Affording a prestigious school? How much debt is normal

Paying for College
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<p>Circuit…forget about the loans needed for Case…not worth it. Believe me, if you go to MiamiU and then you graduate and start working, you’ll be sooooooo glad that you don’t have those ridiculous big loans. </p>

<p>Again, you will NOT get a higher salary because of a degree from Case. NO, nada. </p>

<p>Sorry, but Vandiepl’s points do not apply to you. You don’t have parents who saved for your college costs. That student won’t be saddled with debt like you would. But, do note that Vandiepl is finding that EVEN with college savings to put towards the family contribution, it’s a financial hardship to pay. so, imagine how much harder it will be for YOU to pay back debt!</p>

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<p>I didn’t mean to imply that I’m purely in it for the money, or that the only reason I’m interested in Case is because it’s prestigious. Case was my top choice for a reason, and it is prestigious for a reason. Both of those reasons are because it seems to offer the best education of all the schools I applied to, and I think most would agree that it is the best engineering school in Ohio, and maybe even one of the best in the midwest. It offers every opportunity a student could want, or at least every opportunity I can think of… It has the best location, the best facilities I’ve seen and the best equipment, and the best access given to students to use these things. It apparently has great professors, and it has great graduation rates and retention rates. It has a great focus on hands-on learning for engineers, and has a ton of research opportunities. Its gen ed program emphasizes writing, communication, and critical thinking, and it literally has more diversity among its students than Miami and Ohio Northern combined. It has partnerships with universities on every continent except Antarctica. They have tons of extracurricular things to get involved in. They have a “one door admission” policy, which encourages students to explore all their interests in any field, regardless of their major. And all of these things are confirmed by the multitude of employers busting down Case’s door to get students for internships and interviews, not to mention a 100% job placement rate for engineering graduates.</p>

<p>Plus, I just plain like it. It fits my personality, and I think I would get along great with a ton of people there. Plus, it has like 4 libraries that focus on various disciplines, in addition to the main library. The Greek system is apparently really service-based and contributes a lot to adjacent troubled communities. It has partnerships with tons of amazing institutions in University Circle and elsewhere in Cleveland. I even like the campus. I used to think Ohio Northern had the most beautiful campus I’ve ever seen, but I find myself wishing to see Case’s campus again. There is so much to be experienced there.</p>

<p>With my scholarship, grant, and work study it would cost me about $29,000 a year to go there, not including external scholarships. It would cost me about $24,000 a year to go to Ohio Northern University, and $20,000 a year to go to Miami University (seems high? Miami is being extremely stubborn with scholarships; typical state school). If I had the money to pay out of pocket, I would extremely gladly pay an extra $9,000 a year to go to Case over Miami. But I don’t have money, and my dad isn’t willing to pay much at all out-of-pocket for my education (or my sister’s education for that matter), so an extra $36,000 in loans over 4 years becomes an extra $80,000 paid back to the government over time.</p>

<p>So that’s my dilemma which has left me heart-broken. But don’t bother discouraging me from going to Case; I’ve already ruled it out. I think I’m going to Miami, because I think $24,000 a year is too much for Ohio Northern. Both schools are ABET accredited and in the absolute middle of nowhere. I don’t know; it’s the big public school vs. small private school issue; which is better for engineering?</p>

43

<p>$20,000 a year to go to Miami University (seems high? Miami is being extremely stubborn with scholarships; typical state school).</p>

<p>??? What merit or free money did you get? What are your test scores and GPA?</p>

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<p>$3300 per year scholarship, and that’s it. I have a 3.6 GPA and a 30 on the ACT. The infuriating thing is, Miami awards $6500 a year to students with a 3.7 GPA and a 30 on the ACT. I’f you are below that whatsoever, apparently you are about half as desirable to Miami.</p>

<p>And yes, I have called them and informed them that I will have a 3.7 GPA when I graduate high school. I have pointed out their ridiculous, stupid scholarship habits. I have begged and threatened to reject my admission. They don’t care. It’s $3300 a year for me.</p>

