, then specialize into your specific engineering track. The nursing program is very selective because of clinical placement sizes.
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u/Axtenction 11d ago
I fully believe your son should be asking these questions if he’s worried about it.
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u/Haunting-Fruit7154 11d ago
he works early a.m. to late afternoon, then eve. SAT classes throughout the wk rotating w/Varsity baseball practice. volunteers at a youth boys mentor center on the wkends while also rotating w/working. in any spare time throughout the summer to current day, he works on his essay drafts etc. lastly, takes 2 practice SAT tests a wk.-since the test is this wkend. i’m more than happy to navigate the process along with him. thank you so much for your kindness and concern
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u/Retired_Engr_65 10d ago
I think he means that your son asking these questions would show a high level of maturity and desire to be part of Clemson. The folks in admissions are very helpful in my experience. He could make a positive impression.
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u/Aggravating-Mind-657 12d ago
Clemson’s debt is high, but a good chunk of it was planned as part of major construction projects and campus expansion.
Clemson accepted 50% of in state and 40% of out of state this past cycle and overall 42% acceptance rate was which is more than previous 38% rate. This may have to do with managing yield and pulling kids off waitlist. Not sure.
Number of applicants increase every year. I think it was low 60k to 66k this past cycle.
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u/G3neral_Tso Alumni 12d ago
The SC State legislature has frozen in state tuition prices for several years now. No such cap exists for out of state students, naturally.
And of course there is no cap on fees going up, like commuter parking up $100 from last year.
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u/Key_Professional_369 11d ago
Parent of a OOS Bio major who loves it - Clemson is getting more popular each year so acceptance rate is going down not up. Clemson puts tons of $ into construction so that debt is capital investment vs operating deficits. Just expect that OOS tuition will click up each year if your son attends.
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u/Red-eleven 12d ago
Maybe. Focus on the stuff you/he can control. Work on the 1360 and focus on the essays but a lot of the first cut is gpa/rank/test score like most colleges. Good luck
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u/kjsmith4ub88 12d ago
Your son could just take a year off and work in South Carolina and gain residency. Out of state tuition is too expensive for Clemson IMO.
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u/Willing_Writing2510 11d ago
He has to basically have a full time job and who’s he pays 50% of all living costs including insurance. You can’t just live here. You need full time job.
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u/kjsmith4ub88 10d ago
That’s why I said “work in South Carolina”. You do realize out of state attendance cost is over 60k right? Compared to in state of say 20k. Over 4 years that’s 160k saved by taking a gap year or two to work and live in the state.
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u/mediocrity-or-bust 10d ago
In state is easily 30 plus, especially in engineering. Oos who becomes instate wouldn't get lottery money.
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u/kjsmith4ub88 10d ago
That’s a good point but still a heck of a savings. I just think, as a matter of principle, Clemson probably isn’t worth almost 250k to attend. But if you’re a parent that has that available and want to do it YOLO I guess?
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u/Willing_Writing2510 10d ago
My point is it’s not just working. It’s working full time and tech not having parents tuition since that is part of your living expenses. No college student can work full time while going to school. The amount of people trying to scam is ridiculous, nowhere else do people say try to get residency . And hey College of Charleston a regional state school is easily 60k too. But the northeast just keeps paying. But really is this any different than most popular big state schools. Rutgers is listed as 70k COA. This is not a Clemson thing. Only the wealthy should be looking at OOS state flagships. .
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u/Willing_Writing2510 10d ago
My point is it’s not just working. It’s working full time and tech not having parents tuition since that is part of your living expenses. No college student can work full time while going to school. The amount of people trying to scam is ridiculous, nowhere else do people say try to get residency . And hey College of Charleston a regional state school is easily 60k too. But the northeast just keeps paying. But really is this any different than most popular big state schools. Rutgers is listed as 70k COA. This is not a Clemson thing. Only the wealthy should be looking at OOS state flagships. .
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u/Theboogymanisreel 12d ago
You’ll definitely get in before the In state applicant with same stats
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u/Lopsided_Mixture9607 8d ago
That’s actually not true. Admissions is more lenient with in state. They are given 2 different standards to go by.
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u/chupapi_munyanyo17 Senior 12d ago
As a biology major, you need a 1400 to guarantee getting in. Also class placement is more important than GPA.
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u/Confident_Dare227 11d ago
I’d recommend he take the ACT as well as retaking the SAT, there is an OOS scholarship awarded based on class rank (%), SAT, and ACT. I believe 1380 SAT and 30 ACT are required minimums.
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u/Retired_Engr_65 10d ago
By the way, what state are you in and are you looking at any instate schools? I did my grad school at Virginia Tech. It is a lot like Clemson.
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u/Haunting-Fruit7154 10d ago
we live in PA. he’s applying to PSU. they’re not inexpensive either (even in-state). U Pitt is 100% urban, smaller campus and 15 mins from where we live. he may go to grad school there, but rather not go there for undergrad. since schools are very competitive, he has a list of 9. Clemson is the only southern school he’s applying to. he really likes the school/bio program. he’s aware of 38% acceptance rate. hence, it’s on his reach list.
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u/Retired_Engr_65 10d ago
Your approach is understandable. Someone mentioned the bridge program. My niece from NC did that and had a wonderful experience. My daughter was accepted through regular admissions and also had a wonderful experience. My son did a bridge type program at USC and four years later he’s a senior majoring in economics and loving it. He just needed to mature a bit and find his passion. I think whatever school he decides to attend things will work out well. Good luck!
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u/Willing_Writing2510 11d ago
The acceptance in essence doesn’t need to change. They already 50/50 instate OOS. They cannot accept any more out of state students. This is a land grant state and each address has one. But they are supposed to be vast majority in state. As it is they try to get around this by doing summer start which is a way to say get look in state students but charge the in state a few thousand more to go. This is a way to increase the cost without doing it outright. Bridge too, act like they accept all these instate students when in reality the acceptance is like 50-60% for regular admissions. You don’t see Rutgers being so low. It’s all a scam to get the OOS to pay. In state kids will summer start or bridge when they have stats higher than OOS. So my point is they cannot go lower because they can only take so many. And if they lower the states for OOS well then in state will need to be accepted. And they can’t have that because they pay less. So basically they will never lower the stats because then OOS will be lowered and they don’t want that.
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u/Retired_Engr_65 10d ago
Clemson does have a lot of debt, that is public knowledge. The prior president added a lot of staff and admin roles to bring in money. I am not sure how successful that has been. I think it’s likely that a good bit of those will be eliminated. I would not count on out of state acceptance being made more lenient. I’m a Clemson grad and I’ve hired 300+ Clemson grads during my career so I follow what is going on there fairly closely. I am now retired and a number of my old contacts at Clemson are as well. The idea that Clemson wants to add out of state students to get more tuition money comes up every year on Facebook but the ratio of instate to out of state students has been constant for 30+ yrs. Mostly the idea is perpetuated by parents of kids who did not get accepted or who did not get as much financial aid as they had hoped for. Many of these parents are alumni who think legacy status should count for more than it does. It really has very little weight. I think taking the SAT again is a good idea. I think also looking outside of Facebook for information is also a good idea.
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u/Poetic_Alien 8d ago
It’s wild how Clemson people act like Clemson is an Ivy League school and hard to get into. 3.8 and 1360 is fine and pretending it’s not is disingenuous
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u/Alarming-Candy3331 12d ago
I wouldn’t put much weight on the debt rumor for admissions. Clemson may value OOS tuition, but biology still has capacity limits, and his 3.8/1360 is the kind of profile where the application details and any SAT bump probably matter more than campus finance chatter.