My daughter rejected an offer from her dream college because of the costs. I was shocked when she chose a state school instead.

Courtesy of Candy Mickels Mejia

• My daughter was accepted into the University of Chicago, her dream school.
• Once we laid out the costs, she wasn't comfortable with the price tag.
• She decided to reject the offer, and now she's a freshman at the University of Texas.

The trajectory of the college search changed the moment I heard my daughter gasp from her room: She'd been accepted by a highly selective college at the top of her list.