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<p>It doesn’t sound like you applied to any safeties. With your stats, you should have applied to some schools that would have given you large merit for eng’g. See if Miss State (very good for eng’g) would give you a full tuition scholarship…maybe more.</p>

<p>Was that 3.3 GPA weighted?</p>

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<p>I believe someone on this forum once wrote something like this: “Even a free ride to a bad university is still just 4 years wasted.”</p>

<p>At the end of the fall semester 2011, once all the grades were in, my new GPA was (and is currently) a 3.6. I sent out updated transcripts to all my colleges. Miami bases their scholarship awards on the GPA they had on file by March 1, and my up-to-date transcript was sent out a month before that. My high school does not weight GPA or class rank.</p>

<p>I applied to Ohio University, and they gave me more than half tuition in scholarship money. But no, I am not going to Ohio University. I have actually gotten into this debate in another thread I posted, and I do not want to go to a giant, nonselective state school. I don’t mean to sound conceited, but I have around 25 credit hours (soon to be 34) and a perfect 4.0 at a Kent State University branch from PSEO, and in so many of my classes, you would have thought someone was forcing all of my classmates to be there… they just don’t care. They are there for a degree, not an education. I don’t want to be at a school full of people like that, because the professors have little choice but to adjust their teaching methods appropriately.</p>

<p>If I wanted a free ride, I would take a gap year and go to Wright State University here in Ohio. I’m going to be the salutatorian in my high school graduating class, but the application deadline for a free ride at Wright State is Feb. 15 before the semester of enrollment.</p>

<p>But I am not fond of that idea. I’d prefer a stimulating 4 years and some manageable debt.</p>

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<p>If you’re the salutatorian of your graduating class, your high school is doing its students a disservice in terms of scholarships (and probably admissions) by not weighting GPAs. I know there are schools that will accept something from the guidance counselor stating that IF the school weighted, your GPA would be __ in connection with scholarships. It sounds like either Miami or your guidance counselor won’t do that. My D isn’t going to Miami, but her $10K Miami scholarship was based on a weighted GPA. Good luck to you.</p>

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<p>I saw the subject line in my email that CC shoots out to me and so I clicked and it sent me to this thread. Obviously our Case/Miami poster’s level of possible debt is way above normal. </p>

<p>So what is normal amount of debt nowadays for UG? </p>

<p>and poster - I agree with other sentiments. go with the less debt option; STEM will keep u busy and all your STEM mates will be similar. it is a big enuf place that there will be enuf like minded students for you to be comfortable. also, Miami has a good (ENOUGH) name cachet. I believe Paul Ryan is an alum, and he is well spoken , regardless of how you think of his politics (I think he reflects well on his schooling).</p>

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<p>

<a href=“Student Loans Weighing Down a Generation With Heavy Debt - The New York Times”>Student Loans Weighing Down a Generation With Heavy Debt - The New York Times;
This same article is the main topic in another thread.</p>

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<p>Just to go along here, I am doing sort of the same thing. I am choosing to go to my state school, Indiana University Bloomington, instead of going into excess amounts of debt. I have hope though, as for graduate school, I have a dream of going an IVY (specifically Harvard or Princeton) where I will be older and more mature with only 2 years to pay. Graduate school is far more important anyway (or so I think and have been told by others).</p>

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<p>the best debt is no debt. like your second sentence said, it is more than your father can afford, ergo more than you can afford. and if you can’t afford it you can’t go there… in my opinion. but this is america so take out a loan i guess… F=Pe^rt little oneee it adds upp!!! i would just consider going to a less prestigious school that will offer you more money. a lot of the prestige associated with a school is just puffed up reputation, you can easily get just as good an education at a cheaper school. cheap schools are underrated!</p>

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<p>Where did the OP end up choosing to go? What were his bottom line costs (not including what he would have to borrow) at each of his choices? He had some nice schools on his list that he put his nose up to. I happen to think Ohio U is a good, solid choice. It’s not always a matter of picking the least expensive choice or taking no loans, but taking out way more than an expected year of income is just not a good idea for anyone.</p>